What to Bring, What to Buy

"We used a full 40 ft container and packed many fragile items sensitive to shipping. Our shipper offered the service of professional packing which we purchased. Among the fragile items were a large Miller standup grandfather clock with weights and pendulum. Also included were sensitive amateur radio equipment and HD TVs and a large refrigerator. We did ship one mandolin and an electric guitar and ukelele (I don't play that anymore but my nephew does lol). Even the grandfather clock arrived in good condition. I think the container shipment is not much worse than surface shipping cross country in the US and our container shipment also involved a little of that in the US as well plus a bumpy ride from Cebu to Dumaguete. The key is professional packing at point of shipment...cost a little extra; a day's pay for 3 packers, cannot remember cost but not cheap. The other thing is that these packer had it so that almost every cubic inch of volume in the container was occupied. Fortunately Customs here did not empty the container but believed the shipping manifest as it was (it was true) and we had a small duty of about 150k php. We had come in on Balikbayan visa waiver and I believe that reduced Customs charges somewhat."
   

    -@danfinn

A "large refrigerator" falls under "regulated items" on the vaguely worded Bureau Of Customs website. Did you need special clearance or special anything for that? I have a small frig I'd like to ship in a 20' container but don't want any extra headaches. Also, did a 40-footer get delivered to your home or did they transfer your stuff to a truck before delivery?

    Are generators and voltage converters better to buy in US or PH? Hate to get there and find out nothing is in stock or reasonably priced ...
   

    -@jozica

I brought a couple voltage converters from the US. One from Walmart that did not work at all and one from Amazon that smoked my Dewalt battery charger.

I bought two converters in the Philippines, one from Citi Hardware and one from Lazada. They are both still going strong. I also bought a 7,000 watt Daiden diesel generator from Brodeth Marketing in the Philippines for P50K and it has worked very well for me. It runs my house and my in-laws bungalow during all the scheduled 12 hour outages, and the unscheduled outages.

        Are generators and voltage converters better to buy in US or PH? Hate to get there and find out nothing is in stock or reasonably priced ...        -@jozicaI brought a couple voltage converters from the US. One from Walmart that did not work at all and one from Amazon that smoked my Dewalt battery charger.I bought two converters in the Philippines, one from Citi Hardware and one from Lazada. They are both still going strong. I also bought a 7,000 watt Daiden diesel generator from Brodeth Marketing in the Philippines for P50K and it has worked very well for me. It runs my house and my in-laws bungalow during all the scheduled 12 hour outages, and the unscheduled outages.        -@Moon Dog

Thanks for that. Was thinking of buying several converters from an online source assuming their gear is battle tested and they know their stuff. Which city sells that generator and is diesel better than solar?

@jozica

My place is on Biliran Island. Brodeth Marketing is located in Naval, Biliran Island. Brodeth is a building supply store and they have a selection of generators in stock. If I can't find what I'm looking for on the island I usually cross the bridge that connects Biliran to Leyte and drive 2 1/2 hours to Tacloban City.

There are different kinds of converters. I have one similar to the one in the photo which is a step down transformer. They are heavy and get a little warm but they are also bulletproof. I also have one of the fancier models that are lighter, don't get as hot and has a volt meter. Both have been working find for over 2 years.

@Moon Dog

Does your PH home have US-style 3-prong outlets or Asian 2-prong round type?

What type of plugs do major appliances come with in PH? (washer/dryer, frig, microwave, etc.)

@jozica

There were not many 3 prong outlets installed in my house but I changed most of them to 3 prong myself. I hated using the adapters.

I have 2 washing machines and a heat pump dryer in the house. They all have normal US style 3 prong plugs. You may find an appliance with a 2 prong plug but it will probably have a separate green wire that you attach to a ground.

Our oven and air-conditioning units have 3 prong plugs but the flat prongs are turned sideways.

Here is the type of outlet I like. It can accept 2 prong, 3 prong and European style round prongs.

Yeah that's what I want. Is it an easy swap? Hope i can buy those at Citi Hardware or wherever and install them without issues.

@jozica

I think I got mine at Citi Hardware. It is an easy swap in most cases.

The problem with Philippine outlets is the individual outlets in each wall unit are not connected like US outlets. You have to cut short pieces of wire and bridge each one then connect the feed to either end. You can have 1, 2 or 3 outlets in a single wall unit. They individual outlets snap into a frame then you select a cover plate that matches the configuration. That is for someone like me who makes up wall units out of spare parts the the contractor left behind.

