Work wise I was moved over there when the Asian meltdown hit Indonesia in the late 90's. I worked in Manila and then more remote Batangas where we were constructing a big power station.

As much as I wanted to like the place it really wasn't a country I enjoyed living in and I've never felt the urge to return. Some of the points mentioned by others strike a cord like the poor choice of quality food certainly when outside Manila, I've worked in other countries rife with poverty but somehow I did feel a bit more unsafe there. certainly didn't find Batangas very welcoming, the pick-up tyres got slashed on one occasion outside an entertainment venue. What surprised me the most was the poorer quality of staff certainly in comparison to Indonesia, it got me thinking that perhaps the most talented were the ones that were able to leave the country and earn more overseas.

I know guys who have happily settled there and it works for them which is all that matters, so good luck but it just didn't do it for me.

Interesting historical fact

As many of us heard in grade school, Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the earth.

Well that is not exactly true, he was killed in the Philippines before that occurred.

He was killed by the local chieftan LapuLapu.

LapuLapu is now a Philippines hero in the Visayas, with the city of LapuLapu named after him on Mactan Island. Some of you may be familiar with that island as it is where the Cebu airport is.

Magellan is credited for bringing Christianity to the Philippines and converting most of the Philippines but was resisted by LapuLapu on Mactan Island.

The actual final battle was detailed by a crewman who was there and survived:


"When morning came forty-nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs, and walked through water for more than two crossbow flights before we could reach the shore. The boats could not approach nearer because of certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard the boats. When we reached land, those men had formed in three divisions to the number of more than one thousand five hundred persons. When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries ... The musketeers and crossbowmen shot from a distance for about a half-hour, but uselessly; for the shots only passed through the shields ... Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off his head twice ... An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the Indian's body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it out but halfway, because he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide."
— Antonio Pigafetta

Magellan reportedly planted the first cross in the Philippines on a hill in Cebu and the original supposedly still exists albeit encased in a larger modern cross in a shrine in downtown Cebu City.
Magellan also presented the first statute of St. Nino to the Philippines. When a later explorer, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, arrived in the Philippines he was met with great resistance in Cebu and ended up burning the whole city down. That same statute of St. Nino was the only thing to survive the fire.
Since then St. Nino is believed to hold magical powers and a very famous celebration "sinulog" honors him every year throughout the Philippines. We even have a replica of that same statue, as do most Filipinos, in our house. It keeps us safe from ghosts and brings us many blessings.

Several of the posts here seem unreasonably negative. I first came here in 1972 as a tourist and found the locals VERY hospitable. Marcos had just declared martial law and he was keen to encourage tourism. I was blown away to find that the government was subsidizing my hotel accommodation!

Local salaries are dismal so living here was out of the question but it sowed the seeds as a retirement destination. I have been retired here for over fifteen years now after several holidays. Manila is a crowded third world city and is unappealing. Angeles has girly bars but little else (after Pinatubo) to recommend it but Cebu is well regarded but I only visited once.

I chose a provincial town not too far from Manila and am treated like a rich uncle - welcomed at birthdays, weddings, christenings, funerals and drinking sessions. If (when) my health fails, I am assured of sympathetic care but for now, life is good.

Other posters raise concerns about safety but provinces are well protected. Each town has several barangays, each with an elected captain and a local "tannod" security force. These men get a small allowance and patrol their barangay at night. Local problems are resolved at the barangay level by people who know and understand their neighbors. While serious crimes involve the National Police, most disputes are settled at this local level.

Armed guards ARE stationed at banks, malls and other potential targets but their job is to open the door and give confidence to customers. After too much alcohol there sometimes are fights between young men but this is the same everywhere and does not involve foreigners. Pick pockets are a menace in Manila (I have been caught twice) so keeping yous wits about you in crowds and leaving valuables at home is a good idea. I took risks when I was younger (down a dark lane to score weed etc) but I have never been physically threatened.

Yes, the food is ordinary but the locals are friendly and they speak English.

When it comes down to food the Philippines are probably going to disappoint especially if you visit after travelling other SEA countries just before. Even simple plain rice seems to be badly cooked and often has a strange sidetaste which you will not find in most other countries. Whenever I travelled the Philippines i had a bottle of soy sauce and another of olive oil with me to give most foods/salads a little more taste. Kinilaw is my favourite dish, raw fish with lime or kalamansi juice, As @Doc67 said the bbq piglet is just wunderful if done right. Roadside charcoal bbq´d whole chicken is also delicious. Apart from that loads of junkfood (burgers and chips) available. Classic streetfood is nothing to tell home about.

The best way to travel the Philippines is by boat. Its not that easy to find a (cheap) place on a boat touring the Philippines but if you manage to find one you will see the most beaitiful beaches and islands..and able to cook your own fresh fish & seadfood every day..

Manila is not worth a ninute of your travel time. ZERO. Probably the worst megacity in Asia in every sense.

My favourite place was a small hidden gem in Guimaras Island (mango island) just off Iloilo City. Pristine beaches, off the tourist tracks, a nice little adventure with limited infrastructure...just the way i like it. Just living with the locals and kill the days.

It helps a lot to make friends if you play billards and love basket ball. You will be part of the local community immediately if your good at one or the other.

Philippinos are the laziest bunch of men I have ever seen but are great to hang out with.

will be exploring more of the Philippines when i next get chance, spent a month living in Angeles earlier this year, id never been to the Philippines before this year so it was a nice change, cheap and cheerful, i'm a guy with low standards and easily pleased, and didnt think it was much different to areas of PP/SHV, i cooked a lot at home so didnt have to rely on the restaurants, a Filipino friend drove us to an all you can eat Filipino buffet in San Fernando so i could sample some local cuisine, a couple of bits were ok but most of it was phish tbh
Manila didnt look appealing at all the 2 times i passed through, some of the beaches and islands look beautiful though so wouldnt mind doing a bit of island hopping at some point

My apartment was in the Balibago district and was a nice little neighbourhood

You forgot to mention that Filipinas have bigger tits than SEAsians.

Cowshed Cowboy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:45 am What surprised me the most was the poorer quality of staff certainly in comparison to Indonesia, it got me thinking that perhaps the most talented were the ones that were able to leave the country and earn more overseas.

I had a work trip to a telecoms company in Manila. The department manager was a Filipino who’d previously spent 3 years working in the US, and he spent most of the time I was there bemoaning how lazy and feckless his fellow countrymen are.

NitNoi wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:51 pm
Armed guards ARE stationed at banks, malls and other potential targets but their job is to open the door and give confidence to customers.

A local told me, “don’t fuck with the mall guards, they’re the most dangerous men in the world. You’d have better chance messing with a Navy SEAL than a mall guard.”

“Really? They’re that skilled?”, I said.

“No. They’ve had zero training, they have no idea how to use those shotguns, they’ll blow your face off trying to give you directions. Most dangerous men in the world.”