Philippines is really that bad?

Hmm.. according to other posts i've read on this forum. I should have been either dead, kidnapped or murdered several months ago.. but last time I checked I'm still in 1 piece, living in the Philippines and as apposed to some other foriegners who i've encountered I actually accept filipino culture for what it is! Not trying to impose my Western values on it.. or change it, just accept it!

I'm British, and i've been here just over a year now. I just mix with regular Filipinos.. of course you get the occasional person out there trying to trick you, but if your smart you can avoid it! I lived in Sucat, Paranaque for about 3 months, then moving to Kamuning, Quezon City, then onto Calamba Laguna!

Heres things i've come to accept generally:
1. Never expect perfect service levels, expect people to get confused at even basic requests... don't take this as stupidity and get angry about it though otherwise you'll end up having a miserable time. I think it might be that the pace of life is generally slower here compared to what I encountered in UK and US!

2. Speaking even a little Tagalog(Filipino) can go a long way! You'll generally find it easier to communicate in difficult times when speaking to the many people who aren't exactly fully proficient in English! As they say here they speak "Kalabaw English!" or you might encounter them telling you that they "have nosebleed". I was never on a high horse about having to speak English, i'm the foriegner here, why shouldn't I at least try to learn their language? The same way everyone in England expects people to know English or "go back home"!

3. Venture outside of the foriegn/rich populated areas, like Makati etc.. they are nice and "safe" no doubt, but in actual fact those places are firstly expensive compared to everywhere else and secondly, their not neccisarily that safe.. i'm pretty sure if someone was planning an attack they'd target those areas! Look at previous news... bomb goes off.. where?? Makati... Army attempts coup by smashing an armored car into the Peninsula Hotel?? Which just happens to be in Makati as well!

I ride Jeepneys, Tricycles, Bus's, Trains at all times of the day and night, usually alone. I'm not exactly a threating looking person, but i've never been bothered by anyone in a negative sense. I think as with any country you need to just be on the look out and act in a way that will ensure your safe. In regards to an old post.. talking about how rich kids ride to school with security and in private cars... firstly that is true.. but its not simply because they need that.. well, if you could have an armed security guard with you 24 hours a day for almost next to nothing salary.. i'd imagine a lot of people would take up that up , its always nice to have protection. but also you'll find generally that the rich or even just above average here have home services like live in Drivers and maids.. that similar classed people in the US or UK wouldn't even be able to afford!

Anyway... feel free to proove me wrong with various stories about short stays in philippines or whatever.. I only posted this since it looks like this forum is only about country bashing!?! I read both this and the Korean sections.. both contained nothing but negative information!

Well - people are just posting their experiences, I wouldn't take it one way or the other. If you have positive experiences please post them.

britmaveric, on 2009-04-06 21:22:27, said:

True, I guess I was a little hasty.. haha.. I've had some good experiences here, thats the reason I was so confused about people saying so many bad things, maybe their just not used to the culture/lifestyle here in comparison to their home country!

Firstly everything is cheaper.. which of course is the advantage of most south east asian countries, for those who want for whatever reason an accurate reading.. here is the price of a few basic items:

For those who smoke: Cigarettes (Marlboro/ lights 20 pack) = 30 Pesos
For those who drink: San Miguel beer = 30 Pesos (in a bar from 40 -80 is reasonable, unless in a high class establishment)

Food prices..
Fast food meals (not essential but a good comparison): around 100-200 pesos for a medium size, maybe 300 for a bigger.
Native fruits around 100-150 a kilo (for mangos at least)
Meat is around the same price as fruit, but depends on the quality your after

Transport...
Taking the bus you can go across town or pretty much anywhere for under 60 pesos! E.G. I go from Makati to Laguna and in total it costs me about 100 Pesos. bearing in mind that its a 2-3 hour journey on the highway! If your taking the train around Manila then you can ride the full route for under 20 pesos!!!
Don't bother with taxis unless you like wasting cash! They will see a foriegner and ask for "Adisyonal" (Additional) because of so called traffic, even if its 3am and theres nothign on the roads!! Just force them to put the meter on or get out!
Jeepneys are cheap.. but of course less comfortable and probably slightly more dangerous.

