Significant value buys & pricey stuff in the Phils

[Ako Si Jamie]

The most obvious thing for me was cigarettes. Bought 200 Marlboro Lights for 350 peso's which I think is equivalent to a packet of 20 major brand cigs in the UK.

At some places managed to buy a sandwich for about 20 pence and a bottle of coke for the same.

I went on a Jeepney ride for a couple of miles for about 10 pence.

Managed to get a really filling meal out of Chow King for about a £1 with a drink thrown in.

Can only recall buying stuff that was overpriced twice. Asked for a bottle of coke on Magalawa Island, they came back with a big bottle and four of these biscuits which were like crackers with a lemon filling. Didn't ask for the biscuits. Thought they were being hospitable. Charged us 300 peso's

Got a can of coke at N.A.I.A. Cost 93 peso's.

Was quoted 6,000 peso's for a return boat trip to Magahawa Island from our resort. Thought it was really steep. Instead we got the Victory Liner to Masinloc for about a £1 each which took about 30-40 minutes, then got a boatman to take us to the island for 2,000 peso's return.

[stevewool]

the problem i thought over there with trying to keep saying wow thats cheap, well it is for us but not for them, the jeepnys well compare them to our buses and see how far you would get and so on , the pound does go further there but not here now, i do beleive that most of our mahals once here do realize we are not all millionairs but just like them back home working every hour just to have a good life

[sparky]

its one of the biggest dangers there is when in that part of the world- thinking things are cheap and not bothering about the cost- one of the easiest ways to get ripped off (even if the rip off price is cheaper compared to back home )

waht it does is make the vendor think they can get away with it and then overcharge every westerner they see- which is especially annoying for an expat!!

[Englishman2010]

My own experience of buying things there is food, booze and cigs are really cheap, but clothes and electrical goods are the same price. The internet, globalisation and the fact that everything is made in China means that prices are the same everywhere now, except for in airports, where they are twice as much
If I want electrical goods and clothes I buy them here and benefit from a UK warranty.
I recently bought a few wooden ornaments/statues for my house from Palawan, they were pretty cheap, a couple of quid each, whereas the same things might have been £10 - £15 here, but to be honest the only things I usually come home with are 200 ciggies and a suntan

[KeithD]

You're supposed to declare wooden items at customs you know, so they can check them for lice, worms, disease, etc.

....and DRIED FISH is illegal to bring in without a permit, so is fruit & veg, and live plants.

[Arthur Little]

to be honest the only things I usually come home with are 200 ciggies and a suntan

... gosh ... did you manage to come home sporting a suntan, Ian? Try as I might - and believe me, I did ... it somehow eluded me ... despite my best efforts!! Myrna had to practically plead with me to wear some kind of headgear - and share her parasol - as a protection against the heat. But I refused to comply - and still it didn't work!

[Arthur Little]

If I want electrical goods and clothes I buy them here and benefit from a UK warranty.

The only things I usually come home with are 200 ciggies and a suntan

... cigarettes and such like are a helluva lot cheaper - whereas clothes and electrical goods are as well bought back home for the sake of our UK warranties.

[grahamw48]

Cigs in England are basically 10x the cost of those in the Phils.

Local spirits...very cheap.

Transport of all kinds...unless you want to BUY a vehicle.

Some local electrical goods are cheaper.

Some clothes are cheaper than here...and good quality.

Leather goods are cheap (belts for example). Just check the quality.

Timber is cheap. I used to use LOTS for building aviaries.

Try to think in pesos though when shopping, and relate prices to what other things cost and to what people get paid. Then you'll get a better idea of VALUE for money.

[Englishman2010]

You're supposed to declare wooden items at customs you know, so they can check them for lice, worms, disease, etc.

....and DRIED FISH is illegal to bring in without a permit, so is fruit & veg, and live plants.

Does that mean I cant bring a durian back with me next time then

[malditako]

Does that mean I cant bring a durian back with me next time then

oh dear....that smells a lot lol

[Terpe]

....and DRIED FISH is illegal to bring in without a permit.....

You are allowed up to 20kg combined weight per person of fish and fish products (including dead bivalves) or the weight of one fish whichever weight is highest. Fish can be dried, cooked, cured, smoked or fresh but fresh fish is only allowed if it
is gutted.

Source:-

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsP...yType=document

[KeithD]

20KG if It's from the EU, not The Philippines.

[Terpe]

20KG if It's from the EU, not The Philippines.

I'd better check the book again , We're always bring back at least 20-30kg from Phils.
Never had a problem so far.

[sars_notd_virus]

matador brandy 2litres,combat shorts,Pinoy t-shirts for my hubby..
marlboro lights(1ream) and i got some more slim cigarettes in duty free which is in my hand carry ,dried mangoes,nuts,banana chips,videoke player and more trousers/jeans,tshirts and shorts..I think me and my daughter exceeded our luggage weight up to 2kilos more but whilst we were escorted by an employee in NAIA, it was waved... and arriving in LHR at 630am nobody checks on it

[Terpe]

I'd better check the book again , We're always bring back at least 20-30kg from Phils.
Never had a problem so far.

