Alabang Ladies International Group

This varies wildly.  It can be as little as 25 minutes on a Saturday morning, or can take 2+hrs if the weather and traffic conspires against you. Rush hour is invariably a nightmare so avoid 7-9am and 6-8pm.  As a rule of thumb allow yourself 45-60 mins to get into Makati.  Don't forget the Skyway and e Pass are your best friends if you will make this trip frequently.

Alabang village itself has a medical clinic located in the management complex on Narra St, and many ALIG members use it for check ups or mild problems. They have a schedule of visiting specialists so you can make appointments to see OBGYNs, Pediatricians, Chiropractors etc. They have also seen plenty of cases of Dengue, so if you suspect you have Dengue symptoms go straight to the AAVA clinic.  They'll check you out and if necessary call ahead to Asian Hospital (10 mins from village) to admit you. The clinic even runs their own ambulance for emergencies. Contact details are available here.

Dengue is present in the Philippines, and we in Ayala Alabang are not certainly not immune to it.  AAVA carries out regular spraying around the village, but you need to educate yourself about Dengue and take appropriate precautions.  Click here to visit the CDC website for more information.

Like most Asian postings you'll probably find yourself going to more than one supermarket just to complete your regular weekly shop. Fortunately there are plenty of good supermarkets close to the village gates. Makati Supermarket at the Alabang Town Center (ATC). South Supermarket and S&R (membership shopping) at Westgate. Shopwise and SaveMore in Festival Mall. Santis Deli and the Union Jack (goods from the UK) are also in Festival Mall. There is also a small Rustans in the village at Cuenca Park.  Between these you'll be able to pick up almost everything you need.

For fresh fruit and vegetables visit the Thursday Morning Organic Market (in the ATC carpark) or the Saturday Market in Narra St (in the village).  If you aren't initimidated by a local wet market, there is a daily produce market near Metropolis.  You can also get cut flowers and fish here. On Saturday mornings take advantage of the relatively light traffic into Makati and visit the excellent Salcedo Market which has organic vegetables, imported goods and lots of tasty cooked foods. From fine French bread and cuisine, to spicy samosas and plenty of local standards as well.

Wine, beer and spirits are available at all supermarkets. For a better wine selection try the Wine Depot in Westgate or Santis at Festival Mall.

The performance of any supplier can vary street by street on any given day.  The main suppliers are SkyCable and Destiny Cable (both also offer cable TV) and the main telephone company PLDT or Globe (Innove Communications).  When choosing your supplier find people who live near you and ask them who they recommend.

- Power Compatibility

The Philippines generally uses 220 volts at 60 Hz with U.S. style flat blade attachment plugs (symmetric). Some buildings also have 110 volt wiring.

Using equipment at the wrong voltage is a sure way of destroying them.

If you come from North-America, using 110-120 volts, 60 Herz, your plugs will fit, but you will have to make sure that your equipment can handle the voltage, which is twice as high as at home. Some equipment (such as modern lap-tops) can automatically detect and adjust to the higher voltage, other equipment will need to be manually adjusted, often with a small switch on the back. A lot of audio equipment and televisions and most larger equipment, such as washing machines, dish-washers, etc., cannot be adjusted, and will require relatively expensive transformers (that also constantly waste some energy doing their job, and electricity is expensive in the Philippines!).

If you come from Europe, using 220-240 volts, 50 Hertz, the voltage will match, but not the plugs and the frequency. Check the manuals of your equipment, as a mismatch of frequency might cause a problem. Especially be aware of equipment with an electric motor, such as washing machines. Flat blade attachment plugs can be bought at any hardware shop, but some of the cheaper ones aren't exactly safe. Adapter plugs are also available, but a little more difficult to find.

- Television and DVD System Compatibility

Televisions and video-recorders use the American NTSC system, so if you come from North America, you will have little trouble. Most newer equipment sold in Europe (PAL and SECAM) also have no problem handling a NTSC signal, but it is worthwhile to verify this before shipping your things. The other way round, that is, using PAL on NTSC equipment is normally not possible.

DVD-players in the Philippines are supposed to be locked to region 3, and most international DVDs sold in the Philippines are also restricted to region 3, which means that an unmodified North American (region 1) or European (region 2) player will not play them. Fortunately many players can easily be modified to accept all regions. Verify this before buying one.

- Cellphone Compatibility

In the Philippines, GSM is used, both at 900 and 1800 MHz, so most Americans are out-of-luck. GSM phones are very popular: with a 100 million text messages a day (!), the Filipinos are the world champions in text messaging.

Coming from Europe, your GSM phone will work, and as most providers have agreements with several Philippine providers, you will be offered access a several networks. However, if you make a lot of local calls, it is considerably cheaper to get a local sim card, and use Philippine pre-paid cards.

There is plenty to do to while away an evening whether you want to stay in the Alabang area or drive into Makati (evening traffic tends to be much lighter, and you'll get home within 30 minutes if you leave Makati after midnight).

In Alabang there is an ever expanding range of restaurant choices. The popular Westgate area seems to be constantly growing.  You can choose from Chinese, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Balinese, Pinoy, Japanese and finish with coffee from the excellent Bona Cafe.

There are a number of bars in Alabang.  Appenzeller on Zapote Rd (which also serves generous plates of tasty Swiss/German cuisine). Sids at Festival Mall which has live music and big screen sports. The Union Jack Tavern, also in Festival Mall has the best of British food and beer whilst the San Mig pub (ATC) is a relaxing place for a drink within walking distance of the village gates.  There are plenty more places to go in Alabang, as always ask around for recommendations.

For a quiet night you can visit the movie theatres in ATC and Festival Mall.

It has to be said that the nightlife can't be beaten in Makati though. For a comprehensive listing of what is on check out Click the City.  Trying your first night out?  You can't go too far wrong starting at Greenbelt.  Plenty of restaurants to choose from and you can dance until the wee small hours of the morning at Havana. Or just sit with a coffee and enjoy watching the world go by.