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Colorful Filipino Currency ๐Ÿ’ธ

Colorful Filipino Currency ๐Ÿ’ธ

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There are a few things that truly ground you when you arrive in a new country. It’s not just the sights, or the smells, or the fact that you’ve just ended up on a ferry that looks like it’s been cobbled together from spare parts. No, it’s the currency. Specifically, the delightful, technicolour circus that is the Philippine peso (PHP).

We’re used to our currencies being, let’s say, a bit… restrained. Our money is all muted tones and stern-looking monarchs – the financial equivalent of a beige jumper. We get a little pop of colour here and there, sure, but itโ€™s all very sensible, very ‘keep calm and carry on’.

Then we find ourselves in the Philippines, and suddenly, our wallet is a kaleidoscope. An explosion of oranges, reds, purples, greens, and a truly optimistic shade of light blue. Itโ€™s a visual treat, a genuine surprise every time you pull a note out. It’s also, as we discovered, a genuine source of befuddlement.

Highlights

 

Peso Banknotes: A Story Told in Colour

The colours of the notes are more than just a whim; they’re a visual narrative. Each denomination, from the humble 20-peso note to the thousand-peso beast, tells a story with its unique design. These aren’t just bits of paper; theyโ€™re miniature art galleries showcasing the country’s rich heritage and natural wonders.

These notes are brightly colored like Euros (though the equivalent amount goes a lot further ๐Ÿ˜ƒ)

We found ourselves inspecting each note like a piece of art, trying to decipher the subtle meanings. The 20-peso note has a cockerel on it โ€“ a rooster, mind you, not some fancy fowl โ€“ and we immediately wondered if that’s a subtle nod to the national sport, cockfighting. And then we saw a tarsier on the back of another note, and we just thought, “Well, that’s a bit cute, isn’t it?”

We noticed how refreshingly different they are from other currencies we’ve come across. Compared to the drab American dollars, the pesos feel like a party in your pocket. It’s like the notes themselves are smiling, inviting us to go out and blow them on something vaguely interesting.

Hotel Deals in Manila

One of the more interesting little problems we encountered was dealing with the bigger notes. We first arrived with a wad of 500 and 1,000-peso notes, feeling flush and prepared.

But we soon realised that in many places, a large-denomination note is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. We’d hand over a 1,000-peso note for a small purchase, and the vendor would look at us as if we’d just tried to pay with a pet iguana. We learned quickly. The trick was to hoard those smaller denominations.

Every time we got a handful of 20s and 50s, we felt like financial wizards, knowing we could use them later without causing a national coin shortage.

New Filipino currency

Philippine peso Banknotes

A Practical Guide to Peso Ponderings

We found that one euro gets you somewhere in the region of 67 pesos, while a US dollar will fetch you around 57. Weโ€™d budgeted for a daily spend of 1,800 pesos a day, not including accommodation. Our lodging was on its own little budget of โ‚ฌ30 per night, which put our total daily budget at a comfortable โ‚ฌ65.

It all sounds terribly sensible on paper, but we all know that travel budgets are more of a gentle suggestion than a hard and fast rule, right?

We discovered something rather strange about the one-peso coin. It turns out that it’s a bit of a trickster. It has the same size as the one UAE dirham coin, which has led to some cheeky people pulling a fast one on vending machines in the Emirates. We also heard similar tales from the US, where the peso coin is roughly the same size as a quarter.

Naturally, we wondered if we could pay for our snacks at the airport with the wrong coins, and then we remembered weโ€™re not criminals, and it probably wouldn’t work anyway. Itโ€™s good to know that the newer digital parking meters arenโ€™t so easily duped.

Technology wins again.

The Fickle Finger of Time: A Word on Old Money

We were given a little warning before we went. We were told that if we had visited the Philippines before 2015 and had held on to any old paper currency as a souvenir, we’d be out of luck. Following a demonetisation process, those old bills are no longer accepted. They’re justโ€ฆ defunct.

We have a few of those ‘souvenir’ coins and notes from various holidays safely tucked away as mementoes of a trip gone by.ย  So, we had a peek at an old note. It has a slightly different design.

We kept a few of them anyway. They’re a bit of a conversation starter: “Oh, look at this! This is how much a cup of coffee cost five years ago!”

Or something similar.

Discontinued Filipino currency

Discontinued Philippine peso Banknotes

Budgeting & the Inevitable Overspend

Before we set off on this 20-day trip, we were so organised. We had it all planned out… a spreadsheet, and everything. We’d budgeted a total of โ‚ฌ1,600 (96,000 pesos) per person, and that was meant to cover the entire trip, including flights. We even factored in a couple of nights in Rome on the way there, which was a nice little bonus.

I remember thinking, “This is it. Weโ€™ve got this. We are the masters of our financial destiny.” and โ€™This is a very reasonable budget. We wonโ€™t go over. We’re not going to spend all our money on useless tourist tat.โ€™

And then, we found ourselves in a market, and we saw a particularly intriguing carving. And then another. And then we realised we’d found our new obsession. We decided that souvenirs weren’t ‘useless tourist tat’ when they were so unique. We rationalised it. We said a lot of things.

Colorful Filipino Currency

The best-laid plans of mice and men, and all that. But what we got in return was so much more valuable than a few extra quid. We came back with a story, a truly unique experience. The lessons we learned about haggling and about when to hold onto a few small-denomination notes.

