Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns

2
Internship World Health Organization
Location: Western Pacific Regional Office, Manila / Philippines

Manila Survival Guide Information and Advice for Interns new to town
Compilation by summer interns 2011
Disclaimer: All the information below is derived from the World Wide Web and collected from former interns to our own best
knowledge. There are no guarantees in terms of accuracy, dependability or actuality. Please use this document only as a hint to collect your
own information and make your own decisions. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial, or risk management)
please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area. Thank you.
Sky Line from Manila Bay, Source: Wikipedia
Introduction
Not long ago we prepared ourselves to travel to the Philippines for the first time. We weren't only excited to
begin our internship, but also very curious about the new country we'd be travelling to. And yes, maybe even a
little bit anxious what to expect in a town as large as Manila. There were many questions from where we'd stay to
how we would get around, etc. Now this small guide intends to offer future interns some information and advice
on their stay in the beautiful Philippines. This is in addition to the "Administrative Briefing Notes for Interns and
Volunteers" provided by WPRO that also contains important information.

From Preparation to Arrival
Visa
As the Visa regulations vary very much between countries it isn't possible to give a
lot of information on that topic. Generally it helps when applying for a longer Visa
to include proof of the planned internship and its duration. If you have problems
obtaining your Visa keep in touch with WPRO to see if they can offer Philippine Flag, Source: Wikipedia
assistance. General information for foreigners can be found on this Website: http://www.immigration.gov.ph,
but the probably best option is to check the Website of your local Philippines Embassy.

Security
According to the "Administrative Briefing Notes" there is a security training required (available under
http://applics.wpro.who.int/bsitf/language/htm Basic and http://applics.wpro.who.int/asitf/language/htm
Advanced). There are indeed security issues, but not really apparent if being careful and considerate. At least
we've not heard from one intern while we were here who had problems during the stay in Manila.
Its often helpful to move around in groups and to absolutely avoid empty streets alone (at night).

If looking at travel warnings from the U.S. Department of State or the German Federal Foreign Office things
sound a lot different and they surely have their reason. This is just an excerpt from different sources that is both
not complete and subject to changes: it is absolutely warned to travel to Minandao, Basilan and Islands of the
Zulu Archipelago. There is a general terrorism warning. The general criminality rate is high, so it should be
avoided to obviously carry articles of value or higher amounts of cash. During car drives doors should be locked
(by the way: even Manila taxi drivers often insist of that). Food or drinks from strangers shouldn't be accepted
(drugs).

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One Canadian intern added that for Canadians (and possibly for other nationalities), it is advisable to register
with your embassy. A registration service is available for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is
provided so that the embassy can contact you and assist you in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a
natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform you of a family emergency at home.
(https://www.voyage2.gc.ca/Registration_inscription/Register_Inscrire/Login_ouvrir-une-session-
eng.aspx?fwd=true&hash=p0V4sJhYtXNnDsAOImpW8w6161)

Drinking in public is absolutely prohibited. Own and use of any drugs is heavily punished (jail).

The Philippine Islands are typhoon areas and have active volcanos. In the Region is a potential of earthquakes,
seaquakes, and tsunamis.

