With all due respect, i understand how disapointing Manila is, especially on its peak hours. But branding Manila as the "disgrace of the whole South East Asia" is not fair. NAIA is yes , the most pathetic airport but I'd been to alot of SEA cities and i beg to disagree. It will be appreciated if you could have been more careful on your "branding".
too bad, it will be hard for you to come back! That is if you still want to come back. dont worry sir. a few years from now an improvement will happen! thanks for this, the local news has reported it and the officials might do something about it. nothing is perfect. and all those imperfections help us do better!
i hope that you will make another blog post a few years from now.
Can't fix anything if one begins with lying Thank you.
In three weeks, I'll be flying from upstate NY back to the Philippines to stay permanently. I'm looking for honest (and even disparaging) articles like yours so I can brace myself for what to expect. You won't change my mind, of course. There is as much to hate about upstate NY (the ice storms, the property taxes, tube tomatoes) as there is to hate in the Philippines. But I have a better chance of surviving the next ten years comfortably in the bosom of my family in the Philippines than I do in the state of New York alone.
Your blog is a great help. Thanks.
I agree Hi,
Well, I agree with everything that you've said.
You've pretty much stepped on the infamous (or not) Filipino pride. Most of the reactions, imo, are coming from the fact that most of the Filipinos want Manila (and the Philippines) to improve but are completely powerless to do it and I suppose that's what hurts Filipinos more.
The common Juan can't do anything about it - even come election time when it is time to vote for leaders, etc. (Surely, having worked for/with the ADB that you are aware of this.)
But, hey, you've every right to say what you think and I respect that.
I mean, I really think that Terminal 3 should be the new terminal for international flights because it offers much more than NAIA.
But politics has, is and will ruin everything for every Filipino - unless something drastic changes things.
I've lived, studied and worked in the UK for five years and have traveled to and from the Philippines a lot of times over the years.
I'd like to discuss this more but obviously you've work to do.
Kind regards
Just got to reply to this one: Breaking my rule that abusive comments should be authored... but this one deserves a reply:
Quote: "What gives you the right to call manila in so many condescending ways? you have the audacity to make such an article.fuck you white trash piece of shit.if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all.fuck you, bitch.thank you."
Email: bitch@yahoo.com - signed awesomeperson
OK, let's deconstruct this: I assume we all agree that free speech is something we support? Apparently NOT unless what one says is always complimentary. My right, friend, is the same right you get to call me "white trash piece of shit". You know what? I not only support that right but I celebrate we have the means for you to say that. Actually, I seem to recall (indrawn breath because here he goes again) that it was "white trash" that freed the Philippines from the Japanese? That freedom at the cost of white trash lives gives you the opportunity to berate me for my opinions. Or perhaps I am as wrong about that as I am about Terminal 1 at NAIA? But clearly you are not confident enough to actually say who you are, whereas I am. And if I have nothing nice to say and should be silent, then why not apply the rule to yourself? I can't recall (too old and into my sex traveller, faggoty and pedophile activities) but I don;t think I used the F-Word once in my post? And if you read my post about the Rihab Rotana hotel in Dubai, you'll find that I can be quite polite - about a great hotel run entirely by Filipinos. Food for thought if indeed you have a brain to think with:) LoL
I just had to repeat this one:) LoL Quote: "I think hate blogs is beginning to be the trend these days. Especially coming from an old pedophile bloke who travels to Asians countries and creates insults on its country/people/culture afterwards. Forgive the old man, he is going to die soon. And you know where he's going to, a "drab and dirty place" called hell! Cheers mate! :)
Email: brando.braganza@yahoo.com"
Isn't this wonderful? I'm a "racist faggot", a "sex traveller (Mr. Brian James) and now a pedophile. You wonder what makes these people tick. And I must say that the REALLY BAD comments all come from us white folks. Filipinos do disagree with me, but in the main politely. So I withdraw my comments on literacy etc..... The level of comment from Europeans has been generally FAR worse than from those actually the subject of my post.
I totally get your point. And I'm Filipino. I\'m Filipina living about two hours from Manila and I often visit there since that\'s the capital so somehow I have no choice? lol Yes, Manila is the country\'s capital but it\'s probably one of the most horrible place in the country (and yes, more probably in Asia). There\'s the bad traffic, pollution, over-crowded malls (or anywhere actually), over-charging taxi drivers, race-car like bus drivers (lol), squatters, and pick-pockets. Also, what I hate most is the unappealing smell everywhere I turn. Why does it stink everywhere?
I\'m sure people especially my fellow Filipinos will bash my comment but I don\'t care. I\'m just stating the truth. Guys are you blind?? I believe that our country have a huge potential but I don\'t know why instead of improving, we just keep on falling down the ladder. I wonder what our government officials are doing. :/ I wonder where our tax is going. Some people\'s pocket maybe?
Seriously? What gives you the right to call manila in so many condescending ways? you have the audacity to make such an article.fuck you white trash piece of shit.if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all.fuck you, bitch.thank you.
