if you rent a car, you also need to rent a driver (not always a bad thing) driving there takes a bit of getting used to,I recently rented a van with driver form naga to donsol and back for a bit over 24hrs which cost about 50USD. but going long distances on say luzon, you might want to consider the bus- they have very nice buses that will take you long distances(8-10hr trips) for say 15$USD, just bring a jacket, cuz the air con is ice cold. jeepneys are good for short distances, even cheaper, but ya gotta have an idea where your going. ferry is good from island to island, also not to expensive. these can be fun ways to get around if you don't mind a bit of adventure. if youre limited on time try to get as close to your destination as posible with a flight from manila. if you take a taxi, make sure ahead of time he plans to use the meter. if no meter, get a price. you probably want to pay half to 2/3 of his asking price. to get to remote islands, you can charter a banka, 20-40 ft outrigger boat, for about 40-50 USD a day. more than likely you will need to use a combination all of these methods.ya gotta haggle, its a way of life there. and they will sure gouge foriegners(in a friendly way)Good luck!