NO MORE COMMENTS ON THE PHILIPPINES!!! Folks, I am seriously - I mean SERIOUSLY - bored with hearing comments on my notorious Manila post. I will be deleting ALL such automatically from now on. If you wish to write about the Philippines, my latest post (Jan 2013) is very positive about Mindanao; but human nature being what it is I expect to receive almost no attention about this opinion (it's still only my opinion!).
i was just in the philippines… went twice, the first time was bad the second time was worse (i went back to see if the first time was just bad luck and didnt want to write it off with just one trip)
1) the food is terrrible , actually enjoyed eating junk food i.e. mc donalds (it was a step up)
in thailand i would never eat at burger king etc since thai food is so good and cheaper.
2) constant noise , roosters (even heard a rooster on the roof of NAIA !), buses, dogs , karaoke etc
3) smoke belchers, even though they have emission tests there are still soooo many smoke belchers !
4) no peace anywhere, people constatntly looking for hand outs and women looking for a “boyfriend or worse yet a husband” but i cant blame them i too would want to leave that nightmare of a country
5) immigration, you can only stay 21 days, mongolia, korea, japan, hong kong, singapore and malaysia allow 90 days for tourists ! PI only 21, but you can extend BUT its a $100 a month for the privelage of paying 12 % vat and feeding half the country. they said last year they were increasing the stay time to 30 days but its still only 21 (who is going to take such a country seriously)
6) foreigners cant own property
7) security and danger , if its soooo peaceful why so many security guards ? for my protection? if its so dangerous, i dont want to be there
8) gasoline and electricity 50 % higher than USA, im right now in Arizona and pay $3.09 a gallon that comes out to 34 pesos a liter in Cebu it was 54 pesos a liter last week and the road sucks and drivers are insane, no respect for the traffic laws ! ohhh and there are constant brownouts (blackouts)
9) the beaches suck , even the USA has better beaches
10) returning to the food, in the Philippines the fast food places were around 50 to 60 % higher than USA prices. dont believe me , compare for yourself. whopper jr philippines 80 pesos in usa 1.19 (50 pesos)
i stayed a night at the heritage hotel in manila (100 dollars a night ) and they wanted an extra 10 dollars for wifi access ! omg im paying 30 a night here in arizona for a motel with free wifi !
i could go on and on, look i have nothing against the philippine people . im not angry cause some filipina girl broke my heart (if some filipina doesnt like you just wait 10 seconds and you will find one who does) and i was never robbed (thanbk god) but the place is a dump !
why one earth would anyone go visit there or my insane retire there is beyond me . to each there own but its soooo stressful, i want to enjoy my remaining years in peace and quiet and not having to spend my time filling out immigration forms (srrv retirement visa there is 1400 bucks application and 360 dollars a year to renew ) wow are they nuts ? 360 bucks to put a stamp in your passport ? look ill pay 360 dollars a year not to live in the philippines . ha ha . by the way im not some first time traveler, i have us and canadian citizenship and permanent resident visa in chile/argentin/uk and have visited well over 100 countries but to spend 1200 dollars for a round trip ticket and fly half way around the world to go back to a place like that is stupid ! mexico is just 10 minutes from here and if i want to see poverty and misery its much more convenient and the hotels in mexico are cheaper and you can stay 6 months at a time as a tourist ! ahhh but what about the girls ? i can find all the poor homely leaches i want right here in the USA (just go to your local walmart)
the philippines just isnt for me and shouldnt be for anyone who is rational and sane
good luck and thanks for reading my rant
Manila You obviously have not moved around in Manila for not finding anything worth photographing! Btw. I was happy with my hotel room in China Town. It cost me 20 €. Maybe it is because i know and understand the realities of life better since i am quite poor having to save for my vacations etc.
neo colonialism the thing why evrything is like it is in Manila and the Philippines is thanks to the USA neo colonialism. they are running the country thru their puppet regimes in Manila! I know because i have researched it! On e good book that tells the real story is the Philippine reader!
