Your view of Manila is very narrow sighted. Manila is more than NAIA, traffic, chaos and a bad hotel. I am surprised that a seemingly well travelled person like you can have such a black and white view of a metropolis like Metro Manila.
I just want to mention your hotel. Rip offs are everywhere and if you stick with your initial choice it shows your lack of flexibility. If I don’t like a restaurant or hotel instead of whining I take another one next time around. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of alternatives to your lousy hotel.
I am an ex-pat living in the Philippines since 2002 and I truly enjoy it here. In fact there are not many other places in the world where I would trade Manila for.
It is not true that Manila is not changing in a positive way. It is moving at its own pace and I agree not everywhere as fast as it should be.
In 2002 there were only a couple of buildings in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig. Now I can’t count them anymore. There are plenty of restaurants for everyone’s taste. They have constructed a world class hospital. I even won’t start to talk about their shopping malls. Sure the City of Manila is the bad student of the class. Lot of filth, lot of homeless people, very few or no improvements. I attribute this to the bad management of the actual and past mayors. But again the City of Manila is not the whole of Manila.
I agree with you that Metro Manila as a whole could do better, much better.
I like it here because I can get almost everything I want (from food to modern bookstores and fashion boutiques). Just outside Manila you can find the charm of the provinces. The Philippines have probably the best beaches and diving sites in the world. Living in the Philippines is cheap and with my budget I doubt I could afford the same things anywhere else.
I agree that in a way Asians tends to be racists (although they hardly show it) but I don’t think that Filipinos are racists. I really enjoy their hospitality and kindness. If I walk in the streets (what I often do) perfect strangers are giving me their most charming smiles. Filipinos will really go out of their way to make me feel welcome.
I guess the problem is not Manila but you. In a way I pity you because you opted to wear blinkers instead of enjoying your stay in Manila and the Philippines. Ingat.
Yes, Manila is FUGLY! Your words the sentiments of most Filipinos who are so disgusted with the state and condition of, not just Manila, but the National Capital Region, as well. Metro Manila is looks and smells fucking ugly! Thank you for your blog.
How Sarcastic People are the ones to blame.
No re-investment because there no investment coming from Filipinos living abroad. They would rather live indefinitely and feel like non-Asians and then criticize their own land without establishing business so that their fellowmen would be employed. Only reason is for their family (either bring home the bacon or bring them out with them) and not for their countrymen and that's it.
boy did you get the "patriots" of my country worked up! lol! i'm from the philippines and i left manila for the island of palawan. my reason? the traffic! and the filth, too- i cant take them any longer. (i hope my fellow filipinos won't stone me to death for that). i just want to say that there is nothing i found offensive in your entry here, Mr. James. If one thing, your comment about the philippines being a "disappearing" country, that made me really sad. not because it's a hurtful comment against my country, it isn't. no, it's because of how much truth there is in your statement. and our airport! my god, what an embarrassment. but word has it that some architects are planning to help redesign the thing so at least now we have a silver lining. well that's all. and lol on the backpacker thing. i don't know how they could possibly romanticize uncomfortable rides, horrible inns and bad food!
Manila Hi,
I am Filipino and I agree 100% with your post...
That's why I have decided to leave my country...it's a disgrace!..that's all that I can say about tthe Philippines
If you can't handle Manila, then stay out! Manila is not for everyone, definitely not for a smug, condescending Brit like you. Manila is for the one who seeks beauty in the rough; the city is made out of tough material where 15 Million or so Filipinos make it as their personal Mecca to eke out a semblance of existence while trying to be civil about it. This is where the Manny Pacquiaos head out to learn how to be headstrong, savvy and be hungry for greater things. Manila is definitely not your prim and proper London where Brits like you grow fat, weak and disillusioned with grandeur yet will succumb easily when the going gets tough. And yes, I stereotype Brits with Hatton who brags too much and yet will fall flatfaced on canvas when push comes to shove. Skip your next flight to Manila since you are not man enough for it.
Fair point @Kim: well, in fact I probably have lived in Asia longer than you, since you write like a younger person and I've worked in Aurora, the Visayas and Mindanao, also probably places you haven't been to. Whatever.
You have a fair point that Filipinos try to make the best of a place that rates down there with Dhaka as a place to live - check out my latest post. So I agree that you do so with a degree of civility missing in more "civilized" places like London or NYC. Just a shame you couldn't say so without the personal insults.
I\'M A FILIPINO! and I agree to most of what this blog says. Only papogi politicians and some stupid Filipino will disagree with what\'s in this blog. Let\'s no be too sensitive about critizism. especially if it\'s true!. We really are a fucked up nation! And Yes, nothin worth fotografing in Manila, sinira na ulit ni Alfredo Bugok Lim ang mga magagandang parks.
