HOPEEXPERIENCEPHILIPPINESTRIPGUIDE

2017

Table of Contents I. OVERVIEW - Society and Culture

II. CONVOY OF HOPE in the PHILIPPINES III. FACTS AND STATISTICS IV. TRAVEL TIPS V. MISC NOTES VI. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

VII. PACKING YOUR CARRY-ON VIII. PACKING YOUR SUITCASE

IX. LEARN THE LANGUAGE - TAGALOG

I. OVERVIEW - Society and Culture HISTORY: The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942, the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph Estrada was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in January 2001 after Estrada’s stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. Macapagal-Arroyo was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Her presidency was marred by several corruption allegations but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction following the 2008 global financial crisis, expanding each year of her administration. Benigno Aquino III was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2010.

ETIQUETTE AND CUSTOMS IN THE PHILIPPINES Filipinos are known for their warmth and hospitality and share a lot of customs with the rest of South-East Asia. For example, avoid showing or pointing the soles of your feet, which are considered unclean, or touching someone’s head, considered sacred. But the country’s Spanish and American historical influence means the language and greetings will be familiar to you.

• Handshakes are common but they are soft handshakes. A strong handshake isn’t necessary to assert yourself.

• Kissing as a greeting is inappropriate, as are pats on the back and touching the shoulder until you’ve developed a personal relationship.

• Family is important and extended families live together. You can expect to see families in the hospital, curious about your patient and attentive.

• Losing control, raising your voice or shouting at all is usually considered shameful to one’s family.

• Filipino’s would rather avoid embarrassment and often do so through laughter.

• In conversation, Filipino’s often say ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’ rather than ‘no’. It’s all about keeping things positive and saving face, as in other countries in the region.

• Don’t complain - keep a harmonious atmosphere. Be like a sponge. Soak up as much of the experience as possible.

• “Hello” is well understood and Mr. and Mrs. are also appropriate at first. As you make friends the locals and our staff are sure to teach you comfortable alternatives in Hiligaynon, which is spoken in Iloilo.

• Thank you - Salamat (add ‘po’ for formality and when speaking to an elder i.e. salamat po)

II. CONVOY OF HOPE in the PHILIPPINES Children’s Feeding Initiatives: Convoy of Hope and its partners have been feeding children in the Philippines since 2007. Through a partnership with over 163 community organizations and churches located throughout five major islands in the Philippines, more than 20,000 children from 200 food insecure communities are currently enrolled in the Children’s Feeding Initiative. The COH-Philippines office currently has a waiting list of over 90,000 more children for the program. COH-Philippines also prepares for and responds to natural disasters with immediate relief and long-term recovery. In the aftermaths of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Typhoon Hagupit in 2014, COH delivered emergency food, water and supplies. To assist with recovery, our teams repaired homes for dozens of families and restored livelihoods for entire communities who had lost everything. Women’s Empowerment In addition to disaster response and providing a nutrition program to children to address the immediate causes of under-nutrition, COH-Philippines piloted an innovative women’s empowerment project in 2014 with the objective of helping households improve their food security and nutrition practices. The initial pilot project showed amazing results, including a 161% increase in daily income (from $3.82 to $9.22). The meant a decrease of reported hunger in the household from 100% of participants at the start of the project to just 10% at the end.

III. FACTS AND STATISTICS

• Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

• Capital: Manila • Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April);

southwest monsoon (May to October) • Population: 100,998,376 (July 2015 est.) • Ethnic Make-up: Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%,

Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census)

• Government: Republic Language: Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

• Religions : Catholic 82.9% (Roman Catholic 80.9%, Aglipayan 2%), Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

CIA World Factbook

IV. TRAVEL TIPS

Travel Meds: Please consult your health care provider for appropriate travel medications. According to the CDC, there is a risk of malaria transmission in all areas of Philippines. If you are overly concerned, you may opt to take the anti-malaria pills or wear long sleeves and pants to prevent mosquito bites. Additionally, insect repellent with 35% DEET for skin and Permethrin for clothing is also effective. Departure: The majority of our group will meet at the DFW airport and travel together to Manila. Please plan to connect with the team at the gate. I will send you a list of those you will be traveling with a week before your departure. Luggage: American and Japan allow 2 pieces of checked baggage at 50lbs each on economy and 70lbs each on business. In addition, passengers may also carry free of charge, items of personal effects for use in flight, as listed; A handbag (Laptop bag), pocket book or purse, A small camera and/or a pair of binoculars, A reasonable amount of reading material for the flight, One laptop with out accessories and attachments. Passport: Please make sure you have your current passport along with your immunization record, available when applying for your visa. Please bring color copies of your passport with you. 1 for your carry-on, 1 for your checked luggage, and 1 for each hotel you will be staying in. Visa: A VISA is available on arrival at the airport upon entering the Philippines. There is no fee for US residents. This is a simple process that you will complete before retrieving your luggage. Dress: No suits or dresses are required. Casual attire is fine. Short sleeve shirts or polos, and jeans or lightweight long pants are recommended. No shorts please. This will help prevent bug bites. We suggest you throw in a hat, a light jacket because the evenings can be chilly, and comfortable closed toed walking shoes. If you buy a new pair, make sure that you break them in before you travel. Tennis shoes are also fine.

