Brief Thoughts On Living In The Philippines

Taco · Post by **Taco** » July 28th, 2014, 3:30 pm

This guy forgot to mention Philippines has extremely hot weather.

Brief Thoughts On Living In The Philippines
http://mattforney.com/2014/07/28/brief- ... damage.com

pete98146 · Post by **pete98146** » July 28th, 2014, 4:30 pm

Cool article!

hammanta · Post by **hammanta** » July 28th, 2014, 4:39 pm

I agree with a decent amount of what he has said, but 4 days is by no means long enough to give a solid representation of the country. He may very well hate it in the next few weeks or months. The good thing though is that he is not in Manila, which is a terrible representation of the country.

I think one of the most annoying as well as awkward things I've come across (pertaining to Mindinao) are the naked street children dancing in the road and running up to you beating on your leg for coins. God forbid you give them a piso, then they all storm.

zboy1 · Post by **zboy1** » July 28th, 2014, 7:20 pm

I like this comment the best (about USA compared to the Philippines): "Ay - the land of the free My ass."

polya · Post by **polya** » July 28th, 2014, 8:23 pm

I disagree with his point about it being a "safe" country - he must be staying somewhere real nice and not walking away from the nice streets. There's so many dangers e.g. traffic, rabies from dogs, mosquitoes...

Mr S · Post by **Mr S** » July 29th, 2014, 2:42 am

polya wrote:I disagree with his point about it being a "safe" country - he must be staying somewhere real nice and not walking away from the nice streets. There's so many dangers e.g. traffic, rabies from dogs, mosquitoes...

PI in general is way safer than in America IMO. The only problem is generally petty theft and swindling and that's usually due to one's own stupidity for not paying attention to their surroundings or safeguarding their money or things properly. I've been pick pocketed twice in the 10+ yrs I've lived here and that was due to my own negligence. The other issues are not really safety issues but more health/well-being such as pollution, traffic, over-crowdedness, subpar educated individuals, insouciance of the average person, low quality native goods/services, street bums/kids. Other than that, which is adaptable in my opinion, is way easier to deal with than a Fascist police state America.

The temperature is not that bad during the wet season and end/beginning of the year. It only gets extremely hot between 30-40 C usually between late March to early June. Besides that, it's tolerable for most people who can bear 25-30 degree C temps which is average in most parts of the country during the year unless you're in the mountains which then would be cooler.

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » July 29th, 2014, 5:28 am

polya wrote:I disagree with his point about it being a "safe" country - he must be staying somewhere real nice and not walking away from the nice streets. There's so many dangers e.g. traffic, rabies from dogs, mosquitoes...

Yes, correct, but why should he, as a foreigner spending only a few days in Philippines, walking away from the nice places looking out for anything negative?

Davao City in general is one of the well-known safe cities, and it has plenty of private guards, police and military - I never heard any complaints about security in Davao, even not from locals.

The Southern Muslim area is a totally different story, do not go there!

I am visiting the Philippines frequently, but usually only for Cebu region, where my Filipina fosterdaughter is living, she is now 19, and I think I know CebuCity/MandaueCity/Mactan very well.

For sure it's not only Philippines, which has some security issues. I heard terrible things about various places in Mexico and other Latin American countries, I also heard terrible stories about some cities in USA, like about the suburbs of Detroit. Try out Pakistan and you will consider Philippines as a paradise regarding safety, cleanliness etc. etc.

About myself, what I am doing and not doing while in Cebu:

There is really no reason to be out in the street late in the night, as the city is getting quickly dark.
I prefer to be in my hotel room, hotel restaurant or hotel swimming pool area.

Shopping malls etc. will close past 9 PM,　and I am not interested to go 'sightseeing' around the Carbon Market after my dinner.
I stay away from slum areas, like these along the mountain area.

Most time I am not alone, and some Filipinos are with me, I know them from my fosterdaughter, her caretaker, from friendly neighbors nearby, it's good not to be alone.

No major problems seen during daytime, except in some well-known crime areas, like some places near the port area etc. - but what shall I do there?

When touring and exploring a new place, I often pay for a taxi to be with me for some hours, in case I don't like the place I am just moving on.

I never carry much money with me, all in the hotel safety box, no watch, cheap clothings, no computer or expensive i-pad etc.

I do not agree with the author about what he says regarding water and food. I never drink any water from the tap, there are plenty of shops selling clean drinking water and drinks everywhere. I prefer to eat in restaurants with air condition, stainless kitchen like in shopping malls to be sure, there are no rats, dogs and insects around my table. etc.

Better spend a little more money for clean water, good food, comfortable hotel taxi... it's about nice vacation. It's for sure better and cheaper to spend more for your comfortable stay than to consult a medical doctor or looking for your consulate because your passport is missing after a ride in an overcrowded jeepney.

I am visiting Philippines since many years, so far I had no problems.

