Arrival / Departure Fees Manila
 

Hey everyone! It's getting close to my vacation time! Never been to Asia before. Spending two weeks in The Philippines. Are arrival / departure "fees" included in my plane ticket cost or do I need to cough up cash at the airport? Finally, I've heard that I have to go elsewhere to meet my girlfriend at the airport because she can't pick up at arrivals but only departures? No clue what terminal I'm coming in to - buying next week.

Thanks!

After years and years of having to pay at the airport I think they finally got it included in the ticket about 3 years ago. I used to go quite a bit but haven't been since Duterte came to power. MNL airport has always been a real dumpster fire and they also have to be very security-conscious, i.e. don't even let non-pax in the terminal. So, unless things have changed radically, there will be the baggage claim, taxi area, and then a designated area outside for all the family-members and what not. It's important to get the terminal right and communicate that.

Am sure this doesn't apply in your situation, but girls over there are known to like to go meet guys at the airport (e.g. if they know each other only from the Internet), so they can keep them under their watchful eye the entire time.

Correct on all counts.
Duterte or not, NAIA will be NAIA and Philippines will be the Philippines.

Been there, seen it all. Must be the MAGNETIC personalities of the incoming guys?

My experience is that the MNL departure tax is collected in advance (as part of the ticketing cost) by most airlines. But NOT all. You should inquire or study the accounting that comes with the ticket.
And +1 that MNL is a dumpster fire of an airport. God save the person who has to change airlines there. You have to use the traffic packed ring road that circumnavigates the airport to go from one terminal to another. And the Philippines Airlines terminal is a sorry, sorry thing.