Boltonbuddy

I'm hoping to go to the Philippines next year.
My gf lives in a village north of Angeles. I dont fancy carry money about. Should I take a bank card or credit card or could I use ATMs, bearing in mind I'll be in a village some of the time.
Tia

Raffin

Both. We're in an area not far from Tagyatay. Semi provincial. The local shopping center has 3 ATMs and at 3 times in the last few months all have been down. More often one or two not working. In a nearby town with a municipal hall there is only one ATM and often a long line. So I tend to draw out more cash when they are working, no line. You can't use a card in the market etc and in any case they don't always work in the shop. In many years living and visiting here in various locations never heard much of people being mugged. You can often observe wallets protruding from men's back pockets, women's handbags etc where they could easily be snatched.

Stokkevn

About the same here in Capiz, village has one non working ATM ( past 6 years ), shopping mall ones in the main town are hit and miss at the best, the last time I used a UK credit card here, about 12 years ago, the exchange rate was terrible and the fees high. When we first came here and went to the markets in Manila wife used to say I would never get mugged, no jewelry, watch etc, old tee-shirt & shorts, street kids looked better off than I did. Cash is king here and just be sensible, if you carry a lot of money split it between 4 pockets so when you pay for something you are not pulling out P100k for a few 1000s shopping bill. The only mugging I have heard of was someone coming away from the bank ATM in the shopping mall last year.

Raffin

I would advise bringing in USD. You're allowed up to 10,000. Much better than pounds sterling here.
Yes, spread it around when going out. Some with the gf too. Container shorts with well secured large bottom pockets a good idea.
Using a foreign card in most ATMs here brings up warning notices of high charges.

With the ATMs what beats me is why they load them around 9am in the morning, the very time you want to use the machine? I noticed this in Manila with a major bank.

Gazza-d

If you bring any cash make sure the notes are in good condition, new if possible. Also largish denominations, they will take fives and tens but can give a lesser exchange rate for some unfathomable reason. Just bring your local currency unless it's something unusual. Dollars, euro's, sterling are all widely changed. Don't get into changing sterling or euros to dollars you will just lose money on the double exchange. Recently the pound has been stronger than the dollar so there's no benifit.

Raffin

Yes, you will lose a little on buying dollars in the UK but you will carry a currency here which is much more acceptable and convenient than the pound. With smaller value notes which you can even sometimes pay people here directly with. Easy now as it's P50 to a dollar. Especially useful in the Angeles area.
Some years ago I found spreads on the pound were mostly greater than on the dollar in places like Ermita. Now living here permanently all I do is sometimes glance up at the board in SM Forex. What I see there is usually quite a poor rate for the pound but other people here may know about street forex places these days.

Stokkevn

If you don't want to bring loads of cash with you or need a top up while here there are several money transfer companies that deliver bank to bank or bank to door, ( I use Transferwise but I am sure there are many others as good or better ) find one you like and register before traveling here and send some to your gf before you travel just to ensure it all works.

EnglishRed

If you do bring cash, don't change it on the street, you will be ripped off and end up with nothing.

Don't change it in hotels, the rates are abysmal.

Best place we've used in the past for is a place called X-Change. There's a branch in Robinsons Iloilo but don't know about anywghere else.

Gazza-d

SM also gives abysmal rates.

Philosophical 11

Yes, I agree with you about wallets protruding out of back pockets....cell phones also. I soon realised that mugging or pickpocketing was not really a big issue here although of course reasonable precautions should always be taken. I was always told to be beware when going to a "down town area" and to keep my hand on my pocket where my wallet was. But I never felt threatened or the need. But one place to beware of is very crowded places such as a bus terminal. That was where I had my wallet stolen a few years back in a moment when I let my guard down. The way it works is this: There will be someone in one of the shopping kiosks looking for a likely person with money such as a foreigner and when that person has bought something he notes exactly where he has replaced his wallet. He then follows the proposed victim to the bus queue and stands behind him when there can be the usual pushing and shoving to get on the bus. I certainly was jostled and realised too late after I boarded the bus that my wallet was gone.

So I learnt my lesson the hard way. But the worst thing is not so much the money (10k) but the loss of all my credit/debit cards...plus ACR , Philhealth Card and ATM card. It took a while to have all those replaced after going through the motions of cancelling them all. But now I dont own a wallet and never will do again out here. I never draw more than 3k from an ATM for normal expenses and my money is kept on a bull dog clip..... not as bulky as a wallet that can be seen or felt. All my cards are kept at home. I just carry my ACR card in the bulldog clip. Lesson learnt

Stokkevn

The other thing to be careful of especially at bus/boat terminals, is the banner signs on fences/railings warning people of pickpockets. When seeing these the first instinct is to check the pocket where valuables are kept, a spotter next to the sign now knows which pocket your valuables are in.

EnglishRed

That's the same the whole wold over including the UK.

Stokkevn

Haven't seen it in the UK but have in other parts of the world, at Caracas airport they even had a row of chairs next to the sign for the spotters.