Saffron Saffron is a costly condiment which enhances the flavor of food. Many fake sources are available for saffron sale. Buy saffron online from a trusted source only.
manila ,first time i flew in at night was brown out looked like a nuke had dropped from sky ,a tip ,toilets smell no toilet paper ,why do gov't have students national clean up week once a year ,wow it's their country but most appear not to care about rubbish and plastic everywhere ,Philippino leaders should be ashamed ,corruption is everywhere ,but all in all the people smile and are nice to mix with ,and the girls are beautiful,well the one i married is
Bad Manila, bad. Lot of hate mail i see. Yes truth is Manila sucks. my wifes friends / family who has moved to the states will not simply come back to the philippines. I am 29 have lived in the Philippines for 5 years now, 3 which i wanted to slit my throat living in Pasig. I have many pinoy friends who work with me, say I live in cavite or quezon, is the main responce (ALL FLIPPING INSIDE MANILA). I finally told my wife (a manilian) who didnt want to leave, I told her that we are moving deep in the jungle far away from manila as possible and gave her a choice either come with me or I will go get a willing-willy girl and we will go live in the jungle and have naughty sex for the rest of my days. (Would I do it????) but, thats how much i hated manila. Either way we now live 40 minutes outside of Santiago city (illicono territory) and it is more farmland nice place but, I want the jungle (had to compromise a little). Back to Manila, I have only found 1 place that sells descent house furnishings that is home depot near mega mall. The famous manila zoo was just disappointing the airport is just F*C* me $15 just to leave the country, and as much people who go through that place, it should be built up like dubai. Manila bay was also just a flop very nasty water and stinky. Mall of asia was okay but, again no real house furniture just second hand Chinese rejects equipment, way over priced. I could probably get a lazy-boy from Houston and ship it over for the price they asked for a piece of crap furniture. I now have province furniture solid wood and built to last. I visited star city, if you have a chance to go pass it up, their was what seemed like 15,000 people walking around and only 5 rides made for kids. But, I am not hating the philippines just manila. OH and I found out the hard way if you open a store make sure you spend above what an average philipino can spend we paid 6K a month on a little cantina in pasig made a profit of 80K a month after food and bills where paid, 2 months later i swear about 5-9 cantinas opened just a five minute walk on either side of us, because people saw the profit, so we had closed and then they get angry because they have to close also, (they just cant understand why). 3 million for a 90 SQM home in pasig, now i have a 1600 SQM house for 1 million where i live. Everywhere you go in manila the prices jump 3 times more, around our house they know my wife so she had to pay more also. Now i pay double in the province but, double means 10 Pecos so i am not crying about that at all, i mean 300P for a goat, not worth it really to haggle i paid 5000 in manila. I dont know really what all the people in manila cry about the NPA, i know a few guys but they dont bother us any i am nice to everyone and everyone is nice to me????????????????????????
sorry thanks for your honesty but in fairness probably the next time you visit like in any unprepared places you should have a filipino or another foreigner who enjoyed the stay there. i agree to your blog only if you intend to find fault and not the pleasure of feeling the community and environment. i hope you could find another time to visit our country for a personal reason than any business schedule or some sort. of course, our country is way far compared to yours and you couldn't compare so many things because our culture dictates so. initially your expectation will be very high if not on the same level because of the many filipinos who work outside, making philippines' name quite famous and noisy, intriguing yet when you come you might say "oh, and this is it?"
Please try visiting the provinces, i believe Manila has been very much abusively polluted and I admit that. Give the nature of Philippines a chance for you to meet, places like VIGAN,BOHOL,DUMAGUETE,BORACAY,SUBIC,TAGAYTAY and PALAWAN would be a nice start.I hope your disappoinment might change to atleast a 3-star rate.
:)) Don't mind the people who get mad with what you say. :) We Filipinos brand ourselves as 'onion-skinned,' we easily cry foul but a lot of times, we don't do anything to make things better.
I hope you can visit other parts of the Philippines where you can have the time of your life. Cheers!
Ouch. Sad. But true. I was born and bred in the Philippines. Don't get me wrong. I love the Philippines. But I have a lot of reservations, too many to mention. On another note, I'm just curious. Re: Ninoy Aquino International Airport tax. When you came back from your travel abroad, did you bring any electronics like ipad, laptop, iPod, camera, etc that you purchased from another country? If you did, were the items taxed?
