I use the Internet to send text to cell phones in the RP every day. There are a variety of sources. Some of the Mag-anak members use Chikka and Fonetastic and swear by them. I tried Fonetastic, but must have hit the wrong buttons because once I entered my ""registration"" info it began to open dozens of windows trying to sell me everything from cell phones to a date with Debbie in Dallas. I had to re-boot to shut them off and I'm still getting deluged with gobs of Spam e-mails from it. I haven't tried Chikka. I've been using this one: http://www.smsxchange.com/main/default.asp with no unwanted advertising. I think the first 3 messages are free and then they cost $7/100.

Text messaging was a novelty at first, then it got to be a real pain, too many folks had my cell# and I was going crazy trying to keep up with all of the messages. In the Phils, text is used more than ""talk"" and everyone will ask for your Cell#, and you will get messages galore.

I agree with you, I've had lots of problems at the Manila International airport while transfering to the domestic...But that has been improved with the new building....I'M not sure about other airlines, but if flying PAL, no need to transfer to domestic airport now.... I've never had a problem at the Cebu airport...

That's great as I'm travelling with PAL. Not really looking forward to the flight (leave Saturday at 6:30 pm and don't arrive Cebu until 8:45 Monday morning). Seems soooooo long. At least I'll start off the week in a warm country. Can't really complain as we have hardly any snow and Buffalo just had 8 FEET.

Well, if all goes well, I'll meet Ligaya at NAIM in 65 hours. Too bad we have to spend a few days in Mnl, but let the (Visa) paperchase begin! As of this writing, Ligaya has only her passport, so there will be long lines at St. Lukes, NSO, NBI, etc.. My friend from Hawaii is in Cebu 'til the 19th (at the Marriott, anybody know anything about that place? Kidding), waiting for his fiancee's visa, so maybe we can meet up. If I do get there Don, I'll give you a call. We were supposed to spend about 10 days in Luzon, heading up to Pagudpud after the paperchase, then move on to Davao. But I read (here?) that there were flash floods in Davao and an American was killed in his hotel room in Davao, so I will hold off on Davao til I get a better handle on the situation. I'll spend tonight repacking, way too much stuff. I've got about 5 LBS of candy, 10 souvenier shirts, gifts for Ligaya and too many of my own clothes. Idea was to pack essentials plus paperwork and 1 days change of clothes in 1 bag and everything else in a bigger bag that I would have Bell Staff/Drivers handle, but that probably won't work. This is the usual pre-trip scenario tho, I always repack, except this time it's just once. For those that haven't been to the Phils (or Thailand), clothing is pretty cheap there. On my summer 2000 trip, I was supposed to get my ex-wife a ""Hard Rock - Hong Kong"" T-shirt, but I kept forgetting. When I was at the San Carlos (Negros) Festival, a friend negotiated the same shirt down to P80 (it was new). My New Year's resolution is to buy only 1 cell phone this trip. Well, take care all.

I've been reading posts on this site and find it very informative. I may be traveling to Manila the first week of March for a short visit. Can anyone tell me the actual flight time if traveling through, say Tokyo? (i believe that will be my route) I'm not anxious to sit on a plane for an extended period of time, but rowing a boat isn't a good option. Thanks for your help.

Bon Voyage Chip, My wife and I were just packing her two large 70lb bags also. Hadn'theard about the American killed in a Davao Hotel room yet, thanks for the update. Lorna flys out Monday morning but will stop in California for a couple of days first. HAVE FUN!

I just flew back from Manila throught Tokyo. Manila - Tokyo la little less than 4 hours, maybe 2 hours in the transit lounge in TYO then we made it back to New York's JFK in 12 hours. My fastest flight from Tokyo to San Francisco was 9 hours.