If you're buying new you don't have to worry about all that, the ones they sell in Citi Hardware and other places come as a unit with matching cover plate, but you still have to connect the individual outlets with short pieces of wire.

Here is a video showing the difference in US and Philippine outlets. Comparison begins about 6 minutes into the video. It may convince you that bringing outlets from the US is a good ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=deskt … mjNx4VpQyQ

    @jozica
I think I got mine at Citi Hardware. It is an easy swap in most cases.

The problem with Philippine outlets is the individual outlets in each wall unit are not connected like US outlets. You have to cut short pieces of wire and bridge each one then connect the feed to either end. You can have 1, 2 or 3 outlets in a single wall unit. They individual outlets snap into a frame then you select a cover plate that matches the configuration. That is for someone like me who makes up wall units out of spare parts the the contractor left behind.

If you're buying new you don't have to worry about all that, the ones they sell in Citi Hardware and other places come as a unit with matching cover plate, but you still have to connect the individual outlets with short pieces of wire.

Here is a video showing the difference in US and Philippine outlets. Comparison begins about 6 minutes into the video. It may convince you that bringing outlets from the US is a good ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=deskt … mjNx4VpQyQ-@Moon Dog

Point made, PI outlets require you to cut small jumpers that can only accept push in connections.

1. In the US, the vast majority of outlets use push in connections. This is not considered to be a common fire hazard in the US. Screw connections can also be bad when assembled by a layperson who doesn't know what he is doing where, in fact, the push in might be safer.

2. Yes, for a two gang outlet you are spared the jumpers but, lacking those, we assembled several 3 gang outlets which are easy to do here with standard wall plates and same size standard  junction boxes. That extra outlet is always used in our home.

4. Agree 100% that the US outlet is higher quality resulting in good, easier and safe electrical connections. At least, that is true for US appliances that you bring over but if you have been here a while, appliances bought here do not always have US style plugs. In fact, for our extension we purchased universal plugs from our power distributor here that accepts US and Euro style plugs...not sure if they accept OZ and  Chinese but they might.

5. So you want to be able to easily accommodate Phils style flat blade plugs used by US appliances, it is better to import US outlets? Well...if you do that, are you not connecting the US outlets to your Philippine 230V distribution system? So you cannot plug it in directly anyway except for some US electronic products the use 120-240V SMPS adapters that are dual rated...usually. This applies to laptop computers and similar electronics. You will not be able to plug you US 120V appliances into you newly installed Leviton US outlets because the outlets will be 230V. And electrical products purchased here have a good chance of being UK or Euro shuko style.

Note: In some cases you can wire 120V direct to your service without a separate transformer but that involves hiring an electrician to open your power pole transformer and bring in 115V wiring from the center tapped 230v. In that case, always use a reliable ground that is connected to a 10 foot ground rod that is NOT connected to neutral. There, the 120v Leviton American outlets makes sense because you will always be plugging the appliance directly into the outlets

Removed by author

    @jozica
I think I got mine at Citi Hardware. It is an easy swap in most cases.

The problem with Philippine outlets is the individual outlets in each wall unit are not connected like US outlets. You have to cut short pieces of wire and bridge each one then connect the feed to either end. You can have 1, 2 or 3 outlets in a single wall unit. They individual outlets snap into a frame then you select a cover plate that matches the configuration. That is for someone like me who makes up wall units out of spare parts the the contractor left behind.

If you're buying new you don't have to worry about all that, the ones they sell in Citi Hardware and other places come as a unit with matching cover plate, but you still have to connect the individual outlets with short pieces of wire.

Here is a video showing the difference in US and Philippine outlets. Comparison begins about 6 minutes into the video. It may convince you that bringing outlets from the US is a good ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=deskt … mjNx4VpQyQ-@Moon Dog

Thanks. I saw a bunch of his early videos when the house was built. Looks like a standard U.S. Leviton 120v outlet  he's using. There are 125/250v Levitons like the one you pictured for $10ea or less from many sources. Your washers and heat pump dryer have U.S. 3-prong plugs? Were they purchased in U.S. or PH? When I get to PH, the first thing I'll need are a frig, microwave, washer, maybe a dryer, maybe not. I will buy the newest latest greatest appliances I can find in stock. What kind of plugs can I expect them to have?

@jozica Just remember, if you install USA 125V Leviton outlets here,

1. The outlets are not universal. You can only use the for Philippine and USA (and maybe Japan) products.

2. Given that, your 230V supply voltage will be OK but will flambeau your USA products unless you connect a transformer which you will plug into rather than the Leviton (etc) USA outlets, obviating the advantages of the USA outlet if any.