Filippino and Filippina are the best people but what happened to the country? While working in Asia on a regular basis (American) I truly found the people of the Philippines to be the most loving and friendly of all and the women to be the most beautiful and loving.
But of all the good I can say, the poor conditions that they endure have led them to be unworthy of trust.
They will steal clothes right off of your clothes line if they like them.
After living with a family there for many years on and off it never ceased to disappoint me.
The filthy conditions they are forced to endure are probably the reason for their bad rap.
Especially because of the pollution and the crooked government officials.
My God, I was just appalled by the nasty police in Manila.
On a trip to the airport, within less than a mile, my beautiful Filippina wife who was driving me, was stopped twice for no reason but for the fact I was a white man and in each case the police wanted money and no argument. After forcing us to pay they then wanted to charge us with bribery and wanted more money.
If I didnt love my wife and family so very much I would NEVER return.
I warn anyone who is ever considering a visit to the Philippines to go anywhere else.
It's such a shame to have to say this because i truly would never have found the most beautiful, wonderful and loving woman I could ever imagine if I knew what I know now about the Philippines.
As religious as these people are, the corruption has made them the blackhole of the earth
I would NEVER recommend a visit to anyone.
Manila I totally agree with your opinions about the Terminal 1 airport and Manila..living in the Manila is truly expensive and every business is saving costs thereby making their service "below par". Keep on posting your no-holds barred criticisms and hope our govt listens.
http://lashipix.com Lashipix.com is independently and
clinically proven to give you the look of longer, thicker, darker, and fuller eyelashes and
eyebrows.Visit http://lashipix.com and see
More why Deravera will work best for you.
I just saw this article while attempting to look at online news in Manila. I live in Manila very near to ADB, and my husband works there.
One thing I\'d like to confirm is, that spot in the middle of ADB, Megamall, and St. Francis Square does stink at some point everyday doesn\'t it? When I smell it I always lose the urge to get out of the house.
I haven\'t really had the chance to experience issues in NAIA like you, because I don\'t travel too much. I\'ve never been out of the country. But yes the traffic during rush hour here is horrible. My area is near EDSA, it gets caught up in the standstill. We usually walk from here to the malls.
I am so embarrassed but I have to agree with your comments on the furnishings of Discovery Suites. However they did clean up after us without us asking. They were courteous.
In Manila - outside of the Ortigas we have at least 1 zoo, an ocean park that should have consulted Tanked, Roxas Blvd., etc.
We do have those depressing areas that you mentioned, they\'re quite unsettling.
As a side note regarding one of the readers\' comment, to be rich immediately, invest in campaigning for the elections of the office of your choice. I heard that during President\'s Macapagal\'s tenure, even the amounts invested in the country were mostly placed in he pockets of government officials or people close to them. Also I heard that our senators receive at least a $10,000.00 allowance for each senatorial meeting they attend, plus there is at least $20,000.00 as the budget for food per senatorial meeting. If you buy Kobe beef and caviar, I wonder if the total amount for all senators will amount to P2,000,000.00. Plus their \"pork barrels\". Ugh I am getting a headache... I will be moving to Australia next year for a consulting job... Nuff said!
WOW found this by accident, I currently have Retired in the Philippines from the State\'s, a up and coming 3rd world country. YES the phills has allot of irritating shit, but it has some of the BEST stuff in Asia. YOU HAVE TO OPEN YOUR EYES. There are 2 reasons people come here, (1). Business & (2). The Women. THATS IT, the same in Bangkok and everyelse in Asia. And as everyelse in Asia if you want service and the BEST, well you have to either hunt it out or PAY $$$$$. The Same as anywhere else. If you want the Philippines to change, its people are going to have to do it, PERIOD, As an American living here like General Macarthur, he found a natural LOVE for the Philippine people, and back then it was worse than it was today. WE have allot of shit holes in America a well, everyplace has them. my NEGATIVITY is not going to change it. Do I want it to change, it would be nice to have it a little cleaner, and TP in the bathrooms, but have you been to MEXICO latley? YES change here is hard for various reasons we atre all aware of, but there is good places to stay here that are really cheap, Good food here as well as international fare, but you have to hunt for it, and some of the most beautiful,and sexyiest women in the world, and as I write this I am staring at the one in my bed right now, who takes care of this old VETERAN, and really LOVES me, she new I nwas poor coming into this, and we dont have allot but we have each other. I have met filipinos who give everything to you, and NOT require anything in return. I have even borrowed money from them and paid them back, am I to assume I am any better than they are ? Poor Manila, Pearl of the Pacific......when people come here look for the good, for it is always to easy to see the bad. In America they wouldot treat me for a medical problem I had, I came here and a Filipino Orenital Medicine Doctor trained in China cured me in a matter of minutes so I could walk again after not walking for almost 2 years. As we all occupy this ever shrinking planet, we need to loose the hate and negativity and stand togeather as humanity to build be better future not only for ourselfs, but for future generations as well. We alll keep doing the same things, and it is not working, but we continue to keep doing it, and isn\'t that the defination of INSANITY ?
