TOKYO -- Japan Wednesday urged travelers to take precautions after two nationals contracted rabies in the Philippines, with one of them dying in the first cases seen here in 36 years.

The two men both were infected after being bitten by dogs in the Philippines, the health ministry said.

One victim died last week in the first human rabies case confirmed in Japan since 1970, the ministry said.

The man, in his 60s, failed to take vaccination shots after being bitten and later showed symptoms such as delirium after returning from the Philippines to Kyoto in western Japan, it said.

In the other case, a man was in serious condition in Yokohama, Japan's second-largest city, near Tokyo, after returning from the Philippines last month.

"Rabies is outbreaking globally," said a health ministry official. "The ministry is calling for travelers to get vaccination shots if they were bitten by a dog overseas."

The last case of rabies in Japan was in 1970, when a man died after contracting the disease in Nepal.

But Japan has seen no human case of rabies that originated domestically since 1954, with the last animal infection confirmed in 1957, according to the ministry.

DOs and DONTs on Travel in the Philippines

1. Holiday Insurance. Do take out full-cover insurance for both medical treatment and unexpected losses such as cancelled flights, stolen credit cards, cash or lost luggage. ....................................................................
2. Drugs. Don't get involved with drugs. Possession of even small quantities can lead to imprisonment or death. The legal process is very slow. You could wait months in prison before being brought to trial. Persons using prescribed drugs should carry a note from their doctor.
3. Disputes or Arguments. Avoid any form of provocation. ...............................
4. Overstaying. Don't stay beyond the limit of your period of stay. Philippine authorities consider overstaying to be a serious matter and you may be held in detention until payment of a fine. .......................................
5. Funds. Do bring enough funds for your stay and return flight. Bank transfers take longer than you might expect, as do refunds for lost tickets, etc. ............................................................................................................................
6. Personal Security. Don't get isolated in the downtown entertainment areas of large cities, especially after dark. As in any large city, do be wary of strangers offering you drinks or confectionery. These may be drugged and you risk being robbed while you are unconscious. Do be aware that unescorted travel in certain remote provincial areas may be dangerous. .............................................................................................................................
7. Driving in the Philippines. Do take particular care. Driving conditions are very different from those in Western Europe. Getting involved in accidents may have serious consequences and delay you for days. Do observe speed limits and take extra care if driving at night. Make sure your license is valid and that you have insurance coverage. ...........................
8. Belongings / Valuables. Do keep your passport and money in a safe place. Replacing a passport will take time and will cost you money. ...........
9. Mail-Order Brides. Don't get involved with "pen-friends" or "friendship clubs" whose aim is to introduce Filipino women for the purpose of marriage. It is against Philippine law for Philippine women to be matched for marriage to foreigners on a "mail-order" introduction basis. Ignoring this could lead to legal difficulties. ...........................................................
10. As a general precaution, do leave details of your travel plans, your passport and your credit cards with friends or relatives at home. Keep in touch with your family and let them know of any changes to your travel plans.

Based on the standard Philippine law on acquiring a real estate property in the Philippines, Foreigners or non-Filipinos don’t have the right to own real estate properties in the Philippines. As an alternative, however, marrying a Filipino national is the easiest way for a foreigner to obtain real estate properties in the country. They may either share equal rights or the Filipino spouse owns 51% or more and the foreigner gets the rest. In this case, further information on special visas for foreigners who may request an entire ownership is necessary. If the foreign owner desires to hold the title as an individual, the title usually falls under the Filipino spouse’s name and the foreign spouse’s name which was not indicated in the title at least appears on the contract as the buyer of the property. In case of death of the Filipino spouse, the foreign spouse is given a reasonable time to sell the property and collect the proceeds or else the property will be given to any Filipino heir and or relatives. Foreigners are given the right to own houses or buildings for as long as they don’t own the land on which the house or building is built. Foreigners therefore may legally own their houses or buildings but lease the land on a long term contract. A foreign national and or corporation may enter into a lease agreement with Filipino landowners for an initial period of up to 50 years and renewable for another 25 years. For foreigners to have 100% ownership of condominium and townhouse units, few qualifications are requested before buying the property. The buyer must be at least 35 years old and must meet the bank’s investment requirements. The amount of the deposit/investment and processing fee needed depends on whether or not the foreign buyer is married to a Filipino. Being married to a Filipino citizen of course allows almost all the investment privileges like those of Filipino citizens. For land ownership, only Filipinos and corporations (at least 60% Philippine-owned) are permitted to obtain such property. Foreign acquisition however is tolerated on special cases: • When the property was acquired before the 1935 constitution • When the property was acquired thru inheritance o This means that the foreign acquire is a legal or natural heir, which further means that when the Filipino spouse dies, the foreign spouse eventually becomes the legal owner of the property. This is as well applied to the children. Every natural child (legitimate or illegitimate, Filipino or non-Filipino) can inherit the property of his/her Filipino parent. • Purchase of not more than 40% interest in a condominium project • When the property was purchased by a former natural-born Filipino citizen subject to the limitations approved by law o Former natural-born Filipino citizens, or commonly called "Balikbayans", are allowed to own a maximum of 1,000 sq. m. of residential land and one hectare of agricultural or farm land, a maximum of 5,000 square meters of urban land for business purposes or three hectares of rural land. Married couples, both or one of them may avail the privilege given; the total area acquired shall not exceed the maximum. In the case of a transferee who is already owning an urban or rural land for business or other purposes, he/she remained a transferee provided that when added to those he owned shall not exceed the maximum. • Filipinos who are married to foreign nationals and who retained their Filipino citizenship, unless by their act or omission, have given up their Filipino citizenship. • Dual citizenship allows the citizenship holder full rights of ownership of Philippine real estate property, which further means having two citizenships and passports from two different countries. It is applied to individuals who are naturally born Filipino citizens, but have immigrated to another country and have obtained citizenship of that country....................................... Typical Transaction Costs...................................................... Typical Transaction Costs - Purchases from Individuals * Capital gains tax - 6% of actual sale price. This is usually paid by the seller but in some cases the buyer is obligated to shoulder it. For business properties or titles owned by corporation, however, the percentage goes to 7.5% * Document stamp tax - 1.5% of the actual sale price. Usually paid by the seller but in some cases the buyer is asked to pay for it. * Transfer tax - 0.5% of the actual sale price. * Registration fee - 0.25% of the actual sale price. Typical Transaction Costs - Purchases from Developers * Capital gains tax - 10% of actual sale price. This value might be expressed as part of the sale price. * Document stamp tax - 1.5% of the actual sale price. * Transfer tax - 0.5% of the actual sale price. * Registration fee - 0.25% of the actual sale price.

