Own transport in philippines?

[Canadian]

Hello everybody. Finally I decided to register. I am from Canada and have been in Philippines few times before. This december it will be my longest visit- 3 months.
I am thinking to buy a used motorcycle for the time I am there and sell for any price just before I go back. I would prefer a car but I think it will be out of my budget. By the way I am a pro driver with class 1 licence.
Is there many other costs involved like getting plates, insurance, mandatory safety inspection etc.?
Or is there posibility to rent a car cheap or maybe from some expat who barely use it?
Budget is pretty tight but not a backpacker
Thank you everybody.

[Taco]

If you value your life you won't think about driving in the Philippines or the rest of Asia. What they do on the roads is not really driving, more like stock car racing. If you get into an accident the other party probably won't have insurance. Use taxis, tricycles and buses, its cheap and stress free.

[Canadian]

Like I said I was there few times and I even drove a car for few weeks. I am very well aware of what is going on on the roads there.
Please lets not go off topic.

[starchild5]

Its easy...You can rent car, motorcycle from classifieds. Go here http://www.olx.ph/

The site is the number 1 buy and sell site for the Philippines. Just be careful of the scammers, DO NOT give money upfront, also check the papers etc when you buy as many cars and motorcycles are stolen in Philippines or rest of the world they sell for cheap in Manila.

There are guides online on how to buy second hand cars, motorcycles in Philippines. Google it....Getting a licence is no issues, you will get it easily.

You can rent also. Plenty of options in the site. good luck

[davewe]

Like I said I was there few times and I even drove a car for few weeks. I am very well aware of what is going on on the roads there.
Please lets not go off topic.

I don't think Taco's answer was exactly off topic. You asked whether you can own transportation in the Philippines. Obviously you can own or rent. The question is what is the cost and what might be any hidden costs. And that has to take into account what happens if you have an accident.

Just as important a question is - where will you be in the Philippines? If the answer is Metro Manila or Metro Cebu - then buying transportation for a few months is a bad idea. Public transportation is plentiful and the streets in those 2 cities are very congested. If you plan to drive around the provinces, then it depends on which island. If you will spend 3 months island hopping - then again owning is a bad idea - renting might be reasonable.

So, you have some questions to answer for yourself before you determine if this is a good option. Many expats do own vehicles - but many don't. Just being an experienced driver is not enough.

[Canadian]

I am planing to be in metro Cebu plus drive around islands.
It seems to me buying some shitty motorcycle for 20,000P makes sense for me. At the end even if I sell it for close to 0 it's still ok.
Here are questions: do I have to get local driver licence? Is there mandatory insurance, licence plates fees, inspection etc.?

[davewe]

I am planing to be in metro Cebu plus drive around islands.
It seems to me buying some shitty motorcycle for 20,000P makes sense for me. At the end even if I sell it for close to 0 it's still ok.
Here are questions: do I have to get local driver licence? Is there mandatory insurance, licence plates fees, inspection etc.?

You can get information here: http://www.lto.gov.ph

My understanding is that my valid US license is good. Obviously if you rent, the agency will tell you what you need.

Yes, if you buy something there is registration. You can see the fees on the website I referenced.

As far as insurance, many if not most Filipinos don't have it. I can't imagine why I would want to drive without insurance in a country where most people don't have insurance - but hey, that's just me. Why not check with your current insurance and see if you will be covered?

[Chopper1050]

I might be late on the reply but here it goes. A valid out of country license is valid here for 90 days. No insurance will cover you even thou you buy it. Any accidents are your responsibility .
That said, you can rent scooters for about 5000 pesos a month. Technically if you buy a brand new vehicle you have one day to get it home and then you have to wait , maybe 2 months for the permission to drive the vehicle. So your options are to buy used or rent.
I live in cebu , drive my moto every day. 1000 km a month on average.

[Taco]

No insurance will cover you even thou you buy it. Any accidents are your responsibility .

That's a very serious problem. If you get in an accident and the other driver is injured do you have to pay their medical bills?

[FlyingMoose]

No insurance will cover you even thou you buy it. Any accidents are your responsibility .

That's a very serious problem. If you get in an accident and the other driver is injured do you have to pay their medical bills?

Not if you manage to leave the country quickly enough...

[Canadian]

I got brand new scooter. I didn't know they are that cheap. I decided new is better and I will keep it for my next visits. Better than rent in a long term and better condition bike than any rental.
No plates but I can drive with conduction permit and maybe even without it lol. Nobody checked my documents yet and I passed by many police posts.

[Canadian]

Already 1500 kms on my new motorcycle. And I went from Cebu to Damaguete and Bohol and many places around. over 130 mpg fuel consumption.. This is really best way to get around here and it's fun.

[In2dadark]

Already 1500 kms on my new motorcycle. And I went from Cebu to Damaguete and Bohol and many places around. over 130 mpg fuel consumption.. This is really best way to get around here and it's fun.

It goes over the water? Just kidding. So no plates & no insurance? What kind did you get? I had a kymco people as my last 2 wheeled vehicle in the U.S. I'd like to have one there.

[Canadian]

yes no plates and no insurance. But nobody cares here. I see lots of motorcycles and some cars without plates. Maybe in next 2-3 weeks I will get official registration and temporary plates.