Tipping & Gifting in PI

[annasea]

Please advise as to tipping norms in PI -- waitstaff, DMs, boat crew, resort staff, taxi drivers, etc. (I did a search on tipping is Asia and didn't come up with much...)

Also, is it acceptable to give gifts to those that are especially helpful? If so, what is appreciated/needed most? (In Cuba, for example, it's customary to bring needed items due to the economic condition of the country/people. Gifts such as school supplies, toiletries, meds, clothing are greatly appreciated due to their scarcity/expense in Cuba.)

TIA!

 

[Hammerhead]

I'm terrible for this. I leave money in the tip box for the boat crews, and the same amount again behind the bar for the DMs / Instructors to drink at their leisure.

If I'm there for several days, my tip budget is usually around HK$1,000 or US$125.

That said, I also stay in touch and if anything special is requested (not locally available etc.) I do my best to get hold of it and bring it down when I visit.

 

[pakman]

Taxi drivers? I just round up (i.e. to avoid getting a bunch of coins or small bills back)
Maybe more for longer hauls.

Most resorts will have a tip box to be shared among the staff. But feel free to tip individuals directly if you appreciate their help. We usually tip the dive guides/ DM's along with the boat crews.

I forget if it was Dennis or another SB member who brought along school supplies to take to a local school in Puerto Galera.

 

[shugar]

we're not much of a tipping culture but they are appreciated...

larry and pak's right, when in doubt you can leave something in the common box or personally give something extra to those who were particularly helpful (like a DM who spotted you your first so-and-so)

gifts not necessary... dennis i think did it on his Nth visit, when he began to see them as "family"... it won't hurt, but it's not necessary nor the custom...

Jag

ninja edit: we don't tip taxis... period. you can save on having back coins (you'll rarely get coin change in manila, provinces yes, manila good luck) and often times they'll round up for you... so don't worry about tipping the local scabbies...

 

[jigo]

we (my GF and me) usually tip the DM (if Filipino) at the rate of 100 pesos per dive and give the boat crew about 500 for them to share if diving for two to three days. but there really is no fixed rate for tipping. we usually bring some corporate giveaways or tshirts and stuff like that for the resort staff or dive shop managers.

 

[Zeeman]

Re Taxis - INSIST on them using the meter. As soon as oyu step in, ignore the "how much do you want to pay" and point to the meter. If they don't want to play, choose another cab.

I do, however, offer them 50% on top of what the meter says, it's cheap for me (usually $1 or $2 more) and, hopefully, it makes a difference to the cabbie. that is just my personal choice.

As for DM's, bar staff etc, I go purely by what I feel like tipping at that point. I tend to tip locals far more so than ex-pats.

Z..

 

[chip104]

Dennis brought school supplies for the PG school. That was awesome.

If the gifts have to be helpful...well 2 years ago I brought a 2 whole plastic bags full of stuffed animals (courtesy my younger cousins) for the people of Aquaventure in Anilao (well, their kids). They loved it.

You could email the resort to let them know you will be bringing supplies and ask if the community needs anything specific. But of course, they would probably say it isn't necessary. PM matt reed on SB, he's currently in Dumaguete and is very helpful.

As for tip, I always tip the bangkeros and the resort. If they are particularly helpful (last week the resort helped me tighten my regulator that was leaking) I tip extra.

 

[jonix]

i do the same as most here. 500-1000 pesos for the tip box then 500+ for the boat crew. a sign of appreciation.

 

[munclematt]

What about buying drinks? In Hawaii I always take the guides and everyone out for a round or two. That way we can swap dive stories. Is that real common? I know the bigger name LDS's dont do that but the smaller shops do it a lot.

 

[shugar]

What about buying drinks? In Hawaii I always take the guides and everyone out for a round or two. That way we can swap dive stories. Is that real common? I know the bigger name LDS's dont do that but the smaller shops do it a lot.

buying drinks is very common... in some cases not even to "share stories"... you just tell the shop crew "there are a couple of beers waiting for you at so-and-so"

and just settle with so-and-so bar... even if you don't get to share the beer with them (coz they might have to go home or attend to something else) the gesture will be greatly appreciated

beers here are generally cheap (more so by foreign standards... but an expensive bar can charge an obscene $1.50 for a san mig!) so it's a very friendly gesture to do so...

culturally, simple "thank you" gestures go a very very long way, you can't go wrong here if you just want to say "thanks" :biggrin:

Jag