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Posted by: Mindorofacts
Modified on May 1, 2006 at 3:08 AM

DIVING ....................................................................... Pandan Island-This tiny island of white sand beaches has a humble resort operated by a french national and catering excellent facilities for diving. It is as well the jumping-off point for divers heading to Apo Reef lying 30 km southwest of the island. ....................................................................................................................................... Apo Reef- has spectacular wall dive sites hosting fan corals, gorgonian drips and a wide variety of tropical reef creatures. Mantas sometimes show up and some hammerheads, whitetip and other species of sharks are commonly seen. Best season to witness their activity is between March and June. ....................................................................................................................................................................................... Verde Island-located few kilometers from Puerto Galera, this island has great wall dive hosting hundreds of species of soft and hard corals. Gorgonians covering the wall spectacularly mix with the colorful assortment of thousands of reef fish in the area. .......................................................................................................................................... TREKKING ................................................................................................................................................... Mindoro is still wild so it is wise to always have guides familiar with the place before hiking the interiors of the island, like Mangyans- a tribe inhabiting the inlands. Trekking requires long stamina and solid strength for long walks and high ascents. Leave as early as possible to avoid catching the strong heat of the sun. Be prepared of extreme weather changes and strong winds along the way. Leeches are common and cuts can be unavoidable. Be well equipped....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Mt. Halcon-is the highest peak in the island measuring 2586m. high. Covered with thick clouds most of the time, this mountain presents stunning views of southern’s most popular landforms such as Mt. Mayon of Bicol during clear skies and Mt. Banahaw of Batangas. Wildlife in the area is rich. You may come accross some monkeys, wild birds, boars and deers on the way. The trek starts with an hour jeepney ride from Calapan to Lantuyang- a mangyan tribe inhabited area. .................................................................................................................................................................... Mt. Iglit- is the gateway to the protected habitat of endangered Tamaraw. The trek starts from a jeepney ride in San Jose to Bgy. Poypoy Calintaan. River crossing is common during the hike. Exciting but can be difficult during heavy rains. Tamaraw viewing is perfect in the summit of either Mt. Magawang and Mt. loibpo at early morning and in the evening. Both points give stunning views of the park and other wild animals. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... MOTORBIKING .................................................................................................................................................... Calapan Route The route from Puerto Galera to Calapan can be as challenging as hiking to deeper mountains of Mindoro. It is constructed along the coast giving a wide stunning views of the eastern side. The way is broken into asphalts and dirt roads that unfortunately give choking dust during dry season and mud on rainy season. About 18 km from Puerto galera, you may drop at the Tamaraw Falls just lying few steps from the highway. A little rest area off the road have tables for small snacks and a little pond with cascading water for a quick dip. There are also several detours that can offer more challenging routes. Just a little distance past the falls, you may want to go for an adventure ride passing through several raging rivers and exciting uphill and downhill tracks which are muddy when rainy and very rough when dry. This is the route to Tocoran Falls- a little hidden falls in the midst of thick greeneries at the end of the river.

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Posted by: Mindorofacts
Modified on May 1, 2006 at 2:29 AM