WOW found this by accident, I currently have Retired in the Philippines from the State\'s, a up and coming 3rd world country. YES the phills has allot of irritating shit, but it has some of the BEST stuff in Asia. YOU HAVE TO OPEN YOUR EYES. There are 2 reasons people come here, (1). Business & (2). The Women. THATS IT, the same in Bangkok and everyelse in Asia. And as everyelse in Asia if you want service and the BEST, well you have to either hunt it out or PAY $$$$$. The Same as anywhere else. If you want the Philippines to change, its people are going to have to do it, PERIOD, As an American living here like General Macarthur, he found a natural LOVE for the Philippine people, and back then it was worse than it was today. WE have allot of shit holes in America a well, everyplace has them. my NEGATIVITY is not going to change it. Do I want it to change, it would be nice to have it a little cleaner, and TP in the bathrooms, but have you been to MEXICO latley? YES change here is hard for various reasons we atre all aware of, but there is good places to stay here that are really cheap, Good food here as well as international fare, but you have to hunt for it, and some of the most beautiful,and sexyiest women in the world, and as I write this I am staring at the one in my bed right now, who takes care of this old VETERAN, and really LOVES me, she new I nwas poor coming into this, and we dont have allot but we have each other. I have met filipinos who give everything to you, and NOT require anything in return. I have even borrowed money from them and paid them back, am I to assume I am any better than they are ? Poor Manila, Pearl of the Pacific......when people come here look for the good, for it is always to easy to see the bad. In America they wouldot treat me for a medical problem I had, I came here and a Filipino Orenital Medicine Doctor trained in China cured me in a matter of minutes so I could walk again after not walking for almost 2 years. As we all occupy this ever shrinking planet, we need to loose the hate and negativity and stand togeather as humanity to build be better future not only for ourselfs, but for future generations as well. We alll keep doing the same things, and it is not working, but we continue to keep doing it, and isn\'t that the defination of INSANITY ?
Different Evaluation of Manila I am a Singaporean and I have lived in major cities in Asia (KL, Bangkok, Hongkong, Shanghai) and the US (New York and LA). For me, Manila is one of the most livable and affordable cities in the world. If you know where to live, where to go, and what to do---you will definitely enjoy Manila even without breaking the bank. I have lived in condos and serviced apartments in Makati, Ortigas, Fort Bonifacio, and Greenhills. I can say that I get the most of of evey peso that I spent and enjoyed safe, superb facilties and excellent customer service. You can enjoy fine dining at affordale rates in literally hundreds and thousands of restaurants (all types of cuisine--but I love Chinese and Japanes cuisines) everywhere in the city if you love to eat out everyday. I love shopping and I hang around Mall of Asia, Magamall, and North Edsa, three of the biggest shopping malls in the world. And if you are a shopaholic, there are hundreds of huge shopping malls spread all around Metro Manila carrying all International and local brands that you can think of. You can also find almost all international franchises such as Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans, TGIF, Chilis, Mini-Stop, Seven 11, Bon Chon, spread all across the metropolis so it is super convenient. The places that I live in and go to are quite safe. Manila is far more cheaper that Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia for comparable standard of living and quality of life. I am renting a 180 square meter 3 bedroom condo now in Greenbelt Makati for only USD 1000. I can afford to hire two household helpers (salary of USD 100 per month for each helper) and a driver (salary of USD 200 per month). All that I can say is that life is good and affordable in Manila.