I agree mostly I'm Filipino but I agree with most of your comments.
Let's hope the Filipinos realize that there is indeed a problem.
P.S. You forgot to mention the crowded MRT/LRT.
Jean Beatrice Relampagos - she's on Facebook folks. In my continued efforts to give extra prominence to the most ignorant and offensive of my commentators, here's one I received via Facebook:
Jean Beatrice wrote: "That wasn't george clooney you dumb ass grumpy undersexed hypocrite!"
I love it! As would my wife, ex-wife, four kids and several ex-GF's:) Good one JB, you are SUCH a really nice person whoever you are.
What to say...? sigh, its sad that I'm agreeing with you. I've been in a couple of countries in Asia, and I say I love my Country called Philippines but what you say is true and no one wants to hear the truth, if you say the truth you will be called "racist" and if you lie you just fool yourself.
From the Airport (incl the toilets and the corrupt employees)... what you see down there when the plane is about to landing... the vulture taxi drivers... the dirty roads...the traffic jams... the idiots jeepney drivers... too many to mention but my head starts aching... Jeoffrey, I must admit that we might need many of you to at least open some eyes (sorry for my bad english, I want to say it in my own language but just considering that this is your blog, your opinion so I must comment in english and I respect your opinion)
Spot on... It's true. Most of Metro Manila is a dump. This is sad; but what's sadder is that government can do something about these problems yet do nothing concrete and long-lasting to solve them. The problem will always be the lack of guts to make and implement right but difficult decisions.
Yes! Screw Manila! LOL! But seriously, if you want to truly experience what the Philippines has to offer, visit Baguio - Cool climate and breath taking scenery and wonderful people or Cebu - Great beaches and Resorts
Just disregard Manila. Nothing to do there. Move along.
If there's anything I don't agree with, I guess its how there seems to be no redeeming value (or any effort in finding one) in Manila. This is supposed to be a travel blog after all, not a personal one. I guess the author would find people here "smarmy and ingratiating" in the same manner we would call other races' polite manner as "cold", "dull", "aloof", "stuck-up" maybe? It reflects the observer's own character more than the persons he described. As the saying goes "The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he comes to see." Manila badly needs improvement but if you have the right frame of mind and the right company, you most likely will have a great time.
This is one well-traveled person's honest opinion of Manila. As an IT professional, I've gone to different cities abroad; I think anyone could clearly tell (and smell) the difference. I choose to live in Metro Manila, pay my taxes, segregate our trash, worked in a non-profit etc. The blogger doesnt need to be right about everything for me to agree that Manila is a dump. If we're not willing to set aside our pride and learn from this, "awfully disappointing" doesn't even come close to how we'll end up.
I agree with you sir. Seriously though, for me, even though I'm a Filipino, it's alright if tourists can comment and make reviews about our country- whether we Filipinos like it or not. Besides, what's the point of democracy if one cannot express his own opinion? And even a Filipino like me- ha!-going to Manila is like diving in the "pool-of-stress". It's populous and too noisy. I'd rather stay inside my home.
conclusion to a resolution thank you for taking time to post your opinion which has gone hot and way to conclude violent reaction among others specially to my people and had gain you applause for speaking what is in your mind even if some think it to be racist. in hospitality business, we hear criticisms but take it as a way to improve ourselves and our business as well. i understand how you feel and i know that you were not dissapointed with us as a filipino but to the situation you have encountered with when your here.i know that you are concern with us, otherwise you will never write what is in your mind... am i right? and i understand all you want is change, for us to improve.i am not apologizing for the words some of my people had given you but i would like you to understand how they feel if somebody who had visited their home would tell bad things about it. but just the same we should respects each others opinion... and we do not have the right to call people names and judge him because his opinion is the oposite what we wanted to hear.
conclusion to a resolution thank you for taking time to post your opinion which has gone hot and way to conclude violent reaction among others specially to my people and had gain you applause for speaking what is in your mind even if some think it to be racist. in hospitality business, we hear criticisms but take it as a way to improve ourselves and our business as well. i understand how you feel and i know that you were not dissapointed with us as a filipino but to the situation you have encountered with when your here.i know that you are concern with us, otherwise you will never write what is in your mind... am i right? and i understand all you want is change, for us to improve.i am not apologizing for the words some of my people had given you but i would like you to understand how they feel if somebody who had visited their home would tell bad things about it. but just the same we should respects each others opinion... and we do not have the right to call people names and judge him because his opinion is the oposite what we wanted to hear.
whoa... Manila... as for me never had been a good place to stay... i live in the Philippines but only in Bacolod, and was never tempted to be in that place... just thinking about the pollution makes me worry... true, the government is always blamed for such BS but if our people will now work the change within themselves then we are terribly going for a downward spiral.. hurts to have read it from a foreigner but it's a sad truth that we need to know and we need to do... though i do not like your generalization of our Country, by looking an Manila only, but i salute you for your honesty... anyway, try visiting other places you might find something better... Oh by the way, i agree NAIA really sucks... ^_^
Hi Geoffrey,
I came across your post on Facebook when a high school batchmate of mine shared it on his wall. Having thoroughly read your post, I can only sadly agree with your observations and I am disappointed with the closed-minded reactions of many of my countrymen who happened to read it.
