What to spend your pesos on
Single journey on the Manila MetroRail
13-28 PHP
Entrance to Fort Santiago
75 PHP
Snorkelling on Cebu island
2,500 PHP
Museo Sugbo entry
75 PHP
Filipino street food
up to 20 PHP
Pesos in your pocket
The peso, in one form or another, has been around for centuries. It was in 1521 when the Spanish arrived at the shores of the Philippines and replaced the trading of gold for goods in favour of a more formalised currency.
If your restaurant bill has the letters ‘SC’ on it, this means a service charge has been added already, and you therefore don’t need to leave an extra tip. However, if not, a tip of 10% would be very much appreciated. Just ensure that you give any tips directly to your serving staff, since otherwise they may end up not benefitting at all from your generosity.
Frequently used banknotes
Banknotes used include 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 PHP. Coins used often are for 1, 5 and 10 PHP, with coins in cents rare due to their low value.
Today’s pesos come in many denominations, including the 20 PHP bill, which features the Philippines’ second president, Manuel L. Quezon, on the note.
If you want to get around with a debit or credit card, keep in mind that there aren’t too many Filipino retailers who accept payments via MasterCard, Visa or other international providers.
Buying Philippines pesos online is easy
Free next-day home delivery on orders over 600 GBP