Different Evaluation of Manila I am a Singaporean and I have lived in major cities in Asia (KL, Bangkok, Hongkong, Shanghai) and the US (New York and LA). For me, Manila is one of the most livable and affordable cities in the world. If you know where to live, where to go, and what to do---you will definitely enjoy Manila even without breaking the bank. I have lived in condos and serviced apartments in Makati, Ortigas, Fort Bonifacio, and Greenhills. I can say that I get the most of of evey peso that I spent and enjoyed safe, superb facilties and excellent customer service. You can enjoy fine dining at affordale rates in literally hundreds and thousands of restaurants (all types of cuisine--but I love Chinese and Japanes cuisines) everywhere in the city if you love to eat out everyday. I love shopping and I hang around Mall of Asia, Magamall, and North Edsa, three of the biggest shopping malls in the world. And if you are a shopaholic, there are hundreds of huge shopping malls spread all around Metro Manila carrying all International and local brands that you can think of. You can also find almost all international franchises such as Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans, TGIF, Chilis, Mini-Stop, Seven 11, Bon Chon, spread all across the metropolis so it is super convenient. The places that I live in and go to are quite safe. Manila is far more cheaper that Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia for comparable standard of living and quality of life. I am renting a 180 square meter 3 bedroom condo now in Greenbelt Makati for only USD 1000. I can afford to hire two household helpers (salary of USD 100 per month for each helper) and a driver (salary of USD 200 per month). All that I can say is that life is good and affordable in Manila.
hey sir, I\'m a Filipino residing in the Philipines (I have plans to leave the country soon but please don\'t say that those who go out of the country are \"smart ones\"---no! actually they are not smart---we are not smart---we just want to escape this scenario but that doesn\'t make us smart I guess.. )
I would like to commend you for bringing this post up close and as straight-forward as you could. I agree with you, Manila is quite a dismay...and Philippines seems to have stayed the same for a long, long time---without progress!
But I would like to clarify as well, that Manila is just a part of our country. You could have travelled a lot in different areas in the Phils, but I guess you haven\'t stayed to different regions for a longer time. Manila is the capital of our country and I agree with you that it seems Philippines is not moving forward. But many provinces and region in the Philippines are having progress as years go by. Yes, we\'re a poor country. Underdeveloped compared to our neighboring countris here in Asia. We did not offer the most convenient hotel suites and our countrY--in fact, is full of debts!
BUT PHILIPPINES IS ALOT BETTER THAN WHAT YOU\'VE SCRIBBLED HERE ON YOUR POST! :D WITH CONFIDENCE, I WOULD LIKE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU,SOMEHOW! :)
Much more--WE have lots of slum areas, poor dumpsites. and the entire Manila seems to be a huge dumsite in aerial view...
But I would like to emphasize that you SHOULD NOT discourage your fellow foreigners to go here..
Have you been in PALAWAN??? a place that offers one of the wonders of the world?
Have you been in BATANES? BATANGAS? CAGAYAN DE ORO? BOHOL?BUKIDNON? CAVITE?LAGUNA? ILO-ILO?SIQUIJOR?ANTIQUE? CAPIZ?
AND THE OTHER PLACES IN THE SOUTH?
Majority of the places in the Philippines are not yet Cities, not yet highly urbanized but that doesn\'t mean that they are not cool places to go!
I MUST SAY THAT I\'VE READ YOU\'D BEEN TO DIFFERENT PLACES FROM AURORA UP TO THE MINDANAO REGION..BUT HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO SETTLE IN A MORE RELAXING PLACE OTHER THAN MANILA on YOUR ENTIRE STAY here? Let\'s say not just STICK TO \"for a month or so\" , but a year perhaps in another province? HAD YOU?
What I\'m tying to say here is that , yes, you are correct for describing ManIla as a dirty Place, but it\'s not just to say that it\'s not good to pay Philippines a visit...or your pay will not be worth it. THE WHOLE IS DIFFERENT FROMTH SUM OF IT\'S PARTS,SIR..:D
As for those Filipinos who are--like me,leaving or left the Phlippines for a better living:
YOU have, WE DON\'T HAVE the guts to put our country down even more...
we escaped this scene, and did you ever do something that could help our fellowmen or our country be a better place to live in?? maybe just through our remittances (dollars or so..) hehe, but we don\'t have the right to ask for improvements though, because in the first place we also failed to take the challenge of giving Phils. a chance to move forward through our very own help,BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO LEAVE...we chose to leave Phils in that situatuon..FOR OUR SELF-IMPROVEMENT..(something that is practical ut not helpful in our state/country)....
