Overview 

MANILA 

Almost all items are available in Manila. Most of the items are available in good quantity and the world’s biggest brands are represented as well as all the services necessary to ensure agencies and organisations operations.    

For more information on company contact details, please see the following link: 4.11 Philippines Luzon Additional Services Contact List

Accommodation 

As a touristic country, accommodation is very easy to find in Philippines. Hotel accommodation at varying levels of comfort is readily available, with security guard or not, and various facilities and services are provided. Guest houses in the region are also easy to find. Platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com are also available.  

Electricity and Power 

The Philippines power industry is divided into three major sectors: generation, transmission and distribution. Under the supervision of the Philippines’ Department of Energy, the National Power Corporation (Napocor or NPC) is a state-owned company that serves as the largest provider and generator of electricity in the Philippines. The present power industry structure, NPC generates its own electricity and buys electricity from IPPs. NPC transmits electricity to distributors and large industrial customers via high-voltage wires. NPC is responsible for constructing the transmission grid highway interconnecting the main islands nationwide. 

As a government owned-and-controlled corporation, NPC is subject to the scrutiny of the Commission on Audit (COA). Distribution of electricity at its usable voltage to end-consumer is performed by investor-owned electric utilities, notably the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), a few local government-owned utilities and numerous electric cooperatives which sell to households as well as commercial and industrial enterprises located within their franchise areas at retail rates regulated by the Energy Regulatory Board (ERB). The Department of Energy (DOE) sets policy directions for the energy industry, while the National Electrification Administration (NEA) provides financial and technical assistance to electric cooperatives. While some power sources (particularly fuel and coal) are imported for the purpose of electricity generation, electricity as a final product is not imported into the Philippines. The Philippines is divided into three electrical grids, one each for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. 

Power outages in Philippines are not very frequent. Power outages in firms in a typical month in Philippines were reported at 0.1 in 2015. 

In Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao power outages occur more frequently but just for few moments, especially in summer when it is hot because most of the source of electricity there is via water, which would dry up on summer.  

Financial Services 

Financial services in the Philippines are relatively easy to find as the major players of the world are present in the country. All services are available including bank-to-bank and cash transfer by cell phone.

WESTERN UNION 

Bank of the Philippines Islands – BPI  

Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI), is one of the largest banks in the Philippines. It’s a private sector institution. 

PHLPost's ePMOservice 

The PHL Post of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation responsible for providing postal services in the Philippines. As such they have an extensive domestic delivery network all over the country. 

PAYMAYA BUSINESS (e-money transfer) 

It’s a private sector institution working with SMART telecom network. 

GCASH (e-money transfer) 

It’s a private sector institution part of Globe Telecom, Inc. 

Clearing and Forwarding Agents 

Freight forwarding companies usually offer business order-consolidation, worldwide storage and distribution, forward stock locations, after sales services and more. They deliver parcels, documents and pieces of freight in daily basis. Operational networks are supported by sophisticated technology that provides customers with service reliability, automated proof of delivery and on-line, real-time information of the status of their consignments. All the major actors of this sector are present in the Philippines as well as national companies working in the entire region.  

Handling Equipment 

As a country of islands, the Philippines is supplied by sea freight principally. Thus, all the existing freight handling equipment are available especially in Manila and the port towns. Warehousing is relatively organised, and racking systems and good quality pallets can be found. Handling equipment for hire are also available.  

Postal and Courier Services 

Postal and Courier Services are available in the Philippines and most of the times they also provide others services as full Logistics Companies. There is a postal national company and the world major players of the sector are present in the Philippines. You may find usual services as International or Domestic Express Mail Service, Express Pouch, Letter post, Parcel post, Ordinary/Priority/registered Mail, etc. As the transport network (Road, Air and Sea) is in good condition in the country there’s no real problem to deliver. 

Printing and Publishing 

The local market in Philippines is plenty full of publishing and printing services and organisations can request what they need.

Taxi Companies 

MANILA 

There’s a different kind of Taxi services in Manila. You can find Traditional Taxi with a meter (white), Taxi without a meter at the airport (yellow) and a ride-hailing taxi apps like Uber named GRAB apps. You may also hire private vehicles with driver from private companies for periods of time. 

For Metro Manila, vehicles via GRAB are reliable and secure since all the information are recorded in the online application. You may pay by the app with your credit card or choose to pay by cash if wanted. Invoices are also available and will be sent to your email address automatically. 

Vehicle Rental 

It’s relatively easy to hire vehicles with driver in the Philippines, many Travel Tours Agencies offer this kind of service. You can also hire vehicles without driver with some well-known company as Avis, Europcar or others local companies.  

Waste Management and Disposal Services 

Philippines has launched large waste management programs since 2001 by the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000”. Since then, there have been different kind of initiatives and policies for Waste management and Recycling (see The DENR – Environmental Management Bureau). The government is managing waste under the responsibilities of the local government units (LGUs), and there are also different waste management companies from private sector also contracted by the government in some areas. Solid waste management does remain a challenge. Open dumping remains the general practice of waste disposal, as controlled dumpsites and sanitary landfills are limited. 

Link to Law and Policies for Solid waste Management in the Philippines 

Link to Law and Policies for Hazardous waste Management in the Philippines

WASTE DISPOSAL-NON-HAZARDOUS 

There are difficulties in terms of waste collection and disposal. A sizeable proportion of the refuse is openly burned, and this extends beyond the capital city. 

WASTE DISPOSAL-HAZARDOUS 

The management system for Hazardous Waste in the Philippines is regulated by the DENR with rules, regulations and procedures, from generation, transport, storage, re-use/recycling, treatment and disposal. Many private companies are managing this kind of waste. 

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.  

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.