Accomodation..
Well you can get a reasonable condo around manila area for 18-20K a month. .which is more than cheap enough.. there are lots of other gems you can find for much much cheaper though.. if your willing to live in a non secured area.. but even in the sub-divisions (walled villages) you can find reasonably prices..
Don't use Air-con too much unless you want a 3K+ electricity bill though

Regarding good experiences, I've had many but I wouldn't know where to start with an interesting one!! haha

Welcome to this forum,

about your postings, thank you, very interesting and about the subject, if Philippines is really that bad? I think, it depends what countries you compare with Philippines.

I will be in Philippines again for a short visit of one week on Thursday, but in Cebu.

For example if you are 60s, divorced man and you get a small retirement allowance, you are better off in Philippines than in UK.

However if you are comparing Asian countries next to Philippines, I really doubt, if this is the best choice.

It's not easy to find reasons and to say, this is better in Philippines than in Thailand or Malaysia or Japan etc...

Maybe you could tell us, if you have been already in other Asian countries too, and why you decided for Philippines.

Regards, Yohan

yohan, on 2009-04-07 11:37:48, said:

I'm not the original poster, but I can tell you why I'm going back to the Philippines, the cost. There are other reasons too. After almost four months in Korea, I went to Japan for a few days and I suddenly realized something totally lacking in Korea... the sun! It's always dark, overcast or cloudy. It's also too cold for my tastes.

Other reasons would be too many odds stacked against the foriegner, from clubs foreigners cannot enter to internet sites that require a Korean citizen ID number, and local cellphone which also requires this number, to register and make an account, even just to play an online game! Also the super fast internet, one of the biggest attractions to me, only works on Korean servers, inside Korea on sites in Korean language. Try downloading from iTunes or another site and it will be as slow as ever.

Also many places will not rent to a foreigner without a sponsor. While the monthly rents may be cheap, sometimes cheaper than in the Philippines, the upfront deposits can often rival a year of rent in Los Angeles. Also the pace of life is just too fast. Anyone who's been here knows how often you hear "bali bali". I seem to be always eating too fast, walking too fast, hurrying from one place to another, and never feel like I can just sit somewhere and relax. My stress levels seem to be through the roof.

There are ways around most of these things, and I have great friends here who have helped me with all of that, but in the end, life here is just too expensive for what I want to achieve. Also many of my friends have moved on to greener pastures, like Australia. The fact that they don't want to live here, in their own country, should also tell me somethng. With a bottomless bank account, things would probably be very different, but no ammount of money can fix the weather.

I've also spent a lot of time in Japan and some in China. Expense and visa issues in both places keep me from seriously considering them, even though I loved every second being there.

I've never been to Thailand and probably never will, short of a vacation to see ancient temples or those tall rocks with the little trees on top, seeing as they also have difficult visa regulations and I keep hearing that the locals simply don't like foreigners.

I spent almost a year in the Philippines in the past and similar to the original poster I was able ot just relax into the Philippine culture and lifestyle. The slow pace was just what the doctor ordered and I enjoyed my days immensely, even if I did absolutely nothing for a whole day. I never felt any danger of any kind, despite so many horror stories, and I made great local friends. EVen the idea that the foreigner always pays proved untrue for me.

This is not to say that the Philippines is my number one choice forever. There are many places in Africa, the Caribbean and South America I have yet to visit. For right now, though, I can't see a way to beat it as the place to lay my head.

This post has been edited by teruchan: 07 April 2009 - 05:54 PM

teruchan, on 2009-04-07 16:52:09, said:

Not difficult at all unless you have very little money.

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Complete nonsense from the Thai-bashers who can't get their heads around the fact that Thais are different from Westerners. Thais call us "farang" - so what? Does that make them racist and xenophobic? It's just ridiculous how paranoid some people are.

teruchan, on 2009-04-07 18:52:09, said:

Thanks for your interesting report, so you have been in Korea, Japan, China and Philippines.
I think for Japan and Korea, you need something like a connection to a company with sponsorship, or family relation etc. if you intend to stay there for longer. You need a good employment from beginning on with a good salary or you are running out of money. Both countries are costly for a newcomer without any assistance/sponsorship.

