Manila

The Philippines is made up of 7,641 islands and there are 7,641 reasons to love the Philippines! The OSM community in the Philippines is gearing up for a fun and mappy State of the Map 2025!

Manila, short for the Metro Manila area (which includes both Quezon City and Manila City), is home to at least 16 million people within its officially-defined metropolitan area, is not only the capital of the Philippines, but also a major center of commerce, culture, education and government in Southeast Asia. Long a crossroads between East and West, Manila is a melting pot of both Oriental and Western cultures, with Southeast Asian, Chinese, Spanish and American influences leaving their own distinct marks on the city and its people. Famous for its sunsets, Manila is known for its mix of old and new, the friendliness of its people and, most importantly, its hospitality. And we wish to extend that hospitality to OpenStreetMap enthusiasts from all over the world by bringing State of the Map here to the Philippines.

Language

The official languages in the Philippines are Filipino/Tagalog and English. In Manila, most people communicate in Filipino and English.

Weather

The Philippines is a tropical country. It has relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Manila generally experiences a dry season from December to May and a wet/rainy season from June to November. It is recommended to prepare for dry and rainy days and to check the weather before travelling.

Conference Venue

We are hosting SotM 2025 on October 3-5 at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), one of the country’s premier institutions for higher learning. UP Diliman is located in Quezon City (QC), the largest city in Metro Manila both in terms of population and land area.

The conference will take place on on two venues:

1. Plenary sessions and lunch breaks will take place at GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium
2. Parallel sessions, snacks and exhibits will take place at the Industrial Engineering/Mechanial Engineering (IE/ME) Building

How to get there

Depending on where you are coming from, you can use sakay.ph for public commute directions.

We also recommend requesting a car or motorcycle using a ride-hailing service (such as Grab, InDrive, Green GSM, MoveIt, Angkas) and enter your destination as GT Toyota Center Auditorium or IE/ME Building so you can be dropped off at the building.

In addition, UP Diliman also has jeepney called “UP IKOT” that travels around the campus. (ikot means to go around)

Accessibility

There are PWD ramps and bike lanes in selected areas in QC. UPD has accessibility ramps and bike lanes inside the campus rooms in each floor.

GT Toyota Auditorium is located on the ground floor and can be accessed through ramps and stairs.

We will use 2 floors in IE/ME building. The building has ramps upon entry; however, the second floor can only be accessed by stairs.

Travel to the Philippines

e-Health Declaration Form

All individuals traveling to the Philippines must complete the Philippines eTravel before entering the country. Check etravel.gov.ph.

Flights

Metro Manila is served by two major international airports. The main hub is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA (IATA: MNL), located around 10 kilometers south of Manila proper, and 20 kilometers south of Quezon City. NAIA is the country’s busiest airport serving over 40 million passengers annually (before the pandemic) and has numerous direct flights to various cities in Asia, Australasia, and North America.

The secondary airport for Metro Manila is Clark International Airport (IATA: CRK), located 85 kilometers north of Manila in Angeles City, Pampanga. Clark serves as a hub for various local and foreign low-cost carriers and is reachable from Manila by numerous point-to-point commercial bus services.

Accommodation

Here are some recommended accommodations located both within and near the venue. Aside from what is listed, there are some excellent accommodation deals available through Airbnb in the area.

Accommodations inside the University of the Philippines Diliman

Name	Cost per Night	Remarks
University Hotel	50-100 USD	nearest/ walking distance from the conference buildings
National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED)	10-35 USD	under renovation as of late 2024
SOLAIR (School of Labor and Industrial Relations) Dormitory	7-12 USD	Only 3 rooms (good for 3 pax) are available for short term stays, contact: (02) 89818500

Recommended Hotels Near University of the Philippines Diliman

Name	Cost per Night	Travel Time to Venue
Microtel by Wyndham UP Technohub	60-120 USD	10 mins by drive, can be walkable ~10-20mins
Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA	85-112 USD	15 mins, can travel via Jeepney at SM North
Novotel Manila Araneta City	112-122 USD	25 mins, recommended to use ride-hailing app
Seda Vertis North	112-215 USD	15 mins, can travel via Jeepney at SM North

Power Plugs and Socket

In the Philippines, power plugs and sockets (outlets) of type A, type B and type C are used. The standard voltage is 220 V at a frequency of 60 Hz.

Communication and Internet

For mobile data, there are plenty of cell providers to choose from: Globe, Smart, Touch Mobile, Sun Cellular, etc. Travelers will have their option upon arrival at NAIA as Globe sim registration stands can be found throughout the airport. The price range for 8GB of data for 1 week is from ₱90 - ₱120 ($1.6 - $2.2).

We will provide wifi at the conference venues.

Moving around

The Metro Manila area has a large availability of public transport options: local tricycles, jeepneys, buses, and light rails. Other private services such as taxis and ride-sharing apps (Grab, Angkas, etc.) are also available at a higher cost. Check pamasahe.club to know the updated “pamasahe” or transportation fare. By Buses/Jeep: Metro Manila has an extensive bus/jeep network that serves almost all primary to secondary level roads. Quezon City can be accessed by most buses. Fares are distance-based. By Rail Metro Manila is served by 3 light rail routes: the LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3. While there is no direct access from the airport, buses along the EDSA Carousel loop share the same stops with the MRT-3.

By Taxi: Right from the airport, there are taxi stands available if you opt for their service. Taxis charge a flag down rate of ₱40 that increases with travel time and distance. Coupon taxis cost more as they charge a flat-rate to go to any point as listed in their matrix but are more cost-efficient for larger groups.

Ride-share apps: Download the leading ride-sharing app, Grab, to access the multiple services they offer including ride-sharing and deliveries. Other apps for traveling around are Angkas (motorcycle), JoyRide (motorcycle and car), and Sakay.ph for public commute directions.

Suggested commuter route (UPD): Take the UBE Express bus (see bus schedule here) from the NAIA Terminal 3 to Araneta City-Cubao. Board the MRT-3 train (check your route here) at Araneta-Cubao Station and alight at North Avenue Station. Walk through Trinoma and SM North EDSA malls and find the terminal for jeepneys going to UPD. Estimated price: UBE Express (₱200/$3.6) + MRT (₱16/$0.30) + Jeep (₱15/$0.30) = ₱231/$4.2

Suggested private car route (UPD): From NAIA, you can travel through EDSA following the avenue and turning right on Quezon Avenue towards the Quezon Memorial Circle. Take the exit to Commonwealth Avenue then turn right towards the UPD sign. Alternatively, you can take the Skyway highway system (tolled road) exiting at Quezon Avenue and continuing as directed above.

Request for Invitation Letter

If you require an invitation letter (for any purpose e.g. to support your visa application), you may request for an invitation letter. Below are the innformation needed for invitation letters:

• SotM 2025 ticket order code - this is automatically emailed to people, once they purchase their SotM 2025 ticket.
• Name exactly as in passport, including any multiple first or middle names (last names in capital letters).
• Passport number.
• Residential address, including country of residence.
• Date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format (optional but it may help).
• Profession, if applicable (optional but it may help).
• Work address, if applicable (optional but it may help).
• Title of accepted State of the Map 2025 talk(s) - if applicable.
• Country where the Visa application will be made, or specify evisa.gov.ph

Please send your requests to dorothea+sotm2025@osmfoundation.org.