Republic of the Philippines Not as it Seems

[pete98146]

My wife is also a Mindinao girl (that's her seated in the chair for your new guys). Nobody has ever called my wife ugly. It's quite the opposite in fact. Don't mean to brag, but there are thousands and thousands of equally pretty girls there to meet. I've seen them with my own eyes. So even if the vast majority of them are dark short and ugly, there are enough stunning ones to make the trek worth it.

I remember she's tall too, like 5'7", right? Would u mind sharing a larger and clearer photo so we can gauge what there are thousands and thousands of somewhere in PI?

Come on now, I think you are being a bit difficult. Let's just chalk it up to the fact that you don't have a hardon for Filipinas. Hey that's cool! Many guys dig girls from Japan and Korea and I personally don't like that look at all. So to each his own I guess. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Trust me, I understand where you are coming from. I'm super picky. It's important for me to date beautiful women. But there are sooooo many single lonely guys in USA that are glad to accept an average looking girl who will treat them like a king and that is the selling point of filipinas. Flat out, many make wonderful wives. I play in a basketball league where 3 of the guys are married to filipinas so I had heard that for YEARS before I ever decided to look in that direction. So I was lucky enough to find a lady that was sweet, loving and IMHO beautiful.

So, I still think the pursuit of filipinas is a good idea.

[Winston]

ph visitor,
Yes and no. You obviously were not led around by locals. You didn't even tell us which hotel you went to or which bars you went to.

Some things in the PH are very cheap and others are overly priced or very expensive. If you went on a package tour, hired a van or car and driver, bought a car, etc. those things are very expensive, sometimes more expensive than in America. Tourists are seen as having too much money, and Filipinos are extremely greedy by nature.

But if you rent an apartment in a local place, or use public transportation, then it's dirt cheap. Haircuts are 60p, movies are 120p, etc. There are many cheap things there that are tied to cost of living. But they are very low quality. Western quality things cost just as much or more than they do in the US.

I admit that I was disappointed about that too. Quality food also costs too much, and you get small portions, which is a ripoff. If you read my other threads, including the restaurant reviews, I have complained about this a lot.

In general, things in the PH are either low quality and cheap, or decent quality and overly priced. That's one of the annoying things there. But you are wrong about the cost of living per month. If you live in Manila, yeah it's expensive. But I've lived in Angeles City for years spending $400 a month. You gotta remember that most people there make less than $200 a month, and many have no job and make $0 a month, yet they somehow survive. So how can you say $1500 is too little? lol

Yeah most girls are ugly there, but there are always a few attractive ones. I only go for those. But that's not the problem. The problem is that only the poorest girls will be interested in foreigners, and they are usually shameless in terms of leeching and asking for things. They have no pride and nothing to be proud of.

Also, most white guys have bad taste and think the ugly girls there are cute. I guess they are, if you consider that they are sweet and simple and caring. It's their attitude that many white guys like.

The PH overall is low quality, low class, and low culture. The only benefit there is cheap sex. If you go to Angeles City, or the Malate/Ermita area in Manila, you can get lots of cheap sex.

Touristy places in the PH don't give you high quality for high prices. They give you mediocre or medium quality for high prices. That's the scam.

Were you only in Manila? If so, then your research wasn't any good. NO ONE recommends Manila. You should have went to other parts. Everyone disses that city.

Next time, just visit Bangkok. Everyone says it's better there.

Did you even meet any hot girls or date them or barfine them? If not, then you missed out big time. Here was my awesome first night there with Mr S:





There are many sweet innocent girls there too. For example:



You can't be disappointed with a face like that. lol Come on now. lol

There are many sexy types too. See my thread of sexy girls I met in Angeles City.

viewtopic.php?t=4703

[Winston]

ph visitor,
Here was my monthly cost of living breakdown living in Angeles City that I wrote up long ago:

Apartment: I have a two bedroom apartment for 6000p a month (around $140). You can get one for 4000p too, here in Angeles City. Water is only 200p, but having an aircon tacks your electric bill up to 2500p a month!

Meals: It depends on where you eat and how good you like to eat, but you can get a decent meal starting at 70 or 80 pesos here and on up, which is around $2. Sometimes 100p or 200p if I eat in a restaurant.

Transportation: Jeepneys are 8 pesos each way. Buses vary but usually are very cheap. The bus to Manila from Angeles take 1.5 hours and costs 130 pesos for an aircon bus. 70 pesos for one with open windows.

Renewing your visa every two months: Costs between 2000 and 4000 pesos which varies each time.

Doctor visit: 250pesos plus the medicine or tests which can cost a lot more.