What you write about Korea is quite similar in Japan, still the Japanese structure of administration can be seen everywhere in Korea. I cannot really comment about China.

Philippines on the other side, is totally different, this is an overpopulated underdeveloped poor country, and if you have a source of income, you can stay there for a very long time, there are no visa-problems, to rent something quickly is easy etc.

About Thailand, I think, you should check it out yourself. What you keep hearing is rather exaggerated - it is not true, that Thai people do not like foreigners.

The Thai government is always mistrusting about the HUGE presence of foreigners, however there is a retirement-visa, a tourist-visas, visa related to employment in companies, spouse visa etc.

The general legal administration is functioning well. Foreigners can buy their own condominium. Water, electricity, banking etc. are good operating. No problem with medical help.

Thai people are businesslike - I do not think, they do not like to make business with foreigners. I am however sceptical about private relationship between foreigner and Thai. For some it seems to work out excellent, others will report terrible stories. But this is maybe everywhere like that.

..now this is the type of thread I was waiting to see.

For me a big thing is internet speed. I have heard really bad stories of Thailand's internet. While people i know in the Philippines have speeds faster then me here in Australia o.O

However Thailand does seem cheaper for (non-isolated, comfortable and safe) accommodation then the phils... and that's usually the biggest and most important expense. Its the main reason I would consider Thailand personally

This post has been edited by urbane: 09 April 2009 - 03:13 AM

I take back my first impressions.. this forum isnt that bad at all.. I'll explain my situation here in the philippines, its quite strange actually and not something I would have expected 1 year ago.. if i asked myself what I would be doing in Philippines in 1 years time, 1 year ago I wouldn't have imagined it! haha

Well, initially I came here as a tourist. .but now i'm living here.. I ended up taking a job for a Korean company as the head teacher (after having a few teaching jobs in colleges in Manila, BTW this was after if fixed up my working visa with them)! I then ended up leaving that company due to the insane working conditions and the new manager whom I couldnt' stand.. since he had about as much personality as a brick wall. The owner really wanted me to stay though, he even offered me an increase and a free trip to korea for 2 weeks (but i'd had enough).

Anyway to cut a long story short.. i'm not working for the old manager from that company and moved over to Laguna.. which is much more tranquil and peaceful than other places I stayed before.. I live in their house rent free.. still recieve a decent salary and I'm also still teaching from time to time.. but we use an online video system. So all the students are over in Korea.. So its like i'm getting the taste of 2 different cultures! I'm even learning Korean at the same time, since as part of my managerial duties it will make life easier for me! I quite often do social activities with members of the Korean expat community here (its massive, they are the largest group of foriegners living in the Philippines)! I eat nothing but Korean food.

With Korean people, they are very respect based.. i've learnt a lot of things about Korean culture and I've also learned to love Korean food as well!

Actually my father is 72 years old.. i've been trying to persuade him to come over here instead since he can live a life of luxury whilst at the moment he's stuck in a small house in Manchester.. but he won't have any of it! Maybe he's too attached to UK culture.

I'll admit though, this is actually my first time in Asia!! before this I lived in LA for about a month or 2 (3 trips in total), thats all!! I would consider going to Thailand as well.. however I always saw it as a place where a bunch of backpackers and sex tourists go, for a cocktail of drugs.. nightclubs and girls, since a bunch of UK chavs area always raving on about it! Didn't really fancy that myself.. and not running into those kind of people on a regular basis.

Japan & Korea i'd love to visit at least, Hong Kong too.. i'm not sure exactly why.. but I will do when I get some spare time since i'm now actually in Asia, not sat in England waiting for the next rain cloud to pass!

The general population of the Philippines though is quite uneducated about a lot of things.. especially foreigners.. in their mind if i'm a beggar sleeping on the street because i have white skin somehow my pockets are lined with cash.. haha. So be careful with some girls.. since they might have that hidden intention of either finding someone to buy them out of poverty or someone to furnish them with a nice UK/US visa and bring them over.. only for them to later run off! Just monitor their behaviour and you should be alright!