Here are four things I found interesting yesterday. I don't yet have today's Inquirer and it is not yet posted on the web for some reason. 1. Some Senators are working with the International Rice Institute or some such to encourage people to eat brown rice. Contrary to what many people think it is very digestible including the fiber and vitamins. Increased consumption and reduced consumption of milled rice will promote health they say. 2. The Davao Mayor Duerte is attempting to ban smoking in that city. Since many foreigners and some Filipinos may move out, rent may drop, while air quality will increase. 3. Coup rumors still continue to run wild. President Macapagal Arroyo says she will crush those trying to destabilize the government. A member of the renegade Young Officers Union, (YOU) was murdered. Rumor is that he was going to tell who in YOU was plotting the coup. The last article I post in toto, since I know many on the list are interested in IT business here, from small start ups to consulting. I do not believe this recruiter is indicative of many in the States. But the impression the young woman has may be common because of the cross cultural misunderstanding. But it sounds like this guy is just a part of our US culture none of us even in the US want to have anything to do with. My choice By Nicole T. de Guzman AN AMERICAN made me an offer recently: I will have the title of creative director in an apparently successful software/Web company based in the United States. The starting salary will be--get this--1,300 dollars monthly, and there will be frequent raises, complimentary equipment and Internet connection, plus shares of stock in the company. If I decide to move to will be getting a much higher pay-something like 8,000 dollars monthly. As we all well know, money talks. So I couldn't help but listen to him.Besides he was flattering me, telling me I was extraordinarily talented. However as our negotiations progressed, I was slowly, inexorably turned off. For starters, based on our correspondence, I think he is a vermin of the first order. Despite my efforts to maintain a professional approach, he displayed an annoyingly high-strung attitude, which I found rather strange for a guy of his self-proclaimed experience and success. On several occasions within a span of one week, he changed his offer as frequently as I changed clothes. One day he would say one thing, and the next day, he would say something completely different. When I pointed this out to him, he would call me names and make subtle racial remarks, not even bothering to hide his mockery of my inclination to work here in the Philippines, rather than practically commuting his country. (Who wants to be commuting by plane to America anyway?) ''Land-locked'' and ''unrealistic'' were the kindest terms he had for my attitude. He made it clear that he thought this country is rotten, and any one here should feel ""blessed'' to have an opportunity to leave. He repeatedly insisted that I immediately resign from my job, and when I hesitated, he kept at it, reminding me quite unnecessarily of how meager my salary was, especially if it was compared to what he was offering me. He was an insincere, immature fast talker who obviously had very little respect for non-Americans. I told him on several occasions that if he found me difficult to talk with, he could hire someone else instead of virtually harassing me to accept an offer that I found distasteful and waving money and a title repeatedly to entice me. He did not. When we were finally able to agree on the terms, we got into another argument over the pay. Suddenly, the 1,300 dollars he was offering dwindled inexplicably to 1,100 dollars--still a relatively big amount, I admit, but why should I accept less than what was originally offered? When I stood my ground, he called me the ''greedy one'' and broke off the negotiations. Very professional behavior, indeed. Even my lawyer said his attitude was extremely suspicious and distasteful. He advised me to stay away from him. I agree. No matter how much the compensation, I would never work for someone like him. Do you know how much I am earning right now? Around a couple of hundred dollars a month. And I have to pay taxes, contribute to the Social Security System and pay for gas and my meals. I work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every single weekday. It may take another year before I get a salary increase. But you know what? I'm very happy with my job. I love the work. I love the teeny-weeny space, with my desk, my computer, my purple thingamajigs all over the place. Best of all, despite the modest salary and low position, I have great respect for the people I work with. They are dignified, hard-working, obviously well-bred and well-educated people. Most of all, I love this country. Despite the heat, the traffic, the idiots in government, despite the poverty, this is my home. My family is here. My friends are here. My dog is here. Glorietta is here and so with the corner sari-sari store, hot pandesal in the morning, adobo sandwiches and tiangges. Everywhere I look, I see the familiar, comforting presence of other people who look, sound and think like I do: black hair, black eyes, a warm smile, and a humble heart. This is my world. This is my life. This my choice. Nicole T. de Guzman, 22, is a Web designer and artist.