Movies: 80 pesos.

Haircut: Between 40 and 80 pesos.

Taxis: It depends on where and what city. In Manila, they start at 30 pesos and the meter goes up little by little. Pretty cheap, unless the driver tries to scam you a little. In Angeles, the trikes are a bit pricey, costing at 50p for most rides, and 100p if you ride farther. The trikes in Angeles are considered the most expensive in the Philippines, even more expensive than in Manila. I don't use them unless I have to. (unfortunately, Dianne often needs trikes and hates to walk and can't stand any rain)

Clothes: There are cheap clothes and there are expensive clothes. It all varies.

Internet access: You can use internet cafes for 20p per hour, or get your own connection for 1000p per month but you'd have to sign a year contract.

[czguy]

Not to be overly critical of the OP. His experience is his experience and we all respect the fact that he actually went there. But I am surprised at several trip reports from people who researched the Philippines, then decided to go to Manila! This is like going to NYC and then complaining that the buildings are too tall. Manila is crowded, polluted and expensive. Not even lovers of RP recommend Manila for girls or for a cheap life.

As to whether the girls are attractive enough, while that is highly subjective, for many of us going online gives the opportunity in advance to determine whether the girls in any given country look and have an attitude that is attractive. It also gives us the opportunity to determine which areas in a country seem best suited for us. For me the only value to Manila is it has an international airport. Even then, the next time I return I will fly into Cebu.

I've gotta agree with Dave on this topic. I've been to Phils a half dozen times. The Philippines IS a dive (especially Manila). But saying the women are unattractive is nuts. Sure there are a TON of shorter, darker, peasant like women but why would you ever choose one? I also agree with Outwest that the farther south you go the prettier the women become (must be a higher degree of Spanish blood in the south).

My wife is also a Mindinao girl (that's her seated in the chair for your new guys). Nobody has ever called my wife ugly. It's quite the opposite in fact. Don't mean to brag, but there are thousands and thousands of equally pretty girls there to meet. I've seen them with my own eyes. So even if the vast majority of them are dark short and ugly, there are enough stunning ones to make the trek worth it.

Even if you find a woman in Phils doesn't necessarily mean you have to live there. I myself would love to retire in Chaing Mai Thailand. It's not as expensive as Phils, they have better food and better infrastructure etc. It would be perfect for my wife Cathy as well because she still gets her asian foods and fun bazaars. Yet she's a four hours away via a plane ride from her family back in Phils.

I agree with everything Pete said. Lots of women in Philippines look very unattractive but there are still tons of good ones. BTW Pete, my wife looks almost exactly same as yours. She is from Davao, Mindanao.
I am questioning if I want to retire in Philippines eventually, what bugs me is poor infrastructure, air pollution, cost of imported goods, shitty food, etc. I need to check Thailand, it sounds like a good option.

[ph_visitor]

Just curious but did you not look at the pics posted of the Philippines? That combined with some real life inquiries about prices would give you something close to the real story. Nearly all of the guys who talk up the Philippines never post pics of these "gorgeous asian women" falling over them that they always talk about. Then when you can finally pry some pics out from somewhere it turns out they are screwing splay toed hillbilly looking farm girls who look like the toilet maids in Hong Kong.

Yes, I looked at photos and they don't convey what one absorbs when one is in a country.
Photos also don't convey what people really look like in person.

This is true for all nations, btw. There are thousands of subtle details that one does not get unless and until one sets boots on the ground and actually goes there. Even if one reads sites like HA here, you still miss most of the reality of a place.

Again, the prices were researched extensively over more than 1/2 of a decade. Here, many sites on the RP, etc.

Some prices posted in this thread are, again, MUCH MUCH lower than what I have seen in Manila and Luzon pharmacies and convenience stores.

I walk in, get something, they scan it, the price on the sticker and the receipt match.
I pay.
Then I figure out the cost of the item in HK, and I am shocked.

I have spoken with guys, on the phone, who live in the RP and NOTHING they said was even CLOSE to the real prices here.

It's 8X times MORE expensive than you say.

There is NO WAY ANYONE can 'Live like a King' on $1,500 a month.
There is NO WAY ANYONE can 'Live cheaply' on $500 a month.

A cheap pensionne:
600 php a day
Lunch 500 php
Dinner 400 php
Total: 1500 php/day
$34.68 USD,$1,040.40 mo
220 CNY rmb, 6600 CNY mo

This is the BAREST OF BONES when one first arrives here.
If you eat like a local you will get fat or heart disease or diabetes as it is all fried, fatty, carb rich foods that are the cheapest.

