Well I've been on the OB for quite a while. Not nearly as long as some of you, but still a pretty long time. I noticed a lot of you live in the Philippines.

From what it seems this is the best place in the world. However, my stupid self has no idea where it is, or what it's like. Everyone seems to love it though. I personally live in York, PA. And excuse my language but it sucks ass.

I'd love it if someone could enlighten me on the Philippines. That might sound kind of stupid but I plan on moving away after college, and this place seems perfect. I'm not a stalker or anything, I'm not asking for your address if you live there. I just want to know if it's as good as it sounds. :biggrin:

it's hardly perfect. take Philippine traffic, for one. there's a reason why just about all Filipino drivers could qualify as stunt drivers.

Philippine politics is ridiculous, too. people are voted into office based "important" factors like how good their movies are and not inconsequential matters like qualifications.

I'll leave any additional ranting to people who actually pay attention to the goings-on in this country.

despite all the crap that happens here, though, I have a really hard time imagining myself living anywhere else.

it's actually a great country. and God is fair here. assuming corruption is minimal and people here did not work at all for 2 years, the land can feed its people abundantly for 2 years.

but we just can't rilly banish the cynics outta here. if we did, we'd do rilly well. :biggrin:

check this out---> more than the usual philippines

Must...not....diss....own...country..... :nuts: Let's see...random good stuff...

We're very warm and friendly people. Awfully timid yes, but we're not cold, stoic or aloof or condescending or intolerant of other races - in fact I'd like to think we generally like tourists, much more than any other nation :wave: (nothing sarcastic there, I assure you). Sometimes, we're actually rather courteous to anyone else except our fellow countrymen :sweatface:

Your dollars, however few you think them to be, converted to Philippine pesos, can buy you a lot for days, I believe. 1$ = 55 Php. However the best thing about getting that much peso for your dollar and shopping around is....well I can't really say it here, but I'll just suggest you find a friend who knows where to buy things cheap ^_~

Food - not as big as your usual servings, but they're flavorful for the most part :) Some might be too diverse or exotic for your taste - I don't blame you I myself find some of them TOO exotic :laugh: I'm not gonna go into suggesting - there was a thread, or a series of posts in a thread, which did just that, however if you wish to inquire further I believe there'll be replies :)

Uhm...well, you'll never freeze or shiver here even during X'mas :sweatface: tropical climate and all...

Oh yeah the beaches: last I went they're worthy of the hype - now I've been hearing it got more commercialized, but still worth visiting :)



what we lack for in amenities, and the usual luxuries other people find commonplace in their countries, we make up for our warmth and hospitality. It's rather easy to have us grow on you I believe :)

Well, if there's anything specific you'd like to ask on whether if it is as good as it sounds, shoot :wave: (I think it's easier for us to answer particulars rather than just think of random good stuff to say :sweatface: )

I can't agree more on what my fellow Filipinos said...

IMO, to a foreigner considering to stay here in our country, uh.... as long as you can stand strange politicians, poverty, the constant threat of terrorism, annoying neighbors, pornographic "art", senseless showbiz issues, overrated local TV shows and the perpetual increase in public transportation fare, then you'll be A-OK here.. ^^

Good one, nib. :sweatface:

Know what I like about food here in the Philippines? We have a lot of variety... and we accept all influences. :ok:

As for the rest: I don't think we have that much of a difference from any other country in terms of the bad stuff: pollution, weird politics (which is everywhere, except I heard, in Canada), divide between the rich and urban poor, bad TV programming, etcetera...

aside from fares, public transport here is deadly. ask any regular commuter.

Well how far could I get with say... $20,000 I should have somewhere around that after college. More than half of that I have to thank my grandparents for. :sweatface:

Where is this place in the world? :sweatface: I know... I'm retarded.

New foods sound good. My diet consists mainly of all sorts of foods, snacks foods, drinks, small woodland animals (just kidding) I'll eat just about anything depending on how hungry I am. Personal favorites are tacos and white rice! Not together though, because then it's icky :buck:

-CC, The "Art" you mentioned is fine by me. :biggrin:

And finally, are there any major posters who do not live there!?

