Traveling to Philippines. Where will I go through customs?

Only if PAL gives you personal assistance to skip the queues. You should enquire if your luggage needs to be cleared in manila or will be labeled through to Davao. In the latter case snd if you have a boarding pass to davao already, then there is a chance.

However, I would not risk it.

Ask PAL, don't rely on agencies

I had to clear custom in manila which did not take very long but as he said ask the Airlines. Neither are big airports. I live near Davao so feel free to email me at aalottjr at the g mail.

I'm flying from the USA to Davao with a 1 hour layover in Manila. Should I be concerned that 1 hour is not enough to get to my next flight or will I not need to do customs until I reach Davao?
I arrive at terminal 2 and my flight to Davao also leaves from terminal 2.
-@Adam478

I think customs would be secondary problem with only a one hour window, myself I would be more worried that my flight from the US would have a  delayed departure.

Also if you have nothing to declare you merely walk through customs.

that would totally panic me, Bob’s right about the flights coming in late, customs are always packed, there’s security to go through and you’ll have a whole plane full of people rushing to security. Is you second flight on Cebu Pacific or PAL? I always stay a night or two in Manila first to acclimate get some last minute shopping at the Mall of Asia. I’ve come in close to 20 times and it only gets a little easier.

Yes, you should be concerned, especially if YOU HAVE CHECKED BAGS.. No way will you make that. Because Manila is your Port of Entry, that is where you AND YOUR BAGS will clear customs.

When you get to Manila you need to go through Immigration, then you need to walk over to the baggage claim and wait for your luggage (can take 30 min), then you take it for a Customs check, only then does it go back on a conveyor for your domestic flight. I ALWAYS allow a min of 2 hours and sometimes it is really close. If your flights come in and out of different terminals you need to allow 3 hours, but yours is all through T2, fortunately.

If you have NO CHECKED BAGS then you can go through Immigration, then on to the Domestic terminal for your next flight. You will still be cutting it close with only a one hour window, especially if your plane is late, as PAL often is. Thankfully they are both T2, but you still have to go outside and come back in to the Domestic side.

Did you book both flights together with PAL? Check with them, Davao airport has customs and sometimes I’ve done connecting flights where you never officially enter the country until the final destination.

Well I always connect to Cebu through Manila, which is the port of entry. Cebu has customs too, but only for flights coming into Cebu direct from outside the country. In that case, Cebu is the port of entry.

Sometimes we transit countries and go direct to the connecting terminal for the next flight, but i have never had that happen within a country, however I am always willing to be corrected. Anything is possible in the Philippines.

Good advice here Adam. You will be ‘ interlining’ with Philippine Airlines as T2 is their dedicated terminal. Cebu Pacific fly out of T3 which is a pain to get to: Ninoy Aquino is NOT a small airport - quite spread out.

If your arriving flight is delayed Philippine airlines will have a duty to get you on the next available flight and if necessary put you up in a decent hotel .

As pnycylist correctly points out T2 domestic and international are adjoining so fairly quick to connect.

I would ring the airline though just to be absolutely clear as to your situation.

I had a similar situation flying with Cathay Pacific from Manchester (UK) to Manila via Hong Kong but did have a little more time to play with. The flight took off from Manchester nearly one hour late and we lost further time in the air. I raised my concerns with the flight attendant and it turned out there were others in the same situation. We got bumped up to Business Class for the last 40 minutes or so of the flight and there was somebody to meet us and guide us to our connecting flight when we disembarked in Hong Kong.

If you are flying on PAL from LA or SF or Hawaii to Manila, then NAIA is your port of entry. If you're flying on EVA from Taipei to Cebu , then Cebymu is the port of entry.

I talked to PAL last night. They have already changed the final leg of my flight so I will have almost 3 hours layover, plenty of time, the problem seems to be that Expedia has not re-issued my new tickets.

Thanks for all the advice, good to know I will need to do customs in Manila.

I talked to PAL last night. They have already changed the final leg of my flight so I will have almost 3 hours layover, plenty of time, the problem seems to be that Expedia has not re-issued my new tickets.
Thanks for all the advice, good to know I will need to do customs in Manila.
-@Adam478

When I flew PAL I received many updates on changes of departure. One email even said six hour delay, but at the end the flight left on time.

Good to know your connection time has been extended.

One hiur in Manila was cutting it close,  albiet PAL or Cebu Pacific rarely fly on time.

Hope  your trip goes well and you have no other issues as I would not recommend anyone

to fly PAL from the states.

Good Luck

@NY_Mike

I would not recommend anyone

to fly PAL from the states.

And it seems that the latest Skytrax customer satisfaction survey of International Airlines bears out your advice. Customer satisfaction of 5/10. Essentially indifferent service with a take it or leave it attitude and a dire record of poor punctuality. Don't forget the airline went bankrupt during covid and will take years to recover.

@Adam478

Our son arrived from Istanbul af T3 last Sunday.

He arrived punctually at 18.10 but took him almost two and a half hours  to clear Immigration, collect his bags and Customs.

The bulk of this time was at Immigration.

He had no problem.  Just the amount of people.l

@Rammers

That will have been with Turkish Airlines. Great route network and an impressive new airport that recently opened in Constantinople (Sorry Istanbul) for an enjoyable transfer. One of the better up and coming airlines. For Brits travelling to the Philippines from London the layover and arrival timings are excellent.

@Rammers That was also during Chinese New Year time period, so I can imagine why there were so many people.

@Adam478 How long did it end up taking you to go through immigration, customs, then security for your domestic flight? I'll be going through a similar thing in November and I'm reading 3 hours minimum, potentially up to 5 hrs.

@Harbred6051 Is there a better point of entry compared to other ?

    @Harbred6051 Is there a better point of entry compared to other ?
   

    -@BarakoJack

Welcome to the forum Bara.

Their are limited international points of entry, depends where you want to go, the Philippines is a lot bigger than you think, there are 12 international airports and relevant to your intended destination in a country 300,000 square Kms.

All international airports have the same immigration and customs laws.

Cheers, Steve.

Depends on what your destination is.

As I live in Davao, I fly a carrier that flies into Cebu or Davao. 

Some Korean and Taiwan carriers fly into Cebu, With Singapore / Scoot flying into both Davao and Cebu

I avoid Manila as much as possible