This news from Simon Aiken on the return from his trip to the
Philippines:
 
PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND: (liberally)
 
At Manila international airport, I had a very unpleasant brush with the
agriculture/fisheries people, who insisted that I was in violation of
CITES
regulations.  (Tridacna sp., Hippopus sp., Turbo marmoreus, Cassis
cornuta
and Charonia tritonis are the regulated species from the Philippines.
Naturally I avoid these shells, which are all big common shells in any
case.)  I spent 30 minutes arguing with half a dozen inspectors, who
wanted
me to get the 'paperwork' for my non-CITES-listed shells at another
office,
which would obviously have meant missing my flight.  Alternatively, I
could
have left the shells with them and had them sent as cargo, which would
have
meant almost certain damage.
 
I'm not sure exactly how I windled my way out of it, but Royal Brunei
actually held the plane for me and I ran down the aisle with everyone
glaring at me - but I had my shells.  The inspectors basically wrote out
some 'fake' paperwork for me on the spot.  I was in the bizarre
situation
of being 'coached' by an inspector about what to say to the others, in
order to avoid to looking like bribery was involved!  (Yes, such things
have been known in these countries....)
 
It may be that regulations are being applied on a random basis, and I
was
just unlucky.  (Indeed, I got them to acknowledge the irony that Cassis
cornuta and Tridacnas were on sale at the souvenir shop in their own
airport!)  From what I was told, it looks like some sort of paperwork is
required from the Ag/Fish office in Quezon City, in advance of taking
non-regulated shells out of the Philippines - at least in theory.  I
would
urge anyone collecting in the Philippines to do this and avoid
unpleasant
situations.