Philippines – General info

Philippines – General Information

Area: approx. 300,000 km².

Population: around 117.7 million (as of 2026) – making the Philippines one of the 15 most populous countries in the world today.

Capital: Manila (core city approx. 1.8 million inhabitants; the metropolitan region of Metro Manila today has around 14–16 million people, making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in Asia).

Geography: The Philippines is located off the Southeast Asian coast between Taiwan and Borneo in the Pacific Ocean. They consist of around 7,640 islands, of which only about 2,000 bear a name and only about 900–2,000 are permanently inhabited. The two largest islands, Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south, make up about 65% of the landmass; the majority of the population also lives here. Between Luzon and Mindanao lies the Visayas archipelago.

Form of government: Presidential republic since 1987 (constitution of 1987). Bicameral parliament: House of Representatives and Senate. Current head of state and government: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in office since June 2022 – son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Independent since 1946, Spanish colony until 1898, then under US administration until 1946 (with Japanese occupation 1942–1945).

Language: The official languages are Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English, which is widely used in education, business and tourism. In addition, numerous other languages are spoken regionally (including Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon); a total of over 180 languages and dialects are registered. Spanish plays only a very minor role today.

Religion: about 79% Catholics, as well as Protestants, a significant Muslim minority (especially in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, about 6%), followers of the independent Philippine Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) as well as smaller groups of Buddhists and followers of nature religions.

Mains voltage: 220 V, 60 Hz (in Baguio sometimes 110 V). 110 V connections are available in many hotels. Flat and round, two- and three-pin plugs are used – a universal adapter is recommended.

Phone: International country code for the Philippines: 0063. Area code from the Philippines to Germany: 0049, to Austria: 0043, to Switzerland: 0041. Prepaid SIM cards from the major providers Globe and Smart are available at low prices nationwide, network coverage is good on the main islands, but sometimes limited on more remote islands.

Currency: Philippine peso (₱ bzw. PHP), 1 peso = 100 centavos. Approximate exchange rate (fluctuates daily): 1 euro ≈ 63–66 PHP.

Health: Precautionary measures should be taken in good time before the trip. A well-equipped first-aid kit (including remedies for diarrhoea, fever, pain as well as bandages and wound disinfection) as well as basic knowledge of first aid are recommended. Vaccinations against typhoid, hepatitis A and possibly hepatitis B should be clarified with a doctor experienced in travel medicine, as well as vaccination protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio.

Malaria incidence: all year round, with varying risk depending on the part of the country. Medium risk exists in rural areas below 600 m altitude, including eastern Luzon, parts of Mindanao, Palawan, Samar, the Sulu Archipelago and Mindoro Occidental; low risk in the other parts of the country or altitudes above 600 m. The urban areas as well as the islands of Bohol, Catanduanes and Cebu are considered malaria-free. Up-to-date travel medical advice before departure is strongly recommended, as risk areas may change.

Clothing: When visiting churches or mosques, shorts and overly revealing clothing are inappropriate.

German Embassy: 25th Floor, Zuellig Building, Makati Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, Metro Manila (the former address given in the Solid Bank Building is no longer up-to-date – before travelling, it is advisable to take a look at the current contact page of the embassy, for example via the website of the Federal Foreign Office).

Trade in endangered species: Buying products made from endangered species, such as giant clams, corals or tortoiseshell, is strongly discouraged. They are subject to a strict export ban under Philippine law, and importing them into Germany, Austria or Switzerland is also punishable by law.

Security: The crime rate remains comparatively high in the large cities, especially in parts of Manila. It is advisable not to walk alone through lonely streets at night, to leave jewellery and expensive watches in the hotel safe and to carry only as much cash as is needed for the occasion. For certain regions, especially parts of western and central Mindanao as well as the Sulu archipelago, there are still separate security advisories from the Federal Foreign Office due to the risk of kidnappings and violent conflicts – but these areas are off the classic tourist routes (Luzon, Visayas, Palawan). Before travelling, the current travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office should be consulted.

Economy: The Philippine economy has changed significantly since the early 2000s: In addition to agriculture (rice, corn, coconut palm), the service sector – especially the business process outsourcing industry (call centres, IT services) – and the remittances of the many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have become key pillars of the economy. Electronics and semiconductor exports continue to play an important role. The Philippines has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia in recent years, although challenges such as income inequality, underemployment and vulnerability to natural disasters (typhoons, earthquakes) remain.

Philippines – Entry and Visa

German, Austrian and Swiss nationals can continue to enter the country without a visa for tourist purposes: upon entry, a free entry stamp is issued for a stay of 30 days (formally not a “visa exemption” in the narrower sense, but a free residence permit on arrival).

Prerequisites are:

• a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the planned period of stay upon entry,
• proof of onward travel (return or connecting flight ticket),
• for some years now, an online registration in advance on the Philippine government’s eTravel portal , which must be carried out within 72 hours before arrival; the QR code generated in this way should be able to be shown at check-in and at entry.