However as a Western foreigner be aware, that Philippines is a poor country, there are some issues with street children, beggars, thieves, but not so different from other poor Asian countries, try Bangladesh for example...

polya · Post by **polya** » July 30th, 2014, 10:13 pm

Yohan wrote:
polya wrote:I disagree with his point about it being a "safe" country - he must be staying somewhere real nice and not walking away from the nice streets. There's so many dangers e.g. traffic, rabies from dogs, mosquitoes...
Yes, correct, but why should he, as a foreigner spending only a few days in Philippines, walking away from the nice places looking out for anything negative?..............

However as a Western foreigner be aware, that Philippines is a poor country, there are some issues with street children, beggars, thieves, but not so different from other poor Asian countries, try Bangladesh for example...

Yes, I agree - I also think that once you are "streetwise" you will be hard to steal from and street-wisdom comes after making some mistakes...

manly5000 · Post by **manly5000** » July 31st, 2014, 11:28 am

hammanta wrote:I think one of the most annoying as well as awkward things I've come across (pertaining to Mindinao) are the naked street children dancing in the road and running up to you beating on your leg for coins. God forbid you give them a piso, then they all storm.

Naked street children? In a country that seems to be every bit as pedo-paranoid as the USA?

Wut?

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » July 31st, 2014, 5:45 pm

Why do you think, Philippines is pedo-paranoid?

Yes, there are plenty of street children - some of them very aggressive - about 2 millions of them. They are living in slums, some small children have nothing, really nothing, no clothings, no sandals, no medical care, no schooling, just begging and stealing food, searching through garbage, sleeping somewhere in a cemetery.

Philippines is a poverty place, income is about 3 times lower than Thailand or China. Jobless rate for youth in Cebu (still one of the best islands I know and visit regularly) is over 50 percent. Malnutrition rate of small children is about 30 percent.

hammanta · Post by **hammanta** » July 31st, 2014, 7:13 pm

manly5000 wrote:
hammanta wrote:I think one of the most annoying as well as awkward things I've come across (pertaining to Mindinao) are the naked street children dancing in the road and running up to you beating on your leg for coins. God forbid you give them a piso, then they all storm.
Naked street children? In a country that seems to be every bit as pedo-paranoid as the USA?

Wut?

I've only come across them in Iligan City, but a girl I was with said they come from all over the provinces to the cities to beg. Usually naked boys but they dance or whatever and as soon as they see a white boy like myself they come running for some change. Quite disturbing. Though there are a lot of street children in other areas, I've yet to see the naked ones.

But I've never had the feeling the nation was pedo-paranoid, but perhaps. I usually don't get on that subject lol

manly5000 · Post by **manly5000** » August 1st, 2014, 1:49 am

I say "pedo-paranoid" because of all the posts I've read about foreign guys being in serious legal danger if they're seen even accompanying a girl who is under 18 that isn't related to them. Seems just as ridiculous as the "if you're a man you're a pedo" mentality here in 'murica...

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » August 1st, 2014, 4:49 am

In Philippines adults are not allowed to be alone in the same private room together with children who are not related to them.

However it is possible to transfer voluntarily temporary guardianship to non-related people, there is a form for that.

As far as I know there is no law, which says a foreign man cannot be with a girl under 18 in public places in the Philippines.

I think, the No.1 pedo-paranoid nation is UK. You cannot even bring the child of your neighbor with your own children together to school in your car without clearance and permits from authorities.

hammanta · Post by **hammanta** » August 1st, 2014, 6:39 am

As far as I know there is no law, which says a foreign man cannot be with a girl under 18 in public places in the Philippines.

Well hell if this is true, I've broken it a little more than a few times, not in anyway sexual though.

But these are usually girls of a family I'm staying with 15-17 who are showing me around the area. I'm also not old though.

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » August 1st, 2014, 1:12 pm

About the same with me, in no way sexual.

I take care of an abandoned Filipina girl since over 10 years - she is now 19 and university student.

Philippines is not 'pedo-paranoid'.

I also know her cousin (orphan) and older sister (abandoned), and we have been together in Cebu/Mactan/Mandaue visiting many places during the last 10 years.

We have been in churches, museum, department stores, restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls, swimming pools, parks, aquarium, some places on the hills, sea-side resorts on Mactan, dentist, eye-doctor, pharmacies, markets, school events, 'everywhere' etc. etc.

They are now all 18+, but during the last 10 years nobody was ever asking me who are these children coming with me.

During the last years the 2 girls of the daughter of the woman, who took care of them in the past, want also to come with us, they are now 8 and 9 years old.

About night-time, I do not stay in their house in the suburbs but I prefer to be alone in my own room in a hotel in Cebu City.

I prefer for my vacation a silent, secure and comfortable place with air-condition, laundry, internet, room-service, swimming pool etc.

I also see and sometimes talk with other foreigners in Cebu, some married with a Filipina, who are also with children, never I heard of any problems.