If you're looking at the map, look at SouthEast Asia. More specifically, below and to the right (east) of China, above Indonesia, above and to the left (West) of Australia... it's a series of islands.

$20,000 converted to the local currency is around Php1.12million. Let's just say you can buy an economy-model car, rent an apartment, and not work for around 6 months, maybe, even when eating out every day... heck, you already have more money than most bachelors living here.

Major posters who don't live here would include elfboy, bluemaxx, you, Status, Omni_existence, otaku_san, Larghaz (used to, but moved away), and mechalordxx... I might be forgetting some other people.

Wow! That would be great. And six months is plenty to find a decent job, not to mention I'm a really hard worker. I could be throwing up and go to work anyways... Because you get money. School on the other hand, if my arm is scratched, then no school. :buck: :sweatface:

Agreed, I kept thinking that anyone with a weak heart should never use public transportation in the Philippines. It's like the drivers are intentionally going to ram the other cars, and even the buses.

I'm surprised, though, because for a small country, the Philippines is pretty popular...for terrorist attacks, Imelda Marcos (the shoe lady), having a high-school drop-out actor for a president, bad drivers, bad traffic...

Errr...I think you'd be depressed if you worked here. I'm like...getting $200/month salary. Although that's like waaaay less than half of what I used to earn when I worked as a web developer (I'm a gameplay specialist now). The good thing about it, though, is that everything's cheaper here. You can actually buy a big mac for $1.60.

My love/hate rate when it comes to my own country is 50/50. Although I hate most of the Filipinos I encounter on the streets, on tv, outside my office (I love my co-workers), on the road...bunch of undisciplined idiots... like ninjapeeps said, I can't imagine myself living elsewhere...Oh wait! There's Japan...

And according to some people, some restaurants that already died in some parts of the US are the ones that are thriving here: Kenny Rogers, Dunkin Donuts (although I think that one will be killed by GoNuts Donuts soon)... But I dunno if the reports are true about these two fast-food chains.


With $20K, I could actually buy my own condo unit. I would still have to work. But at least I won't have to worry about having a roof over my head.

All I ever recall about phillipine is it is a definetely safe n peaceful place,except for some riots in south phillipines, but I don't know much about that either..

Surely I don't know that much about phillipines


I guess it's the same here.. but.. annoying neighbours? I can't imagine how annoying they are.. XD

True True!! I remember our school bus driver back in high school... He used to beat traffic lights and cut off cars....@_@

Now, I thought that if the idea of seeing a real live GTA or DRIVER crossed your minds, come to any road intersection in the metro...You won't be disappointed. ^^



Then you'll find our country quite a "haven"....^^ Pornographic stuff available almost anywhere!

"Boss, X? X? Dibidi? Dibidi?" :winxp:

I'll just take a quoteable quote from a taxi driver who said this on my way home just a few minutes ago while complaining about the other drivers.
"... kasi, mga tao dito, walang disiplina..."
(translation: because, the people here, have no discipline)

I guess, from that you can derive a lot. :D

(emphasis mine)

you'd be surprised how many small, woodland animals are eaten here. :laugh: what Rex Navarrete said in a sketch about Pinoys watching Animal Planet:

"oh! you see that animal? I ate that! and with San Miguel Beer! wow, yan ang beer! (wow, now that's beer!)"

not everywhere, though. :smile:

The Philippines is the second most corrupt country in Asia, but that doesn't quite matter.

Living in the Philippines is not easy if you're not ready for it, but so long as there are reasons for you to stay, by all means, do.

Personally, I can't quite see myself leaving this country for good, ever.

I for one will probably agree with every bad thing that can be said about this country. But despite that I still have to say that this is a great country to live in and that I just love it to death.

I would recommend that you live here for a while. It just might grow on you. :ok:

Take it as some sort of learning experience, so to speak :ok:

Philippines.

A very unique nation.

Our culture was refined through the centuries, influenced with a bit of Spanish, Japanese, American, and for a short while, British. And also from Chinese and India.