You are awesome. Im a 16 year old Filipino and yeah. you're totally right. Some Filipinos are make believing in themselves that they are giving the best hospitality to Foreigners/Aliens, this blog is a fantastic eye-opener for those who work at NAIA and Hotels. I believe that we are very insensitive with the fact that Manila is dreadful as it can be. I must share this on Facebook. Thank you very much! SALUTE!
Truth hurts Please excuse my countrymen's lash of anger at your post.It seems that we Filipinos,though merry men,are not fond of criticisms that reflect how rotten our system is.My countrymen are sensitive,and by sensitive,my countrymen does not tolerate their culture to be criticized.
To be honest, I do not see anything bad at all with your post.Maybe it will affect Manila's tourism,but you made it up in other parts of our country.I thank you for that.In fact,if I was given the opportunity to be in your place,I will probably write the same.The truth.
I apologize on behalf of my countrymen who insist that we are better men than our neighbors,we are not,at least,not as of the moment.I apologize for giving you the impression that Manila is a dirty dump,which in some parts,true.And lastly,I apologize for the poor economical growth of our country.We were once a great nation.But those years are long gone.As much as I would like to blame someone,it won't do my country any good.
But as a consolation,I urge you to not lose hope in our country.We Filipinos have a knack of banding together to achieve a common goal.The spirit of Bayanihan is still in our blood.Thought it is yet to be awakened in these times.Rest assured,we the Filipino people,will do our best to clean up or acts.
Thank you for the criticism.It sheds light on the blindness that my countrymen has inherited from mediocrity.
I'd have to sadly agree as a Philippine Citizen we honestly cannot blame the critics... as much as I love being a Pinay and staying in Manila... we all have to admit it is actually true due to the fact that there is too much pollution, there area bunch of rubbishes / garbage in the waters, robberies and other crimes are being commited... so basically we cannot actually blame any critics who say that "Manila is a dump" and actually we partially kind of are "a disgrace" because it is all true.. Because Manila before use to be such a beautiful place... so compare it from now and before... which one is better? I would have to agree... before during the 90's and pictures that I've seen from before during my mother's photos in her early or late 20's it was actually better time than it ever is now. not only that, but it I must add that, is sometimes our fellow countrymen's fault for letting our country go. some of us don't bother (which doesn't include me or my family, by the way) to help actually clean up our town. even if you compare our other Provinces to Manila (I'd know because I travel as well back and forth from here to Canada) the provinces are actually better than Manila itself... And I do mean the provinces and not the downtown areas of the provinces..
there is nothing to see in manila i agree with everything in your post. i ve been wondering what trump was thinking when signed that deal. manila is dirty, crowded and dangerous. im a pinoy living abroad and everytime i go home i make sure nothing is checked in because it takes 3-40 minutes to retrieve the luggage. here in japan, it takes 10 minutes to get out of the airport from the time the plane landed - immigration, baggage claim and everything. (yes, i did count one time). i still do go home frequently though, not because i love the place, but because i love the people in that god forsaken place.
"P.S. No pictures because there\'s nothing worth photographing in Manila, it's drab and dirty."
no freakin way.
i agree with most of your points (i live in manila and i love the city - Manila, not Metro Manila - inspite of).
But to say that there\'s NOTHING worth photographing in Manila is plain rubbish. I\'ve been living in the city for two decades and i STILL find new lovely places here in Manila worthy to be photographed.
I guess you just don\'t know how (and where) to look. The next time you\'re here, give me an email. I\'ll be glad to show you around my city.
re: Philippines - Manila - Awfully Disappointing I think hate blogs is beginning to be the trend these days. Especially coming from an old pedophile bloke who travels to Asians countries and creates insults on its country/people/culture afterwards. Forgive the old man, he is going to die soon. And you know where he's going to, a "drab and dirty place" called hell! Cheers mate! :)
An Eye-Opener I am a Filipino and I agree with your assessment. This should serve as an eye-opener for my fellow countrymen to aim for the highest standards possible. For so long many of our countrymen have settled for second best -- and we have a tendency to attack anyone (especially foreigners) who choose to speak the truth. Thank You.
Just a thought Well you are partly correct about your description about Manila.. But Manila is not the whole Philippines and you should see Philippines as a whole rather than a segment. But I don\'t think Manila is that bad as how you react.. Think about the hoodlums in Bronx, New York.. the awfully dirty cities in India.. The crazed white people who shoots people in the mall.. But does these cities define a nation or a country?
For the Filipinos who simply rant about the status of the country, what have you done to improve its current state? Should we purely blame the government for the state of our own country? I doubt that. So instead of purely criticizing, ask yourself what you\'ve done for the country.
Like the what the late John F. Kennedy said: Ask not what the country can do for you but what can you do for your country.