I regular get the shout "hey man, whatsup?" as well, which is funny even though harmless.. because firstly i'm not American and secondly it seems to me like something that hasn't been used in the US since the 80s!

Has anyone experience rainy season here?? I found it pretty interesting.. at the same time not that much fun but survivable!

My reccomendations are
- Make sure you have mosquito spray or something.. they're everywhere!!!
- Expect loud noises at random hours and don't complain.. haha

urbane, on 2009-04-09 03:09:13, said:

The Internet here isn't bad but can be slow at times despite the advertised speed:

e.g. for 4000 a month you can get PLDT 3.5 meg line, however we have this and we only get speeds of about 1.2.. sometimes less.. upload is a joke as well!
My friend has wireless Sun broadband and that is super sloooooooow! At night though it picks up a little bit.

Expect the internet line to cut occasionally. .and expect around 3-4 phone calls BEFORE a technician comes out, we experenced this with PLDT.

In the past I used SmartBro.. again this cut off several times despite being in manila, but the speed wasn't too bad for the price.. if i remember it was 1000 per month which was only 512kbps, but still performed decently.

My friend has Globe, which he always calls me to come and fix.. the problem is that like the others it keeps on cutting off.. sometimes for a few days at a time! Terrible service.

It all depends on where you live.. if your in Makati or Quezon city you might be able to get yourself a good deal!

The reason for the internet problems here.. if you ever saw the job they did of putting the phonelines up you'd see why.. haha!! Spaghetti springs to mind!

yohan, on 2009-04-07 22:31:08, said:

Sorry for repeat posting AGAIN! but i just wanted to comment on this section.

The Philippines is also similar.. a foriegner can buy upto 60% of a condominum project (as in the building).

Bank accountwise.. I couldn't get one from BPI (Bank of Phillipine Islands) or BDO (Banco de oro) until I got my Foriegn registration card from immigration. But some Koreans told me you can get one from several other banks without it.. like citibank for example or several of the "savings banks".

Philippines is also similar in Business.. in the to my knowledge they don't work well with foriegners (i've heard some stories of filipino business partners running off with the money etc) Also they seem to have a strange business mind in general when operating.. their idea is get the most money from each customer right now.. even if they means they'll never return in the future again!

If you meet a nice girl here in the philippines.. expect to "court" them (they'll take you home to their parents and get them to "approve" you before actually letting you be her boyfriend.. let alone marry!). but not sure on the whole personal relationshp experience.. as i only have 1 year under my belt.. haha! I've had advice from many people regarding it though.. many who are filipinos!

urbane, on 2009-04-09 03:09:13, said:

I forgot to mention internet speed as another reason I consider avoiding Thailand. Mandrake's many posts on th subject leave much less desirous of experiencing such things.

Also I was extremely shocked about Australia. I thought things couldn't get much worse than the speed in the Philippines, but my Korean friends who moved to Australia report that the internet speed they have is, in fact, worse than what we had in the Philippines.

The problem with the Philippines is accommodation. For some bizarre reason rent seems to be totally disproportional and unruly compared to the rest of living expenses and the average wage.

I was planning on renting a 2 story house in the slums, though all my Philo friends told me not to and said it was just way to dangerous. Getting a decent place is almost as expensive as rent in Australia :S