[ph_visitor]

Yeah most girls are ugly there...

I find it stunning that after years of research you guys are like:

"Oops! Yeah, most of the girls are ugly. I forgot to mention that..."

You know, that MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD PUT FIRST AT THE BEGINNING IN BOLD TYPE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN KNOW THAT AT THE ONSET.

Philippines:
Lots of very ugly, very friendly girls.

Most men would be "No thanks, I will go elsewhere."

Food prices are from malls and shops in Emrita. Robinson mall, corner restaurants, grocers and chemists.

No, I am not on a package.
No, I did not hire a driver.
No, I am not with a guide.
No, I am not in the most expensive hotels not by a long shot.

I am merely going about on my own, seeing what I see and what I see is nothing as you say.

Movie prices are nothing as you quote. 2X
Internet is twice that price.
Cheapest meals are 70 php, but they will kill you with fried, fatty, carb-rich foods.
Beer prices are insane in bars.
Bars are out of control with pricing.

and STOP QUOTING IN USDOLLARS.

I live and work in Asia and I am NOT paid USD.

So for those of you NOT in the US/EU, the RP is EXPENSIVE.

Lastly:
Girls are NOT CHEAP.
Fine 1000
Girl 1000
Beers 500-1500
Breakfast next a.m. 500
That's 3000 - 4000 php or 439 CNY or $93 USD.

Sure it's cheap, ONLY IF YOU ARE AMERICAN and paid in dollars.

If you are paid in HKD or CNY that price is the SAME or MORE than China.

In a nation much poorer. Why should anyone pay MORE in the RP when China has a much much higher PPP per capita?

This makes no sense.

What a rip-off, disappointment, disillusioning discovery.

[ph_visitor]

Maid 40 bucks a month? Holy crap...is it better to stay home then work for 40 bucks? you can buy 5 Big mac meals or 2 buckets of chicken in KFC

More like 160 CNY or $25 to $30 USD per month.

That purchases 160 to 80 cheap noodle meals, or food for several months for one.

This is when rent is nearly zero and other monthly costs are very low.

Mobile phone bill of 30 CNY or $4.73, which is what my monthly bill is on median.

As I have observed, posted and noted, prices in the RP are FAR more expensive than written in this forum and Winston has conveniently not mentioned BG prices, fines and the running around with her the next day costs that increase costs a great deal.

It's not 1,000, it's closer to 3,000 for a cheap girl for an overnight.

That's only cheap if you are American, Upper Middle Class, and bringing dollars.

If you are from China, it's far more expensive.

You guys might want to have mentioned that.

Just a thought.

Think about it:

RP, PPP of 4k
China, PPP of 9k

Yet the RP is more expensive? Come on, makes no sense, total rip-off and you guys might want to be more forthcoming about this.

These aren't minor details.

"Oh Yeah, it's much more expense than Hong Kong or China or Singapore, and the women are ugly. But other than that the prices are low and the women are great!!!"

[davewe]

Just curious but did you not look at the pics posted of the Philippines? That combined with some real life inquiries about prices would give you something close to the real story. Nearly all of the guys who talk up the Philippines never post pics of these "gorgeous asian women" falling over them that they always talk about. Then when you can finally pry some pics out from somewhere it turns out they are screwing splay toed hillbilly looking farm girls who look like the toilet maids in Hong Kong.

This is sort of a legit complaint, but only sort of. I personally had to make this decision in my recent trip report. It's harmless to post pics of bar girls or girls you meet on the street but to subject girls you like, are dating, are sleeping with to some of the characters here? I chose not to. Considering Thr number of clowns you recently banned, I would think you would understand why.

Beside, what's wrong with hillbilly looking farm girls?

Davewe, consider yourself very lucky. Based on yr posts, u seem to be fine with short, dark, thin, and plain peasants. U gotta know, these types of girls, in the eyes of locals and around the region in general, are Asian equivalent of the ghetto black girls or white trailer trash we so loath back home. If you had a serious corporate position in Thailand for example, and dated one of these types, you would probably face serious social pressure not to ever bring her to company functions or be seen with her around the office. Doing otherwise might even be a fireable offense in some firms.

As long as u r attracted to such types, u will face minimal competition from qualified locals as well as many of the more presentable expats (yes, some expats do go for the more popular gals).

Now u may argue that I too have bad taste. But actually, my types often seem to be pretty popular with a lot of locals and/or more presentable expats. So they tend to be very difficult to get. Yours are not. Count yr blessings and live it up in the likes of PI and Kenya.

This comment is unjustifiably personal but proves my point. Why would guys on this forum who have wives or gfs that they care about subject them to infantile ratings and scrutiny?

