Davao 4 Expats . com

Have you ever felt the need of connecting or calling your with your friends at home while you are abroad? At some point, every expat has that feeling. And they know how important it is to maintain a phone number that serves as an important link to their friends and families abroad. For expats on a business mission, it is a top priority.

Enter: Voice Over IP (VoIP)

For expats moving to the Philippines, maintaining their phone number abroad and using it here is very well possible. Expats need not to change numbers, keeping a phone number at home (may it be from the U.S., Canada, or any other part of the globe) is made convenient through Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP) service providers. VoIP Providers allow you to create an account where all local calls abroad can be forwarded to you right here in the Philippines.

Here are some to consider:

• Skype
• Vonage
• Broadvox Direct
• Maxemail

Getting any of this is very simple. All you have to do is get a reliable Internet connection, and you will be receiving messages from friends and workmates abroad without any hitch.

MagicJack For US and Canada

Aside from the common VoIP service providers, you can also make and receive calls from abroad via USB devices. For as low as $20 a year (rates are variable of course depending on the device provider), devices such as MagicJack allows the user to make unlimited calls to Canada and USA phones by simply hooking it up to a computer with an Internet connection.

Landline telephones can be plugged to the MagicJack, or you can also talk via a headset connected to your computer.

And here is another plus point: MagicJack users can also connect to other MagicJack users forming another network of MagicJack friends.

Other VoIP Services To Check

VoIP service providers do not only offer cheap and reliable services, they also offer versatile functions.

• Voice Mail Services. If you are the type who is always on the move or sometimes you are too occupied doing with things you don’t want to be bothered , this service is very convenient. You can have your caller drop you a voice message and retrieve it later on.
• Fax To File. Fax messages are specially useful to the business-savvy expats. And with the current VoIP providers, receiving fax messages while you are here in the Philippines will never be problem. The moment you receive a fax message, the VoIP provider instantly converts it to a file type (.pdf, .doc, .xls, .txt, .htm, .html, .gif, .jpg etc) that you can download, save, and read later on.

Of course not all VoIP services are created equal. That’s why they vary in their pricing and their target markets. The thing is, if these things are important to you while you are here in the Philippines, then choose a provider that offers such services.

Take note that these online options are still on their infancy. Expect a lot more features to be added as the technology matures. It would be better to check them one by one and compare the services they offer. Knowing what provides you the most services can spell the difference between convenience and a lot more savings.

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VoIP : Using Phone Numbers Abroad Here In The Philippines is written by Randolph Reserva.

This is Part Two of a series of articles on The Cost of Doing Business in Davao.

Hotel Rates

Many business owners in the city are residing outside of it in the nearby cities and towns. Most of them opt to stay at hotels and other accommodation facilities. Those who have higher accommodation budget can stay at deluxe hotels which have the following rates in Philippine Peso: 6,800 for superior rooms; 8,400 for deluxe rooms; 10,000 for cabana; and 16,800- 53,200 for suites. First class hotels are also best for non-resident business owners. These hotels have the finest facilities and most of them are within the city’s commercial districts. First class hotel rates are as follows; Standard, 3,340- 3, 720; Superior, costs 3,340- 4, 270; deluxe, 5,800; executive suite, 6,100-16,600; and presidential suite, 12,000-20,000. Standard hotel rates are; standard, 600- 2,000; deluxe, 1,099- 2,600; and suite, 1, 898- 4, 000. There are also inns which charge lower compared to others. Inns charge as follows: 405- 600 for standard rooms; 504- 849 for superior room; 849- 2, 200 pesos for deluxe rooms; and 1,200-3, 150 for suites.

Other accommodation centers include apartelles and pension houses. Apartelles charge 500 -1,800 pesos for standard rooms while they charge 700 – 2,160 pesos for double rooms. Pension houses on the other hand charge 500 – 750 pesos for standard rooms, 800 -1,200 for superior rooms and 1,360 – 1,700 for suites.

Power rates

The Davao Light and Power Company is the sole provider of electric power in the city. It charges according to the type of establishment that avails of its service. As of February 2006, residential establishments are charged 5.6460 pesos for every kilowatt hour. Commercial establishments, on the other hand, are charged depending on its size. Power charge for these kinds of establishments ranges from 5.4885- 5.5199 pesos per kilowatt-hour. A 5.0560 pesos per kilowatt-hour is charged on industrial establishments, while establishment which does not fall in any of the mentioned categories are charged 4.9628 pesos per kilowatt-hour.

Commercial Space Rental Rates

Finding an ideal location and space for your business would not be hard in Davao City. However, you should also anticipate bigger rents on spaces especially in areas around the city’s commercial district. Office spaces and small commercial buildings cost roughly from 180.00-332.00 per square meters. Spaces in shopping malls cost higher. It ranges from 500.00-1,500.00 pesos per square meters.

Real Estate Prices

For some businesses, owning a land on which to construct a building for use in conducting their business is a way to go. If you are considering this route, consider the following real estate data.

Residential lands are priced between P 800.00 – P 6,000.00 for every square meter. Commercial ones are roughly from 2, 500.00- 35,000.00 per sq. m.; industrial, 150.00-500.00 per sq. m.; and agricultural lands from 50.00-250.00 per sq. m.

This is according to the Davao Board of Realtors last updated in 2007. These days, it is not uncommon to find land prices sour up to 50% of their value in the span of three years. Soaring of land prices are to be expected especially today that the city’s development is in its fastest.

Transportation Costs

To those who don’t have their own business vehicles, going around the city for business purposes are not that costly. The most common means of transportation is through jeeps since it costs way lesser compared to taxi cabs. Jeep fares start at Php 7.00 up to as much as Php 30.00. Non-airconditioned taxi cabs’ flag down rate is 26.00 while airconditioned ones start metering at 30 pesos.

Car rental is another alternative. There are a lot of car rental services offered around the city. When renting a car, expect a rate of 650.00- 4,100 pesos for no more than 24 hours. Vans can be rented from 800.00-4, 600 pesos while coasters can be rented from 2, 500- 15,000 pesos.

Of course, starting up a business in the city requires initial capital and expenses. For one, there are compliance certificates and other requirements that needed to be accomplished to acquire legal rights on the business venture.

Nonetheless, despite the business expenses, almost any type of business can thrive in the city. All that is needed is wise management and smart handling of investments.

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This article is written by Matt Regis.