hello sis.. i was able to get my mom and my sister a family visit visa early this year.
1. form for the family visit visa
http://www.vfs-uk-ph.com/applicationforms.aspx
just go under family visitors form
2. this one i am not entirely sure.. I am afraid i would not know the exact figures... but the better that you have your own money in your bank account and also if they can also have their own money... when i got my mom and my sister their family visit visas... my mom already has money in her bank (that she actually has, so it really wasnt as if we gave her money to put in her bank account) and we also have our own money in our bank... i think that will be a stronger case..
I tell you what though, i have a friend here in the UK and her father does not have any money on his bank account and when the ECO rejected his visa.. they only stated that the visa was rejected bec my friend (the one based in the Uk) did not have enough money to support him... they were able to appeal and he is already here in the UK.
3. nope, they dont have to attend as its just a family visit visa and not a settlement visa..
4. Research is the key! we were able to find some cheap flights here in the UK but my mom was able to match that price in the PI through a travel agency.
5. well it really will be the nearer she applies, the nearer she gets the visa... but of course better safe than sorry... make sure she has all she needs before lodging the application..
Hope to have helped!