The 30-day stay can be extended to up to 59 days at the Bureau of Immigration for a fee; for longer stays, further extensions or special visa categories are required, with which (with repeated extensions) a stay of up to three years can theoretically be realized without leaving the country. If the approved duration of stay is exceeded, strict controls are carried out on departure; fines may be imposed.

Since entry requirements can change at short notice, travelers should check the current requirements on the official website of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration or the Foreign Office immediately before departure.

Philippines – Climate

The Philippines has two seasons: the rainy season from June to October, the dry season from November to May – the latter is also considered the best time to travel.

The whole range of tropical and subtropical climate characteristics prevails: generally warm, sometimes oppressively hot with high humidity. In Manila, the average temperatures vary from around 25 °C in the cooler dry season (November to February) to over 35 °C in the second half of the dry season (March to May).

On the coasts, the alternation of land and sea winds provides refreshment, in the mountains it can cool down to below 10 °C at night. There are significant regional deviations, especially in precipitation, which can also occur outside the actual rainy season.

Between July and November, typhoons regularly cross the east and north of the country; their foothills occasionally reach the Visayas and, more rarely, Palawan. The Philippines is one of the most typhoon-rich regions in the world – if you travel outside the dry season, you should keep an eye on the current weather forecast.

Philippines – Fauna

The Philippines is home to hundreds of different species of birds and mammals, as well as around 200 different species of reptiles, many of them endemic.

Philippine animal species that occur exclusively on Palawan include the ant-eating pangolin, the pygmy deer Pilandok – the smallest red deer species in the world – and the Palawan bear cat, a species of marten.

Also represented are freshwater and saltwater crocodiles (including the highly endangered Philippine crocodile), monitor lizards, snakes and other reptiles, as well as parrots, hornbills and colourful butterflies. The Philippine Eagle, one of the largest birds of prey in the world, is considered endangered and is the country’s national bird; conservation projects, especially in Mindanao, are committed to its conservation.

Among the less pleasant animal species are the Nik-Niks, pinhead-sized bloodsuckers that populate some beaches at times, usually between December and February, as well as box jellyfish, whose poisonous stinging cells can cause painful skin burns. Anopheles mosquitoes as malaria vectors occur in certain parts of the country (see chapter Health).

Philippines – Flora

The flora of the Philippines is considered one of the most diverse in the world, with around 10,000 species of trees, shrubs, flowers and ferns, with a high proportion of endemic species.

Despite large-scale deforestation in the past, forest is still estimated to be roughly 20-25% of the total area; public and private reforestation programmes have become more important in recent years, although illegal logging remains a problem.

Extensive mangroves characterize wide coastal areas of the islands. The once widespread rainforests, especially in the east of the country, have been cut down to a small remnant in many places; they have been replaced by comparatively species-poor secondary forest or grassland. In the central and western island regions, there are still large monsoon forests, which at higher altitudes turn into mixed oak forests or cloud forests.

Philippines – History

Finds prove the existence of hominids in the Philippines as early as about 700,000 years ago (recent research, including on Luzon, has yielded older dates than earlier assumptions); modern humans (Homo sapiens) have lived on the islands, including Palawan, for about 30,000–50,000 years.

Between about 13,000 and 10,000 BC, the Aeta, small-statured, dark-skinned gatherers and hunters, immigrated from the Asian mainland; from about 4,000 BC, seafaring Austronesians increasingly pushed them into the hinterland. From the 7th to 9th centuries AD, the southern Philippines came under the influence of the Buddhist empire of Sri Vijaya, and from the 14th century under the influence of the Javanese empire of Majapahit. In 1380, the first Arab scholars reached the Sulu Islands, and Islam spread to the south.

In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed on Samar and Cebu; in 1543, the islands were named after King Philip II. From 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi began 333 years of Spanish colonial rule. José Rizal founded a reform movement in 1892 and was executed in 1896 after the outbreak of the Katipunan Rebellion – he is still considered a national hero of the Philippines today. After the Spanish-American War, the Philippines proclaimed its independence in 1898, but subsequently came under US administration.

In 1935, Manuel L. Quezon became the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth. After the Japanese occupation (1942–1945) and the reconquest by General MacArthur in 1944/45, the independent Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed on July 4, 1946.

In 1965, Ferdinand E. Marcos became president; in 1972, he imposed martial law and subsequently ruled dictatorially. After the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino in 1983 and the peaceful “People Power” revolution, Marcos was overthrown in 1986 and driven into exile in Hawaii, where he died in 1989. Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino, became president and passed the constitution in 1987, which is still in force today.

