Puerto Galera - Getting Money

About a year ago I asked about Puerto Galera. One item that came up is that most places want cash and US$ travelers checks were not welcome. Those who took credit cards either imposed illegal surcharges or added taxes that were not charged when paying cash. There was no ATM in town and the only way to get cash was from a tourist office that charged a 7% fee for a cash advance, in addition to the bank fees charged to the cardholder, which for US banks are very high.

I am wondering if Puerto Galera now has an ATM, or are there any other improvements in getting cash or paying for things.

For that matter, are there any other places that do not have this problem, but have good diving at prices that would be cheap compared to the Caribbean?

i was in Sabang

There is a western Union near Tina's restaurant.

I heard there is a ATM in PG but i am not sure 100%

Send an email to the resort you will patronize. They will answer your questions more effectively. You might even do a wire transfer to their account for your fees and plus it up a bit so they can "hold" your money for you. I do it for some of my customers.

US banks charge $25 for a wire transfer. I have heard of using paypal to pay dive shops. I don't have paypal now, but I could set it up. I don't know what to make of this situation, but it seems that PG is set up to deal with Philippine residents who are going there for a long weekend. That's OK, they need somewhere to dive & have fun, but it does not help me that much.

Don't sweat it. Find out the dive shops credit credit markup before you go and decided if it is worth bringing cash. They are charged a fee by the credit card company so it is reasonable to charge a surcharge I think - I seriously doubt this is illegal as it is common practise in many places.

Many will accept foreign currency anyway. Failing this, you can buy peso's in the airport when you land at the offical money changers.

I've dived in PG over half a dozen times and cash has never been a problem. You could not be more wrong about PG just being set up for local divers - it is a thriving tourist diving place and one of the busiest in the Phillipines.

leadweight:

US banks charge $25 for a wire transfer. I have heard of using paypal to pay dive shops. I don't have paypal now, but I could set it up. I don't know what to make of this situation, but it seems that PG is set up to deal with Philippine residents who are going there for a long weekend. That's OK, they need somewhere to dive & have fun, but it does not help me that much.

Click to expand...

i don't think it has to do w/ catering to locals vs. tourists... because more locals dive in anilao than PG (no boat transfer and you can drive from manila)

oth tourists (foreigners) usually prefer PG because there's other things to do (night life) vs. anilao

that being said: i think it has to do more with the local banking system... i don't think they see the cost effectivity of placing (and operating) a branch or atm in the sabang area...

i would venture to say that there ought to be a bank set up (w/ atm and all) at the PG town proper w/c is a 20+ minute jeepney ride from sabang... that would be the muelle bay

hope this helps... and take babyd's advise to coordinate it w/ your resort... they are fully aware of the limitations of their location so would be in the best position to assist you w/ alternatives

Jag

I was there was in August and even in the town proper there is no ATM. The closest ATM is in Calapan.

How much is a dive in the Caribbean? Credit is done by the more expensive ops. The less expensive ops don't use credit. I guess you can try Captain Greggs, see if they have credit.

I agree with Geoff, ask the resort you'll be staying at what their credit charge is (usually 5-7%) then if the exchange rate is more worth it for you. For cash, bring US. If you'll be taking private transportation from the airport, there's an ATM in Batangas City that you can withdraw from before you board the boat.

If you'll just be going to PG, I would just withdraw the cash on the states side.

AsiaDivers / El Galleon - 50% paid as deposit and then I paid the remaining 50% + extras (food, dive accessories, t-shirts) by Traveller's Cheques without a problem.

You can change USD into Peso in Sabang at the money changer - the rate wasn't too bad if memory serves.

I do the same as Cabbie, except I don't send a deposit, but bring roughly 50% or so of what I expect to spend at the resort in cash. And depending on how much cash I spend, I pay the rest by credit card. I don't recall getting dinged by cc charge at Asia Divers. I think they get you with the exchange rate instead (everything is calculated in pesos and converted to USD for the final bill).

And also agree, Sabang money changers give a decent rate (vs what you get in Manila).

The least expensive diving in the Caribbean would be boat diving for $25 per tank for 10 or more dives on Utila in Honduras. Some locations, are much more expensive with charges as high as $60 per tank. In most Caribbean locations merchants accept US currency and $US denominated travelers checks. Hotel and diving prices are almost always quoted in $US. Those of us from the States are not the only ones traveling there, but the economies are heavily linked to the $US with ATM's in some locations dispensing $US along with local currency.

If enough places in PG take credit cards, I supposed that is an option. My bank charges 3% for foreign currency transactions. Surcharges for credit card transactions are illegal in the US, but merchants can get around it by posting separate cash and credit prices on each price tag. In the rest of the world surcharges are prohibited by the card issuers contracts, but these are hard to enforce. I am concerned that not only am I looking at 10% in fees, but providers who take credit cards will be more expensive.

I do find it perplexing that a major tourist destination lacks an ATM, but as someone mentioned above it has to do with the banking system.

Anyone want to recommend shops and lodging that accept credit cards or $US denominated travelers checks?