Yup. We're proud of our culture, even if we don't show it. Our tongue has evolved beyon the pronouncing of any one language. Heck, if any filipino take up a new language, they can actually speak it fluently (almost) without a tace of an accent. (for me.)

And the different stuff here is cheaper than anywhere. Maybe because Philipiines is the place surplus are dumped. Again, that's what I think.

And then we go to the Philippine Public Transportation.

Though most my other countrymen has already said how very... ah... unique... the Phil. Pub. Trans. is, I'll only add this.

Wherein other countries require their drivers to have discipline and skill, Filipino drivers have skill and LUCK.

Honestly, with all the vehicles the Filipinos drive everyday, I'm amazed why there's just a small number of accidents happening per day. or week. or month.

Some drivers are even drunk, or drugged, and yet they can weave through traffic like a racedriver.

If you wanna be in the Philippines, you gotta have an iron will, and a strong gut.

An be on the lookout for suspicious looking people, which will include all the people on the street.

My grandma's driver says this a lot... then usually proceeds to cut off someone in front of him and beat the red light. (*Rimshot*) :buck:



Some people might add: "...like athlete's foot." :laugh: :peace:

If you ever met some of us, though, be prepared to be subjected to a unique form of initiation which not many foreigners pass: eating balut (fertilized duck's egg) and dinuguan (pig's blood soup). :devil:

Please note this, and read MarkPoa's post.

of course there are other gut turners that we should\shouldn't mention that we have.

This thread looks pretty interesting :D



Maybe you could be a bit more specific. What exactly IS your impression of the PH from the boards? It'd be easier to make things clearer for you if you list down your exact expectations :)

That way we can debunk or reaffirm your views on the PH.

Let's see...

The Philippines is predominantly catholic. Our national languages are Filipino and English. Around a whopping 40% is under the poverty line. Unemployment is pretty high, around 1 out of 10 people are unemployed, and a lot more are underemployed. But if you're shopping around here, bring a friend, because you don't want to be overcharged. Taxis here are amazingly cheap as well. You'll earn a lot less if you work here, but the cost of living is lower as well. Though in order to work here, you'll need a college diploma (even if you're applying to be a waiter). Anime is gigantic here. If you're good looking, maybe you can start a career as an actor. :laugh:

People generally love to visit here though. They're always shown a grand time, and for little money (If you're earning dollars that is) :p Prepare to eat lots and lots of native food and enjoy paradisiacal beaches, and make heaps upon heaps of friends.

just to show some l33t Filipino driving skillz :tongue: : an uncle of mine lives in Pennsylvania. one time, on his way home, state troopers or something were blocking the route he usually takes. when he asked why it was blocked, they said the road was impassable because of all the water on the road (about 6 inches deep). he just looked at them and said, "are you kidding me? we can drive in 3-foot deep water in the Philippines. don't tell me that's impassable."

driving here also requires a having psychic powers as people usually don't know what the turn signal is for and the current state of a stop light is often viewed more of as a suggestion rather than what you're supposed to do.

Well, I'm back in the country, and the first scene that greeted me were taxi drivers arguing with airport personnel...When I got on-board the a taxi, I was quite lucky that the driver was friendly, and we had a pleasant conversation throughout the trip...Afterwards, I said to myself, there's no place like the Phils...

Yeah, the Phils has been left way behind by its neighbors in SE Asia (lifestyle and economy), the threat of terrorism looms just around the corner, corrupt officials stay in power, air and noise pollution surround the metropolis, BUT its still a place I would like to call HOME...

Philippines...Hmm... :laugh:

Actually, there are some things you should keep in mind living here:

TRAFFIC

1) Yellow means "Step on the gas, you'll make it to the other side."
2) Red means "This is just a friendly suggestion."
3) Jaywalking is obsolete. In this country, we call it Patintero, our national sport. To up the ante a bit, you play it with cars and buses instead of just people. Also, nobody really likes using the pedestrian lanes or foot bridges because they're too damn far away (and drivers just think they're pretty white lines painted on the street).
4) As long as there's space, you can fit. It's all about proper angling. Nevermind that you're driving a bus and one side is about 5 inches away from a car.
5) No matter how small your vehicle is, if you're in a hurry and you made a wrong turn, you can go counterflow.
6) You can fit fifteen people in a small car and drive five hours to the beach and still have fun. REALLY!
7) When you can find a parking space in a cramped parking lot, you put Houdini to shame.
8) We don't like motorcycle helmets. They're unfashionable in a hot country like this.
9) Bring a gas mask during high noon traffic if you're a commuter. You'll be thankful you did.
10) We're not maniacs when we drive. Just close your eyes.