Have a great trip Chip. I'm so envious and hope to be following in a few months -- picking up my fiancee as soon as the INS does their thing. I had not heard that the guy found dead in his hotel room was killed. I just heard that he was found dead in his room. Has there been more news on this?

I've had some reasonable approximations from airline web sites themselves .. approximations because times vary significantly based upon which departing flight you select from where ... and how it then interconnects. If I remember correctly both www.cathaypacific.com and northwest allow trip planning on their sites. They served my departure area well and I think I approximated times there ... though I was checking on a Cebu destination which could be reached through Manila or other ways. I hope this helps.

I've flown to Tokyo many times, as I was stationed near Tokyo in the Navy a few years ago. As I remember it, the flight time to Tokyo from LAX was 11-12 hours. Then, it is about a 3.5 hour flight to Manila from Tokyo. All I can say is the flight time is brutal, but it's all well worth it once you arrive. Another note, I've flown to Manila on PAL from LAX. There is a stop in Hawaii on the flight to Manila to take on fuel. You're on the ground for about an hour and passengers are not allowed to depart the aircraft. All in all, that flight is about 16 hours from ""wheels up"" at LAX to ""wheels down"" at Manila. The return flight from Manila to LAX is direct, no stop in Hawaii and about 12-13 hours. I understand the difference in flight time and the need to stop for fuel during the west-to-east flight is the trade winds. But, I suspect the HUGE amount of balikbayan boxes, and the added weight has something to do with it?

I'm on your side in this discussion, although I've never flown into Cebu, I haven't had any problems in Manila either. I always have a friend pick me up at the airport, so I haven't had a chance to be hustled by the taxi drivers. And, my worst airport experience was also at Heaththrow airport. My wife used a to have a keyring given by me years ago, a miniature baton. It was in her carry-on purse, she had been flying for years beteween the US, Europe and Asia with this keyring in her purse. Heaththrow security had a fit when it showed up on the X-ray, they whisked her off to a room in the back without allowing me to accompany her, accusing her of attempting to smuggle a lethal weapon on board. I beleive the only thing that saved her was my American police ID, once I finally got an officer to listen to me. But they confiscated her deadly weapon and caused a lot of embarrassment to her. Manila is nothing like that... It's really not that long a flight (actually it is a damn long time in an airplane), however, remember that you are crossing the dateline which puts you forward one day, you gain it back when you return. Have a great trip!