Pedro84-

Your post is a breath of fresh air. I am in the Philippines every year for much of the year.
I rarely post here because most of what I read here about the Philippines is like the 7 blind
men trying to describe an elephant...if you recall that fable.
I spend most of my time in provincial areas and have very little trouble at all with just a little
common sense. 99% of the time when I hear some expat or sexpat who encountered problems,
it was due to the fact that he did something or conducted himself in a way that invites trouble.
So often we attract what we generate. If you are living straight and in a certain moral channel,
it seems that trouble avoids you. If you are generally in the "sexpat" category, it seems that trouble finds you.
Now I am sure to hear from members with their panties in a knot over my generalizations.
Well that is too bad..these are just my observations after travel to over 60 countries and living in 6.
This is not some kind of "religious" observation, it is just an observation about who survives and thrives
in my experience.
You seem respectful and matter of fact...don't be a showboat...live modestly and don's show off.
You seem to have figured it out...but I suspect you would do well anywhere. As a matter of fact, US
citizens living in the Philippines outnumber those living in Thailand about 6 to 1 if you check the stats.
Sure there are plenty of problems in the Philippines...but it is not decending into civil war as now seems to be the case in
Thailand. The Philippines has plenty of third world Chaos...plenty of problems to be sure.
My biggest problem in the Philippines however is not some kind of trouble or drama- it is just the boredom sometimes.
We are planting new dwarf mango trees on farmland in Bohol this year and have recently acquired
a place in Leyte as well that will take quite a bit of time to get into shape.
Trouble? Huh? My biggest concern many days is what I might have the cook make for breakfast tomorrow and if the price of copra is high enough this quarter to get the staff in a happy mood, as they divide any coconut money off the about 10 hectares of coconut that came with the place.
I have:

Cheap living (and luxury at that)
peace and quiet
Happy people around me
Beachfront view
Good internet
great fish and tropical fruit
low stress level.
breakfast served at our bedroom door every morning
Oh..and did I forget the hot wife and two great kids?
Yes...it is really tough here in the Philippines!


Mail me sometime at NateMcD2@yahoo.com

Nate

I myself found Cebu City, where I am now, significantly better than 2 years ago. I am surprised, openly said.

Security is much better, no food shortage, prices the same as 2 years ago but much better exchange rate, streets much cleaner than before, electricity stable, mobile phone network excellent, Citibank-Cebu ATM took 5 seconds to connect to Tokyo, to give me my money in PHP and to display the remaining balance in Japanese Yen.

Most restaurants along Osmena Fuente closed quickly around 9:00 pm in 2007, but are now open until 3:00 AM, the small park in the middle of the circe, formerly closed at night is now open, full of lights and the fountain is even operating. Even policemen around and not only private guards.

Department Stores, like the Robinson Department in Osmena Fuente, are full of goods, including much food supply in the basement located supermarket.

Still, the problem are plenty of street children. But otherwise OK, much better than before is also the situation in the old City Center where the old churches are located. Somewhat cleaner, most restauration work finished, more security around.

No offense NateMcD2 but the only reason you stay "out of trouble" is because your wealthy enough to afford enough deterrent, not because of your moral compass.

NateMcD2, on 2009-04-13 08:10:30, said:

I'm sorry but anyone that can afford to travel to +60 different countries DOES HAVE alot of money to boot.... AND YOUR FRICKEN LIVING IN 6!!!! Rich anyone!?

Also this:

NateMcD2, on 2009-04-13 08:10:30, said:

When I go to the phils i can guarantee you I wouldn't be able to afford 1/4 of all that.

Now a big reason the average sexpat goes to third world countries is because women are CHEAPER Hence most sexpats (in general) don't have alot of money (if they did have money, they wouldn't need to hunt in third world countries).

Now these people with less money will stay in cheaper accommodation, in more hostile and slum like neighborhoods with less security. Hence its easy to say you are staying in a place MUCH SAFER then they are and that's the only reason you don't "bump" into trouble.

So the answer is yes, if you have alot of money the Philippines (or any other place on this Earth) is great!

However for us normal people (including sexpats)... we have much more to worry about then the average wealthy person does.

This post has been edited by urbane: 27 April 2009 - 02:27 AM

urbane, on 2009-04-27 03:23:59, said:

Philippines is not a place for a foreigner to earn money. If you go there, you have to bring your own money with you.
Nate (I remember him from another forum long time ago) is not especially wealthy, but he is married with a Filipina and this of course makes everything easier. He is also one of those US-citizens, who does not consider America to be the moral center of this world.

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Feminism created a hateful environment in the Western world, men, even boys are 2nd class citizens, and family laws are open widely for misuse.

I see no reason however why this should be supportive or why this should be an argument of excuse for Western men to become sexpats in cheap countries and hunting girls there for short-time in exchange of a few coins.

The idea is more - at least for me, and I think also for Nate, to reject Western feminist-minded women in their own country and to meet good, traditional women in other countries. This means women, who are interested into a long-term relationship/marriage/family.