Sir, another point that you also take note here is the sevice you get.
yeah, partly I agree. I apologize for getting that kind of service in that hotel. But that is because mainteance or the costs to keep up a hotel here in the Philippines is a lot more expensive compared to your country. Here everything seems to be highly priced. It can be rooted to our poor economy.
But our econmy or our country is also suffering from a \"brain-drain\" phenomeon because skilled workers like me, and the rest of those \"smart ones\" who left the country chose to keep and prioritize OUR OWN NEEDS instead of staying here.
I\'m not condemning those who left this country, because I understand them a lot. they need to address their family\'s needs. But I also wanna clariy that us---\"the smart ones\" also contributed to the slow progress (or no progress at all)that Phils. is having right now. We left this ountry in times that it needed us the most. I\'m guilty to this , as well..
Sir, to be honest, I feel really,really sad to your post.
Not because you exposed what life seems to be here in Manila, but because you generalized the Phils. as a whole..
I was saddened because most of my fellow Filipinos reacted in a way that is not acceptable. They are just hurt by the truth because we love this country so much.
This country has been a home to me for 23 years, yes, I\'m leaving again this coming year to work abroad, but I WILL SURELY GO BACK HERE!
I LOVE PHILIPPINES SO MUCH and I\'M NOT LOSING HOPE that ONE DAY, THE WORLD WILL SEE THAT PHILS. IS RISING AGAIN.
Once I got enough money from workng abroad, I will take the challenge of helping MY HOME COUNTRY and fellowmen get progress...
I WILL PAYBACK the times this POOR COUNTRY had NOURISHED me FOR EVERYTHING AND THE BEST SHE CAN OFFER...
My point is, I\'m happy that you post this!
I will take it as a challenge, sir!
And I JUST HOPE THAT THOSE EX-PATS ARE FAIR ENOUGH TO GIVE \"CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS\" INSTEAD OF REACTING IN A WAY AS IF PHILIPPINES HAD NEVER DONE ANYTHING GOOD TO THEM.
SIR: THANK YOU FOR THIS EYE-OPENING BLOG POST.
AND I HOPE , AND I\'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN PHILIPPINES WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU HOW GREAT IT IS, TO LIVE HERE! AND I HOPE BY THAT DAY, I WILL SEE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF HERE..
AS FOR MY COUNTYMEN WHO HAPPENED TO READ THIS POST AS WELL, LET\'S SHOW THIS MAN HOW GOOD IT IS TO STAY HERE IN THE PHILS. BY BEING AN ACTIVE CITIZEN, DOING SIMPLE THINGS TO IMPROVE THE COUNTRY WHO NOURISHED US AND GAVE US EVERYTHING THAT IT COULD OFFER SO FAR....
:) CHEERS TO ALL!
ONE DAY, YOU\'LL SEE...PHILIPPINES WILL PROGRESS,TOO...
I could be described as a flaneur - Dictionary definition: "an intellectual and physical wanderer, observer of life".
I travel extensively in Asia, the Middle East and East Africa.
My tales, stories and rants here are part fact/part fiction but, I hope, always stimulating and sometimes irritating. PLEASE don't take them too seriously - they are meant to inform but also to amuse and to get under your skin. I hope there's a bit of an "edge" in what I write sometimes.
For those that take themselves over-seriously: it's a BLOG! Not "the Truth"... just my weird personal take on... full info
QuartermainesWorld
Geoffrey James Quartermaine Bastin
NO MORE COMMENTS ON THE PHILIPPINES!!!
Folks, I am seriously - I mean SERIOUSLY - bored with hearing comments on my notorious Manila post. I will be deleting ALL such automatically from now on. If you wish to write about the Philippines, my latest post (Jan 2013) is very positive about Mindanao; but human nature being what it is I expect to receive almost no attention about this opinion (it's still only my opinion!).