note: finally after few months of waiting and delays, my business trip to Manila is confirmed from 25 April – 1 May 2010 (tentative schedule). i thought it would be another normal business trip experience, but it is all different from what i imagine. so i decided to share my experience with you guys and i will try to update as much stuffs as possible everyday. stay tuned, and keep reading guys!
A Week in Manila – Day 1 (25 April 2010)
I arrived at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, Clark, Philippines around 11.00 am today. The flight arrived the airport 10 minutes early, so I thought this would be a good start of my journey to Manila.
As I cleared all the immigration and custom checks, I walks off to the arrival hall. Since there’s no one here to pick me, I have to choose my own mode of transport. I went to one of the taxi counter and I was shocked knowing that the fees to Manila via the airport taxi would cost me around PHP (phillipines pesso) 3,900. The guy said my destination, Traders Hotel Manila was 100 km away from the airport. I have with me roughly PHP3,400 so I told the taxi guy that I would need to find an ATM as we travel to Manila. He agreed and he took me to the taxi. As I entered the taxi, he “forcefully” asked me for RM50 tips. I was like WTF?, but he insisted on his 50 bux tips. Knowing I have no choice, I hand him over my last 50 ringgit and the taxi moves to the destination.
As we move to find the ATM, taxi driver introduced himself. His name is Jass, and he speaks in a fluent english although I have few hard times to understand his accent. He explains that the place that we are currently in is called Clark Field, and it was a former US military base in the Philippines. Nowadays, the national force replace US existence there, as American abandon the place in 1991 due to the Pinatobo volcano eruption. When America left, it caused a great depression to economy of the area because their existence keeps the economy in a healthy loop. When they left, no one buying as much as they do anymore causing business to close.
We went from 1 mall to another, but because of some unknown issue the ATM wont withdraw me any money at all. Fuck. What should I do? Im stranded in foreign country with not enough money to take me to the hotel. I insisted to Jass that if the taxi-counter guy didn’t force me for the 50 bux tip, I would have enough to pay for the taxi fare. After Jass made some phone calls, he decided to still take me to Manilla although that means that his salary will be cut for the short amount of the fair as he won’t leave me stranded here alone. Nasib baik.. I really grateful for his courtesy decision. So we left Clark around 12.00 pm following the 100 km journey to Manila.
Highway conditions in Philippines was not really in a good shape. It’s called highway, but I think jalan kampung around Sabak Bernam can easily surpass the highway quality here. And as my journey approaching the destination, I can see that Manila is actually a slump area. I believe the gap between poor and the rich here is very wide. I mean, I saw people sleeping at the roadside but there’s people driving in good car too. Speaking about car, there’s a lot of my fav car, the toyota SEG around here.. damn!!
Ift calls me as I’m reaching the city center of Manila. He said that he arrived in the hotel already and he’s waiting for me on the room. Alhamdulillah, so I told him that I would need to borrow him 1000 pesos and I told Jass that I can pay the fee in full amount. Jass was relieved as that simply means that his salary wont be deducted =P Long story short, I arrived Traders Hotel Manila, the place where I would stay and work for the following whole week around 2:30 pm.
… to be continued