LOGISTICS AND TRAVEL ADVISORY

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES:

Full name: Republic of the Philippines
Area: 300,000 sq. km.
Population: 82 million
Capital City: Manila
People: Predominantly descendants of Malays, Chinese and Muslims
minorities and a number of mestizos (Filipino-Spanish or Filipino-Americans).
Language: Filipino (Tagalog) and English plus numerous widely spoken indigenous languages, some Spanish are spoken.
Religion: 83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist.

ABOUT SUBIC

Subic is known widely in the Philippines as the former home of the largest US military facility in Asia-Pacific. It was a symbol of American intervention and dominance in Philippine affairs until September 11, 1991 when the Philippine Senate decided to terminate the leasehold agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States that ousted the military bases from Philippine soil. Since then, the area was converted into a Freeport zone under the administration of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). Now known as Subic Freeport Zone, the area is a tourism haven complete with tourism facilities such as jungle trekking, swimming, fishing, arts center, concert and show venue, conference site, and other recreational facilities. For more information about its history and travel guide, please visit http://www.sbma.com/hist/hist.html

ARRIVAL AND TRANSPORTATION TO VENUE:

The Subic Freeport Zone is accessible by air, sea, and land. Note that international flights from Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou have regular routes to Subic International Airport.

Participants are expected to arrive in Manila and Subic on June 4, 2004. Upon arrival at the Manila International Airport, and having cleared immigration and customs, please proceed to the ARRIVAL EXTENSION AREA.

The organizers will provide land transportation service from the airport to Subic International Hotel and from the hotel back to the airport. Estimated travel time from Manila to Subic is 3-5 hours.

Participants arriving via Subic International Airport, please inform the Secretariat for pick-up and send-off schedules.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE SCHEDULE:

Please send your arrival and departure details (pre-registration form) to the APRN Secretariat no latter than May 15, 2004. The details should include arrival and departure date, time, airline, flight number, and where the flight will be coming from. The details are important for the Secretariat to organize the airport pick-up and send-off. Also, the hotel Secretariat will use them to reconfirm your return flight.

CUSTOMS RESTRICTION:

Philippine Customs MAY NOT allow the entry of fresh agricultural produce such as meat, fruits, and plants.

ACCOMMODATION:

The meeting and your stay will be at the Subic International Hotel, Labitan & Sta. Rita Roads, Freeport Zone Subic Bay, Olongapo City, Philippines. The Secretariat has booked participants in double occupancy rooms at the Delta Building of the hotel. Participants are expected to check-in from 12:00nn until the evening of June 4, 2004. Check-out from the hotel is on June 7, 2004 at lunch time. If you need to check out at a later time, please inform the APRN Secretariat.

Hotel details are as follows:

Subic International Hotel
Labitan & Sta. Rita Roads, Freeport Zone Subic Bay,
Olongapo City, Philippines.
Tels. (0632) 843-7794 & 97 (047) 252-22222
Fax No. (0632) 894-5579
Email: sales@subichotel.com

SIH is conveniently located at the heart of the Freeport zone, accessible to banks, shopping centers and other recreational facilities. To view the hotel, visit their webpage at: www.subichotel.com

HOTEL RATES

Package rate includes 3-nights accommodation in a deluxe room, three (3) buffet breakfast; three (3) buffet lunch; three (3) buffet dinner; five (5) nourishing snacks and 10% service charge:

Single Occupancy room is at P7,650 net/pax/day (USD 137.00)
Twin Occupancy room is at P5,550 net/pax/day (USD 99.00)

MEALS & MEAL PREFERENCES

Buffet meals will be serve at the SIH designated restaurant starting on the evening of June 4 until luncheon of June 7, 2004. Please inform the Secretariat of your meal preferences in your pre-registration form so that we can arrange with the hotel your dietary requirements.

WEATHER:

The Philippines has two seasons-- dry and rainy. Early June in the Philippines is sometimes rainy and sometimes sunny. But since the venue is near the beach, we hope that it would be sunny. Please bring your beach wear and rainwear just in case. We would like our meeting to be as relaxed as possible so wearing of casual shorts is allowed.

ELECTRICITY:

Electricity is 220V, 60Hz

INTERNET ACCESS:

The hotel has a business center equipped with at least three computers for email checking and internet access. For laptop computer users, you can just buy pre-paid internet cards at P100 (with 9 hours internet access) from any convenient stores and just hook-up using the telephone lines inside your rooms.

MONEY:

The unit of currency in the Philippines is Philippine Peso indicated as P. The exchange rate as of this writing is US$1 = P56.20.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS

For those participants with confirmed travel subsidy, the Secretariat will reimburse your airfare cost and visa fees in US dollars. Please bring a photocopy of your ticket and original invoice and present them to the Secretariat on June 6, 2004. Participants are also expected to inform the Secretariat of their actual travel costs prior to buying their ticket.

AIRPORT TERMINAL FEE:

Please prepare 550.00 php for airport depature tax or 11.00 USD at the time of departure.

VISA ASSISTANCE:

Participants requiring visa assistance must fill-up the complete information in the pre-registration form and send it to the Secretariat as soon as possible.

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