Health
Especially regarding health matters this information is incomplete and cannot replace professional advice. Before
coming to the Philippines you should consult a specialist doctor regarding recommended immunizations. In the
Philippines several tropical diseases such as Malaria or Dengue can be found. Depending on your travel plans
you should consider Malaria prophylaxis. Currently it seems that Manila is relatively Malaria free, but as you can
never be sure (and should also obtain more recent information) it is always good to take some preventive
measures such as:
- wearing long and bright clothing that cover the body
- using insect repellant
- sleeping under a mosquito net (available i.e. for around 200 Pesos at Robinsons
Department Store)
Mosquito, Source: Wikipedia
Health care in Manila is easily available for insured individuals in private practices or private hospitals. Outside of
Manila and in rural areas, healthcare including rescue is rare and not as easy available. Just accross the Office, on
United Nations Avenue, is the Manila Doctors Hospital. The best (and most expensive) hospital in town is said
to be St. Luke's (http://www.stluke.com.ph), but no guarantees on that. Public hospitals from what I understood
(see University Hospital Tour under extracurricular activities) seem to have very long waiting times and varying
standards. Generally healthcare availabilty seems to depend very much on financial means.
But before you worry too much: most of us have never seen an hospital here from the inside, at least not
because we got sick. What really does happen quite often though is getting the runs sooner or later (diarrhea!),
but in that case pharmacies can hook you up with i.e. loperamide. It might be wise to bring loperamide and
sachets Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) from home to be safe. During a trip or a long bus ride loperamide can
be your best friend!
In the Office itself is a "Regional Medical Service" that gives recommendations on health matters related to
medical evacuation, service-incurred illness, immunization, occupational health and safety in the workplace. In
case of sickness or another need for medical attention, WPRO can offer emergency assistance. There is staff
24/7 available to come pick you up at home, drive you to the hospital, wait for you there and bring you back
home. Make sure to save the number (528-8001 or 303-1000) in your telephone, so you always have it with you!
Money
Money exchange seems more private than bank business. At least when trying to
exchange at two different banks the personnel send one of us to the privately
operated money exchange booths. Those private money exchangers are for
example located on Mabini Street and often walk up to foreign looking people to
offer their services. Whether the rates are good or bad is hard to tell.
Generally, cards such as Visa or Mastercards are accepted in Manila. There are
ATM machines all over town, BUT many of them allow only small withdrawals
(10,000 Pesos max). This is very important information, because many banks
charge their customers for each withdrawal (fee of 200 Pesos). Therefore it is easy
math that many withdrawals of small amounts are becoming pretty expensive.
Discussing that topic with several interns who had the same problem it seems that
CITIBANK (located not too far from the office for example at Padre Faura
Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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Entrance in Robinsons Mall or on T.M. Kalaw Street) offers one of the highest possible withdrawals, being
15,000 Pesos at most ( 246 Euro 348 Dollar). Some interns also opened accounts at local banks to transfer
money from abroad. According to an intern who opened an account at the Bank of the Philippines (BPI) it is
very easy. She said that this bank is used by many WHO staff (and that its easy to open the account straight with
the branch manager when showing your WHO badge). You can either chose a Peso or a U.S. Dollar account.
The closest BPI branch is just a minute walk from WPRO away and it has many other ATM's in town. There is
even one ATM machine inside of WPRO, but this seems to sometimes have insufficient funds (especially on
Mondays). Please be generally aware that when you travel to less populated areas outside of Manila there
sometimes aren't as many ATM's at sometimes there are none so that you fully depend on cash.
Important to note regarding the exchange of traveller's cheques is that banks such as BPI require a pending
period of 20 days (excluding Sat and Sun, therefore approx. 4 weeks pending period). If you want to cash your
traveller's cheques immediately, it is a better option to use the money exchanger inside WPRO (travel agency).
Their exchange rate matches the BPI rate, which is usually fairly good.
A private money exchanger is also an option for the cheques, although our reporting intern personally had not
used that. She said the largest (and considerably more reliable) one is called Edzen, closely located to Robinsons
and according to Internet reviews offering a good exchange rate. For more information you can check:
http://wikimapia.org/3586170/Edzen-Money-Changer
Language
English is widely understood and spoken so it is very easy to get around with only that. But there are also many
local languages, especially the wide spread Tagalog that is fun to learn and certainly helps to win over hearts