[ph_visitor]

1. If u had bothered to read my posts and take them to heart, perhaps u wouldn't have gone there full of delusions about the attractiveness of typical Filipinas. I've been very outspoken here on the negative physical aspects of PI women for a long time. Some others here have written similar things. Sounds like u only believed what u hoped was true and ignored the more realistic posts.

Dude, there is a massive difference between 'unattractive' and 'repellantly ugly and I can't look then in the eyes'.

Even the photos don't convey what most of these women look like in person.

Sure, I have surfed RP dating sites, but the reality is much much worse.

Again, what a massive let down. Sure most are thin. Doesn't matter.

I had NO preconceptions.

When in the HK MRT I met two Filipinas. Short, fat, ugly 'Hmm. That's odd...'
When waiting for my flight I look around. 'Hey, these women are...that's odd. Must be me.'

Then I get off the plane in MNL and go to downtown and I am stunned.

"WTF?! These women are all ugly."

Oh well.
At least it's warm, beautiful, takes good photos and has great beaches to thaw out from the NEA winters.

But cheap? The women? Forget it.

[ph_visitor]

Haircuts are 60p, movies are 120p, etc.

In China, haircuts are 8-10 CNY or 55 php rural small cities. This in a nation with much higher per cap GDP. Again, the RP is more expensive.

In China, movies cost 10 CNY for a DVD. That's 68 php. Again, the RP is more expensive than a richer nation.

Really, this makes no sense and it means that the RP is NOT 'dirt cheap'.

I LIVE somewhere that it is 'dirt cheap'. The RP is NOT dirt cheap.

What a huge disappointment these revelations have been...

[Rock]

Just curious but did you not look at the pics posted of the Philippines? That combined with some real life inquiries about prices would give you something close to the real story. Nearly all of the guys who talk up the Philippines never post pics of these "gorgeous asian women" falling over them that they always talk about. Then when you can finally pry some pics out from somewhere it turns out they are screwing splay toed hillbilly looking farm girls who look like the toilet maids in Hong Kong.

This is sort of a legit complaint, but only sort of. I personally had to make this decision in my recent trip report. It's harmless to post pics of bar girls or girls you meet on the street but to subject girls you like, are dating, are sleeping with to some of the characters here? I chose not to. Considering Thr number of clowns you recently banned, I would think you would understand why.

Beside, what's wrong with hillbilly looking farm girls?

Davewe, consider yourself very lucky. Based on yr posts, u seem to be fine with short, dark, thin, and plain peasants. U gotta know, these types of girls, in the eyes of locals and around the region in general, are Asian equivalent of the ghetto black girls or white trailer trash we so loath back home. If you had a serious corporate position in Thailand for example, and dated one of these types, you would probably face serious social pressure not to ever bring her to company functions or be seen with her around the office. Doing otherwise might even be a fireable offense in some firms.

As long as u r attracted to such types, u will face minimal competition from qualified locals as well as many of the more presentable expats (yes, some expats do go for the more popular gals).

Now u may argue that I too have bad taste. But actually, my types often seem to be pretty popular with a lot of locals and/or more presentable expats. So they tend to be very difficult to get. Yours are not. Count yr blessings and live it up in the likes of PI and Kenya.

This comment is unjustifiably personal but proves my point. Why would guys on this forum who have wives or gfs that they care about subject them to infantile ratings and scrutiny?

I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I just wanna provide context so that people understand what's really going on. Readers like ph_visitor get the wrong idea about PI when they read overly positive reports such as yours. Then when they hit the ground for the first time, they feel the forum has mislead them.

The common perception among locals and even some longer term expats here in Asia is that white Americans and various other English speaking Caucasians have horrible taste in women. In my eyes, its pretty justified. LT residents in Asia such as myself and Winston have clearly observed this tendency. More often than not, the girls u see with white guys are the ones near or at the very bottom of the local totem pole - in terms of looks or family background. Short, dark, plain, rough looking, poor, etc. is generally shunned and looked down on in Asian societies.

So if that's really your thing, you're lucky. U should have an easy time finding lots of low cost gf prospects or sex partners in places like PI. I only wish the taller curvy types I'm so attracted to were anything as close too as cheap and easy as the typical Asian girls often seen with older white blokes.

[Rock]

My wife is also a Mindinao girl (that's her seated in the chair for your new guys). Nobody has ever called my wife ugly. It's quite the opposite in fact. Don't mean to brag, but there are thousands and thousands of equally pretty girls there to meet. I've seen them with my own eyes. So even if the vast majority of them are dark short and ugly, there are enough stunning ones to make the trek worth it.