Such Asian countries are not necessarily 'cheap', if you compare the place where I am living with my Japanese wife since 33 years (Tokyo) with income/pricing in Australia or other Western countries, especially not when considering the present exchange rate.

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There is really no excuse for Western foreigners visiting Philippines to stay in a hostile and slum-like neighborhood.

I paid last week in Cebu City, very near to Fuente Osmena Circle, during Easter Season, for a comfortable room with hot-water, toilet and aircondition, elevator, 4th floor about USD 20,-.

In Cebu, safe, clean hotel/pension rooms with toilet/shower/fan are starting with USD 10,- or so in the city and if the 'sexpat' does not even have this amount of cash available, he should better stay in USA or EU or elsewhere in the Western world, work hard and save up money.

I have lived in the Philippines since 1988 in both rural and a small city. I have had no problems what so ever. Of course I do not go down to the harbor at midnight with money hanging out of my pockets either. I really enjoy the people they mostly have a live let live type of view. Dick

Yohan,

I am really happy to read your new reports of Cebu City. I absolutely loved the place when I was there and could never understand your previous reports. It sounds like you have seen more of the Cebu I saw this time. Also sounds like things have gotten even better since I left from your reports. I want to go back.

Cebu City is considerable better now than 2 years ago, and yes, I was surprised, as I did not expect such a nice vacation.

Some foreigners from Germany, Canada and USA I met, shared a similar impression and also some ordinary Filipinos told me the same. Also the Filipina woman who takes care of my fostergirl considers herself much better off than 2 years ago.

Something must be true about it.

I also noticed that a lot of prices regarding electric/electronic articles, which were always rather expensive in Philippines, are getting considerable cheaper.
The present exchange rate made it easy for me to go shopping for everything, what my fostergirl needs for starting High School in June, she finished Elementary this April.

I hope it will continue to improve.
It's good to know about another option for vacation/retirement except Thailand.

Near Fuente Osmena
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Ayala Shopping Center - a part of the Eastern side - construction finished, about 9:00 PM
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Hmm.. I really must visit Cebu.. looks good!!!

Regarding rich and poor and people who are afraid to live near slums because they have some kind of impression they'll be instantly killed/robbed are over reacting.. you can get a BIG house here for 30,000PHP rent a month.. with that budget you can be choosy as to whether you want to goto the country side or within a suburb or something.. for City housing its a little more expensive depending on the area.. you can get a massive house for about 50,000PHP!! But thats if you want to live with your family or something.. if your looking for a condo alone.. you can get a reasonable size for around 18,000PHP in Manila.. Or you can get a house in a poorer area for really really cheap rental costs!

In the philippines just conduct yourself according to their culture.. don't act like everyone around you owes you something.. or that you own the place because in your opinion your "rich" (in 3rd world standards). That the way you'll end up getting robbed, attacked or otherwise. Or if you go out picking up bar girls and then fighting with locals over them then of course again there will be problems!

I'm far from rich.. but I can survive easily in a decent sized house with plenty of food and an easy life....

The cost of living here can either be very low or high.. depending on if you want to be locked up in a secure area where no-one can get you.. then you'll of course have to pay pretty decent amount of money to facilitate that security and 1st world living standard. Although if you can live a Simple life.. trust me you can survive on next to nothing a day.. some days for spending money i've been able to live on only 2-300 pesos.. haha! Thats all my meals and transport included for the day! Try that in US or UK!

yohan, on 2009-04-27 21:44:28, said:

Yes but getting married to a Filipina makes traveling to 60 different countries with +6 houses that extra bit more expensive lol... not to it would be much cheaper as a single man. You need money (and lots of it) to do that.

Not that being wealthy is a bad thing, its just that his morals have little to do with his wallet or his danger status.

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Yes but there are many other countries you can chose to escape from this. Out of every country in the world you could chose to escape feminism, why would you chose a 3rd world country?

The only logical answer I can think of is ITS CHEAPER.

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Ofcourse, but I'm just saying the reason they "bump" into trouble has nothing to do with their moral compass. Nate is no exception to this.

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Was this per day? per week?

If per day then that's a fair bit of money. At least long term