There are many resources to do first steps in Tagalog, such as books ("Basic Tagalog") or websites (i.e.
http://tagaloglang.com).
Airport Pick up
There is an airport service provided by WPRO if you make arrangements in advance. Detailed informations are
provided in the "Administrative Briefing Notes". Contact person for the Service is Mr. Jeff Pablo:
pabloj@wpro.who.int. Other than that you can either book a hotel for the first days (while you look for
appartments) and check if they have airport pickup or just take a metered taxi to your desired destination.
Also there's a "International Organization Desk" at the Ninoy Aquino Airport (Terminal 1) located at the arrival
lobby that offers airport assistance.
Traffic
The traffic is heavy and always crammed in the city center. Road safety is definitely an issue, because drivers
don't stick to many rules and even taxis often lack seat belts. But as interns usually don't have their own car or
even a driver as actually quite a few wealthier locals or foreigners in the Philippines do, these are the options
(fortunately we never saw bad traffic accidents happen):
- Tricycles and "petty cabs" those are either bikes or motorcycles with a little waggon for about 1-3 passengers
(depending on size of the passengers and need for comfort). Prices are to be negotiated, usually they start at
around 30-50 Pesos for short distances.
- Jeepney those robust, but air polluting longish "jeeps" are former U.S.
vehicles that are now used for public transport (nowadays they are also
produced in the Manila area). For non-locals the routes they drive are rather
difficult to understand and there are no official time tables. In the center of
Manila they pass along all the time. Some fixed points of the route are written
on the side. Once somebody wants to hop off they make noise, click with the
tongue or tap on the roof. It is definitely an adventure to ride them, although
air (due to pollution) and sight (due to low windows) are not really good.
Jeepney, Source: Wikipedia Prices start from 8 Pesos for short distances. The money is passed on through
all passengers sitting in the row up to the driver. Change returns the same way.
- Taxi starting at 30-40 Pesos base rate (except Airport taxis that are a little more expensive) their rates are
really reasonable. Although every taxi has an electronic meter that always shows the rate as it goes up, quite a few
taxi drivers won't turn it on. Instead they want to agree upon a fixed rate or don't say anything until you arrive
and then name their price. So if you want to negotiate the price you should rather do that beforehand rather than
at the end of the ride. But this is ususally to your disadvantage. Several times interns were kicked out of taxis
Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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after insisting that the driver would turn his meter on. But keep looking and you'll find your metered taxi leave
the driver a (good) tip though. It is also possible to rent taxis for an entire day to do sightseeing rates are to be
negotiated.
- Bus especially for long distance over land tours buses are commendable and cheap. Different bus companies
serve different destinations, therefore you should check travelguides for the right one. For a roundtrip to Banaue
(famous rice terraces, the "8th world wonder", eight
hours away from Manila) by Florida bus you pay
appr. 1000 Pesos ( 16 Euro 23 U.S. Dollar).
There are different types of buses that are reflected
in the prices such as comfort (with a on board toilet)
or super deluxe (with larger seats that lean all the
way back). As all buses are heavily air conditioned
toward arctic temperatures always bring a sweater,
scarf and long trousers for longer tours.
- LRT / MRT a great option to get around traffic
jams, but only if you don't mind standing tight. Be
aware of thiefs. There is a special waggon for
females only to prevent harassment. The "light rail
transit" and "metro rail transit" connect the city
centre, respectively the metro Manila area effectively.
Prices vary and depend on distances, usually they
start at 12 Pesos.
Literature recommendations
There are bookstores everywhere in the malls and additionally there are quite a few book (and movie) sellers in
the streets (for example on Maria Y. Orosa Street around the corner of WPRO). Therefore you don't have to
necessarily bring books (except the travel guide) from home. Use the opportunity to find the local literature here
at reasonable prices (paperback book in a bookstore costs around 350 - 500 Pesos). There are also local libraries
as well as a WHO library (mainly to research for work) at WPRO.
Travelguide "Lonley Planet Philippines": http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines
WHO Country statistics and profile: http://www.who.int/countries/phl/en
Writer and Philippines National Hero Jos Rizal (18611896), Source: Wikipedia
Novels by (or about) Filipino hero Jos Rizal "Noli me tangere" or "El Filibusterismo"
which were highly critical of Spanish friars and the atrocities commited in the name of the
Church. With his writings he angered the Spaniards colonial elite and was therefore prosecuted
as inciter of the revolution.
Novel from Bodo Kirchhoff "Infanta" a love story between a traveller and beautiful kitchen
aid on a Philippine Island, observed and narrated by missionaries

