Introduction Bird Trip Reports

Introduction
This is the first series of three trip reports covering trips made in late 2005 – early 2008 to various parts of the Philippines. All the trips made are of 8 weeks duration and were concentrated to a few islands to maximize the find of the (local) endemics. Besides going key locations often visited by birding groups and individual birders, I also went to less known and often hard to reach birding sites.
The main objective of this report is to give an idea of the birds that can be found but rarely seen by birders in numerous birding sites in the Philippines. Details about key locations that are found in different references are not mentioned in this report. I will concentrate on these unknown sites for the more adventurous birders who have a lot of time & preparation in their hands.
The 2007-2008 tour first began in the northern part of Luzon, then in the eastern part of Mindanao and lastly, in the southern part of Luzon. I spent most of the time in both montane and lowland areas of Luzon and Mindanao including the satellite islands of Catanduanes (Luzon), Dinagat Island (Mindanao) and Siargao Island (Mindanao).

During the 2007-2008 trip, I saw/heard a totally of 300 bird species-120 endemics and 6 near-endemics (based on Robert S. Kennedy, 2000).

Birding in the Philippines is not easy due to the shyness and scarcity of many birds, the large distance between key sites and the continuous destruction of the main birding habitats. Many Philippine endemic bird species are classed as endangered, vulnerable or critical (threatened with extinction). A (local) field ornithologist or birding guide will be essential for finding the more shy and rare birds.

Transport
Traveling around the Philippines by public transport (bus, jeepney and air planes) is cheap but would take a lot of traveling and waiting time. If you lack time, I would recommend hiring a private car or jeepney. It is also worth mentioning that it takes a lot of preparation to travel alone by public transport without a commercial birding group. Things like booking domestic and international flights, figuring out the time schedule and frequency of buses, jeepneys and ferries, and finding accurate travel information regarding safety, guides and birding took me at about a month of preparation.

Public transport is well organized in the Philippines and even the smallest village could be reached by public transport. Only transport to and from small communities and few isolated islands are irregular and unreliable.

Bus
If you’re coming from a larger city, you may find that most bus lines have their own individual bus terminals. Every bus company (and there many different bus companies in the Philippines!) has its own bus terminal in larger cities. However, some bus companies may have different terminals depending on the destination!
Buses within Metro Manila may be quite complex with hundreds of bus lines situated across the city. But when moving out of town into the regional areas or remote provinces, the best way to travel would be by bus. There are few provincial bus companies running large, comfortable and well-maintained buses. Most of these buses are equipped with video players together with their Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal and Bong Revilla collection.
Buses usually stop every two or so hours for a snack or lunch. From Metro Manila buses bound all major directions approximately every hour or more frequently, day and night.

Taxi
In larger cities, taxis are available but very seldom in provincial cities. When taking a taxi, you will sometimes come across taxi drivers who want to have a flat rate fixed in advance, usually double or more than the normal fare. However the legal way is "by meter". All taxis are equipped with a taxi-meter to give accurate fares. In Metro Manila where traffic is heavy, most taxi drivers ask for additional charge. Aside from the meter rate, they would ask for extra 50-150 PHP to compensate for the time eaten up by the unavoidable traffic during rush hours.
Taxis are found in Metro Manila, Baguio City, Olongapo City/Subic, Davao City and Cebu City and in few other major cities.
When riding a taxi (cab), always ask the driver to turn on the meter after giving your destination. If he refuses, alight and look for another taxi (unless you're really desperate for a ride).

Jeepney
In "normal" Philippine areas outside Metro Manila, you will seldom find a taxi. Jeepneys are the typical local mode of transportation. A jeepney is a festively decorated vehicle. Jeepneys were originally made from World War II jeeps left behind by the United States. They seat about 10 passengers, operating all major routes almost day and night every few minutes with fixed fares. Non major routes are operated irregularly. Hiring a jeepney is a good alternative to avoid overcrowding of passengers and long hours of waiting. Costs of hiring a jeepney depend on the distance, number of passengers and your haggling skills. I did hire a jeepney for two passengers from Tuguegarao City to Baliuag at a reasonable price of 300 PHP.

Other land transport
Thousands of tricycles drive around the country day and night transporting goods and passengers. A tricycle is a modified small motorcycle with a sidecar. Fees are regulated (calculated approximately 6 PHP per km for a single person) and may be arranged in advance.
In remote provincial, hilly or mountainous areas, you may find modified adapted versions of tricycles for public transportation like motorcycles with extended back seat to accommodate one or more passengers.

Air transport
The Philippines has a good international and domestic air networks. The country has as many as almost 100 airports including a few international airports, Clark International Airport (Angeles City, Pampanga, Luzon), Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Lapu-Lapu City, Metro Cebu, Cebu), Davao International Airport (Davao City, Mindanao), Laoag International Airport (Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Luzon), Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Metro Manila, Luzon) and Subic Bay International Airport (Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Luzon) are the most important international airports for travellers entering the Philippines.
There are a number of alternative domestic Philippine airlines flying people all over the Philippine Islands on a daily basis. Philippine Airlines remains the country’s biggest airline company. It has the largest number of international flights to the Philippines as well as domestic flights. PAL links Manila to 31 cities in 15 countries, and flies regularly to 30 domestic destinations outside Manila.

