General Information - Moalboal, Philippines

	General Information - Moalboal, Philippines	powered by FreeFind

These points are in no particular order but should be read by everyone coming to Moalboal.

To see what the weather is doing in Moalboal and Cebu at the moment, have a look at the Cebu forecast for the next week.

You may extend your tourist visa in Cebu - it's cheaper and quicker than in Manila - or in Dumaguete City, Negros. Please dress tidily when visiting the Immigration Office; the staff can get upset with applicants wearing slippers (flip-flops), cut-off T-shirts or shorts.
Remember that your first visa is usually valid for 21 days, the first extension beyond that is for up to 59 days from your arrival, not two calendar months! Further extensions are in blocks of one, two or three months to a maximum of 14 months.
Hong Kong SAR or BNO passport holders should check their flight dates carefully since at the time of writing (late 2000) they only get a seven day visa on entry to Philippines.
On arrival in Cebu, reconfirm your onward flight before you leave the airport if you will only stay for a short time. It is easy to ask one of the dive shops or resorts to confirm for you, but if you do it yourself, you will be sure that it's been done!
For divers bringing their own equipment and travelling with Philippine Airlines, PAL offer a Flying Sportsman card which entitles the holder to an additional 30kgs. of baggage. Very useful, especially for photographers! Apply at any PAL office. The card costs UD$30 and is valid for two years.
International departure tax from Cebu is P550 and domestic departure tax is P80.
Disabled travellers should have a look at Cebu on Wheels for helpful info.

Health care in Cebu is cheap and good compared with most of Asia. If you have medical problems it easy to get good quality attention. Ask for advice about which doctor/hospital to go to from a dive shop; they are often more current than the guest houses or resorts.
Water is safe to drink from the tap in Moalboal, not in the cities though.
Cebu is not a malarial area, however dengue fever can sometimes be a problem - it seems to come in waves. Use mosquito repellant.

The easiest moneys to bring with you are (in order!) pesos, US dollars cash, US dollars traveller's cheques, other travellers cheques. Most of the dive shops will quote you in US dollars so the peso cost will vary, but you can pay in any of the previous currencies.
You will get a better exchange rate in Cebu City than Moalboal. Have a look at what your money is worth right now in the Philippines.
You will get a lower rate for traveller's cheques than for cash and you will not (October '99) be able to change travellers cheques at most banks (including HSBC) unless you have an account with that bank - you have to go to a moneychanger. Financial things are constantly changing in the Philippines, so do check for the latest information on this.
More "obscure" currencies such as sterling, Euros, Canadian or Australian dollars may be difficult to change even in Cebu City! Stick to US dollars, they're much easier.
Most of the larger establishments will accept VISA and MasterCard, but they will usually impose a 6-10% surcharge.
You may get cash advances from a VISA card at branches of the Equitable Bank in Cebu. This can be over-the-counter or from a machine.
There is a HSBC Global Access ETC machine at their branch in Juana Osmeña, very close to the National Bookstore and Fuente Osmeña. They are also to be recommended for their efficiency in other dealings.

Since 2000, the Philippines have had a constant stream of bad press - kidnappings, political upheavals, natural disasters, terrorists, criminals, typhoons; the list goes on and on. Please bear in mind that the reality of this as it affects visitors is that the average visitor will not even hear a cross word, never mind be affected by violence or crime. If you avoid areas that have been centres of discontent and turbulence for many years, such as parts of Mindanao and the Jolo Islands between Philippines and Malaysia, you will have a delightful, peaceful and relaxing holiday. Need I add that Moalboal is a *long* way from any trouble spots?

Bring a torch with you, electricity supply can be intermittent and tracks are not lighted. Note: mains electricity in Moalboal is nominally 230V 60 cycles but this is variable!
As from August '99 GSM cellular telephones do now work in Moalboal (but only the later models, older GSM phones still won't work). We have a telephone directory for business and individuals in Moalboal which you may find useful.