Key Details | Programme

You will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. The Exhibit venue is approximately 25-30 minutes from the airport.

Airport taxis are available at the airport directly outside the arrival terminal. You may also arrange for hotel taxi service in advance by request from your chosen hotel.

Most of the guests will be staying at the Dusit Nikko Hotel Manila located at the Ayala Center at the heart of the Makati City business district of Metro Manila.

Dusit Hotel Nikko – Manila, Ayala Center ,
1223 Makati City Metro Manila, Philippines.
Tel: (632) 867 3333, Fax: (632) 867 3888

You may contact the Dusit Hotel Nikko at
dusitmnl@dusit.com, Or visit their website
at http://manila.dusit.com for more information

Other hotels located within the Ayala Center are The Hotel Intercontinental Manila, The Oakwood Manila, The Peninsula Manila Hotel, The Shangri-La Hotel Manila and the Renaissance New World Hotel.

The exhibition takes place in one section the hotel’s grand ballroom which is about 300 square metres. The adjacent section will be occupied by other countries representing the Commonwealth Education Group.

The hotel’s business centre is available for photocopying, telephone, fax and other business services.

Tentatively, an estimated 6 square metres will be provided to each exhibitor.

The exhibitors are encouraged to bring free-standing banners and other marketing materials.

The exhibition’s operating hours are:
25 November: 1:00 to 6:30 pm
26 November: 1:00 to 7:00 pm

Seminars will also run alongside the exhibition in a separate room. The details of the seminar will be released shortly.

To publicise the event, the European Education Group will:

• Advertise in major newspapers with a national circulation
• Organise a press conference at least 2 weeks before the exhibition
• Send out press releases to all newspapers and publications
• Posters and flyers to be distributed in local schools and universities
• promotion through a dedicated website

The Philippines is a country of over 80 million people but despite it's large population, the domestic market is small because wealth is distributed very unevenly. Reports say that the poverty rate is 40%, leaving a huge gap between the rich and poor. The country is very dependent on low wage employment in agriculture but has become more dependent on the electronics industry, which has expanded greatly over the last decade. Most of the products of the electronics industry are shipped outside Asia rather than within it, which is why Philippine’s exports grew very strongly in spite of the Asian financial crisis. Its major trading partners are the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Japan and many other European countries.

A large part of the national revenue is derived from the remittances from overseas workers. Filipinos remain to be in demand in the international labour market because of their ability to speak English. In the United Kingdom, there is an estimate 45,000 Filipino nurses working in their hospitals and the number is expected to increase in the next years. An estimated 8 million Filipinos work in foreign countries.

The national currency is the peso.

The Philippines remain to be a peaceful country. It maintains a democratic, presidential form of government, patterned after the United States. While there are very isolated terrorist activities, mainly from secessionists, from the far south of the country, they pose very little threat to the national security

Following the September 11 attack in the US, the Philippines joined the so-called coalition of the willing. This comes as no surprise since there a close affiliation between the Philippines and the United States politically, economically and socially. However, after the recent abduction of a Filipino in Iraq, the government gave in to the terrorists’ demand of puling out its humanitarian contingent in Iraq, defying the US position. This action gave the common Filipino the perception that the current government is decisive and more politically mature.

Almost half of the population reside in the National Capital Region (NCR), also called Metro Manila, and its outlying provinces. It is one of Asia’s largest cities and is at the heart of the commercial, industrial and political life of the country. Those with the highest average family income live in Metro Manila. The concentration of the population in and around NCR (also called Metro Manila) gives British Council Philippines in Manila a great opportunity to reach millions of people because of its central location.

The Philippines has over 100 ethno-linguistic groups speaking at least 70 languages. Tagalog and English are the official languages of the Philippines. Tagalog is related to Malay and is the basis of the National Language, Filipino. Approximately 55% of the population speak Filipino either as a first or second language. English is the main medium of communication in business and higher education. Spanish now tends to be confined to a small elite of Spanish descent.

The Philippines is considered part of the Angle-sphere. The high number of English speakers has prompted the Department of Tourism to come up with an advertising campaign that claims the country has more English speakers than England.

However, in the past years, there have been discussions on the declining proficiency in English. While no official study has been done at the moment, the government has begun to grow cold in the almost decade-long plan of “Filipinising Education.” A few years ago, the President advocated the more extensive use of English in educational institutions – and just a few weeks back, the Mayor of Manila has declared all public educational institutions as “English Zones,” which means that only English will be spoken within those premises, be it academic or casual conversation.

Recent presidential elections have re-instated Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the president, defeating her closest rival, a very popular film star. Government is stable though the national economy needs some work. Reports say that the poverty rate is at 40%, leaving a huge gap between the rich and the poor. However, the upper classes of society (i.e. the ones who can afford overseas education) have taken residence in Metro Manila.

Very recently, the government has announced that it is in the brink of a “Financial Crisis,” due to a ballooning budget deficit, spurring a reduction on many of the government’s expenditure. However, Education still receives the highest allotment from the national budget as mandated by the constitution

Part of the government’s “ Strong Republic” agenda is the creation of more job opportunities both in-country and overseas, and focus of the improvement of the standards of education and health. This will be supported by infrastructure related to telecommunications, energy, and transportation. While the business community has pledged their support for the government’s programmes, some of its citizenry remain ambivalent on how good the results will be by the end of her term.

The Filipinos are a friendly and courteous people and go to considerable trouble to help foreign visitors feel at home in their country. Foreigners will normally be given priority or preference in any given situation to the extent where the visitor may feel embarrassed at the treatment he is receiving.

Contact with officials -- police, immigration, customs -- present few, if any, problems. It is important to recognise that the pace of life in general, and of carrying out bureaucratic formalities in particular, is slower than in Europe.

Dress and manners are fairly informal. The embroidered shirt (Barong Tagalog) worn by men may give an impression of informality but in daytime it is regarded as equivalent to a suit, and is considered to be very formal. Foreign visitors wearing a the Barong Tagalog will impress Filipinos as it is seen as a sincere attempt to understand the local culture. However, a shirt and tie without a jacket is generally acceptable for most occasions. Women may wear dresses, suits or skirts/blouses, but not trousers, for more formal occasions. For every day use at a seminar or workshop, a dress (not sleeveless) can be very informal. For men, a short-sleeved shirt without tie would be fine.

A folding umbrella is most useful for both hot and wet weather. Men may find that wet shaving with a safety razor is more suitable than using electric shavers in humid conditions.

The Philippine educational system is based on the American Model. Children who reach 6 years old are required to attend six years of elementary education (Grade 1 to 6). Children then proceed to four years of secondary school education, or high school at age 13 (Year 1 t 4). Thus the total number of years of basic education is 10 years, most of the students graduating at age 16.

This comparatively early graduation at age 16 opens some possibilities for institutions offering pre-university courses.