Are The Philippines really so polluted?

[Peter69_56]

I hate to think if beer comes in plastic bottle!!!!!

I am sure if they could they would, and then tell you how great it is! Never mind all the oil we consume in plastics

 

[NorCalDM]

I hate to think if beer comes in plastic bottle!!!!!

It's already been tried but people don't like to drink beer from a plastic bottle the company I worked for in the 90's designed and built a chamber system that applied a coating to the inside of a plastic bottle so beer would not go bad sitting in storage. This was for a major packaging company in Europe they were trying to sell it to beer manufactures as an alternative to glass it didn't go over well. Back on topic don't miss out on the Philippines, great people and great diving. There is always filtered water around to drink so that's not an issue as for the weather it's tropical for a reason so don't get upset if you have to blow off a day of diving due to weather it happens roll with it. We here in the US are spoiled with our standard of living more should travel to some of these third world countries to see how good we have it. I just returned from two weeks of diving in the Philippines it was my second trip and already planning my third!

 

[Joe Cool]

I have dual impressions about the Philippines. After having watched and read about rivers full of garbage, piles of trash everywhere, terrible traffic, air filled with toxic smoke, mercury and other poisonous contamination of water and soil I was about to change my mind about going there. On the other hand there are images of beautiful nature, marine life and lots of tourists. So its kind of a place of contrast. Are those claims true or exaggerated? For example with drinking water, can I drink from a spring or should I spend money on bottled water? Another question of concern for me is typhoons; are there islands which are safer than others? I need to form an objective opinion. Your thoughts are welcome.

Don't be turned off by what you see in TV or documentary shows about pollution, garbage, and traffic in the Philippines. Those problems, like others have mentioned, are mostly confined to the large cities such as Manila. I can't comment about Cebu since I have not lived or been there. However, once you leave the urban cities, the country side offers lots of fresh air, green spaces, and nice clean rivers and beaches. Garbage will still be somewhat of an issue but not that bad compared to Manila.

Concerning water, when coming from a sterile environment such as North America, always drink from bottled water because your gut won't be able to take the bacteria found in tap water in Manila and other places around the Philippines. Even if you see locals drinking tap water, don't follow them. They have developed strong guts over the years and they can handle it. Even if you think you can, don't. You don't want to risk it and ruin you vacation at the same time. Also, when ordering cold drinks, tell your waiter or waitress not to put ice on it. You don't know where the ice came from. In the province, they drag the large block of ice on the ground before hacking it down and storing it in a cooler. Also, you do not know where the water they used to make the ice came from.

On typhoons, the season starts any time from August to November. Monsoon season (heavy rains) start from July to November and on some years last into December. The best time to visit the Philippines is from December to June. The weather between December to March is nice, comfortable, and dry. March to June is very hot and dry. June to October is hot, wet and very humid. There are two common paths for typhoons in the Philippines. All typhoons start from the eastern seaboard (pacific) and cut diagonally across Luzon from SE to NW. Some cut from East to West across the Visayas. Palawan and Mindanao rarely get hit by typhoons. So, during typhoon season, I feel Palawan is a safer destination. Even some parts of Mindanao are OK but I would stay away from the 'hot spots' or 'off limits for any visitor' areas.

So, don't be discouraged by the bad stuff you see on TV or read in magazines. The good stuff you see, read, and hear are real. The good thing is that the good outweighs the bad.

 

[Peter69_56]

Also if you go to Philippines and come down with flu like symptoms, go directly to doctor and tell them where you have been.

Had a dive instructor go over there a well man at 65, and within 2 months was dead. Came back with flu symptoms and didn't see doctor, was bitten by mosquito or something that overloaded his organs because of larve in his blood system. He thought he would tough it out, and by the time he realised something serious was wrong, his organs started failing and he died from an induced heart attack. That's not to say you will get something and die, however just be aware of the timing of your trip and your health, if something seems wrong on your immediate return home, get checked. This applies to any tropical areas when travelling.

 

[jbb]

I hate to think if beer comes in plastic bottle!!!!!

Not in the Philippines. It will be in a multi-use glass bottle that is not recycled but washed and reused until someone accidentally breaks it or it gets too worn. Then it can be recycled. Also I try to be conscience of my impact when on smaller islands by refilling water bottles (many places offer this option) rather than buy new and pack out dead batteries to cities that have a better collection system.

 

[drbill]

I spent three weeks in the PI two years ago. As I generally do when traveling, I drank bottled water. Had no problem with fluids served at restaurants though. There were places that I saw diapers in the water and less odious trash, but in general I thought the areas I visited were reasonably good. On top of that the people in the Philippines were generally very wonderful. I plan on going back possibly this fall and think you shouldn't miss it.