International CEO Forum VI
“Leading the Recovery: Environmental, Social and Governance Imperatives for DFIs”
Dusit Thani Manila § October 28 and 29, 2009
ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
Organized by:
Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia & the Pacific (ADFIAP)
In cooperation with and hosted by:
Development Bank of the Philippines
Land Bank of the Philippines
Philippine Export-Import Credit Agency
Planters Development Bank
supported by:
Association of Development Finance Institutions of Malaysia
A. Travel Documents
Please make sure that you have all the documents/personal needs/subsistence allowance with you prior to your departure for Manila. These should include:
Ø Valid Passport with visa stamp of the Philippine Embassy in your respective country (if visa is needed);
Ø Roundtrip ticket (itineraries confimed);
Ø Letter of invitation of ADFIAP and programme of activities;
Ø Personal medicines, if needed; and,
Ø Personal Travel accident insurance
Foreign nationals must be in possession of a current passport or other internationally recognized travel document. They must be endorsed for traveling to the Philippines and have a period of validity of at least six months beyond the time of stay allowed in the Philippines. Foreign nationals who require a visa to enter the Philippines must apply and obtain a visa in advance at Philippine Foreign Missions abroad before entering the country.
B. Arrival Information
Upon disembarking, all delegates will be met at the arrival terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by a representative of the Department of Tourism who will usher the participant/s to the Department of Tourism Desk at the arrival lobby. Please refer to Annex 1 for NAIA Map. This is just a meeting point so that we ensure that all participants are met at a designated place.
For the Centennial Airport or Terminal 2, (arrivals of all Philippine Airlines disembark at this airport), the ADFIAP representative will meet participants outside the arrival lobby. A signboard showing the ADFIAP/CEO Forum logo will be carried by the ADFIAP representative. Mobile phone numbers of the following ADFIAP representatives meeting the participants are as follows:
Ms. Sandy I. Lim +63 920 907 3882
Ms. Susan Bajar +63 920 852 8581
Mr. Jordan Isidro +63 928 404 0387
All arrival/departure details need to be communicated to ADFIAP Secretariat, c/o Ms. Susan F. Bajar, Secretariat Affairs Officer at Fax no. (63-2) 817-6498 or via email, on or before 30 September 2009. We would strongly advise delegates to secure return/onward flights prior to their departure for Manila.
C. Departure Information
All participants will be brought to the airport for their respective departures and should be ready 3 hours prior to their flight departure. Airport tax is P750.
D. Hotel Accommodations
Dusit Thani Manila*****
Address: Ayala Center, 1223
Makati City, Philippines
Tel No: (632) 867 3333
Fax No.: (632) 867 3888
Email:
Web Address: www.dusit.com
Located at the heart of Makati Commercial Center, the Dusit Thani Manila (pls. refer to Annex 2 for vicinity map) is proximate to Makati’s trendiest shopping malls, fine dining establishments and entertainment centers. It is also a stone’s throw away to a manifold of business offices and banks.
This 5-star hotel is equipped with the latest technology which includes broadband internet access. It also offers five specialty restaurants serving authentic Thai, Japanese, Italian, Filipino, Asian and International Cuisine.
For leisure, the hotel offers outdoor swimming pools as well as a fitness center called DFiT and the Devarana Spa.
E. Conference Organizer
Association of Development Financing Institutions
in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP)
2/F Skyland Plaza, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Tel No: (632) 816 16 72 / 843 0932
Fax No: (632) 817 6498
Email :
Website Address: www.adfiap.org
F. Travel and Country Information
1. Immigration - Customs Requirement
Manila welcomes visitors and to facilitate easy entry, everything has been done to make the process as pleasant as possible. A valid passport for at least six months beyond the intended period of stay and a ticket for onward travel are required.
As a visitor, you are allowed to bring any or all of the following articles duty-free to the country: reasonable quantity of clothes; jewelry; toiletries; 400 sticks of cigarettes or two tins of tobacco; and two bottles of wine or spirits of not more than one liter.