Cebu Pacific, the low fare leader in the Philippines, is the country's leading domestic airline. It links Manila to 23 domestic destinations and the Philippines to 13 international destinations with its direct flights.

Other main airlines that presently fly the Philippine skies are Air Philippines (14 domestic destinations), South East Asian Airlines/SEAIR (9 regular domestic destinations and 8 seasonal domestic destinations) and Zest Airways (formerly known as Asian Spirit). Spirit of Manila is the latest Filipino-owned airline company which offer scheduled international passenger services from Manila to key Asian and Middle Eastern Countries. The airline is based in the Clark Special Economic Zone at Clark International Airport. There are also some other smaller airlines connecting a few domestic and international destinations.

There are four airport terminals for flights in and out of Manila:
1) Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal, also named Terminal 1 - All international flights, non-Philippine Airlines;
2) Centennial Terminal, also named Terminal 2 – Only Philippine Airlines flights (domestic and international);
3) Terminal 3 (the new terminal) – Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific (domestic destinations);
4) Manila Domestic Terminal – Zest Airways (formerly known as Asian Spirit) and South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR).

IMPORT!!!
Terminal 3 is the “newest” terminal (Terminal 3 was originally slated for opening back in 2002 but it has been mothballed due to the legal battles that it has been on). The grand opening of this terminal will be early 2009 for all international carriers. Once all international carriers from NAIA-Terminal/Terminal 1 are moved to Terminal 3, the domestic flights in Terminal 3 along with the domestic flights in the Manila Domestic Terminal will be moved to Centennial Terminal/Terminal 2 which was originally designed as a domestic airport, until Philippine Airlines used it exclusively. Terminal 1 may then be torn down or be converted.

There is an airport tax of 750 PHP for international flights and 200 PHP for domestic flights; it is a bit less in provincial domestic airports, where it is around 50 PHP.

Online booking of domestic flights is possible for some of the main airline companies. But be warned that some of the airline companies (for example Cebu Pacific) will not accept payments by “foreign” credit cards (for example Visa or Mastercard).

Visa
If you are only staying 21 days or less, a visa is not required. For longer stays you need to apply and secure one at the Philippine Embassy. A 59-day visa is, in some countries, obtained by sending a completed application form, photo, passport, fee and self-addressed registered label. It can be extended in Manila for a fee. In the Netherlands, a visa can only be obtained through personal application to the Philippine Embassy.

Money
The Philippine currency is the Philippine peso (PHP). 5, 10, and 25 (centavo) denominations are concurrently offered in coins (which you won’t see very often). 1, 5 and 10 pesos are also offered in coins. Bank notes of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 pesos are offered and are frequently in use. The 5 and 10 peso notes are no longer printed, but still legal tender.

When traveling in the Philippines, you will need a decent supply of pesos because most places do not take credit cards. Using bank cards at local bank ATMs is possible, but your bank will charge you a "foreign transaction fee". Most Dutch banks will charge around 2 Euros every time you use your bank card. ATMs are found in all big and provincial cities on most of the bigger islands. Be warned that some islands don’t have ATMs. For example, some areas in Mindoro have no ATMs (although the Rural Bank in Puerto Galera now has an ATM which accepts cards on Megalink and Expressnet networks (generally Philippine issued cards only). And better not have faith in the ATMs in provincial cities. They are always “unavailable” or will not accept your card when you need cash! The concentration of ATMs is also very low in some of the provincial cities so get enough money when you’re in the bigger cities.

You will also need plenty of small bills (20 and 50 PHP) and coins since many stores, and jeepney and tricycle drivers do not have much change for large bills. You might run into problems if you only have 500 and 1000 PHP bills or just a credit card in your wallet. Use your big bills whenever you can, in order to get change from the stores in shopping malls and hotels that have them.

Most things in the Philippines are cheaper than in all Western countries. However, in big cities like Cebu and Metro Manila, the cost of living is higher compared with that of provincial towns.

Accommodation
In Metro Manila, cities and towns throughout the country, a wide selection of de luxe, standard, economy, and pension-type accommodations are available. A very simple double room with basic toilet and shower will cost around 5-10 EUR / USD.

Good (and cheap) options in Metro Manila (prices are in PHP / EUR / USD) are:
Malate Pensionne, 1771 Adriatico Street (between Pedro Gil Street and Remedios Street), Malate (275 / 4,5 / 5,5 for an air con dormitory-type space with shared bath room; 300 / 5 / 6 for an air con dormitory-type space with private bath room; 600 / 9,5 / 12 peso for a room without air con and shared bath room; 850 / 13,5 / 17 for a room with air con and shared bath room).
Saint Illian's Inn Hotel, Santillian Street, Pio del Pilar, Makati City (1770 / 28 / 35 for a single air con bedroom with private bath room).
Makati International Inns Incorporated, 7575 Dela Rosa Street corner Santillan, Pio del Pilar, Makati City (1770 / 28 / 35 for a single air con bedroom with private bath room).