FOOD

1) The more "exotic" the dish, the bigger chances of an increase in libido. Especially the ones sold after 7pm.
2) At kiddie parties, you can expect everything to be sweet. Even the spaghetti.
3) We don't say "Hello!", we ask "Have you eaten?" as a standard greeting.
4) Just about anything is a reason for drinking. Sometimes, you don't need one.

PEOPLE

1) Nobody really cries for very long at a wake. We just play poker, get drunk, or compete at karaoke. Same thing applies when we visit the dead every November 1.
2) Videoke and karaoke are the answers to all woes.
3) Don't sing "My Way" on karaoke or videoke if you value your life.
4) When it rains and pours and floods, everybody goes out and takes a swim instead of bemoaning their sorry lives.
5) When you ask a person about a certain place and he purses his lips, he's giving you directions.


I think that's about it. :laugh: Sorry for the lengthy post. :buck:

In short...

We must be Red Necks. XD

True!!

And about that traffic.

-- Traffic rules are not implemented. Those traffic enforcers there are just for decoration to foreigners.
-- Traffic enforcers won't do anything should you break the "law". But beware when its almost lunch/dinner/snack time, though. You'll be pulled over and charged with breaking the "law" (a bogus one at that :wink:). Just give the officer P50 and you're set.
-- Bus/truck drivers make their gigantic vehicles as maneauverable as a mini-car.
-- Pedestrians are usually not afraid of oncoming traffic.

:smile:

Unless you're driving in Makati. I remember they took my license and I had to pay PhP2,000 to get it back -- FROM THE MAKATI LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE.

Oh yeah... those were some exceptions.

Makati, being a the developed city that it is, have so much businessmen, both local and foreign, that the police there are really on the watch.

Same with Subic, I think.

And Las Piñas, my city. That's why I can't imagine living elsewhere. Our mayoralty has been run by a dynasty but I'm not complaining. They're darned good at what they do.

And of course, education is pretty cheap here, if you compare it to other countries...

I beg to differ, well from where I normally commute to anyways. Simply put I was caught and got fined :rofl: :sweatface: but as a testament to the effectiveness of that renewed effort for enforcement, I've seen people march like ants while crossing that intersection now :cool:

I didn't get fined... :laugh: I got caught once but I was swearing so much that he just let me go. :buck:

Maybe that cop just wanted some beer money. You know how they are, ignore infractions until they need some dough.

From what i catch from the posts...Philipina realy is a 'unique' country :sweatface:

A story of my online friend of her own adventure in the Philippines (from emails I got before hotmail went kaput):

Melanie (Canadian, 27)

"The first time I visited Manila, I was going to meet a penpal of mine named Olive. When I saw her at the airport, I thought she looked rather like a doll. You know, she had a really petite body, expressive dark eyes, long and really straight black hair and a really gorgeous tan that I could spend months at the beach for but would never really achieve. And she had a really SWEET voice! I swear, she really looked like she couldn't hurt a fly! She was around 24, I was 20, but I looked WAY older (you can imagine how insecure I felt next to her).

"We took my bags to her car, I climbed into the front seat and then all my first impressions of her complete vanished when she started the car, nearly floored the clutch and the gas and backed up out of the parking lot in only 10 seconds. And then I remember screaming that she was going to get us killed when she drove through the traffic. She was always just inches away from another car or a bus or a truck but she never crashed into them. I thought she was really just trying to scare me and then she told me that this was how everybody in the country drove with very little accidents happening. And then she told me to close my eyes instead.

"It took me a while to even think about going back to Manila, even if the rest of the Philippines had beautiful beaches, I got really scared for my life. Of course now I think I'll just bring a blindfold along."

