So I decided it may be best to breakdown my upcoming trip into country driven components. The Philippines is a country that I know from less of a tourism standpoint and more of a “welcome back home” standpoint. I do know the popular places to travel in the Philippines is Palawan, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, and Mt. Apo…which are all on my “someday” list. These will not be touched on this trip as I only have four days in the country, with one day lost to airport transfers and one day dedicated to my cousin’s wedding ceremony! On a later date I’ll definitely post about food…I do love to eat after all! For now though, please enjoy some tips/banter loosely on:

Manila

Luzon Island, Capital of the Philippines

As someone who has spent most of her memorable trips to the Philippines with family in Davao, this is a functional quip. It has been several years since I have done more than use Manila to catch up on sleep with a hotel check in length layover before going to Davao so this is a very skewed perspective.

The SM Mall of Asia is one of the most memorable malls I’ve ever been to and worth mentioning. Filipino malls have everything in them! Traditionally grocers are in the basement and from my recollection tend to span four (or more) sprawling floors with everything from doctors to shopping to cinemas in them. WiFi is easily accessible and free, and honestly it’s a great place to shop and hang out. I wouldn’t recommend going there if you’re just doing a quick layover as Ninoy Aquino International Airport is–for me–a nightmare actualized.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Airport Code MNL) or NAIA, is a very well spirited airport…with check in lines that can vary from not so bad to truly stress inducing. Most people (my mother included) recommend if you are transferring from an international to domestic flight or vice versa to give yourself 4 to 5 hours to transfer. Why? None of the terminals physically connect and walking to one terminal to the next is, if I recall, impossible. To transfer you must leave the airport and get a ride to the next terminal. According to Silent Gardens’ Airport Transer Guide this has improved to 3 hours, due to updates to the infrastructure as well as a a transfer shuttle bus that is about as timely as the Chicago L during rush hour (translates to: not very but you’d still rather use that than grab a taxi). I have had nightmares about this airport as Manila traffic is intense and directly interacts with the roads needed to go from one terminal to the next. I highly recommend reading Silent Gardens’ Guide if you anticipate travel to/through NAIA as they have more updated information and recommendations than I can give–the last time I was in NAIA was 2017 and a lot has changed (for the better!) since then. And honestly that guide made me comfortable with my domestic flight choice to get to Davao.

Motor-Taxi

Davao City

Davao, del Sur, Mindanao, Southern Philippines

There’s so much I could say about Davao, all akin to someone returning to their homeland as my experiences rarely took me out of Davao del Sur (the province Davao City is in) and almost entirely have been a family affair. Regardless of familial ties, this is a city I adore. This is the city where I first fell in love with Jeepneys.

Jeepneys are colorful public transit buses that are both an economical way to experience the Philippines–they will stuff as many people as possible into the Jeepney. You pay when you get on, often passing the Filipino pesos (PHP or ₱ ) up to the driver before getting cozy and potentially helping pass coins when new passengers join too. Given how hot and humid Davao is (it is a port city) I’ve had many a pinsan (Tagalog for cousin) groan over my insistence on riding a Jeepney over a motor-taxi or Aircon Taxi. Davao is a hot, humid urban environment…Aircon (AC) is a luxury. So if you want to get somewhere on a budget, or revel in the novelty like I do, Jeepney’s are a good way to get around. Carefully read the outside of the Jeepney to know where it is going! Since I’ve been with family I’ve always asked them when I am unsure where it goes after reading, but as long as you know the main area you’re going to, asking someone on the Jeepney if it is going in your desired area will save you a headache. To get off say para po (para poh)…usually they pull to the side/assigned stop…but sometimes in areas of intense traffic that goes out the window. (In all fairness, this isn’t so bad; I was a child cops would tell pedestrians to run…traffic signals were still a thing drivers were adjusting to in the early 2000’s.) Like in Manila, most public transit does not seem to run on a strict schedule, so if time is of the essence I recommend getting a taxi and saving the Jeepney for another time.

Rice stalls at the Bankerohan Public Market

The Bankerohan Public Market is hands down one of my favorite places to go. It’s a farmer’s market unlike that commonly found in the US. It’s a real, opens at sunrise, watch food be cut up and/or cooked in front of you mecca. Unless you possess confidence in your haggling skills, as well as are fine with fresh food ingredients including freshly butchered and hung up meats, this may not be the tourist destination for you. More so it is the life blood and experience of many Davao residents. Often, I wake up early and volunteer to go. I love scrambling for the freshest fruits liked my coveted guyabano/Soursop and mangosteen (durian enthusiasts will easily find their fix as Davao loves their durian). There’s a thrill that goes through me knowing that these goods, along with Pandasal from the local bakery, will quickly become today’s meal. Much like experiencing a Jeepney, this will bring you closer to what it is like to have a day in the life of people here. It’s the pulse of the people…or at the very least their stomachs!

Good Old Family Fun!

Tagalog

National Language of the Philippines

As in most places, you’ll get farther (and less likely to be up-charged by street vendors) if you learn some local language phrases. Most Filipinos can understand and speak English–my family often jokes that they grow up learning Taglish–but as a lover and dabbler of languages (who has been vying for some Tagalog classes for ages to no avail) I recommend a few words and links to more because why not?

Format is as follows:
English: Tagalog (Tagalog Formal)–phonetic(ish). Extra context where applicable

Good Morning/Afternoon/Night: Magandang Umaga/Hapon/Gabi (po)–Ma-gun-dang Ooh-ma-gah/Ha-poon/Ga-bi (poh).
Po is a formality and sign of respect, so honestly using it until someone tells you otherwise is a great metric to go by.
–dang is spoken with a soft “a”, not like the American slang hard “a” in “dang”, akin to the sound effect of a clock chiming.
Thank you: Salamat (salamat po)–sah-la-mat (poh).
You’re welcome: walang anuman (po)-wah-long anu-man (poh). Soft “a” in -man.
Yes: Oo (opo)–oh-oh; oh-poh. The “oh” is a short sound, kind of like uhoh.
No: Hindi (hindi po)–hin-D (poh)
Please: paki (po)–Pocky (poh). Yes I did just shamelessly insert a candy to teach you a word. You’re welcome.

Honestly my Tagalog gets too hazy (read: poor) to personally direct any further at this point…as growing up my mom spoke Tagalog and the Bisayan dialect to me. Since most my family, especially outside of city proper, speaks Bisayan, I cannot confidently tell you where my understanding of one dialect ends and begins. Hence links!

If you choose to dive deeper into to Tagalog I will warn you to not be afraid of seeing how it is written out–long words with lots of consonants await you! From my experiences with Tagalog and it’s related dialects, I don’t think it was meant for a Roman alphabet…prior to the Manila Galleons the islands that make up the Philippines used an alphabet system called Baybayin which I assume made writing easier. Ex. Pinakanakapagpapabagabag-damdamin is one word, granted it is the longest word in the language, but it does drive that perspective home.

[Also, how do you feel so far about things like photos? Feel free to leave a comment by clicking on the post title and scrolling to the bottom. I want this to be a pleasant experience to you too!]