3. The Leviton outlets are grounded:

       A. The ground pin is mainly decorative here.  PEC distribution does not ground at the residence. Instead, the bare (usually) neutral is supposedly earth grounded at the power pole, at least if they are following international ISO/EIC specifications. I have never seen even that, however. Some people ground that 3rd pin to rebar 🤣🤣 I think that is so funny, hoping the rebar is continuous to the cement floor etc.. Sure,  guaranteed to handle 50 amps to blow a 30 A breaker right? Lol.

       B. The usually decorative ground pin takes up space preventing you from installing 3 gang receptacles.

        C. Philippine outlets by Phillips and OMNI are greatly improved in quality. You used to sometimes see 240V metal sticking out from the terminals, being a shock hazard especially to kids crawling on the floor. In those days our outlets were installed chest high to protect the kids. Now the quality is much better but I still recommend child proofing them.

@jozica

Come taste the country. Power for me was never an issue as you can purchase adaptors cheaply to suit 220 volt GPO's to suit any plug type. Our appliances suited the voltage but not all the frequency difference so never bothered to send those items from Oz.  Simply make sure that water heaters, dryers and heavy loads are protected with the correct size breaker, if you are buying local then all will plug in providing the correct sized GPO and breaker. 15, 20, 30 and even 40 amps or more have dedicated plug connections and trying to plug a water heater or dryer into a 20amp outlet could lead to grief, if unsure consult an electrician to put you on the right path.

OMO but I see that you are overthinking electrical connections especially if you are buying appliances here and not shipping, remember the voltage difference.

Cheers, Steve.

@jozica

Leviton outlet prices start at less than a dollar at Home Depot or Lowes. I just ordered a few for a project I'm doing on my house in West Virginia. I think I paid 89 cents each.

I bought the washers and dryers in the Philippines. The front loader is Samsung and it was purchased from a mall in Tacloban city. The top loader was purchased from Citi Hardware for my in-laws but nanay couldn't get the hang of it so she went back to hand washing and we have it in our laundry room now. I  ordered the heat pump dryer on Shopee. It is a Beko, made in Turkey, and a wonderful machine. A real energy saver. They all have standard US style 3 prong plugs that plug into the Philippine 3 prong outlets I installed.

Photo of our laundry room.

@Moon Dog

We have large lot, actually covered in some places meaning the helpers can easily dry our clothes naturally. However, there are times when you need it done quickly with a dryer. In my case I never put some US clothes in the dryer because of the shrinkage. However, IF you are going to have a dryer that works in one dry cycle in a reasonable amount of time, you need the energy hogging USA style design using 6-7 KiloWatts and a 40A breaker using the big plug. How can you spot dryers that do not work? Look at the plug, look at the breaker. If it is a regular Philippine style 2 flat pin or Euro shuko style, then you are not creating the heat needed for normal drying. You are going thru a dry cycle, clothes are still damp so repeat 2 or 3 more times. Actually I complainef about this to a tech at Appliance Centrum and he knew exactly what I was talking about. If you live here, your regular wiring cannot handle 7kw so companies supply products that residential wiring is geared to handle (20A). I asked the tech if they had any real dryers that actually worked assuming that I would supply the wiring an he said yes. He showed mea Westinghouse USA style dryer that had a huge 40 or 50A plug. It looked like a plain Jane Kenmore front load but was rated 230V. The cost was high, around 50K. In the US I saw the 120V model listed at $540. But we needed a real dryer do we bought it and provided the proper wiring. Today is the first time I heard about heat pump dryers and I wonder, could it be that someone has discovered how to dry a load of clothes, say 5kg, with machine powered by a regular 15-20A receptacle? Maybe...but I doubt it. I am not from Missouri but still would need to be shown that it worked as well as my USA style dryer. I suspect the laundromats here also use higher power 7k or even 10Kw dryers.