In the decades that followed, the country was shaped by several presidencies: Fidel Ramos (1992–1998), Joseph Estrada (1998–2001, replaced by Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after impeachment), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001–2010), Benigno Aquino III (2010–2016, son of Corazon Aquino) and Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022), whose “war on drugs”, sharply criticized by human rights organizations, caused an international sensation with thousands of extrajudicial killings and continues to have an impact on international criminal law (International Criminal Court).

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of the former dictator, has been president of the Philippines since June 2022. In Mindanao, after decades of armed conflict between the central government and Muslim rebel groups, a framework agreement was signed in 2014, from which the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM) with its own regional government emerged in 2019 – an important, if not completely completed, step towards pacifying the region.

Philippines – Food and Drink

By default, the Philippines has the same side dish with every meal: rice – morning, noon, and evening. Unlike many other Southeast Asian cuisines, Filipino food is generally not spicy; an exception is Bicol-style dishes.

Fish, mussels, snails, crabs: Almost everywhere in the markets you can find a wide range of freshwater and saltwater fish, mussels, snails, shrimps and crabs. The carp-like tilapia and the bangus (milkfish), both common farmed fish, are inexpensive. Popular, somewhat more expensive sea fish such as lapu lapu (grouper), fresh tuna or blue marlin are more likely to be available in better restaurants or directly on the coast. Sinigang na Isda is a sour boiled fish with tamarind or tomatoes in broth and vegetables, paksiw is cooked with onions, ginger and vinegar. Fish in sweet and sour sauce is not only available in Chinese restaurants.

Pork, beef, water buffalo: Pork dishes have now largely replaced fish as the most popular meat meal away from the coastal regions. A specialty of the country is Lechon, the Filipino suckling pig grilled on a spit. Beef and water buffalo play a minor role. Well-known dishes include adobo (braised meat with lots of garlic and soy sauce – considered by many to be the national dish of the Philippines), sinigang, mechado (meat, potato and carrot cubes in tomato sauce) and kaldereta.

Poultry: Practically only occurs as chicken; the dishes mentioned above are usually also available with “chicken” instead of pork. Chicken curry (chicken in coconut curry sauce) and Tinola (chicken stew with vegetables and ginger) are popular classics. Balut, incubated, boiled duck eggs with embryo, are still sold as a traditional street snack – a strange thing for travelers to get used to, but an integral part of everyday Filipino culture.

Vegetable dishes: Pinakbet combines mixed vegetables (including aubergines, bitter melon, okra, peppers, pumpkin) with bagoong, fermented, salted fish or small shrimps as seasonings – smelly, but milder in taste than the smell suggests.

Pasta dishes: In small pansiterias, inexpensive, filling pasta dishes are served, such as pancit canton (wheat noodles) or pancit bihon (rice noodles), usually with vegetables and optionally meat.

Desserts and snacks: Halo-Halo, a colorful mix of fruits, crushed ice, sugar and sweet condensed milk, is a popular, refreshing classic. Leche flan (egg pudding with caramel sauce), turon (fried banana pieces wrapped in batter) and various empanadas are also popular desserts and snacks.

Drinks: Not all restaurants serve alcohol, as a separate license is required. Local beer (e.g. San Miguel) is of good quality and cheap, wine is more likely to be found in more upscale restaurants and comparatively expensive due to a luxury tax. Local gin (e.g. Ginebra San Miguel) is very inexpensive and popular.

Philippines – Accommodation

As a rule, there are hardly any problems finding a suitable place to stay, even in regions of the Philippines that are less developed for tourism. In the high season from December to April, however, cheaper hotels and guesthouses are heavily frequented by local travelers, so early reservations are recommended – especially at Christmas and Easter time.

In the holiday resorts, there are often two to three tariff categories, which can vary significantly; rooms are usually most expensive at Christmas and Easter, and significant discounts are often available in the low season (June to October). Negotiations on room rates are still common, especially for longer stays – but today they are often supplemented by online booking platforms with transparent, often already reduced prices.

Hotels: Hotels of the upper categories usually correspond to Western standards, with air-conditioned rooms, bathroom, toilet, telephone and television; Top hotels often have several restaurants, bars, shops and exchange offices as well as pools, tennis courts and fitness areas. In seaside resorts, hotel complexes in the typical style of the country dominate with a wide range of sports (diving, snorkelling, tennis, golf, water sports). In upscale hotels, a surcharge of around 12% VAT plus service charge is usually charged.

Guesthouses and hostels: Even simpler hotels and guesthouses are usually well equipped; many smaller, family-run accommodations offer a more personal atmosphere than large hotel chains, often with air-conditioned rooms and private bathrooms. Those who can do without air conditioning will find a wide range of low-budget accommodations with fans and shared bathrooms; a private linen sleeping bag can be handy here, as bed linen is not always provided.

Note: All information on population figures, political offices, entry requirements, exchange rates and security situation is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date, binding information, it is advisable to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office and the official website of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration before travelling.