We learned that the true currency of travel isn’t the notes and coins in our wallets. It’s the moments we collect, the lessons we learn, and the memories we create.

And, in our case, it was also a fair amount of truly beautiful, brightly coloured paper.

Wise ๐Ÿ’ณ The Card Made For Travel


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Cebu to Moalboal

Moalboal by Bus ๐ŸšŒโžก๏ธ๐Ÿ๏ธ ๐Ÿ’จ Escaping Cebu’s Traffic for Coastal Paradise

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Our Philippines escapade, a rather ambitious twenty-day undertaking, kicked off in the glorious chaos that is Cebu City.

Now, whilst we appreciate a good urban sprawl as much as any hapless itinerant, our intentions were never to linger. No, our sights were firmly set on escaping the metropolitan embrace for the gentle caress of a more relaxed locale. And so, Moalboal, a mere three-hour bus journey away with promises of snorkelling and diving, became our immediate objective.

Little did we know, “mere” was a rather optimistic aspiration.

Highlights

 

Cebu City’s Tangled Web

Cebu City is less a city and more a sprawling, congested organism, perpetually on the verge of a full-blown existential traffic crisis.

Getting anywhere felt less like commuting and more like a competitive sport against the clock, played out on a chessboard of stationary vehicles. You could, in theory, walk faster, though perhaps at the peril of your limbs, given the enthusiastic approach to driving many locals seemed to adopt.

Thus, after a solitary night amidst the cacophony, we were practically champing at the bit for our bus trip from Cebu City to Moalboal. A journey, as it transpired, that would stretch the very fabric of time.

Cebu City to Moalboal

Cebu City to Moalboal

The South Terminal: A Bottleneck Begins

Breakfast dispatched, we hailed a taxi โ€“ a rather frugal 86 pesos, which seems a bargain until you understand it was merely depositing us at the starting line of our next endurance test: the Cebu City South Terminal Bus Station.

From there, we boarded a non-air-conditioned bus, bound for the south and the promise of Moalboal. At 108 pesos per person, “Bargain!” I thought, with the naivety of a freshly peeled potato.

Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus

Cebu City – South Terminal Bus Station

These buses, a staple of Filipino public transport, run with a frequency that borders on relentless, pausing at every conceivable point to disgorge and ingest passengers with a casual indifference. Our journey, ostensibly “just over three hours,” took a full hour simply to extract ourselves from the gravitational pull of Cebu City.

One hour! Imagine.

The prevailing wisdom suggests that traffic in Cebu is somehow better than in Manila. Having experienced both, I’d suggest this is either a cruel joke or a testament to the truly apocalyptic nature of Manila’s congestion.

The official line blames increasing vehicle numbers, government inability to expand road networks (or, indeed, widen the existing ones), and a general, shall we say, enthusiasm for undisciplined driving.

Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus

The traffic jam starts from the bus station

Sardine-Can Express

As we trundled onwards, the bus, much like a rapidly inflating balloon, became progressively fuller. We were, quite literally, squeezed in like sardines. Not the tinned variety, mind you, but the rather more fragrant, live ones.

The music playing through the sound system, a rather eclectic mix of what one might call “retro tracks,” provided a peculiar, (almost) soothing, backdrop to an increasingly intimate journey.

Cebu bus to Moalboal

Sardine-Can Express

One chap even had his arm casually draped across my shoulder for a good twenty minutes, a silent acknowledgment of our shared plight. Perhaps it was a gesture of camaraderie, or perhaps he just needed somewhere to rest his elbow. One can only speculate.

A moment of genuine insight struck us then: given we’d be retracing our steps in a few days, a return journey on an air-conditioned bus seemed less a luxury and more a vital survival strategy. The price difference, we noted, was hardly extortionate, and the prospect of a smidgen more legroom felt like winning the lottery.

Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus

Cebu City to Moalboal

Arrival in Moalboal

Finally, with a sigh of what felt like collective relief, the bus deposited us in Moalboal. It was, immediately, a stark contrast to the urban sprawl we’d escaped. A small, animated town, it exuded an immediate sense of ease.

We haggled for a trike โ€“ a spirited debate that ended at 150 pesos โ€“ which whisked us away to our coastal sanctuary, the T-Breeze Seaside Resort. The twenty-minute ride was indeed a gentle breeze after our vehicular marathon.

Moalboal Bus Stop

Moalboal Bus Stop

Upon arrival, the priorities were clear: several sorely-needed cold drinks, followed by a refreshing dip in the sea.

Our three-night sojourn at this rather secluded haven was dedicated to the noble pursuits of relaxation, culinary exploration, and, naturally, extensive swimming and snorkeling around the local reef. The thought of strapping on a mask and flippers, of simply floating in the ocean, felt like the ultimate reward for enduring the sardine-can express.

Hotel Deals in Moalboal

After this idyllic interlude, it would be back to Cebu city. Not for another protracted urban dance, mind you, but merely as a stepping stone.

Our next adventure, beckoning from across the straits, involved a ferry to Bohol, and a whole new set of delightful (and no doubt, mildly chaotic) experiences.

One can hardly wait.


If you enjoyed Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus, check out our Philippines Central Visayas trip. You may also like:

 

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