Metro Manila

Metropolitan Manila, commonly referred to as Metro Manila or simply Manila, is the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated region of the country. NCR is composed of Manila, the capital city of the country, Quezon City, the country's most populous city, and the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, including the only remaining municipality of Pateros.

 

The region is packed with museums, parks, shopping malls, entertainment centers and landscapes. It is the center of economy, education and government of the Philippines. It is home to some of the largest shopping malls in the world, i.e. SM Megamall, SM City North EDSA and SM Mall of Asia. Some of the popular tourist destinations, i.e.  Intramuros, Rizal Park, and the National Museum of the Philippines, can also be found within the metropolis.

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Climate

June to October is rainy, with the months between July and September characterized by typhoons. The average temperature is 78 degrees F or 25 degrees C with an average humidity of 77%.

 

Currency and Exchange Rate

The unit of currency in the Philippines is the Philippine Peso (PhP). The major denominations of the currency are PhP 1, PhP 5, PhP 10 (in coins), and PhP 20, PhP 50, PhP 100, PhP 200, PhP 500, PhP 1,000 (in banknotes).

 

Indicative currency rates (as of 15 May 2019): 1 PhP = 0.019 USD / 1 USD = PhP 52.36

 

Language

The official language of the Philippines is Filipino. However, majority of the population can understand and speak English. English will be the medium of communication of the Conference.

 

Internet

Internet is available free of charge for UPMAS delegates staying at the Marriot Hotel Manila. Please contact the hotel for login details.

 

Time

The Philippines is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +8) and does not implement daylight saving time.

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Telephones

Philippines’ international dialing code is +63 and the city code is 2.

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Electricity

The standard electrical voltage in the Philippines is 220 volts, 60 cycles. Electrical sockets commonly found in the Philippines can accept the Type A (2 flat, parallel pins with no ground pin), and Type C standard (2 rounded pins) plugs.

 

Emergencies

In the unlikely event of an emergency, you can contact the emergency hotline in the Philippines by dialing 911.