Yes, only in the Philippines. :buck: :sweatface:

Or for us Pinoys, "ONLI IN DA PILIPINS!" :ok:

I remember me and my sister getting aprehended for that crime...In Muntinlupa. XD

The punishment - community service or a fine....

Crap guy got 200 bucks from us...T__T



Hail Aguilar, Villar and their "escalator" overpasses.^^...

One thing bad about our weee little city is the killer traffic jams....@_@

Would you believe I got caught in Makati but the guy let me go? :tongue: I was running late for work and I wanted to cross the street but apparently you're only allowed to do so during certain times of the day. I didn't want to use the underpass, so I tried to climb over the steel rails. :sweatface: Then the policeman said it wasn't allowed and I glared and said "I'm f*cking late, buddy. Don't bullshit with me now."

He let me go. :sweatface:

Yeah. Uniquely dangerous.

But still, its home... until I can get my bearings and escape to Japan, that is. :smile:

Let's see now...Philippines...I can say for one that it is a great country. Great climate and we got lots of drop-dead gorgeous women that have the perfect complexion. People are very hospitable. :ok: But then, government sucks. You can't also drive a Ferrari coz you would just run at 30kph with the everyday traffic. :sweatface:

Waaaa....Lucky you....

Unlucky for us, there was a huge sign that bears a figure of a striding man with a cross superimposed on it. XD Scribed beside the figure was this phrase in bold letters NO JAYWALKING. T_T The man pointed the frick'n thing as he escorted us to the hall...

Me never gonna break laws again.....:winxp:

Last Friday while we were on our way to Pizza Hut, one of the intersections we passed had its traffic light blinking yellow and all the cars let other vehicles that wanted to turn go first. I thought to myself, it would be a fine day in the Philippines if people did that.

a funny thing about some Filipinos... they seem to have trouble with "f" and "p". words such as "fifty" sometimes end up as "pipty". it gets funnier sometimes when it becomes "pifty". it's especially bad on those occassions when it becomes "fipty". :laugh:

Fat chance of that.

Not very many people in the Phil. would do that. I'm one of them.

I know, and the fact that there were no traffic enforcers telling anybody to do that here was just incredible.

I remember than in the Philippines, there'd be chaos in the streets if there weren't anybody directing traffic. Heck the streets are clogged even if there are enforcers anyway. :sweatface:

addin to the traffic issue...
here its like this a 4 lane road fits 4 cars...
in the philippines...a 4 lane road can fit up to 6..

That's okay, you'd be suprized with me. If it has meat in it, I'll eat it. If it looks like liquid, I drink it.

From what everyone says the traffic, is horrible, and to other adventerous.

I speak english, do most people speak english there? I saw that it was one of the major languages but how major is it?

:buck: drop-dead gorgeous women!? :buck: Okay no telling my beloved g/f about this but how beautiful are we talking? :sweatface:

EDIT---Added convo between me and my beloved. I tried to make it work. And I will pursue it!

Frisk0822 [5:58 PM]: WE HAVE TO GO TO THE PHILIPINES
X Just U Wait X [5:58 PM]: why?
Frisk0822 [5:58 PM]: because someone told me that there is "drop-dead gorgeous women"
Frisk0822 [5:59 PM]: so you have to live there!
X Just U Wait X [5:59 PM]: nope
X Just U Wait X [5:59 PM]: never
Frisk0822 [5:59 PM]: because then i wont worry about other guys hitting on you
X Just U Wait X [5:59 PM]: now I'm deffinatly not going
Frisk0822 [5:59 PM]: cuz they have so many others to chose from
Frisk0822 [5:59 PM]: why arent you?!?!
X Just U Wait X [5:59 PM]: cuz
Frisk0822 [5:59 PM]: cuz?
X Just U Wait X [5:59 PM]: I dont wanna go there so that you can look at some drop down gourgous girls
Frisk0822 [6:00 PM]: drop dead**
X Just U Wait X [6:00 PM]: I dont care
Frisk0822 [6:00 PM]: fine....
X Just U Wait X [6:01 PM]: good