I remember she's tall too, like 5'7", right? Would u mind sharing a larger and clearer photo so we can gauge what there are thousands and thousands of somewhere in PI?

Come on now, I think you are being a bit difficult. Let's just chalk it up to the fact that you don't have a hardon for Filipinas. Hey that's cool! Many guys dig girls from Japan and Korea and I personally don't like that look at all. So to each his own I guess. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Trust me, I understand where you are coming from. I'm super picky. It's important for me to date beautiful women. But there are sooooo many single lonely guys in USA that are glad to accept an average looking girl who will treat them like a king and that is the selling point of filipinas. Flat out, many make wonderful wives. I play in a basketball league where 3 of the guys are married to filipinas so I had heard that for YEARS before I ever decided to look in that direction. So I was lucky enough to find a lady that was sweet, loving and IMHO beautiful.

So, I still think the pursuit of filipinas is a good idea.

Why do u say I"m difficult? The OP poster keeps whining about how this forum and others mislead him about Filipina beauty and PI cost of living. So why not set the record straight? Sure, some people think PI is full of hot women just like others are attracted to toads. But I think for the majority of men who've been around SE Asia and visited various other countries, PI women tend to be very short and plain looking relative to women commonly seen in places like Thailand, NE Asia, Ukraine/Russia, much of LatAm, and greater Europe.

I think your comment about single lonely guys in the States really gets to the argument. Do u mean that many guys in the US are so desperate and lonely that they would be happy to settle for the short dark and plain girls in PI that are generally passed over by regular local guys?

Do many have the potential to make sweet and loving wives? Perhaps. The jury is still out on that one but I tend to believe they are probably a safer bet in that regard than say Thais or Russians at least.

Perhaps you are right that PI has several thousand girls who would be considered very attractive and sexy by most. But in a country pushing 100 mn, that's like a tiny drop in the bucket. As I wrote before, it requires finding a few needles in a huge haystack. But please be clear. The de-facto scenario is older white guy meets short dark farm girl, and settles cus he's so desperate and/or just has taste counter to Pan Asian standards. Most of these girls are not anything close to the hot and sexy images described by so many expat posters who fail to post photos. Its more like "who let the dogs out", lol.

[ph_visitor]

I think your comment about single lonely guys in the States really gets to the argument. Do you mean that many guys in the US are so desperate and lonely that they would be happy to settle for the short dark and plain (ugly IMO) girls in PI that are generally passed over by regular local guys?

Do many have the potential to make sweet and loving wives? Perhaps. The jury is still out on that one but I tend to believe they are probably a safer bet in that regard than say Thais or Russians at least.

Perhaps you are right that PI has several thousand girls who would be considered very attractive and sexy by most. But in a country pushing 100 mn, that's like a tiny drop in the bucket. As I wrote before, it requires finding a few needles in a huge haystack. But please be clear. The de-facto scenario is older white guy meets short dark farm girl, and settles because he's so desperate and/or just has taste counter to Pan Asian standards. Most of these girls are not anything close to the hot and sexy images described by so many expat posters who fail to post photos. Its more like "who let the dogs out".

This is very close to my point of view and it's probably due to desperation of sexually deprived American Males who have no sense of dress, style, grooming or 'having it together'. Their lack of access has skewed their perceptions to the point that anyone who doesn't reject them is considered 'beautiful'.

Certainly most of the guys I see here look like crap and that would explain why they could not date back home.

[ph_visitor]

But saying the women are unattractive is nuts.

Well, I think you guys are delusional and nuts for thinking these women are anything other than ugly.

This isn't, btw, about skin colour, or the girls being poor, peasants or farmer girls.

It's the mashed up facial features that don't mix fluently on their faces.

They look like a cubist painting of 8 different races, and it's an ugly thing to look at.


Really, recommendations for single male travel to the RP need to come with a huge disclaimer as all of you have missed this and the prices; someone such as myself who did exhaustive research for years was shocked by the prices in Luzon/Mindoro (not JUST Manila) and the (low) quality of the women.

Really, guys need to know this because what you guys have been writing for years is just simply not true.

Also Winston still hasn't posted the prices to fine a girl in AC, and I suspect they are what I have quoted.

1000 for drinks
1000 to fine
1000 for a.m. 'taxi money
500 for breakfast
...and if you hang out and go shopping the next day, add on more.
That's 3,500php, which is more than p4p in China or HK by far.

This has been such a disappointment...

[PaulB]

ph_visitor, would you mind posting pics of Chinese girls that you find attractive?