Electricity 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN, NOR DO I CLAIM AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE OF ELECTRICITY, CURRENTS, POWER SUPPLIES, ETC.  I CANNOT AND DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE INFORMATION BELOW IS COMPLETELY ACCURATE, AS IT IS BASED SOLELY ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND LIMITED RESEARCH.  I THEREFORE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT, AFTER READING THE ARTICLE BELOW, YOU PAY A VISIT TO YOUR LOCAL ELECTRONICS STORE TO GET A PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF YOUR NEEDS.  ELECTRICITY IS DANGEROUS.  AT A MINIMUM, YOU COULD RUIN AN EXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC ITEM; AT WORST, YOU COULD KILL YOURSELF.  GET A PROFESSIONAL OPINION! 

In the Philippines, electrical outlets are 220 Volts, 60 Hertz.  Some outlets require flat blades plugs, while others require flat blades plus a grounding pin, and a few require round plugs (two pronged plug like a flat blade plug, but in place of the blades are two narrow cylinders).    

The standard in the United States is 110 Volt, 60 Hertz.  If you plan on operating a 110 Volt appliance in the Philippines, DO NOT rely on a simple “adapter” to make the connection.  An adapter merely changes the shape of your plug to fit the needs of the outlet.  In other words, an adapter will allow a flat blade plug fit into a round plug.  But the fact is that you will still be plugging a 110 Volt appliance into a 220 Volt receptacle, which is a BAD thing.   

To get the voltage right, you will need to use a voltage “transformer”.  A voltage transformer is a box with some outlets built into it that allows you to use, for example, a 110V appliance via a 220V outlet.  Be sure to check the wattage if you purchase a transformer.  You don’t want to use a 50 watt voltage transformer to power a power saw, for example, even if you’ve got the voltage right.  Check your appliance’s package or label to see how many watts it requires.  If the wattage isn’t available, but the amperage and voltage is, you can determine the wattage using VOLTS x AMPS = WATTS.   

Check to make sure the transformer is either “Step Up” or a dual purpose “Step Up/Step Down”.  Since you will be attempting to use a 110V appliance in a 220V outlet, you’ll probably want to “step down”.  A European coming to the U.S., on the other hand, would be “stepping up” their appliance, since the standard in Europe is 220/240V.   

Finally, be sure to check whether a transformer is for “continuous use” or not.   

The manufacturers of most transformers indicate that Cycles are not a major issue.  I mention this because North American 110 volt electricity is generated at 60 Hertz (Cycles) AC, while most foreign 220/240 volt electricity is generated at 50 Hertz. (Cycles) Alternating Current.  Transformers do not change cycles, but at worst, normally that shouldn’t matter. Fewer cycles may cause certain appliances to run a bit slower (blenders, saws, electric razors, perhaps) than normal, but they should still operate.  Fortunately for Americans, the Philippine standard is 60 Hertz, just as it is in the United States.   

In your local electronics store, you will see some boxes marked as “transformers” and others as “converters.”  What’s the difference?  Why is a transformer better for an American visiting the Philippines? 

(End of book excerpt – if you’d like the entire text, please consider ordering The ASAWA Guide to Fil-West Relationships.  Thank you!)