Clothing
Packing light is most important to keep room for all your new things when returning home. And almost
everything you forgot at home or that you suddenly need after arrival you'll be able to get here. There is a dress
code at WPRO that asks for a "ligther and cooler office attire" due to the tropical temperatures and "formal
business attire" for some occasions. Further information are found in the "Administrative Briefing Notes".
Generally the Philippines invite for a great deal of shopping. Clothing are rather cheap compared to many other
countries and there are millions of souvenirs such as wooden figures, necklaces, recycled paper goods (see
www.papemelroti.com), coconut candy, etc. Top end branded clothing seems pricewise more or less the same
compared to other countries (except one turns to imitations which are also found everywhere, i.e. Chanel Bags).
Communication
A very good thing is to bring your cellular phone and to buy a Philippine SIM-Card. They cost just a couple of
Pesos, are available at every "Seven-Eleven" or "Minimart", but are a guarantor for your social life. It's a lot easier
to keep in touch and make after work arrangements with your fellow interns. Sending SMS is incredibly cheap.
Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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With your WHO personal E-mail address you can also get in touch during day time to make others aware of an
event, an interesting article or to just meet for lunch.
A whole different story is getting in touch with home. You can always speak on your cellular phone, but that is
usually very expensive. International long-distance phone cards are widely available though at phone booths in
Robinsons, convenience stores (Sari-sari's), and even in WPRO (there's also a Globe Telecom store accross the
street from WPRO). For more information visit:
http://site.globe.com.ph/prepaid/call_and_text_offers/prepaid_sim?sid=TdMvbcuxpRYAAD8jgqUAAAHTe
One of the easiest ways to update your loved ones is to e-mail or to skype with them. Internet Cafes you can
frequently find over town. In many appartments you can also check in advance if they can make an Internet
connection available to you. At Alpha Grand View (where most of interns lived in summer 2011) it costs around
1000 or 2000 Pesos per month to install a connection, depending on the speed (the slow one allows you to skype
perfectly fine, but streaming films from youtube takes very long). If a connection is not possible, you can always
buy a broadband (internet stick) from Global (preferably due to the coverage) for approximately 1800 Pesos.
This gives you an initial 125 hours and once these are expired, you can reload as you go.
Places to stay
Probably one of the most important issues upon arrival is the question where to stay during the internship.
Recommendable would be an accomodation not too far from the WHO compound, because then you won't
depend on public transport. The quarter you wanna look for then in housing offers is Ermita/Malate and
everything around the mall Robinsons Place. Prices there for a studio/one bedroom appartment range between
around 20.000 to 30.000 Pesos. You can certainly find cheaper with less comfort, but also more expensive. The
probably most expensive, but nicest quarter where many foreigners live is Makati here you will depend on
public transport or a personal driver though.
There are several other options to find an accomodation:
- Alpha Grand View Condominium
While we were in Manila most interns decided to move into the Alpha Grand View
Condominium in Ermita/Malate, because they had sufficient numbers of rooms for
temporary rentals and the building is only approximately 1,2 km walking distance away from
the WHO compound. Also it is located only a few steps away from Robinsons Place, a large
mall that offers everything you need (supermarket, restaurants, shopping, hairdresser, movies,
etc.). The rent for a fully furnished one bedroom appartment in Alpha Grand View is around
25.000 Pesos ( 404 Euro 580 U.S. Dollar) per month plus utilities (depend on usage) and
one month deposit once you move in. A nicer view is more expensive. Internet is available
for another 1000 2000 Pesos per month (depending on speed of the connection). Alpha Grand View
Additional advantages are security personnel in the lobby, swimming pools on 4th and 17th floor, and that the
brokers are everyday on site if you have queries or problems. The lobby will organize laundry pick up (30 Pesos
per kilo) and drinking water supply (appr. 250 Pesos when buying a canister for the first time and then 40
Pesos for every 12 liter 5 gallon refill). Disadvantage was that some interns there had problems with
cockroaches and/or ants (not all, it seemed to depend on the appartment, therefore you should definitely look
for signs of bugs when you view it for the first time by looking in drawers, closets and under the kitchen sink
if you spot bugs talk to the brokers and have them solve the problem before you move in). This is because bugs
are a very common problem in town. But the affected interns kept in touch with the broker to get the
appartments sprayed (against bugs). Generally the most of us who lived there were content and recommended
the housing there to other incoming interns.
Alpha Grand View
Condominium
1716 M.H. Del Pillar Street
Malate, Manila
Ms. Babes Riofrio Mobile:
00639182313743
babesriofrio@yahoo.com