Elsewhere, you can camp or stay at someone's house. Some of the national parks have resthouses with the odd camp-bed, where you can stay for a nominal fee.

Food and Drink
Restaurants are plentiful in the big cities and most of the provincial cities in Luzon and Mindanao. You will find a limited choice of restaurants in smaller villages and provincial cities with mainly Filipino food on their menu.
Local Philippine food is a melting pot of various ethnic influences. Common ingredients include coconut milk, sambal, cumin, chilli, curry and lemon grass. Dishes in provincial restaurants/eateries are often a simple meal of chicken/beef/fried fish and rice with some vegetables. Popular dishes on almost every menu are adobo (chicken and/or pork braised in garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar), tapa (beef jerky), pancit (stir-fried noodles) and chicken/pork barbeque.
When you’re camping and hiking for a few days for example, in the Sierra Madre Mountains or in Central Cordillera, having enough food with you is very important. Most of the food items you need are not for sale in smaller (isolated) villages and you need to buy them in bigger provincials cities.

Health
Ask your doctor or Public Health Service, about four weeks before departure, for vaccinations.
Malaria is endemic in Palawan and in parts of Mindanao, Mindoro and Northern Luzon (Cagayan Valley). Mosquitos were not numerous during my eight-week birding trip. I took anti-malaria pills (Malarone) which is strongly advisable for the more adventurous travellers and bird watchers. Metro Manila, Cebu, Leyte, Boracay, Bohol, Catanduanes and parts of Samar and Panay are malaria-free areas in the Philippines.

Safety
Avoid the southern, western and central parts of Mindanao for the time being. The Philippines' second largest island still has an unresolved civil insurrection being carriesd out by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are fighting for an independent Muslim state on the island. Kidnap for ransom gangs operate in Mindanao. You definitely need to keep abreast of the current situation for the following, popular birding sites: Mount Kitanglad, the Zamboanga Peninsula and Lake Sebu (South Cotabato).
The Abu Sayyaf, a separate breakaway group linked with Al Qaeda, is causing problems in Jolo and Basilan in the Sulu Archipelago. The situation in Tawi-Tawi, one of the bigger islands in Sulu, is more peaceful, but still unsafe for foreigners.
The New People’s Army (NPA), the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, operates in many rural areas of the Philippines (Northern and Southern Luzon, Mindoro, Visayas and parts of Mindanao). Travelers are advised to exercise special caution when traveling throughout the Philippines due to the (low!) possibility of armed robberies, kidnappings, and armed clashes between the NPA and government troops.

Be reminded that the Philippines experience typhoons and heavy rainfall during the wet season. So if you are planning to do some traveling here, it might be better if you schedule trips during the dry months. In most parts of the Philippines the wet seasons is officially classed as occurring from July to December. In reality, the rains can start as early as May and finish as early as October. The wet season is a typical monsoon climate pattern. Expect heavy showers daily, starting mid-afternoon and ending early evening. This often causes temporary local flooding, mud- and rockslides and subsequent driving hazards so it is best to plan your journey during this season to reach your destination before 3 pm.

Weather
As is usual in the tropics, the temperature is more related to altitude than time of year, although April - May is said to be very hot in the lowlands. Rainfall varies in different parts of the country: late May - September is to be avoided everywhere and rain continues into December or even January in many places, so that February - March are the best months.

A spell of unusually wet weather had been inundating many parts of the Philippines during January 2008 and especially February 2008, causing widespread floods and triggering landslides. The wet weather that had been lashing the Philippines was the result of an area of low pressure which had been affecting central Visayas and the main southern island of Mindanao. The continuous rain spells can make birding hard and unpleasant. Birds are not always cooperative and this may affect birding opportunities.

Equipment
The bird book to bring along is “A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines” by Robert S. Kennedy, 2000. It’s a good reference with great illustrations, distribution maps and, not least, a very thorough species description with habits, voice, status. It even has an exact distribution for each of the many endemic subspecies in the different islands. In recent years, a number of subspecies in the book have now been generally accepted to have full species status. More subspecies would be given full species status in the near future.

A tape-recording equipment is important, as some species are unlikely to be seen without play-back. I had an mp3 player with me with some sound recordings from the DVD “Birds of Tropical Asia 3” by Jelle Scharringa, 2005. Field-recordings are very useful for Palawan Peacock-Pheasant, owls, frogmouths, forest kingfishers, pittas, ground-babblers, wren-babblers, tailorbirds, jungle-flycatchers, monarchs and paradise-flycatchers. Thanks to the lack of sound recordings of some endemics! I unfortunately missed a few important species during my trip.

There were times when I stayed with a local Filipino family and I learned that is a must to bring enough food. Many items are not for sale in isolated communities and it would be impolite to ask for your host’s necessities and limited food stocks. All the big cities have supermarkets where you can buy all the food you AND your local guide (and eventually porters) need. In general, people in the Philippines are very hospitable. They would even welcome and accommodate every guest in their community for free! Appreciation for their hospitality is very important. Take some simple gifts (I took some typical Dutch souvenirs with me) and some food items (bread, brown sugar, Ginebra San Miguel) in exchange for their congeniality.