Safe

http://importdetails.defra.gov.uk/De...dule=IDDSearch

Search Criteria : Country = Philippines ; Category = Fish/Fishery products ; Products = Fish (dried)


1 Page 1 of 1 pages. (1)

Philippines
Category : Fish/Fishery products
Products in Category : Anchovies , Ayer , Bombay duck , Bowal , Cod , Crab , Crayfish , Cuttlefish , Fish , Fish (cooked other) , Fish (cured other) , Fish (dried) , Fish (other fresh fish) , Fish (smoked other) , Fish products (other) , Fish sauce , Flying fish , Grouper , Haddock , Hilsha , Katla , Kingfish , Kobi , Lobster , Lobsters , Octopus , Oyster sauce , Prawns , Rohu , Salmon , Sardine , Sea bass , Sea eggs , Shark's fin , Shrimp , Shrimp paste , Shutki , Sole , Squid , Stockfish , Swordfish , Tilapia , Trout , Tuna
Import Rule : 20kg total weight per person are allowed in combination with products from the following category: Bivalves (Dead) or the weight of one fish, whichever weight is the highest. Fish must be fresh and gutted or processed (i.e. cooked, cured, dried or smoked)

[Englishman2010]

A word of caution to anyone flying into Hong Kong or Singapore:

They both have strick controls on the amount of tobacco and liquor you can take into their territories.

Strictly speaking SG will not allow you to take any tobacco or alcohol in, you can buy it there, but it is heavily taxed, cigs and booze is even more expensive than it is in the UK.

HK only allow you to take 19 cigs and minimal quantities of alcohol in, again you can buy it there, it is a bit cheaper than the UK, about £4 for 20 cigs.

Both places scan your luggage and will confiscate any products brought into the country illegally and also heavily fine you, be warned

[Ako Si Jamie]

My mate never has any problems bringing over 1000 cigs back with him every time he returns from the Phils. He just slips them 500 peso's.

[Englishman2010]

My mate never has any problems bringing over 1000 cigs back with him every time he returns from the Phils. He just slips them 500 peso's.

No need to even do that, no one in the Phil's cares what you put in your case, you're leaving the country. Not sure the customs officers in the UK would appreciate a 500 peso bung though

[Tawi2]

no one in the Phil's cares what you put in your case

I once had a bespoke knuckle-duster made in brass for a friend as a decorative ornament,not the lightweight alloy ones like those you buy in thailand,this one was a beauty,fitted the hand like a glove.Security had been tightened at NAIA following the twin-towers attacks,a customs officer was rifling through my suitcase and came across it "Rough in manila nowadays" I said,he gave me a look and replaced it in the bag without a word.

[Ako Si Jamie]

No need to even do that, no one in the Phil's cares what you put in your case, you're leaving the country. Not sure the customs officers in the UK would appreciate a 500 peso bung though

He has been stopped for bringing that amount back, that's why he bunged them.

[Englishman2010]

He has been stopped for bringing that amount back, that's why he bunged them.

I guess I've just been lucky so far That reminds me, I've only got two cartons left of the 200 cigs i brought home

[Ako Si Jamie]

Marlboro ?

[Englishman2010]

Marlboro ?

Marlboro Lights, not that I'm encouraging anyone to smoke. It's not big and it's not clever

Actually, I did buy one of the electric ciggies in a Mall in Makati, 500 pesos and it came with a 3 month supply of nicotine filters. It plugs into the mains to re-charge, a Phil to UK adapter was about 100 pesos. I'm going to give it a go when the last of my Filipino supplies run out.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Marlboro Lights, not that I'm encouraging anyone to smoke. It's not big and it's not clever

Actually, I did buy one of the electric ciggies in a Mall in Makati, 500 pesos and it came with a 3 month supply of nicotine filters. It plugs into the mains to re-charge, a Phil to UK adapter was about 100 pesos. I'm going to give it a go when the last of my Filipino supplies run out.

Damn. Wish I got some leccy cigs when I was over there. I meant to be giving up this week but I've still got some Marlboro Lights myself to polish off.

[Englishman2010]

Damn. Wish I got some leccy cigs when I was over there. I meant to be giving up this week but I've still got some Marlboro Lights myself to polish off.

I don't know how safe it is, it'll probably fuse my house when I plug it in

[grahamw48]

I wouldn't like to say on a public forum how many cigs from the Phils I've managed to bring 'safely' to my home in the UK...just glad I had that spare holdall and arrived at 3am at my local regional airport.

[Arthur Little]

My mate never has any problems bringing over 1000 cigs back with him every time he returns from the Phils. He just slips them 500 peso's.

500 peso? ... ... buying them in the Phils that equates to the price of twenty-five 20-packs of 'Hope' [the best] cigarettes!!

[Ako Si Jamie]

500 peso? ... ... buying them in the Phils that equates to the price of twenty-five 20-packs of 'Hope' [the best] cigarettes!!

Maybe, but he was probably thinking he'd have them taken off him.

[Englishman2010]

I wouldn't like to say on a public forum how many cigs from the Phils I've managed to bring 'safely' to my home in the UK...just glad I had that spare holdall and arrived at 3am at my local regional airport.

Me neither, but i still have some left of the '200' i brought home 4 weeks ago

[Englishman2010]

A few years ago I used to travel to southern Europe every 3 - 4 months. Cigs were about £1.50 a packet in Portugal, Spain and Greece and about £5 here for 20 Marlboro. You can legally bring home 3200 from an EU country. So I did, every time I reckon I was saving between £250 - £300 a trip which easily covered the cost of my flights and hotels, and when I ran low again, I was straight on the BMIbaby or easyjet website to book another cheap flight to stock up and get a few days sunshine