Originally when I was planning my trip to Angeles City I was debating about whether or not it would be a good idea to have a cellphone during my stay. My thinking was that I didn't want to be beholden to previous girls I had known and that it would only get in the way of finding the next barfine. This actually may have been true, but having been there, I would STRONGLY encourage anyone visiting the Philippines for more than a day or two to GET A CELLPHONE. Used phones can be purchased for $50+ dollars on up with SIM card/# or you can bring a phone with you and just buy a SIM card for the PI there (costs around $7). Nokia seems to be the preferred brand of phone.

Phones may also be rented at various locations, I know that Kokomoz and Apartelle Royal hotels rent phones (you leave a fairly large deposit), and you just pre-pay the airtime if you run out. I am not sure if these cellphone rentals are only good for guests of the hotel or not, but they probably are.

Actually making or receiving calls on your cellphone in the Philippines is not that high of a priority because everyone there is addicted to sending text messages which are much cheaper, about 2 pesos apiece. It takes awhile to get used to typing out these little stupid messages on your phone, but believe me, you will become addicted to it too in a very small amount of time.

To add to your collection of numbers, simply give any girl you are talking to your phone, and they will enter their name and number and then capture your name and number as well, and pretty soon you will have your own little harem network going.

The tangible advantages is that if you want a Fields bar girl in Angeles for short time, you can arrange for her to show up at your room before or after her work shift and save paying the barshare of the barfine (500 pesos out of the standard 1000) for her services. With some bars being closed recently, supposedly some girls are quite hungry for business right now and a cellphone is the preferred mode of setting up dates.

I paid about 3000 pesos (exchange rate now 55-1) for my used Nokia 3310 but had to buy a brand new battery (8 bucks?) when mine died almost immediately and then a new charger (2 bucks) when mine exploded at the Camelot hotel when I tried a little too hard to get it to work in a 220 volt outlet. OOPS!

Also, once you are back home (or if you have a PC onsite), you can download a program from chikka.com that will allow you to send texts for FREE to a cellphone in the Philippines and allow your friends in the Philippines to respond to your messages for 2.5 pesos (5 cents?) apiece. This is an incredible thing, as it is possible to communicate with your former honeys like you were still right there.

Oh, and as Blazers has mentioned several times, using a cellphone is the most convenient and likely CHEAPEST way to call home while you are in the Philippines. For some of you that may be very important.