The Philippines has been dubbed as \"The Sick Man of Asia\" and rightfully so, for despite the amazing wealth of natural and human resources here, many still live in poverty and terrible practices such as corruption and nepotism run rampant in our culture. It is no wonder that TV shows and stand-up comedians in other countries have taken potshots at us, and it has only been recently that celebrities and other global personalities have been visiting the country in droves. I suspect that Manny Pacquiao (and probably a handful of other local names) is doing the country an unintentional PR boost with his growing global appeal, and that has caused a resurgence in interest in this country.
A friend of mine once taught me that challenges should be taken objectively, and that your negative review should be a rallying cry for the Philippines to become bigger and better than it has ever been. I can only hope that people will realize this before opening their mouths or smashing sentences into a keyboard.
Good read and we do hope that this will incite some long-overdue change for once. Best wishes. Cheers!
If I were... If I were the owner or manager of Discovery Suites, the NAIA airport administrator, Metro Manila governor, or a national leader, I would make a list of your complaints and endeavor to remedy all or most of them. I think anyone who gets criticized should find such criticisms as opportunities to improve.
As a private citizen and a Metro Manila resident, I am aware of your complaints, and on many occasions, have expressed them myself. But knowing that my city is failing in many respects, we try to win the hearts of our visitors (whether friends from the provinces or from abroad) by showering them with traditional Filipino hospitality, picking out some pleasant places in the city (breakfast at Harbour Square, dinner at any of the restaurants in Ayala Triangle Park, Greenbelt, Rockwell, Fort Santiago, Manila Zoo and UST -where they joined us at an advocacy event). From the list, you can see that we took them everywhere, not just to the high end places). My Canadian and German friends who have just left after 3 weeks in the country loved Greenhills "tiangge." They also fell in love with Hidden Valley Springs, Tagaytay, Bohol and El Nido in Palawan. But more than the beautiful islands, they can't get over the friendliness of the Filipino. They also appreciated the fact that we may be poor but we are unbelievably happy. While there was no way to hide the poverty in my city, they chose to look at the hearts of my smiling countrymen. I hope that when you come again that you would do the same.
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
Sidney Snoeck
non-member comment
Your view of Manila is very narrow sighted. Manila is more than NAIA, traffic, chaos and a bad hotel. I am surprised that a seemingly well travelled person like you can have such a black and white view of a metropolis like Metro Manila. I just want to mention your hotel. Rip offs are everywhere and if you stick with your initial choice it shows your lack of flexibility. If I don’t like a restaurant or hotel instead of whining I take another one next time around. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of alternatives to your lousy hotel. I am an ex-pat living in the Philippines since 2002 and I truly enjoy it here. In fact there are not many other places in the world where I would trade Manila for. It is not true that Manila is not changing in a positive way. It is moving at its own pace and I agree not everywhere as fast as it should be. In 2002 there were only a couple of buildings in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig. Now I can’t count them anymore. There are plenty of restaurants for everyone’s taste. They have constructed a world class hospital. I even won’t start to talk about their shopping malls. Sure the City of Manila is the bad student of the class. Lot of filth, lot of homeless people, very few or no improvements. I attribute this to the bad management of the actual and past mayors. But again the City of Manila is not the whole of Manila. I agree with you that Metro Manila as a whole could do better, much better. I like it here because I can get almost everything I want (from food to modern bookstores and fashion boutiques). Just outside Manila you can find the charm of the provinces. The Philippines have probably the best beaches and diving sites in the world. Living in the Philippines is cheap and with my budget I doubt I could afford the same things anywhere else. I agree that in a way Asians tends to be racists (although they hardly show it) but I don’t think that Filipinos are racists. I really enjoy their hospitality and kindness. If I walk in the streets (what I often do) perfect strangers are giving me their most charming smiles. Filipinos will really go out of their way to make me feel welcome. I guess the problem is not Manila but you. In a way I pity you because you opted to wear blinkers instead of enjoying your stay in Manila and the Philippines. Ingat.