About the Philippines
・About the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago with 7,641 islands and is part of South East Asia. It has three major island groups namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Manila is the Capital City , which is part of Luzon and where Peering Asia 7.0 will be held.
・Timezone
GMT +8
・Language
Two commonly spoken languages — Tagalog and English. Tagalog is the national language but almost everyone will understand and reply to you in English as necessary. There are more languages and even more dialects.
・Weather
TBD
・Drinking Water
Generally potable for locals, but “recommend” to consume bottled water.
・Currency and denominations
The Philippine Peso (PhP) is used, and notes come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. Coins some in 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos, 1, 5, 10 and 20 Pesos.
Besides banks, foreign currency may be exchanged at hotels, most large department stores (Malls), and authorized money changing establishments (normally inside malls). International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Master Card, and American Express are also accepted in major establishments.
・Business and Banking hours
Regular working hours for Private and Government offices are 8am-5pm or 9am-5pm on weekdays. Some are open on weekends, particularly those inside the malls, but may have limited* operating hours. Most shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets are open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. There are 24-hour convenience stores and drugstores.
Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, with automated teller machines (ATM) operating 24 hours.
*Banks normally up to 3pm, while other establishments until 5pm or aligned with mall hours.
・Power Plug
For the Philippines there are three associated plug types, A, B and C. Plug type A has two flat parallel pins, plug type B has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin and type C has two round pins. The Philippines operates on a 220V supply voltage and 60Hz.
Arrival in Manila
・Pre-Arrival requirements (International flights)
As part of the traveller registration and health declaration, as of time of writing (28th July 2025) all arriving passengers are required to complete their travel declaration prior to arrival. Note that the travel declaration is also required for departure. Submit your declaration at https://etravel.gov.ph and wait for your QR code as confirmation. Present the QR code upon exit, after baggage collection.
Additional details are available at https://etravel.gov.ph/entry-guidelines
・Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
This is the recommended airport as your destination to participate inPeering Asia 7.0. It is very close to the Shangri-la The Fort (the conference venue)., and there are also several international hotel chains located opposite the airport’s Terminal 3.
There are four terminals at NAIA. Terminals 1 and 3 serve international airlines, and Terminals 2 and 4 for domestic. Check with your airline which terminal you will be arriving at.
NAIA is like any other airport; immigration is followed by baggage claim followed by customs. The arrivals area outside customs can be crowded with greeters (hotels, tour guides etc). This is where all the facilities are. Note that once you exit the arrivals area, you cannot re-enter the building, so make sure you have all your belongings, local currency, local SIM, etc before exiting.
Note: Manila is also served by Clark International Airport about 80km north west of Manila. There is an express bus linking Clark with NAIA (takes about 90 minutes).
・Local Currency
Participants are encouraged to acquire any local currency they might need on arrival at NAIA. There are several banks offering competitive currency change services in the arrivals area after exiting the Customs Hall.
We recommend that you check the exchange rate of your own currency with the Philippine Peso before departure so that you are aware of current rates. Or carry US Dollars or other major international currencies for more certainty.
Exchanging foreign currency is possible elsewhere in Manila, and the hotels will of course be more expensive than the rates available at the airport.
Depending on your transportation arrangement, you may need local currency, but credit card payment is generally available. Kindly refer to Transportation details below, for additional information.
・Mobile SIM cards
Mobile SIM cards for tourists are available in arrivals at NAIA in each terminal after exiting the Customs Hall.
These are physical SIM cards offering 40GBytes and upwards of data and local calls for stays of 14 days or more, from around 1000 Pesos (US$18).
There are two Mobile Operators with kiosks at the airport, Globe and SMART. Visitors may choose the appropriate plan to suit the length of their stay.
The vendors make a copy of your passport photo page, and will register and set up the SIM in your phone for you. It’s a relatively quick process and they ensure your SIM is working before you leave. Receipts are only provided on request.
Using a local SIM might be an option to consider rather than relying on roaming.
・Transportation to Hotels
Some of the hotels will offer a guest pickup service, and many international arrivals choose this option. Feel free to arrange the pickup with the hotel when booking accommodation.
The Shangri-la The Fort offers airport transfers to all guests (at a cost), similar with other neighboring hotels in the area. Otherwise there are several public transportation options available. The recommended way is to use the Grab App (available across most of Asia). Follow the signs out of the Arrivals Hall and look for the appropriate markers. There is also a Grab booth (depends on the terminal) where the attendant can book a Grab for you if you don’t have the app. But it is better to come prepared with the app already installed on your phone.
・Transport locations per Terminal
Terminal 1
- No Grab kiosk
- Fixed rate Taxi Between Bay 5 & 6 (Booking App Kiosk; P850 to Sofitel)
- Fixed rate Taxi Between Bay 3 & 4 (ASSI Booking App Kiosk; P850 to Sofitel)
- Airport’s metered Taxi (Yellow) after Bay 6
Terminal 2
- Grab kiosk at Bay 6
- Coupon (fixed rate) Taxi at Bay 11 (P530 to Sofitel)
- Airport metered Taxi (Yellow) opposite Bay 15
- Regular metered Taxi (White) opposite Bay 22
Terminal 3
- Grab kiosk at Bay 4
- Fixed rate Taxi at Bay 4 (ASSI Booking App Kiosk; P850 to Sofitel)
- Coupon (fixed rate) Taxi opposite Bay 5 & 6 (P530 to Sofitel)
- Airport metered Taxi (Yellow) opposite Bay 8
- Regular metered Taxi (White) opposite Bay 13