Note: Your baggage may be examined by Customs.
2. Visa Advisory and Health Requirements
In addition to a valid passport and an air ticket confirming onward travel, travellers to the Philippines should possess a valid visa if needed. Attached as Annex 3, is the list of countries that are allowed to stay in the Philippines for not more than 21 days without visa.
ADFIAP will assist participants coming from countries where visa is required to enter the Philippines. Please let us know at the earliest possible if your country is one of those. This is to properly coordinate with the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country (or near your country) for quick facilitation. And, if spouse and/or children are travelling with you, may we suggest that you apply for their visa simultaneously with yours for quick facilitation.
Health certificate is normally not required from visitors arriving in the Philippines unless there is an outbreak of a communicable disease from the country of origin.
3. Languages
English is widely spoken and understood anywhere in the Philippines. It is the second language of the Filipinos, aside from Filipino, the country’s national language.
4. Weather, Climate and Clothing
The average temperature in the Philippines for the month of October ranges from 24 to 31 degrees centigrade. Manila has a pleasant tropical climate.
For the city tour, may we suggest something casual. Since October falls during rainy months, please an umbrella when going outdoors. Light jacket is also recommended.
5. Currency & Credit Cards
It is advisable to have a few hundred Pesos (Philippine currency) on hand when you arrive in Manila. Since banks are closed on weekends, exchange dealers are available at the airport’s arrival area where you may wish to exchange your foreign currency. Current exchange rate as of June 30, 2009 is US$1.00 = P48.00.
Banks or foreign exchange dealers near the hotel or at the hotel itself are also available. All leading foreign and local banks in Makati are able to change cash and traveller’s cheques for you. Most hotels will also provide you with currency exchange facilities but at slightly lower rates.
Major international credit cards such as American Express, Visa and Mastercard, are accepted by most hotels, restaurants, shops, car rental companies and tour operators. Cash advances are possible against credit cards in certain banks.
6. Communications
Most hotels have International Direct Dial (IDD) facilities. For inbound calls, the international IDD country code for the Philippines is 63 and area code for Makati is 2.
Major mobile network operators in Manila are Smart Communications, Globe and Sun Cellular. Mobile customers are advised to check with their network operators for their roaming status before travelling, as the roaming capability must be 'turned on' in your home country.
G. Tours for Accompanying Persons
Visit to places of interest in Manila will be arranged for all delegates on Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29. We have hired an excellent tourist guide to make your stay a memorable experience.
If you wish to visit places other than those scheduled for the tour, ADFIAP will be more than glad to assist. However, expenses for these trips are to be borne by you personally.
H. Transportation
There are various modes of public transportation to choose from when travelling around Metro Manila.
If the question is about comfort and not money, then for those who do not own a car and for any tourist visiting the country, the taxi service is the appropriate mode of transport to move around. The taxi service is considerably good and is available at areas near the malls and almost all the points in the country even at the airports. There are some operators who privately own taxi services while there are some regular ones. Flag-down taxi rate is P25.
In Philippines too, shared taxis are available which are called Jeepneys. This shared taxis are quite popular in Philippine as they are available all the time and are pocket friendly as the cost gets divided among the passengers. Initially made out of deserted military jeeps, the Jeepneys are spacious and are available to accommodate around 14 to 15 people or more at a time. It may get a little crowded but then that is what real adventure is comprised of. Moreover moving around the city in these shared taxis are fun and gives ample opportunity to meet and interact with the local crowd. The Jeepneys are not only spacious but are admired for their bright colors and attractive decorations. Moreover they are the prime source of income for many. Jeepney drivers charge a minimum of P7 for the first 4 kilometers and P1.40 for every kilometer thereafter.
Another means of transportation is via the train-Metro Rail Transit (MRT) or Light Rail Transit (LRT) which has 16 stations, about 1 per kilometer and takes about half an hour to cover the entire route (from Taft to Rizal Avenue) and (from Baclaran to Monumento in Caloocan City. Maximum fare charged for a one way flow is P15.