    "We used a full 40 ft container and packed many fragile items sensitive to shipping. Our shipper offered the service of professional packing which we purchased. Among the fragile items were a large Miller standup grandfather clock with weights and pendulum. Also included were sensitive amateur radio equipment and HD TVs and a large refrigerator. We did ship one mandolin and an electric guitar and ukelele (I don't play that anymore but my nephew does lol). Even the grandfather clock arrived in good condition. I think the container shipment is not much worse than surface shipping cross country in the US and our container shipment also involved a little of that in the US as well plus a bumpy ride from Cebu to Dumaguete. The key is professional packing at point of shipment...cost a little extra; a day's pay for 3 packers, cannot remember cost but not cheap. The other thing is that these packer had it so that almost every cubic inch of volume in the container was occupied. Fortunately Customs here did not empty the container but believed the shipping manifest as it was (it was true) and we had a small duty of about 150k php. We had come in on Balikbayan visa waiver and I believe that reduced Customs charges somewhat."        -@danfinnA "large refrigerator" falls under "regulated items" on the vaguely worded Bureau Of Customs website. Did you need special clearance or special anything for that? I have a small frig I'd like to ship in a 20' container but don't want any extra headaches. Also, did a 40-footer get delivered to your home or did they transfer your stuff to a truck before delivery?        -@jozica

No, no special clearance. But it was on the manifest. I don't think they cared I used to hear stories about people putting expensive or controlled items way at the back, the theory being that they will never empty the full container to see back that far. They did unlock it because they asked for the key so they probably opened the door and saw a jam packed container.  All they did was charge us around 150k duty and VAT based on their estimate

We were not invited to be present for the inspection. Not sure why a "large" refrigerator would be regulated but in the manifest we just allied it what it was, a refrigerator, not "large", not knowing that made any difference. We did not transport my12Ga Mossberg (personal protection device) because the movers refused to load it. At the time I wasn't aware that foreigners cannot own firearms here but I think my wife, ex-Filipina, can. Anyway, I gave it to my kid. We don't need a gun here anyway as it is not nearly as dangerous as people say. We do have a large German Shepard, purchased here, a loving animal to family and those he can see are friends. But he is outside every night, his bark is scary compared to the whiney Filipino wild dogs. If anybody tried climbing over our 12 foot wall with cut glass cemented in to top, one look at that angry dog will send him the other direction.

.

    @jozica
Leviton outlet prices start at less than a dollar at Home Depot or Lowes. I just ordered a few for a project I'm doing on my house in West Virginia. I think I paid 89 cents each.
I bought the washers and dryers in the Philippines. The front loader is Samsung and it was purchased from a mall in Tacloban city. The top loader was purchased from Citi Hardware for my in-laws but nanay couldn't get the hang of it so she went back to hand washing and we have it in our laundry room now. I  ordered the heat pump dryer on Shopee. It is a Beko, made in Turkey, and a wonderful machine. A real energy saver. They all have standard US style 3 prong plugs that plug into the Philippine 3 prong outlets I installed.

Photo of our laundry room.

-@Moon Dog

The Leviton outlets you bought at HD or Lowe's are standard 125v for U.S. plugs, right? The 125/250v ones with the multi-style holes (like your previous pic) are $4 – $10 depending where you buy them. I tried to post a sample pic but couldn't make it work without the whole freakin' page along with it. You won't find Leviton 5825 style outlets at your big box store in WVA for 89¢ I don't think.

"They all have standard US style 3 prong plugs that plug into the Philippine 3 prong outlets I installed."

Thank you. That's what I need to prepare for. I don't want to use cheesy adaptors for big appliances.

   
    "We used a full 40 ft container and packed many fragile items sensitive to shipping. Our shipper offered the service of professional packing which we purchased. Among the fragile items were a large Miller standup grandfather clock with weights and pendulum. Also included were sensitive amateur radio equipment and HD TVs and a large refrigerator. We did ship one mandolin and an electric guitar and ukelele (I don't play that anymore but my nephew does lol). Even the grandfather clock arrived in good condition. I think the container shipment is not much worse than surface shipping cross country in the US and our container shipment also involved a little of that in the US as well plus a bumpy ride from Cebu to Dumaguete. The key is professional packing at point of shipment...cost a little extra; a day's pay for 3 packers, cannot remember cost but not cheap. The other thing is that these packer had it so that almost every cubic inch of volume in the container was occupied. Fortunately Customs here did not empty the container but believed the shipping manifest as it was (it was true) and we had a small duty of about 150k php. We had come in on Balikbayan visa waiver and I believe that reduced Customs charges somewhat."        -@danfinnA "large refrigerator" falls under "regulated items" on the vaguely worded Bureau Of Customs website. Did you need special clearance or special anything for that? I have a small frig I'd like to ship in a 20' container but don't want any extra headaches. Also, did a 40-footer get delivered to your home or did they transfer your stuff to a truck before delivery?        -@jozica
No, no special clearance. But it was on the manifest. I don't think they cared I used to hear stories about people putting expensive or controlled items way at the back, the theory being that they will never empty the full container to see back that far. They did unlock it because they asked for the key so they probably opened the door and saw a jam packed container.  All they did was charge us around 150k duty and VAT based on their estimate
We were not invited to be present for the inspection. Not sure why a "large" refrigerator would be regulated but in the manifest we just allied it what it was, a refrigerator, not "large", not knowing that made any difference. We did not transport my12Ga Mossberg (personal protection device) because the movers refused to load it. At the time I wasn't aware that foreigners cannot own firearms here but I think my wife, ex-Filipina, can. Anyway, I gave it to my kid. We don't need a gun here anyway as it is not nearly as dangerous as people say. We do have a large German Shepard, purchased here, a loving animal to family and those he can see are friends. But he is outside every night, his bark is scary compared to the whiney Filipino wild dogs. If anybody tried climbing over our 12 foot wall with cut glass cemented in to top, one look at that angry dog will send him the other direction.