This will be my 4th trip in about 18 months. I very nearly hate flying, also am a smoker. I will get on the plane at JFK at 9 PM EST tomorrow (with patches on place and Mint Nicorettes) and arrive in Mnl at 11 AM Monday, Mnl Time, I believe a total elapsed time of 25 hours. We refuel (and smoke?) in Anchorage, 1:55 layover and we change planes (smoke!) in Taipei, about a 1:30 layover. I will do my best to get 3 (maybe 4) seats to myself, way in back and if successful will sleep the whole way, except for the smoke breaks. This has happened 5 of the last 6 trips across the Pacific. If you fly on Northwest (747-400), request seat 53 A, B or C; this is on the right of the plane, just across from the last galley. Shortly after takeoff (as soon as the stews can walk, and if they have room, one will offer you a ""deal"", which on my first 4 trips was an entire center row to myself. The 4th time this happened, the guy with me (I did not know him) did not know what was going on and I was able to get the last center row, with no side rows. I told the attendant to wake me 1 hou! r from NYC. If I do not succeed tomorrow, on a China Air Airbus, well I'll just reminisce about trips 1,2,3,4 and 6, but not trip 5, which I wrote about in a past post. Oh, if you do fly NWA, under no circumstances accept the ""Eggs with Shrimps"" outbound from Tokyo. Never! It was great going down, but as some 200 of my fellow passengers would attest, horrible in the other direction. It was a long 7 hours to Bangkok. I bring snacks now to make the trip and play it by ear on airline food. The 14 hours to Tokyo is loooong. The good news is that if they ""pick up time"", I believe that they can land early in most Asian cities, not cruise around over the US if early, waiting to land in their ""slot"". The return trip is not so bad, considering that each hour brings us 500 miles closer to ""reality"", until we can afford to escape it again and visit our friends in the Phils. I can't believe that I am able to go back; I've been out of work since March (except for 20 days in Dec consulting at ATT), my savings are shot and my 401K is really a 100.25K (literally). But a week ago Thursday, I decided Ligaya needed help with her paperwork (she probably does), my ex-wife bought the story (we share custody of a 17 YO going on 13 YO son) and I convinced myself that all would be back to normal jobwise by April (I think I have a 1 year contract at ATT waiting for me in March) or I'd be in Federal Court, along with Enron, Bradlees and AMES, except those guys did not get to make the trip to the Phils. I also told myself that I would stay in $20 hotels, take boat or bus rather than fly and live on $30 a day, after hotels. OK, I know the only one I am BS'ing here is me, I still believe the story (I even convinced myself that the purchase of only 1 cell phone is not an excess, just professional curiosity-something about P2,750 cellphones. Ligaya has my ""old"" one f! rom Dec 00, a Panasonic ""speakerphone"" model, one that I can actually hear on, so I do not really need a new one, except maybe Ligaya and I get separated at SM or Ayala and I can then text her). I know the feeling about being on the board and hearing of someone's plans to go or updates from people already there and waiting to depart at some future date (or in my case, figuring it would be years before I visited again). It is enjoyable, but it's not the same as being there. If you are waiting to go, savor the days, because the time will go by quickly once you are there. I haven't even left yet and I'm already thinking of extending.

Just heard from my friend Mildie in Davao, the American guy that died in his hotel room was a resident and had cardiac arrest. As far as flooding goes, Davao City is OK, was told that the flooding ""was a long way aways"".

They weren't going to keep us out that easy. All I've heard is as you say. Having to pay for all of our own medical without medicare or insurance is enough to worry about. No insurance in the PI for 65 and over, but the younger ones in the family can be insured if we decide. We may just pay as we go. We're anxious to go, but we're stuck here for now. Our PRVs expire March 6th, so if we're not out of here by then we'll have to apply all over agian. Bummer.

Don't worry, Niles. You don't have to pay. The income they are talking about is income made here. I have been on SS for three years and do not pay the Philippine government any taxes on it nor does any US citizen I know. We would all leave, maybe only to come back. And my pension is taxed in the States but not here. Money I make on investments in the States is not taxed here. ""all sources"" means all sources in the Philippines, I feel quite sure. The tax paid on money from made from ""foreign counties"" means income made by Filipino Citizens working in foreign countries, not foreigners living here. Any income I or any foreigner may make here from business, work, investments, even bank accounts here, is taxed by the Philippine government. If I make over 70,000 USD here I may owe some US tax on that too. I am not sure of that figure, but it in that neighborhood, far from my neighborhood. I pay for my visa, but little since it is a 13A I paid a lot for initially. If you are a tourist of course you pay not taxes. A permanent resident visa is still a visa, an invitation. If you are on a visa you are exempt from all taxes but VAT. Some believe you should also be exempt from vat if you are on any kind of visa as in some countries. Value Added Tax (VAT) is a tax initiated by the Ramos administration since so few Filipino citizens paid any income tax at all, but there was some under the table taxation going on, so I understand, that the government never saw. VAT is on some items and services. That tax is what makes the government run, I believe, though some people say it does not run. If I am wrong, someone who knows please advise me so I can get on the plane and get out of here before I am arrested.