Website:
www.condos2008.multipl
y.com
www.manilacondos2010.
multiply.com
www.condominiumandyo
u.com

Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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- Google (www.google.com) terms such as "manila temporary rental" and many results will come up. Some
companies have specialized on corporate personnel that is just temporary in town. Also worth to "googleing" or
visiting in person upon arrival (as we have no contact data, but know that other interns lived there in the past)
are buildings that are relatively closely located to the WHO compound such as Robinson Towers, Adriatico
Towers or Cityland Tower under the following addresses
Robinson's Place Manila, Padre Faura, Malate, Manila
Robinsons Place Residence, Padre Faura, Malate, Manila
Cityland Tower, 1200 J. Bocobo St., Malate, Manila
One Adriatico St, Ermita, Manila
409 Arcadia de Manila corner Leon Guinto Apacible, Manila
1655 Hidalgo Lim St (Victoria de Manila Condo), Malate, Manila
Gotesco Tower, Natividad Lopez St., Ermita, Manila
BSL Building, Leon Guinto Street, Quirino Avenue, Manila
- www.craigslist.com (there's an entire Manila/Philippines section with housing options and you can also place an
ad to explain what you are looking for, but please be aware of internet fraud, i.e. people that ask rent and deposit
in advance send by Western Union)
- contact one of the brokers or owners representatives that have successfully serviced WHO staff in the past (no
guarantees on reliability as we've also just received the list from someone else and were never personally in touch
with them)
Brokers
Company Name Contact
Person/s
Telephone Numbers
Prominent Homes Ginna Ramos
Nitz Espares
895-7697
896-7388
Lamp Properties Lorna Liberato 915 0122
640 0310
994 0411
AFM Realty Paz M. Paguio 633 5441
633 4308
9017529 2120
Ms Nanette Morata Nanette Morata 845- 3517
845-3518

Owners representatives
Echelon Tower

Josie Inocencio 525-2516
521-3879
521-4910
Rosaria Apartments
Adriatico Street
Mabini, Manila
524 1924

Baywatch
Roxas Boulevard
Carol Vinalon 523 6640
524 4049





Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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First days at the office
Certainly you will make arrangements with your supervisor when to begin on the first day. There's a flexitime
policy that allows to begin between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m., but usually the golden rule is to start when your
supervisor does. Core hours are between 8:30 to 15:30 and the full working period is eight hours plus break time.


























At some point after arriving in your future unit there's a very
helpful briefing by Marge Crespo on the administrative side of
things. By the time you arrive in Manila you'll probably know her
from mail contact. During the first days it is also nice to ask for a
short introduction to the library on 2nd floor and to have a
lunch with your lovely fellow interns. Usually there's a list of
current interns that helps to find each other.. You'll very likely
also meet each other in one of the lectures of other technical
units or in a "brown bag session". Those are great opportunities
to gain insights in other technical units and learn more about
WHO's work.
WHO WPRO, Source: WPRO Website

Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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Extracuricular Activities
Intramuros: Absolutely recommendable to get started on Philippine history and culture are the
walking tours of Carlos Celdran through the old part of the city, Intramuros. By now Carlos has
gained quite some fame for his tours. Everyone who went said that it was great and well worth it
after joining we have to agree. The tour costs around 500 Pesos for students and 1000 Pesos for
adults. Find more info on Carlos Blog: http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/
Carlos Celdran, Source: Celdrantours
University Hospital: Another great opportunity for people with an interest in "health", that should cover about
every WHO intern is a walking tour with Renzo Guinto, who is an outstanding
medical student at the University of the Philippines and very engaged with the
International Federation of Medical Students Association. Renzo toured the
University Hospital (by Pedro Gil Street) with several interns in the past and is an
incredible speaker. During the tour he talks about everything: the health system,
the medical school and Filipino history. He invited future interns to get in touch
and would definitely take a group of people around again if he's still located in
Manila then: renzo.guinto@gmail.com.
Philippine General Hospital, Source: Wikipedia
Volunteer: Once you arrive and see the poverty in some streets you might want to use your free time and skills
to do some good. Especially in Malate around the Office there are many people, including children and women
with babys, that sleep on cartons in the street and beg for food. There are many organizations and NGO's that
you can get involved with in different ways. Donations are also welcome. Just take initiative and ask if help is
needed or organize a discussion round (as for example an Australian medical student who discussed with Filipino
medical students on the "social determinants of health"). Some options are:
- http://www.handsonmanila.org.ph "Hands on Manila" as head project to different volunteering opportunities
and also allows short term participation
- www.likhaan.org Womens Health Organization that steps in for womens rights and reproductive health, interns
organized medical updates for community health workers or donated to support womens clinics where
contraceptives are provided for the poor community
- http://www.hospiciodesanjose.com Care for children, elderly, and disabled with christian background located
not far from the Office, interns got in touch to play with children or donate swaddling clothes/formula milk
- http://www.mvphilippines.hypermart.net/activities/events.shtml The Museum Volunteers of the Philippines
have ongoing activities, including tours.
Mall and Movies: You can probably spend every evening for several weeks in a row in one of the malls and
you'll still see new things. Malls in general are really popular in Manila, to be seen especially on crowded
weekends, as they are climatized. About every quarter has its own. The one closest to the office is "Robinsons
Place". The biggest mall in the Philippines and according to Forbes 2007 3rd biggest in the world is the "Mall of
Asia" or also called "SM Mall". Real high end shopping (and nice dining at reasonable prices) you can find at
Greenbelt in Makati. It is easy evening fun after work to have dinner and see a movie in one of the many
theaters (movies cost around 160 Pesos or 320 Pesos when they are 3D). Alternatively you can treat yourself to a
new haircut, a massage or a manicure. Bring the money and you can be queen/king for a day at a spa.
Markets: Famous markets are for example the flea market like Greenhill (not to mix up with the Shopping mall
Greenbelt in Makati), Chinatown (LRT to Carriedo station) or Divisoria (Jeepney from Mabini). For fresh fruits
and vegetables look for St. Andres Market (St. Andres Street). There are also many tailors located in case you
need some clothing repaired. Fresh fruit and vegetable you'll also find at Sta Cruz Market in Malate. Another
option are the weekly organic markets in Makati:
1. Saturday Salcedo Market: 7am-2pm. It is located in the tree shaded parking lot directly across the Three
Salcedo apartment building and close to the Makati Sports Club.
2. Sunday Legazpi Market: in the parking lot in the middle of Legazpi Village in Makati.
For more information on markets in Manila, please see this website: http://marktetmanila.com
Vegetarian food is available here: Quan Yin Chay Vegetarian Food Garden, G. Masangkay Street (+63 2 243
3356).



Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
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Concerts, culture and events: Keep your eyes open for this. There are great concerts in Manila from time to
time (depending on your taste in music). Also there are interesting museums and nice events, such as music and
light games in Rizal park. Often such things are announced by signs in streets, malls or in the newspaper.
Karaoke is another really popular thing in the Philippines. Don't miss out on that. If you like exploring as many
cultures as possible you can also check the websites of the Spanish Instituto Cervantes
(http://manila.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm), the French Alliance Francaise (http://www.alliance.ph), or the
German Goethe Institut (http://www.goethe.de/ins/ph/map/deindex.htm). All of them have regular cultural
events and language classes, just check the schedules. Cervantes for example shows Spanish movies in original
language or has a nice small cafe on the ground floor. Indie movies you can sometimes find at the basement of
Solidaridad Bookshop (Pedre Faura corner Bocobo). The bookshop itself is also worth a explore. It is owned by
an award-winning Filipino writer: F Sionil Jose.
Swimming and physical fitness: Amazingly most big appartment buidlings have their own pool so
swimming is a great way to cool down after a long (and hot) day. If there's no pool ask one of your intern
friends if they have one in their building. Usually its possible to bring guests for a small fee (i.e. 60 Pesos 1
Euro 1,40 Dollar). Even easier than that is using the gym for free on 5th floor of Building 4 in WPRO. Also
inquire about Yoga classes and a personal trainer (yes, according to one intern there's one available) at WPRO if
you enjoy fitness.
Trips: The Lonely Planet or many other travel guides will certainly give more comprehensive advice on potential
trips for every different interest. Also there are countless small travel agencys around town (if you're adventurous
it is probably more exciting and cheaper to go on your own though). Here we'll just mention a few things.
What interns have done in the past are day tours for example to the Volcano of Tagaytay or to Corregidor
Island. You can get a bus to Tagaytay for 95 Pesos one way (they drive i.e. by Taft Ave.). For the tour to
Corregidor it's a one hour ferry ride from Manila to see the island and learn about WW II history (USA vs.
Japan): http://www.corregidorphilippines.com
Easiest for day tours is often to collect a group of people and share costs for a car rental (with a driver of
course), but there are also numerous buses to different destinations.
One of the closest places from Manila to snorkle and dive is Anilao, reached by bus to the Batangas (around 170
Pesos one way) and then by Jeepney in about 3-3 hours. Although it is possible to go there for just a day it is
well worth taking more time. One lovely resort is for example this one: http://www.diveandtrek.com.
And there are many more options for a full weekend or even more days,
such as the bus tour to the world famous rice terraces in Banaue (around
500 Pesos one way). Usually the buses drive 8 hours during night time (buy
tickets i.e. at Florida bus station in advance) starting at 9 or 10 p.m.
Therefore it is possible to start Friday night, use all Saturday to see the rice
terraces, then return Saturday night and arrive Sunday morning back in
Manila. However, it is definitely worth it to stay a little longer and visit the
towns of Batad or Sagada, located closely to Banaue.
Rice Terraces, Source: Wikipedia
For ones who wish to see other Islands there are several airlines operating in
the Philippines such as www.cebupacificair.com or
www.philippineairlines.com. It seems that rates are better the earlier the
booking. Destinations are numerous. In the past, interns have travelled for
example to Legazpi to see the whalesharks
http://www.whalesharkdonsol.com, to the beautiful beaches of Boracay or
Palawan (i.e. http://www.ddivers.com). Package deals can be bought again at
local travel agencys, such as www.philippineexplorer.com that also operates a
small booth in Robinsons Mall to sell packages (Mall Outlet Robinson
Boracay Beach, Source: Wikipedia Number: 3020095 or 5366680). Sample packages to Boracay without flight
(3D/2N accomodation beachfront, daily breakfast, roundtrip transfer, environmental and terminal fees) or
Palawan without flight (3D/2N accomodiation, roundtrip transfer, welcome drink, 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner,
city tour, choice of underground river or honda bay) cost around 6300 Pesos per person.

Manila Survival Guide for WHO WPRO Interns
11
More Insider Info
Mangos the best in the world!
Don't drink tap water but use the "Water Health" cleaned water cannisters instead. Refills cost only around 40
Pesos for several gallons (only first time you pay for the cannister, too).
For the ladys: Tampons are extraordinarily hard to find and rather expensive if those are your choice better
bring them from home.
People are very friendly here and always willing to help you. However, that also means that they sometimes dont
want to say they dont know something. For example, if you ask for directions, people will sometimes send you
in a certain direction, which is not always the right one. It is good to keep this in mind when you have just
arrived here and dont know your way around yet.

Summary
There is an incredible lot to experience and to see when coming to the Philippines
for the first time. And even though some people rant on the mega-town Manila it
is so true what Carlos Celdran says in his tour about it: don't skip Manila. The town
has so much history and such a colourful and mixed population (according to
Carlos like a "Halo-Halo", which translated means "Mix-Mix" and is a Filipino
dessert that contains all kinds of different things like ice, jelly, milk, grains, etc.)
you are very lucky to have the chance to see a lot of that during your weeks at
WPRO.
Halo-halo, Source: Wikipedia

Many places to see.... Manila impressions, Source: Wikipedia