Hi Undertaker,
The safest way to send money to the Philippines is via Western Union. There is a fee you'll pay depending on the amount you're sending. The receiving party in the Philippines does not have to pay anything. It will automatically be converted to pesos. You should be very careful to spell the person's name correctly. If the name is misspelled, they won't give the money. They should have a valid identification. And also when they give you the receipt, they are going to put the Money Transfer Control number which is written on the upper right hand corner of the receipt. Then, you need to get in touch with that person in the Philippines either by e-mail or phone to give them the Money transfer control number. You have to know which city she's from so she can pick up the money from that city.
Calling long distance to the Philippines is very expensive, sometimes a calling card from Costco is less expensive.
Take care.