The best internet site I've seen is mtnsms.com. They seem to have been around the longest.. however... Smart cellular (a major player in the P.I.) tries to kill those services because there is nothing in it for them (though I disagree.. people who receive texts also tend to send them). It is very difficult to find them for the PI because the PI carriers don't like it. Speedytomato lasted for a while and was great, but they went under recently.

The best safety device you can have is an alert, friendly (but not too friendly) attitude. Dont go into small spaces with more people than you can maim quickly. Enjoy everything, trust everyone....while you remain constantly alert. As you learn the rules, your level of alert will auto adjust.

Yes, I ran into that situation when I first came too. It really something, my wife was born speaking Illongo,cebuano, tagalog, and of course Tagalog but I guess the best teacher is just being here. I was watching the news one day on ABN-CBN and he was doing the foreign segment(He was an american white male speaking perfect Tagalog!) Don was working on a book on Visayas(Cebuano) and at church my pastor should me a english dictionary on it also. Also there was some good websites in these past posts on speaking it also. Hope this helps.

When I went in March, 2001 my Westbound flight got cancelled and I went via Germany and ended up going right around the world before I got back.

I paid P2390 at Mepla Trading on Dona Soledad Ave in Paranaque City (a mile south of Ninoy-Aquino airport). It was a Motorola V2288, does texting and supports WAP protocol. Also had an FM stereo ""walkman"" with earphones included! And it was ""unlocked"" or subsidy-lock removed. The CDMA version of this phone is now catching on in the U.S. I managed to get my money back by selling it on ebay (item #1296129540). Great phone! Nokias are nice, but unless you are going to stay in the P.I. for a while, the Motorolas, Siemens, and other cheapies are the way-to-go. My Motorola included a Smart Zed card and P100 credit. I even got an e-mail on it while at dinner in Bicol on 9/11 from a relative who told me there was some kind of plane crash at one of the WTC towers. Great phone for $47!

You wouldn't be able to get much of a cellphone, or perhaps any cellphone for $30, that's the equivilant of about P1,500. The cheapest *new* phone I've personally seen is about P3,000. For a lower end cellphone, I'd personally go for a Nokia 5110, budget about P4,000 to about P5,000 for the phone, sim card and prepaid card for that. Of course, your spending is virtually unlimited! For christmas I got my wife a new Nokia 8310, which was P15,000 plus a one year contract. Without the contract you can spend up to about P24,000 for that phone!!

I've been reading posts on this site and find it very informative. I may be traveling to Manila the first week of March for a short visit. Can anyone tell me the actual flight time if traveling through, say Tokyo? (i believe that will be my route) I'm not anxious to sit on a plane for an extended period of time, but rowing a boat isn't a good option. Thanks for your help

I flew PAL from San Francisco to Manila, 15 hour direct flight. Northwest took me there in August from Detroit to Osaka, Japan (12-13 hours) and then 2 hours south to Manila. This is off-the-top-of-my head memory..

If I ever carried anything (and I don't carry anything now) I would want something non-leathal. I thought the new generation of TASERs are a wonderful device for those who feel a need (I don't need one bad enough to pay the high price). But TASERs certainly won't pass muster on a flight. So I will pass on the butterfly knife too. I am still a fan of a tactic I posted weeks ago. Carry a pocket full of small bills. Get in trouble? Toss the lose bills at them and head away in the opposite direction. The money blowing in the breeze makes a wonderful smoke screen.

My Grandfather used to say, ""God makes men tall and God makes men small, but Smith & Wesson equalizes them all."" This is a great bar-room joke, but if taken seriously only reflects your ignorance. The smartest self-defense weapon you can carry anywhere is between your ears. If your travel books recommend something else and you believe them, then if your brains were powder you wouldn't have enough to blow your nose. No matter what kind of implement you choose to carry, it's not going to impress everybody, especially the bad guys who could very well outmatch it. One can never achieve more than the highest level of their lowest expectations. If you expect trouble your are going to get it. Your attitude and your awareness are your best defenses. When you are traveling it is not a western movie and you don't get points for acting like John Wayne. Carry a friendly attitude and always be aware of your surroundings. Don't allow yourself to be placed in compromising situations. Go with the flow, melt into the scenery and smile always. Bottom line, expect to enjoy your trip and then go for it!