.
   

    -@danfinn

Oh, the size of the frig isn't relevant. I just quoted you and mentioned my frig is portable. Here's why I asked ...

From the BOC website:

1. WHAT ARE REGULATED IMPORTATIONS/EXPORTATIONS?

Regulated Imports/Exports are goods which are subject to (import/export) regulations by concerned government regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), etc.

Regulated goods may be imported or exported only after securing (from the concerned government regulatory agency) the necessary permit/s, clearance/s, license/s, or any other requirements, prior to importation or exportation, as the case may be.

Regulated Imports/Exports include, but are not limited to, the following:

Food products (processed or unprocessed, plant products, animal products, aquatic products, drugs and chemical products, used motor vehicles, electrical appliances, telecommunication equipment, tobacco products, mineral products, etc.

    @jozica
Come taste the country. Power for me was never an issue as you can purchase adaptors cheaply to suit 220 volt GPO's to suit any plug type. Our appliances suited the voltage but not all the frequency difference so never bothered to send those items from Oz.  Simply make sure that water heaters, dryers and heavy loads are protected with the correct size breaker, if you are buying local then all will plug in providing the correct sized GPO and breaker. 15, 20, 30 and even 40 amps or more have dedicated plug connections and trying to plug a water heater or dryer into a 20amp outlet could lead to grief, if unsure consult an electrician to put you on the right path.

OMO but I see that you are overthinking electrical connections especially if you are buying appliances here and not shipping, remember the voltage difference.

Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

I own several adapter kits from traveling overseas. They're good for temporary use but too cheesy for permanent installs. I'd rather do it right. I will limit the amount of electrical gadgets I bring from the states but some items will require converters. I'm not overthinking anything, just don't want to get there and go, "Oh damn, I should've bought the outlets in the states, or this tool or that tool." I expect plenty of other headaches in PH but ones I can prevent I want to prevent. I asked my PH realtor to take closeup pics of outlets in the laundry room and kitchen but she forgot. From what I can see in distant pics are 2-prong round style outlets. I want to be prepared to make new appliances compatible, that's all.

@jozica explained: "(regulated items)...products, mineral products, etc.

A very large list. It looks like everything is regulated. The "etc." at the end explains it.

    @jozica Just remember, if you install USA 125V Leviton outlets here,
1. The outlets are not universal. You can only use the for Philippine and USA (and maybe Japan) products.

2. Given that, your 230V supply voltage will be OK but will flambeau your USA products unless you connect a transformer which you will plug into rather than the Leviton (etc) USA outlets, obviating the advantages of the USA outlet if any.

3. The Leviton outlets are grounded:

       A. The ground pin is mainly decorative here.  PEC distribution does not ground at the residence. Instead, the bare (usually) neutral is supposedly earth grounded at the power pole, at least if they are following international ISO/EIC specifications. I have never seen even that, however. Some people ground that 3rd pin to rebar 🤣🤣 I think that is so funny, hoping the rebar is continuous to the cement floor etc.. Sure,  guaranteed to handle 50 amps to blow a 30 A breaker right? Lol.

       B. The usually decorative ground pin takes up space preventing you from installing 3 gang receptacles.

        C. Philippine outlets by Phillips and OMNI are greatly improved in quality. You used to sometimes see 240V metal sticking out from the terminals, being a shock hazard especially to kids crawling on the floor. In those days our outlets were installed chest high to protect the kids. Now the quality is much better but I still recommend child proofing them.
   

    -@danfinn

I wouldn't install Leviton 125v. Don't see any use for that, that I can think of. Maybe Texas James converted his entire house to use U.S. equipment. Stopped watching his videos before the house was completed. Forgot all about that guy ... he made some great videos.