I
Admit it!! Good day, im also a lived here in Philippines. We should accept the fact on what the blogger says to his blog about the Philippines. He only says the truth and we should accept that. For those sends the blogger\'s fouled comments or messages are all guilty because they cannot understand and accept the reality that the other place here are disgusting. You can see some people chit chatting in the stores or to their neighbors even though they have many things to do in their house, children sniffing rugby or solvents, mens not wearing tops and some says \"Tambays\", failure to avoid loitering or littering because of this you can now know that person because of his wrong doings, corruptions in our government, etc. The blogger only says the fact and truth. We should accept that, you will never heard anyone says if you live in a country with full support on the rules and regulations, find jobs to satisfy your needs, a non-corrupt government, clean environment, etc. Some always make proud on what are \"kababayans\" do to make our country be known but sad to say they can\'t accept the reality on what the Philippines really is. Maybe because of our hospitality so why we are known for but always take a look and think and ask yourself \"Why the Philippines is still part of the 3rd World\".
you said a lot of bad words towards our beloved country..but havent you realise why you say unpleasant words and insulted our beloved Philippines, specifically Manila and NAIA? obviously because you cannot afford any of the five star hotels, or maybe you were just nothing....you better stay inside your room at your country were you do not have any true friend and neighbors because you are a pathetic person....hehehehe
Pinoy Pride Im SURE that so many Filipinos are offended by this blog. Their \"Pinoy-pride\" rearing it\'s indignant head. This is one of the main reasons that I agree with the last part of this blog: \"For the Philippines the question is surely will it ever emerge from the mire into which it has sunk? Very frankly based on my very long experience of the place I really doubt it, in fact it is a “disappearing” country if there is such a thing.\" For the country to change and progress, Filipinos first have to be able to admit to themselves what a sh*t state the country is in. At the moment, any criticism of the Philippines, especially by foreigners, is met with a defensive \"well go back to your own country then, you\'re in the Philippines not in Europe, you\'re in a third world country what do you expcet?...\" blah blah blah or something to that effect. What a defeatist attitude Filipinos have! How long will we be singing the \"you\'re in a third world country\" refrain? When will Filipinos stop their defensive attitude of denial and face up to the fact that the country is a mess? Until that happens, I don\'t see much in the way of progress. Sad but true. :(
.... I respect your opinion about the Philippines, Manila to be exact. I honestly feel about your sentiments, traffic to be exact as I pass through EDSA everyday for 3 yrs. People will agree and disagree on your comments and criticism, Filipinos, of course will defend their territory. Criticism and honest opinions are good, as if you will consider your point of view. However, I feel so much negativity, its depressing to see the state of our country. Thought you might give some of your suggestions after having your feedback, it would nice if you will not concentrate on criticism alone. I\'d like to know your thoughts on how you would think we could improve. This is just a tip of an iceberg of the problems that we (government) encounter. I thought that there are a lot problems that \"ordinary\" people encounter day by day, this is just a minor to them. You are blessed enough, I hope I could hear positive reinforcement from you regarding your concern. We can\'t resolve anything if we just keep on complaining.
Cheers!
You said you\'ve stayed at Discovery Suites \"for the last 15+ years ever since it opened\". FYI, Discovery Suites opened in February 2000 so it can\'t be 15+ years. You\'re sharing what you\'ve experienced and you are entitled to your own opinion. But make sure that you get your facts straight :)
Why don't You go to other places in the Philippines, like Palawan, Dumaguete, Cebu, Siargao, Camiguin Island etc. :) What you said about manila is true but that place is just a TINY spec of the country. It\'s just sad that the city\'s too populated and full of trash and to be HONEST, I swear I wouldn\'t go to that place. Not in my wildest dreams... Why would I go to a polluted place when there are lots of places here in the Philippines? There was one time I was in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and I was reading a book and this foreigner ask me what was I reading about then I told him that I was reading about medicine and out of the blue, he just talked about how he loved Dumaguete City and he said that \"There\'s no Place like Dumaguete City.\" he also told me that he had been here since 1980\'s and he had been all over the world. So yeah, as you had said, Manila is NOT the ONLY place in the Philippines. There are Lots of PLACES to discover. And by the way, the country\'s an archipelago, it has 7,107 islands right?
Economically speaking, the Philippines is indeed a disaster. I don\'t really know how this problem will be solved since all politicians here in our country are corrupt. The Education system sucks, no budget for efficient healthcare system, and those people below the poverty line are just too misinformed and are
easily deceived. Then there\'s the church who keeps on intervening government programs in population control programs etc. It\'s actually and incurable DISEASE that\'s plaguing this country. CANCER of the Society. Sad Truth. :(
Another wonderful comment deserving the highlight of the writer\'s capacities. Stand up Mr. Sy or Jrey Quote:
\"oh come on! this is a piece of shit! Immature and non-sense! I don\\\'t want to put a comment or argument to this blog but it\\\'s like you\\\'re insulting and disrespecting my mother after what good she has done for you and it annoys me and I want to punch you for that.\"
Email: jrey_justguy@rocketmail.com
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
Christine Tolentino Nelmida
non-member comment
With all due respect, i understand how disapointing Manila is, especially on its peak hours. But branding Manila as the "disgrace of the whole South East Asia" is not fair. NAIA is yes , the most pathetic airport but I'd been to alot of SEA cities and i beg to disagree. It will be appreciated if you could have been more careful on your "branding".