Realistic to commute from Manilla?

[Jonomo]

Hello,
I'm moving to Singapore in December and I got an offer for a job in Manilla. I would normally not consider it, but it's a pretty good position. They offered to let me work 4 days in Manilla and work 1 day in Singapore plus the weekends off. Does this seem doable? I've never travelled from Manilla to Singapore.
Cheers,
J

[singaporeflyer]

Hello,
I'm moving to Singapore in December and I got an offer for a job in Manilla. I would normally not consider it, but it's a pretty good position. They offered to let me work 4 days in Manilla and work 1 day in Singapore plus the weekends off. Does this seem doable? I've never travelled from Manilla to Singapore.
Cheers,
J

It is achievable. But are they going to pay for your flight tickets each time and also compensate you for your stay in SG and also for the effort you take for travelling from Manila - SG - Manila each week?

How long is this agreement to travel going to be for?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Not much different than the Washington DC - NYC commute that '000's do every day. Defo doable as long as they are paying.

[Jonomo]

[/quote]

It is achievable. But are they going to pay for your flight tickets each time and also compensate you for your stay in SG and also for the effort you take for travelling from Manila - SG - Manila each week?

How long is this agreement to travel going to be for?[/quote]

They agreed to pay for flight tickets and for my living expenses in Manilla.. SG will be my home base so I'll have a home here for my family.. We still have not agreed on the compensation, but I'm hoping it's agreeable.

For agreeing to commute to SG, I agreed to take on a smaller house in Manilla, which seemed fair, and considering I'll be there by myself for only a few days a week, seemed agreeable.

[nakatago]

first, pet peeve: manila. one l.

next, it is doable. but it's not only the airport time overheard you need to consider. where in manila will you be based? that could be a factor with how much insanity you're willing to live with.

final thing. if you go through with this, can i ask you to get certain items for me from time to time?

[morenangpinay]

its doable but like nakatago said, you need to know exactly where in Manila...is it in the city or are you talking about towns outside the city. The traffic in the city is also bad so you need a house that is near your workplace. Also consider the security in the accommodation.

but regarding the travelling to and from manila...its not a problem.

same thing with nakatago if you go through with it can i ask you to get me some stuff as well i

[Asian_Geekette]

same thing with nakatago if you go through with it can i ask you to get me some stuff as well i

@Jonomo: Actual flight time can be as short as 3 hours or as long as 3.5 hours (depends on weather conditions). That would mean you will be flying to Manila on the last flight Sunday night to be able to work on Monday in Manila. Then on Thursday night, you can take the last flight or if you're taking PAL (Philippine Airlines), the first flight (leaves around 12:30AM) on Friday to be able to work in Singapore on Friday.

The actual flight is not that long but you need to understand the traffic condition there. You would need to make sure that you live near the airport in Manila (which is actually in Pasay City) . You need to be in the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. Now depending on the following factors: location (Where you're coming from within Metro Manila), time (Is it almost rush hour?) and weather (Has it been raining all day?) -- the travel time to the airport can be as long as 2 to 3 hours!

There are three terminals in the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport). Some things to keep in mind: Terminal 1 is the oldest and SQ lands here. If you're going to travel via SQ (Singapore Airlines), then you have the convenience of the online check-in so you can just print your boarding pass and then go to the airport 90 minutes before your flight. But you still have to queue up for the entrance screening which can take up to 20 minutes before you get into the check-in area and then queue up to pay the terminal fee before getting to the immigration counters.

Terminal 2 is exclusively for the use of PAL. Generally shorter queues because it's just PAL passengers using that terminal and usually check-in is a breeze (expect around 30 minutes queue time at most). But right now, there's a bit of a problem with the staff (mass resignations etc) so it may affect the flight scheduling. Plus there's a tendency for them to overbook so if you're unlucky (or lucky depending on how you view it), you may get bumped off (but get cash or hotel accommodation and guaranteed seat on the next available flight).

Terminal 3 is for the budget airlines. I have not personally used it because when I travel to the Philippines I want to make sure that I get back to Singapore on the date I want to. I've heard of several real (not urban legends) horror stories of the budget airlines severely overbooking their flights during their online mad/crazy sales and bumping off people without the benefits I mentioned above.

Now, since you'll be traveling for work, your options will be SQ or PAL (Please! No budget airlines!). In my case, I use SQ whenever I travel for work except when it's to the Philippines. I use PAL because I don't like the dreary and stuffy old Terminal 1. So I maybe a bit biased here.

I hope I haven't scared you but if you do take on this offer, please make sure that you bargain to have a reliable company driver to pick you up from the airport and pick you up from wherever you are on the day of your flight and drop you off in the airport. He also has to know the ins and outs of the metropolitan capital region and have the skills of an ambulance driver. If you don't get this, you'll be at the mercy of the scoundrel transportation touts in all the terminals in the airport. Believe me, you wouldn't want the headache of negotiating or bargaining. Or if you just take what they offer and pay the ridiculous amount of money, you'll feel lousy later for allowing yourself to be cheated so brazenly.

Of course, it helps if you travel lightly. (Please watch George Clooney's movie Up in the Air for his very good advice to his young protege in the movie on how to travel lightly. It's very useful.) I'm sure morenangpinay and nakatago would be throwing rotten tomatoes at me. For SQ, you can bypass the check-in process by doing the online check-in. For PAL, just PM me later on for some insider tips. Just kidding!

You may be thinking... what if I just use the public transportation system to get to the airport? There are no direct MRT or LRT lines or airport express trains to the airport (unlike here in SG or KL or HK). The LRT and MRT lines end around 3 kilometers from the airport. You'll have to take a cab or the bus or the jeepney from the jump off point in the MRT or LRT train system to get to the airport.

Anyway, I better end here... it's getting too long. If you need more info/tips, you can always ask here or PM me for specific info.

I hope this helps.

[kimoi]

wait how about your work permits? make sure you have right papers. expect traffic in Manila. actually the 3 terminals are not located in manila. and another question, are you sure that the location is at Manila? or Makati? Makati is the CBD. but in case in manila, it is more accessible, unless the work is located at northeast part of Manila, but it will be very impossible.

[pagophilus]

Actually, taxis FROM the airport in Manila (T1 or T2) are not so bad anymore. They are organised and you don't get ripped off (you just pay double the price of an ordinary taxi, probably because they're only allowed to take passengers one way). Paying double can be better than getting ripped off by regular taxis you flag on the street, and the associated headache of arguing. But yes, for going TO the airport, it is a disaster. You will more likely than not get ripped off, fight with your driver and swear at him, or get told that he doesn't want to go there. (I have a Filipino wife and she seems quiet and shy, but you should see her when she is arguing with taxi drivers!)

I hope I haven't scared you but if you do take on this offer, please make sure that you bargain to have a reliable company driver to pick you up from the airport and pick you up from wherever you are on the day of your flight and drop you off in the airport. He also has to know the ins and outs of the metropolitan capital region and have the skills of an ambulance driver. If you don't get this, you'll be at the mercy of the scoundrel transportation touts in all the terminals in the airport. Believe me, you wouldn't want the headache of negotiating or bargaining. Or if you just take what they offer and pay the ridiculous amount of money, you'll feel lousy later for allowing yourself to be cheated so brazenly.

I hope this helps.