        @jozicaCome taste the country. Power for me was never an issue as you can purchase adaptors cheaply to suit 220 volt GPO's to suit any plug type. Our appliances suited the voltage but not all the frequency difference so never bothered to send those items from Oz.  Simply make sure that water heaters, dryers and heavy loads are protected with the correct size breaker, if you are buying local then all will plug in providing the correct sized GPO and breaker. 15, 20, 30 and even 40 amps or more have dedicated plug connections and trying to plug a water heater or dryer into a 20amp outlet could lead to grief, if unsure consult an electrician to put you on the right path.OMO but I see that you are overthinking electrical connections especially if you are buying appliances here and not shipping, remember the voltage difference.Cheers, Steve.        -@bigpearl

I own several adapter kits from traveling overseas. They're good for temporary use but too cheesy for permanent installs. I'd rather do it right. I will limit the amount of electrical gadgets I bring from the states but some items will require converters. I'm not overthinking anything, just don't want to get there and go, "Oh damn, I should've bought the outlets in the states, or this tool or that tool." I expect plenty of other headaches in PH but ones I can prevent I want to prevent. I asked my PH realtor to take closeup pics of outlets in the laundry room and kitchen but she forgot. From what I can see in distant pics are 2-prong round style outlets. I want to be prepared to make new appliances compatible, that's all.
   

Honestly, if you are at the point of importing USA outlets I would have to call that overthinking, plus, it is totally unnecessary. Here they have electrical supply companies that do sell high quality, internationally approved, safe and correct products for your application. In Dumaguete that would be a company called Polaris. These suppliers are the ones who sell you exterior pole transformers,  branch GFCIs, main power CB's (50-200A), service boxes for bringing the power in and mounting circuit breakers, "good" regulators and step down transformers; at these places you will find high quality and your electrical utility will approve their products. Make sure you understand your transformer needs and know that you may need to buy one or even two 5KVA transformers over here to handle your high heat kitchen appliances or don't bring them at all. We bought a few 5KVAs, one for the large refrigerator; there is a very interesting approximation formula for refrigerator volume vs transformer size; 26 cubic feet needs 5KVA...and it works out.

    @jozica explained: "(regulated items)...products, mineral products, etc.
A very large list. It looks like everything is regulated. The "etc." at the end explains it.
   

    -@danfinn

Agreed, that's why I asked if there's a more detailed list besides the vaguely worded BOC one.

@jozica 
Honestly, if you are at the point of importing USA outlets I would have to call that overthinking, plus, it is totally unnecessary. Here they have electrical supply companies that do sell high quality, internationally approved, safe and correct products for your application. In Dumaguete that would be a company called Polaris. These suppliers are the ones who sell you exterior pole transformers,  branch GFCIs, main power CB's (50-200A), service boxes for bringing the power in and mounting circuit breakers, "good" regulators and step down transformers; at these places you will find high quality and your electrical utility will approve their products. Make sure you understand your transformer needs and know that you may need to buy one or even two 5KVA transformers over here to handle your high heat kitchen appliances or don't bring them at all. We bought a few 5KVAs, one for the large refrigerator; there is a very interesting approximation formula for refrigerator volume vs transformer size; 26 cubic feet needs 5KVA...and it works out.
   

    -@danfinn

If parts are readily available, that's great. I just hear other PH expats on other sites complain that nothing's in stock and they can't find anything. I haven't been there yet, that's why I ask questions.

@jozicak Agreed, that's why I asked if there's a more detailed list besides the vaguely worded BOC one.

I looked for the same, focusing on ham radio equipment in my case. But it is more complex than you may think. If you are shipping products like refrigerators, ham radios and the like, you will be creating commercial invoices showing qty, part numbers description, international harmonized customs code, value, etc.. What you are finding are the IHCs used by commercial importers and exporters. However you will be shipping residential goods in a one time importation. Your shipment will be handled on a different basis. If you are here and you import a refrigerator, then the shipper will send it to Philippines customs who will assess VAT according to value and Duty according to IHC code for refrigerators and value. He will attach a commercial invoice to your shipment. But that is a commercial transaction. Your one time importation is not handled like that; they will just assess a payment loosely based on your manifest. If you think their assessment is too high you can explain why and possibly negotiate. Also, with certain visas like SRRV you do not have to pay the first $7K in customs fees if I have the number right and Balikbayans also get a good deal like that. Since your shipment is non-commercial, you do not use the commercial invoice process which is where IHC codes apply. One time I brought a ham radio into customs at the airport by declaring in the red line (not 'nothing to declare' green line). I had a receipt for the value, the agent asked what it was and I said an amateur radio...he gave me some approval slip with me paying nothing and told me it was ok to proceed and he went on to the next customer. When I got my Philippines amateur radio license, I had to show that slip to add that radio legally to my license. No codes involved.

