A so called, International Driving Licence is a misnomer. It is effectively only a translation and to be valid one must carry a National Driving Licence which is valid in the country one visits, and produce both.
I don't know about UK but in Spain a Filipino DL does not authorise a person to drive, whether they have the IDL or not. I Know, my wife applied for a Non Professional DL and a IDL before we came to Spain, it was a waste of time.
And, remember, if one does not hold, or has not held a DL which is valid the country of use, they are NOT covered by any insurance.
