Cebu Travel Tips

Banks: 09:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday
Government Offices: 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Department Stores and Shops: 09:00 to 19:00, daily
Business Offices: 09:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday; 09:00 to 12:00, Saturday

Visitors should be aware that kidnappings in Cebu have been on the increase in recent years. Although these incidents are rare, some popular tourist resorts have been targeted. There have also been occasional bombing threats in urban areas. Tourists are advised to keep up-to-date on potential dangers in areas they intend to visit, to avoid travel to remote places and to inform relatives or friends of their travel plans.

Pick-pocketing and personal theft can be a problem for tourists as petty criminals tend to frequent areas that are popular with tourists and where there are large crowds, such as transportation centres. Most hotels and resorts offer either in-room safes or safe deposit boxes at reception. It’s a good idea to make use of this service for protecting your valuables and important personal documents. It’s not a good idea to attract attention with any obvious displays of wealth when you’re in public.

Electricity: 220 volts, 60Hz. Plugs with two flat, parallel prongs are the norm.

No specific vaccinations are required for entering the Philippines. However, travellers coming from areas infected with yellow fever must be vaccinated and travellers having known infectious diseases may be quarantined.

It is not recommended that you drink tap water anywhere in the country. All water should be purified before use, or bottled water should be purchased. Milk should be boiled before drinking, as it’s not pasteurised here. Other options include using tinned and powdered milk products. Other dairy products can also pose a potential health problem for the same reason. Fruits and vegetables, meat and fish should be fully-cooked before eating.

Visitors will find several modern, privately-owned hospitals in Cebu City that meet international standards. Clinics and smaller hospitals found outside the urban area are likely to provide more limited services, and standards may be lower. Having travel insurance is recommended, as you will be asked to pay for medical care when services are rendered. You can then apply for reimbursement from your insurance company when you have returned to your home country.

Chong Hua Hospital: +63 32 254 1461
Police: 117

Cebuano is the native language in this part of the country. Other languages that are spoken include Bantayan, Porohanon, Tagalog, Spanish and Visayan, as well as English. English is commonly understood and spoken in population centres and areas frequented by tourists.

The currency unit of the Philippines is the peso. Each peso (or piso as it’s written locally) is subdivided into 100 centavos (sentimo). In addition to the peso, the US dollar is widely accepted by businesses throughout the country. Banknotes found in circulation include: 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20 pesos. Banknotes of 10 and 5 pesos are no longer printed, but some are still in circulation. Coins are circulated in 10, 5 and 1 peso denominations. You’ll occasionally find coins of 25, 10 and 5 centavos, but they’re uncommon.

Travellers’ cheques can be readily cashed in Cebu City, but you may have a more difficult time cashing them in outlying areas. You can exchange most foreign currencies at the airport and at banks, hotels, and authorised currency exchanges in the city. It’s recommended that you carry cash in small denominations, as taxi drivers and many small merchants will not be able to provide change for large banknotes.

Credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted at major hotels and resorts, restaurant and shops on Cebu Island. ATMs are available in Cebu City and other populated areas, and Cirrus, MasterCard and Visa can be used to obtain cash advances at some machines.

Duty-free allowances for visitors include a reasonable amount of clothing for personal use; 400 cigarettes or two packets of tobacco; and two litres of spirits or wine.

Anyone bringing more than the equivalent of US$3,000 into the country must make a declaration of the amount with the Central Bank of the Philippines, located in the customs area at Cebu Airport. On departure, the amount that is being exported cannot exceed the amount brought in. For this reason visitors are advised to keep all currency exchange receipts. In regard to the local currency, a visitor may bring up to 5,000 peso in banknotes into the country, but may not leave with more than 1,000 peso.

Filipinos are friendly people who are courteous and hospitable by nature. However, you may find some local customs to be different than what you’re used to. Local people may stare at you because they find you interesting. If you’re attending a social function, don’t plan on being punctual because locals consider it polite for a guest to be 30 minutes late, giving them plenty of extra time to prepare.

When you visit someone at their home, you’ll be expected to remove your shoes before entering the house. If there are elderly guests at a social gathering, it’s considered good manners to greet them first and individually. Filipinos will expect you to be talkative: being quiet is a sign of being bored or unhappy. Additionally, Filipinos point with their lips rather than with a finger. If they want to get your attention, they’re likely to hiss, even if they know your name.

Visitors are likely to find the locals to be very hospitable. If you’re invited to someone’s home, it’s considered polite to bring a small gift for your host. Although a gift isn’t necessarily expected, it will be appreciated. It’s best to arrive 30 minutes later than the time suggested, as the hosts will be quite surprised if you turn up on time.

Rather than taking a seat at the table, it is a good idea to wait for your host to indicate where you should sit. Also, it is impolite to begin eating before your host invites you to begin. Many meals are served buffet-style, and you will need to serve yourself. A fork and spoon will be provided as eating utensils; knives are generally not provided as meats and vegetables are served in small pieces.

Visitors of most nationalities who are in possession of a valid passport may enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay of 21 days, provided they can show a ticket for their onward journey. An exception to this is nationals of countries not having diplomatic relations with the Philippines.

Anyone holding a Hong Kong and Taiwan passport is required to obtain a special permit to visit the Philippines in advance. Special permits and visas must be obtained from a Philippine embassy or consulate abroad before travel. Extensions of stay for up to an additional 38 days can be obtained by making an application at the Immigration Office in Cebu City.

A tourist information office is located at the airport, where visitors can obtain maps, directions, accommodation and transportation information and pamphlets on attractions (phone: +63 32 340 8229). The main tourist office in Cebu City is found opposite Fort San Pedro, where similar information and services are available (phone: +63 32 254 2811).