@jozica If parts are readily available, that's great. I just hear other PH expats on other sites complain that nothing's in stock and they can't find anything. I haven't been there yet, that's why I ask questions.

Well if you are convinced that nothing is in stock, that is a new perspective as to what you been saying regarding the advantages of importing outlets and everything else. Personally I don't have the energy to keep up. I think you want people to agree that importing that stuff is a great idea. I won't agree but this is a democracy so you could take a vote 😂

Over thinking and underthinking can be the bane of ones life, country matters nort.

Bringing goods or buying here matters little, most things available here locally or online.

As Dan said  you can buy fixes here easily, adaptors/transformers/step ladders and the occasional left handed ferret sexing machine.

To jozica, never been here and you are already planning power connections? Come and see if the flavours and culture of the Philippines is palatable first. PH. is not for every one. An acquired taste I think.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

    @jozica If parts are readily available, that's great. I just hear other PH expats on other sites complain that nothing's in stock and they can't find anything. I haven't been there yet, that's why I ask questions.
Well if you are convinced that nothing is in stock, that is a new perspective as to what you been saying regarding the advantages of importing outlets and everything else. Personally I don't have the energy to keep up. I think you want people to agree that importing that stuff is a great idea. I won't agree but this is a democracy so you could take a vote 😂
   

    -@danfinn

Huh? Asking questions means I'm "convinced" or made up my mind? If that were the case, I wouldn't need to ask questions, would I? Truth is, I'd rather buy everything there at a nearby Citi Hardware. That means less packing at this end. You sound like you convinced yourself that I'm convinced of something. It's called preparation. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. I'm shipping a freakin' container. Now's my chance to fill it with everything I may need that I may not find there. Geez.

    Over thinking and underthinking can be the bane of ones life, country matters nort.
Bringing goods or buying here matters little, most things available here locally or online.
As Dan said  you can buy fixes here easily, adaptors/transformers/step ladders and the occasional left handed ferret sexing machine.

To jozica, never been here and you are already planning power connections? Come and see if the flavours and culture of the Philippines is palatable first. PH. is not for every one. An acquired taste I think.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

I already have a house there.

Never met me, know nothing about me, and you are already judging??????

Huh? Asking questions means I'm "convinced" or made up my mind? If that were the case, I wouldn't need to ask questions, would I? Truth is, I'd rather buy everything there at a nearby Citi Hardware. That means less packing at this end. You sound like you convinced yourself that I'm convinced of something. It's called preparation. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. I'm shipping a freakin' container. Now's my chance to fill it with everything I may need that I may not find there. Geez.

Please find somebody else to argue with. As I said, I just don't have the energy anymore for the kind of drama you are looking for. You are not shipping a container, you are shipping half a container, You apparently have a lot of room left so you are looking for things to import...at least that is today's story. That 20 ft half shipment will cost you $7K with perhaps $2K duty. We shipped all of our household goods with 40 ft and no room to spare. Maybe you just don't own enough to make the shipment worthwhile. What are you going to do with a garage full of Leviton outlets anyway? Good luck, stop the drama, chill and learn to relax 👍.

        Over thinking and underthinking can be the bane of ones life, country matters nort.Bringing goods or buying here matters little, most things available here locally or online.As Dan said  you can buy fixes here easily, adaptors/transformers/step ladders and the occasional left handed ferret sexing machine.To jozica, never been here and you are already planning power connections? Come and see if the flavours and culture of the Philippines is palatable first. PH. is not for every one. An acquired taste I think. OMO.Cheers, Steve.        -@bigpearl

I already have a house there.

Never met me, know nothing about me, and you are already judging??????
   

    -@jozica

Whoopdedoo you have a house here. You say that because you yourself want to be "judged' in a positive light. Well, nobody cares about owning houses; that has both pro's and cons as I can attest... If you want to stop negative judgements cut the drama.

