Staying Connected with the PI

Ways to Keep in Touch with the Philippines

Maintaining Contact with People

Internet
- Chikka (This txt messenger will allow you to send instant messages to other Chikka users, but what makes it unique is that it allows you to send free SMS txt messages to mobile phone nubmers in the Philippines)
- Other instant messengers plus VoIP and video broadcast (There are several of these and will certainly help out your phone bill if the person you are contacting is also at a computer. Some of the most popular include yahoo, msn, icq, aim, skype, fwd, and google talk)
- Online Community Networks (These extended personal profile type accounts allow you to keep in touch with friends and meet new ones. There are so many. Some of the largest community networks include friendster, myspace, xanga, livejournal, and multiply)

Non-Internet
- Phone Cards (Buy these at Filipino stores or Asian stores as they are usually cheaper since they are oriented towards Asian/Filipino consumers. Super Tipid is a popular phone card in the US. But I found that some of the phone cards you can purchase online last a little bit longer and provide better service, such as the Tiger Philippine Long Distance phone card. To look for such online cards, try searching for Pushline long distance phone cards for the Philippines)
- Letters & Packages (Sending standard letters to the PI will typically take about a week and a half to two weeks. Packages will take a little longer for standard delivery, unless you request express delivery. The United States Postal Service [USPS] usually does a decent job, but they transfer the delivery job to the Philippine Postal Service once in the PI [and sometimes Filipino delivery isn't very reliable]. As an alternative for package delivery, you can try Fedex, UPS, and DHL if it's a really important package and you don't feel comfortable with the USPS-PPS route.)
- Balikbayan Boxes (So, still have direct family and extended relatives in the Philippines expecting large brown parcels of pasalubong every now and then? Yeah, it's a pain. There are several balikbayan package delivery services. The most popular is probably Forex.)


Keeping with the Philippine Faith, Culture, Tradition, etc.

The best way to do this when you're in a foreign country is, of course, to find other Filipinos. You should get out and not make the mistake of being a full-time homebody. When you pass by someone who even looks slightly Filipino start speaking in Tagalog (if you're too shy to ask them if they're Filipino directly). You should really get to meet as many people as you can, even other Asians because Asians tend to build large social networks and it'll heighten your chances of meeting other Filipinos if you socialize with them. You should also utilize online search engines and look for Filipino communities, church groups, organizations, businesses, etc. in your area.

Filipino stores are of course the ideal places to get Filipino products, such as foods, condiments, crafts, magazines, videos, etc. They also have Filipino periodicals and newsletters, which are usually given away free. If you don't have access to a Filipino store, I recommend looking for some type of Asian supermarket. Such places are sometimes better places to buy Filipino foods anyways.

Filipino stores are also good places to ask about local access to Filipino television. The Filipino Channel (TFC) is popular and is serviced through DirecTV. ABS-CBN is the major provider of Filipino programming in the US, but GMA-PinoyTV is now competing. The International Channel shows about an hour or so of Filipino broadcasts along with other Asian programming. You should ask your cable provider first if they provide any Filipino programs so you don't end up investing in extra television services. There are several online Filipino radio stations. I have provided access to the most popular of these on the main Coconuter page (it's under the Popular section in the right-hand column). Some cities also have Filipino radio stations, and most of these are AM channels and usually mixed in with other Asian radio broadcasts. Some of the Filipino hotspot cities here in the US host concerts by Filipino artists. So always mingle with your fellow Filipinos to find out if there are any upcoming concerts by Gary V, Regine Velasquez, or other Filipinos performing in your area.

Another way to bring back some Philippine feelings is to cook Filipino food! But if you're tired of cooking or you don't know how to cook Filipino dishes, you should look for Filipino restaurants in your area, and many are listed online. However, from my experiences, Filipino restaurants here in the US don't compare very well to other Asian restaurants or to home-cooked Filipino foods. But who knows, there are always exceptions, and it's up to you to look and try them out.

So if you're able to eat Filipino food, find Filipino stores where you can buy Filipino goods, watch and listen to Filipino programming, and socialize and get involved with Filipino communities, church groups, and other organizations, well then that's probabaly as close as you're going to get to the actual Philippines. Unless of course you go back the Philippines...


Go Back and Visit Home!

A round-trip ticket is required to visit the Philippines. I've searched and I've searched and the cheapest rates have always been with China Airlines. If you plan on going back for a visit and you decide to stay longer than 21 days, you'll need to secure a visa. This will allow you 59 days. You'll have to periodically request for extensions if you plan to stay even longer. But for those who only want to look at their motherland without stepping back into the heat, you can always just browse through pictures on the internet.. hehe.

Author: David Eric Poarch (http://coconuter.blogspot.com)