V. MISC NOTES

• The Philippines are 13 hours ahead of EDT • We do not recommend carrying large amounts of cash. • Although we will be staying in safe accommodations and Internet is

available in the hotel, we do not recommend bringing laptops or other expensive equipment.

• If you would like to bring money to purchase souvenirs, you will be able to exchange your cash, not traveler’s checks, for local currency in Philippines. Older or smaller bills may be rejected or exchanged at a lower rate. (Note: All other expenses are covered in the cost of your trip)

• While we will be eating three meals each day, you may want to bring some snacks or protein bars.

• Label your bag with your name and destination address • Label each bag inside with your name and home address • Carry all cash, valuables, and medications with you on board

VI. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION Family Emergencies

• Please contact Sabra Smith at 417-851-4406 who will be able to reach us while in Philippines. They can also email Kimarie Page at kpage@convoyofhope.org

Flight Emergencies

• Please contact Leah Mills. Her number between 8AM – 5PM Central time is 417-851-4439. After hours she may be reached on her cell phone 417.230.1393 (emergencies only please)

Contact Information

• Please provide your loved ones with our address while in the Philippines.

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Quezon City 1100 Metro Manila Philippines Phone: +63 2 633 7222

Primary Contact: Name: Candice Manuel Address: 19 Wellington St. Filinvest East Homes, Antipolo, Rizal Office: 124 Scout Fuentebella St., Quezon City, Philippines Mobile Phone #: (63) 917-859-8697 Office Phone #: (63) 44-248-6192 Home Phone #: (63) 2-4775112 Email: cmanuel@convoyofhope.org

Secondary Contact: Name: Antonio (TJ) D. Lliedo Address: Lot 9 Phase 2 Villa Regina Subdivision, Lias Marilao, Bulacan 3019 Mobile Phone #: (63) 932 9209559 Office Phone #: (63) 2-44-248-6192 Email: talliedo@convoyofhope.org U.S. Embassy or Consulate Information Address: 1201 Roxas Blvd., Manila 1000 Phone #: (02) 301-2000 Hours of operation: Mondays to Fridays 7:30am - 4:30pm

VII. PACKING YOUR CARRY-ON Your carry-on bag can be a real lifesaver, especially if your luggage gets lost. Here is a sample list of items you might want to pack in your carry-on:

• Passport • Color copies of Passport • International Certificate of Vaccination • Airline ticket and travel documents • Change of clothes – essential in the event your checked luggage is lost

or delayed • Itinerary • Pen and Pencil • Address book, journal or small pad of paper • Camera, batteries, chargers • IPod, MP3 player • Laptop if desired, but not recommended • Money belt or pouch • Sunglasses • Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer • Prescriptions • Toiletries – include items in your carry-on that could not be replaced at

our destination. Other items can be sealed in a larger zip-loc bag and placed in your suitcase

Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronics, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what's in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image; simply by the way they're packed.

Carry-on bag Liquids: 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume); 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring.

Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening.

Here are some suggestions for the airplane ride:

• Ear plugs and eye shade • Comfortable clothing like sweats (this way you have two sets of clothes

if your bag gets lost) • Travel pillow/blanket • Gum/Mints/Snacks • Washcloth (zip-loc for when you get it wet) • Toothbrush & travel size toothpaste • Painkillers, sleep helps • Sudoku puzzle book, deck of cards • Book, Bible, magazines

VIII. PACKING YOUR SUITCASE During our visit you can expect average high temperatures of 87-93 degrees during the day and average lows around 75 degrees at night. Dress: No suits or dresses are required. Casual attire is fine. Short sleeve shirts or polos, and jeans or lightweight long pants are recommended. No shorts please. This will help prevent bug bites. We suggest you throw in a hat, a light jacket because the evenings can be chilly, and comfortable closed toed walking shoes. If you buy a new pair, make sure that you break them in before you travel. Tennis shoes are also fine. *We will be attending a Church Service, so you may want to wear something a bit nicer for that. American and Japan Airlines are allowing 2-50lb bags in Economy class and 2-70lb bags in Business class. Some additional toiletries you may want to bring include:

• First aid kit – band aids • Nail clipper & Tweezers • Moisturizer • Sunscreen • Lip Balm with sunscreen • Insect repellent containing DEET

Other items to consider bringing:

• Travel alarm clock • Pocket flashlight • Daypack (something that is not too large to carry items during the day) • Binoculars • Electrical adapter - *This is required for use of all electrical devices. Hair

dryers are provided in your room. Not necessary:

• Water – We will provide plenty of bottled water • Mosquito net • Valuable items – Please do not bring any item of value such as

expensive jewelry

IX. LEARN THE LANGUAGE: TAGALOG Tagalog English Magandang araw! Beautiful day Mahal kita I love you Salamat Thank you Ako I, me Ikaw You Oo Yes Hindi No Ewan ko I don’t know Sarap Delicious Yikerta (Yi-ke-r-ta) Excuse me Paalam Ba-bay

Farewell Good bye

Kamusta How are you? Po Marker or respect (i.e. Salamat po, Kamusta

po, Hindi po, Ako po) Magandang umaga Good morning Magandang hapon Good afternoon Magandang gabi Good evening Mabuti Fine Teka Wait Tara na Let’s go Walang anuman Don’t mention it Sandali lang Wait a moment Paumanhin Sorry Mamaya Later