    Huh? Asking questions means I'm "convinced" or made up my mind? If that were the case, I wouldn't need to ask questions, would I? Truth is, I'd rather buy everything there at a nearby Citi Hardware. That means less packing at this end. You sound like you convinced yourself that I'm convinced of something. It's called preparation. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. I'm shipping a freakin' container. Now's my chance to fill it with everything I may need that I may not find there. Geez.
Please find somebody else to argue with. As I said, I just don't have the energy anymore for the kind of drama you are looking for. You are not shipping a container, you are shipping half a container, You apparently have a lot of room left so you are looking for things to import...at least that is today's story. That 20 ft half shipment will cost you $7K with perhaps $2K duty. We shipped all of our household goods with 40 ft and no room to spare. Maybe you just don't own enough to make the shipment worthwhile. What are you going to do with a garage full of Leviton outlets anyway? Good luck, stop the drama, chill and learn to relax 👍.
   

    -@danfinn

I asked a few basic questions here, regrettably. All I wanted were a few answers. You are the dramaqueen creating all the drama. Is there a mute button here? Maybe you should put me on block before you pee your socks and blow another head gasket. I didn't know a 20-ft container is not a container. Are we splitting syllables now? I really don't care if you stuffed a 40-footer with garbage I would never own. What is your point? I decided to take only a 20' container's worth. The rest can stay at my home in the states. I simply need a container for large items. I will only change outlets where I need to, if I need to. Maybe you should go outside, get some fresh air, do some exercise, and open your mind a little.

            Over thinking and underthinking can be the bane of ones life, country matters nort.Bringing goods or buying here matters little, most things available here locally or online.As Dan said  you can buy fixes here easily, adaptors/transformers/step ladders and the occasional left handed ferret sexing machine.To jozica, never been here and you are already planning power connections? Come and see if the flavours and culture of the Philippines is palatable first. PH. is not for every one. An acquired taste I think. OMO.Cheers, Steve.        -@bigpearlI already have a house there. Never met me, know nothing about me, and you are already judging??????        -@jozica

Whoopdedoo you have a house here. You say that because you yourself want to be "judged' in a positive light. Well, nobody cares about owning houses; that has both pro's and cons as I can attest... If you want to stop negative judgements cut the drama.
   

    -@danfinn

I said I own a house to explain why I care about "power connections". Seriously, you are not mentally equipped to psychoanalyze anybody. Stick to your ham radio hobby. 

You own a house here as a foreigner? Well done.

Cheers, Steve.

danfinn said. . . . Well, nobody cares about owning houses; that has both pro's and cons as I can attest...

********************************

You got that right brother.

Homes require repair and as you get older it's harder to do.  Before I moved here I  rented an apartment in Las Vegas for 13 years, what a convenience sending an email to the office and have the repair done the next day.

Prior to that I lived in houses my whole life.

Now in the Philippines I'm living in a house again (my wife's). Some of the repairs I was once able to do, somebody else has to do for me, either my stepsons or outside handymen. Even changing a light bulb, I wont take the risk of standing on a chair. 

I'm not about to enter this food fight, what ever floats your boat is fine with me.

Yet another one Bob, some times they are hard to resist. (food fights)

How many expats does it take to change a light globe? As you say best to get someone else that is more nimble.

I have slowed down heaps and I'm only 64, not so steady on a ladder and even worse with hard labour. The beauty here is that getting locals is inexpensive and seems to work,,,,, when you can get them.

What I found interesting is that jozica owns a house here and has never visited the Philippines, Ben and I looked for 4 plus years before we purchased and sure I own the buildings and improvements but not the land, long term lease etc.

When we shipped a 20 ft container it was all quality goods and furniture, all our white goods in Oz were left in our house there and sold with the property, the reasoning was simple, right voltage but wrong frequency and most items were 5 to 10 years old. Simply purchased new. We only sent electrical goods that were rated 50/60Hz. No need for transformers as our gear was the same voltage as here.

It seems interesting that power points have played such an interesting roll when already pointed out that all are readily available here.

Shipping stuff here in a container without an SRRV exemption (limits apply) or the returning Filipino exemption (limits apply) and a few other types I would be more worried about duties and taxes to pay instead of power outlets.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Every time I look on Lazada for that left handed ferret sexing machine it's out of stock.

53 footer, or it's not a container. Just a box.

As an ex-trucker that pulled nothing but 53' trailers and having lived a year here in Cebu now, I think the entire island would explode if they allowed 53' containers here and Filipino truckers tried to navigate the city. lol And then the TOW TRUCKS! OMG they couldn't handle it!

Tell me about it Larry, selling stuff that's out of stock.

All my power outlets (GPO's) are universal no matter the pin configuration, all available in store or online and was the least of my worries here.

The left handed Ferret sexing machine was discontinued some 40 years ago I believe, seems the Ferrets worked that out,,,,,, a bit like power points?

Cheers, Steve.