The Transport System.

Manila has a rail system similar to the other Asian and Indian systems where everybody is packed like sardines into containers for maximum efficiency. Probably the only difference is that urban power lines prevent riding on top of the carriages.

Getting off a train at the right stop requires planning. It's a matter of physically pushing your way to a door before the train gets to the station. This presupposes you know where you will get off beforehand. 

Newcomers to the system have no chance. 

If you don't have a guide; forget it. Jeepneys and buses go everywhere but buses don't show route numbers. Instead, they show destinations.

Your best advice is to have a trusted guide who will not only save you money but can recommend sights along the way. 

It is better usually to get a taxi but then you have the world wide taxi scam (the long way) to contend with. Some taxi companies are combating this at the airport by a pre-agreed fare system that works very well to ensure you pay the correct fare to your hotel and don't get ripped off.   

Sinulog? What's Sinulog?

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City and Maasin City, Southern Leyte, Philippines^[1] The festival commemorates the Bisayan people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.

The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which roughly means "like water current movement;" it describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance.Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native language.

The main feature is a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a "Sinulog sa Kabataan" performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.

The Sinulog celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with a statue of the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing (that is, the acceptance of Roman Catholicism) of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the event.

Timing your trip to coincide with some festival will double your enjoyment because of all the activity that surrounds the event. Ask your Philippines Gay Tourist guide about them. We are here to help.

A Philippines Business?

Thinking about opening a business in the Philippines?

MAYOR”S BUSINESS PERMIT

Every Municipality had slightly different rules for the granting of this Permit so don’t be surprised if some additional requirements are asked for or some of the procedures are slightly different.

• Go to the City Hall in the Municipality in which your business will operate and apply for a Mayor’s Permit. Take along your DTI or SEC certificates
• The fees charged will depend on the type of business you are setting up and the amount of your paid up capital – it should range between 2000p and 6000p for small operations.
• You will be granted a temporary permit and you have 60 days to comply with all of their requirements which are detailed below.
• Contact their Special Inspection Team to arrange a time for them to visit your business premises.  3-4 people will come to check out the building for fire safety, sanitary and environmental compliance and they will leave a list of things you need to do and the permits you need to get.
• Obtain a Sanitary Permit.
• Obtain a Fire Safety Permit – you will probably be required to buy a fire extinguisher.
• Obtain a Health Permit –  you will probably need to have chest X-ray.
• Visit the Environmental Officer to check his concerns and get his stamp of approval
• Visit the Treasury Officer at City hall to check if your capital is sufficient.
• Register yourself or your Corporation with the Bureau of Internal revenue (BIR) – you will need to attend a 3 hour seminar and will need to have a set of Official Receipts printed. Registration with the BIR costs 500p and the printing of the Official Receipts will cost you around 2,500p.
• Register your business and any employees with Philhealth.
• Register your business and any employees with Pag-Ibig.
• Register your business and any employees with SSS.
• Take all your permits, registrations and compliances to City Hall to obtain your Mayor’s Permit.

• It will involve many hours of waiting in queues often to be told you are in the wrong one!
• It will involve revisiting offices several times because of some piece of lacking information which you were never told to bring!
• You will never be told the whole process, or even the next few steps unless you ask detailed questions.
• Things need to be done in a specific order.
• Some government offices will accept photocopies while others need to view the original.
• Although the laws regarding setting up a business are uniform throughout the Philippines, each Municipality will have a slightly different interpretation of those laws.

Things will not happen at the same pace as they do in your own country – if you are not patient, don’t even bother.
Far better to come over and enjoy what others have worked for.  Philippinesgaytourist@yahoo.com

•  

MORE FUN WITH GAY FRIENDS.

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FREE ADs FOR GAY PHILIPINES

 

If you have a business or event in the Philippines that would interest the gay tourist; contact us at philippinesgaytourist@yahoo.com   Until we are properly established we will advertise your business in return for advertising or helping our business. It is simply a matter of mutual benefit. 

Events like festivals will be advertised well in advance so if you have another event associated with the first; let us know. For instance, if there is an ‘after parade’ party. If tickets are needed for a closed door event, make a few available to us to give away for promotional purposes. But it must be well in advance.

Shops and wholesalers are welcome to advertise with us in return for treating our clients right. We will bring other clients to you.  Tell us if you have male interest stock.

Hotels are obviously welcome to offer discounts, but we will only feature two (2) in each city.

Email us now about helping each other.       philippinesgaytourist@yahoo.com 

GAY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

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                                                 HONESTLY, This is how it is.
Get in touch with philippinesgaytourist@yahoo.com 

FESTIVALS AND GAIETY.

FESTIVALS AND GAIETY.

If there is one thing Filipinos do well, it is the Festival and street parade. These can be as spectacular as any Los Vegas stage show. One of the best known is the Masskara festival in Bacolod every last week in October.

The festival was born out of tragedy in 1980 when 700 lives were lost and an economic disaster hit at livelihoods. As a means to remind people to smile once again, Bacolod, the City of Smiles donned masks and the festival began.

Like all great events, you have to be there. To feel the overwhelming happiness and abandon of Filipino revelry put yourself in the thick of this stunning street theatre. The music can be exotic, erotic, primitive or inspiring and the visual precision of the dance troupes worth filming.

If you are with one of our guides for the festival he will make sure your experience covers more than street dance. There are parties to go to too if you know the right people.