I think you may have mis-read me. I never said that the satellite was much faster than ""anything else available in the PI"". What I said was that it was the fastest thing available here in my area, and in most areas. In a few selected areas (i.e. Manila, Cebu and Davao Cities) DSL and Cable modems are available. In those cases the satellite and these solutions are roughly equal in speed. However, in every other location that I know of, satellite is the ONLY broadband solution available. It works well!

thank you to all that replied to my question. I appreciate it!! will let you know how it goes..

To Those Traveling: I have flown to the Philippines twice now and the times vary a great deal. I believe that it has to do with the time of year and where the jet stream is. My first trip took approximately 13 hours with a quick stopover in Hawaii, and about 14 hours back. The second trip took 18 hours there direct non stop and 14 hours back. Also as a side line if you are bringing your wife, girlfriend or fiancee back with you I might suggest that you return through San Francisco. I brought my wife through there and had no problems(she was my fiancee at the time). I had a few problems returning myself on the second trip going through Los Angeles(they were overly conscientious and I was questioned 4 times going through customs, and this was pre september 11th). I also feel that San Francisco is a much nicer airport and is layed out a lot easier for travelers.

I also think the San Francisco airport is much easier to get through than LAX....I've been through both many times, I no longer use LAX, only San Francisco...

You can pack most items in your check-in luggage both domestic and int'l. For international, batons, pepper spray, and mace are perfectly fine for check-in luggage. For domestic, you can bring handguns and other firearms (as long as they are unloaded, safe, in a locked container, and declared at check-in time). Very little has changed with check-ins except that you should no longer carry film since random high-power radiation scans are now conducted on random checked-in items. If you are formally trained in hand-to-hand combat with a baton or feel safer with pepper spray, it is no problem bringing it with you to the Philippines. Just note that bringing it back into Ninoy-Aquino may cause a problem as they scan your luggage as you enter the front door, before you've checked your check-ins so, you may just toss the offending item before you enter the NAI airport.

Now after 9-11 ... one must conclude that a miniature baton would be all the more forbidden in most nations ... such as American or European airports. Can you confirm? I only ask because such an item is not sharp and I would not think of it as a lethal weapon ... though airport security might. And just for the sake of the of the discussion ... MOST here but not all have said that no self defense items are necessary in travelling to the Philippines ... is there a self defense item that is not objectionalble to airport security AND not something so empowering to the person carrying as to be a threat to the plane or passengers. Travel books STILL recommend carrying something. Many recommend teargas or such ... but I am certain that would NEVER pass airport security. So in ending ... is there a defensive equalizer that would give a traveler comfort and security ... withlout being a threat to plane or passengers and pass security??? I am not away of any.

Tasers are fine on a flight in your check-ins, just don't try to carry it in your carry-on through the terminal metal detector. This is the one weapon you may be able to get through the Ninoy-Aquino entrance-door x-ray if you pack it with other electronics (maybe disassemble it before packing as well). But if they do notice it, they may either confiscate it or require your bags to be strapped before proceeding to ticketing. Best to just mail it back to your foreign address.

If I ever carried anything (and I don't carry anything now) I would want something non-leathal. I thought the new generation of TASERs are a wonderful device for those who feel a need (I don't need one bad enough to pay the high price). But TASERs certainly won't pass muster on a flight. So I will pass on the butterfly knife too. I am still a fan of a tactic I posted weeks ago. Carry a pocket full of small bills. Get in trouble? Toss the lose bills at them and head away in the opposite direction. The money blowing in the breeze makes a wonderful smoke screen.