English
Español
中文
हिन्दी
FrançaisTravel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism in Philippines
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Philippines.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Philippine peso (PHP)
- Climate
- The Philippines has a tropical climate, but it is marginally less hot and humid than many tropical countries for most of the year. Although the sun shines almost year round, there are slight seasonal variations in the weather. The dry summer season, which runs from about late April to early June is hot and humid and with little rainfall. The typhoon season runs from June to September, with frequent drenching rains that can temper the heat somewhat but also preclude any outdoor activities. The downpours are often limited in duration, but the resulting flash floods can create chaos by blocking streets, stranding motorists, and bringing the already congested traffic of Manila to a virtual standstill. The most pleasant season follows the rainy season, from November until March. During this time of year, mornings can be fresh, and even the midday temperatures remain bearable, with frequent breezes that temper the heat. The temperature range in Manila is relatively narrow, with minimum temperatures in the mid-70s and highs in the mid-90s, and an annual mean of about 80°F. Average relative humidity ranges from 69% in April to 84% in August or September. Baguio, the original summer capital of the Philippines, is located 155 miles north of Manila at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The climate varies between the dry and the very wet season, each lasting about six months. The dry season runs from December to May, with temperatures ranging from the 50s and 60s at night to highs in the mid-80s during the day. Baguio averages 176 inches of rainfall a year, about half of which falls in July and August alone. The rains begin tapering off in September and are light in October and November.
- Language(s) Spoken
- There are two official languages in the Philippines, Pilipino and English. English is used for business, government, and education from the fourth grade through college. Pilipino, which is based mostly on Tagalog, which is the language spoken in central Luzon. Pilipino is referred to as Tagalog by most people.
- Ethnic Groups
- Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of independence from the US
- Geographic Coordinates
- 13 00 N, 122 00 E
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
- Airports
- 253
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Geography: Seven Thousand Islands and a World of Variety
The Philippine archipelago sits in Southeast Asia at the intersection of several of the earth's most significant geographical features. To the west lies the South China Sea, which separates the Philippines from Vietnam and mainland Southeast Asia. To the east lies the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, whose deep trenches plunge to some of the greatest depths on earth. To the south, the Celebes Sea separates the southern Philippine islands from Borneo and Indonesia. This position at the junction of three seas and at the edge of the Pacific has shaped Philippine ecology, history, and culture in fundamental ways. The islands have always been a crossroads, a place where oceanic currents and trade winds brought ships and people and goods from across the Indo-Pacific world.
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippine archipelago, covering approximately 109,965 square kilometers, and it is the most populous, home to the national capital Manila and the broader metropolitan region of Metro Manila, which houses somewhere between fourteen and fifteen million people in its fourteen cities and municipalities. The northern Cordillera mountain range runs through Luzon's interior, creating the highlands where the Banaue terraces and the mountain city of Baguio are found.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Adequate medical care is available in major cities in the Philippines, but even the best hospitals may not meet the standards of medical care, sanitation, and facilities provided by hospitals and doctors in the United States. Medical care is limited in rural and more remote areas. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost several or even tens of thousands of dollars.