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Advice for a newbie...

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bigbill
  8/29/2019 11:14 EST

Hi folks,

Im very close to accepting an offer of employment in Manila. Ive spent limited time in Manila before so have some (little) exposure to the place but not anything substantial.

Im hoping for some general guidance and feedback on all elements of Manila please?

1 - What is a reasonable amount of money to live off?
2 - Where is a good place to live? (Office is in Makati)
3 - Does it make sense to get a driver/maid? If it does, where is the best place to find someone reliable/trustworthy?
4 - General do's/dont's and advice

Thanks in advance!

Robertdav298
  8/29/2019 20:27 EST

BIG BILL, your company should provide you all the info you need i.e housing, currency, food, transportation etc....?

Most expats stay away from Manila because of the traffic, housing and all the things you are asking about. I do know that the MAKATI area is pricey.

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bradleyedaniel
  8/29/2019 23:07 EST

I'm jealous... I would love to be able to work in the Philippines (for a decent amount of money)...

BritPhil
  8/30/2019 00:15 EST

Hi,
I arrived from the UK last December and have been living in Manila since my arrival.
I am self employed so have my own business interests.
I read lots of comments about traffic / polution / noise / expensive ....blah blah blah......but I dont read many saying fantastic museums, culture, night life, hotels, casinos, amazing things to do every day and night like bowling, cinema, swimming, local expat clubs to meet other expats and so much more
Living in the provinces sounds dull and boring to me.
I have great utilities services and no issues with internet or water or electricity.
And I find it not expensive at all.

I agree with some comments that your company should help with many of the details you are looking for answers too but I am happy to help if you need to know anything specific.

I rent a one bedroom apartment for 18000php a month and pay 5000php per month for electricity and 250php per month for water.
In English money thats about £360 / month.
Food we buy fresh from the local markets and SM supermarket
If you add in all other daily needs we spend about 2000php per week ..... again in pounds thats £30 / week.

I live about 25 minutes away from Makati....in Ermita. Very close to 6 museums, Rizal park, Immigration, Intramurous for history and sighseeing, the sea for boat trips and Manila Ocean Park and great restaurants and clubs and bars.
I am close to the airport for international and local flights.

I used to have a driver but now use Grab cabs....traffic is busy but no different to London or New York as far as I am concerned.

I used to have a maid but my girlfriend lives with me and looks after me very well.

I love the city very much but it all depends on what you are looking for.

Message me if you want to know anything else.
Regards
Steve

Robertdav298
  8/30/2019 00:30 EST

You sure Bradley......there is no deer hunting in the RP

bigbill
  8/30/2019 02:55 EST

Hi there,

To be fair to them, they've been fantastic... I'm just trying to get a real world view of things.

I'm intrigued with the who live in/out of Makati thing - noise v convenience. Where would you suggest is a good place to live to reduce traffic and cost but still a reasonable commute?

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bradleyedaniel
  8/30/2019 23:39 EST

Giving up firearms is a terrible price to pay. However, I am not a hunter (just target shooter).

LarryKar
  8/31/2019 02:56 EST

bradleyedaniel...I am not a hunter or gun person at all but I have seen posts on here about guns being allowed at organized shooting ranges. I think you must leave your guns at the club but you can partake of your hobby. Maybe others can fill you in on better details.

LarryKar
  8/31/2019 02:56 EST

bradleyedaniel...I am not a hunter or gun person at all but I have seen posts on here about guns being allowed at organized shooting ranges. I think you must leave your guns at the club but you can partake of your hobby. Maybe others can fill you in on better details.

catabisis
  8/31/2019 06:17 EST

Some of the best advice I received was, Don’t dress like you have money and don’t flash your money. Don’t go to clubs or bars alone late at night, Just because someone smiles at you does not mean they are your friend.

surfingcebu
  8/31/2019 11:20 EST

catalos - good advise . Dress down. Never any jewlery to speak of when your out. dont tell anyone what you earn . 25% ( aprox) of women are on the hunt to fleece a man out of his wealth ) Be VERY aware !
been in, say little in public with people you dont know . Never get into an argument with a Filipino in public. They play dirty and it escalates quickly to tribal violence . Remember , there are no real laws , just a 'act' there is a 'system' .

Very enjoyable country with a great President . just mind you behaviour at ALL times . Be respectful you are in their country and will NEVER , become them ..... like say in America . They down want you to become 'them ' . Americans have trouble with this concept !

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phonedoctor1
  8/31/2019 12:26 EST

you are not allowed to own a firearm, but if you marry a pinoy she can purchase and own them legally in your house

darkfader24
  8/31/2019 19:14 EST

Surf - "They down want you to become 'them ' . Americans have trouble with this concept !"

Yes, indeed. Very interesting what you said. In America - WE WANT people to assimilate! We want them to become Americans! It is interesting that. although they are warm and friendly people, from what I've heard, your observation is that you will always be an outsider. Filipinos IN THE STATES want to be accepted and included - and are hurt if they perceive the slightest resistance - yet in their own country practice a strong prejudice. Let's just call a spade a spade - it's pure hypocrisy. When I lived in Gallup, NM I noticed the same thing. The Native Americans - especially the Navajo - can be quite hostile. I had several male friends that were Navajos, and two Navajo Girlfriends, but I noticed generally, when you are on their land - you're just another White Man - and there is, in some cases, abject hatred. Of course, the Navajos have that kind of relationship with the Pueblo Indians, too, and vice versa. I've seen plenty of nasty fist fights, etc between Zunis and Hopis (Pueblo Indians) and Navajos, who don't live in Pueblo Villages. They live separately from each other in specialized homes called Hogans. Now, I am generalizing here. I had plenty of cool Navajo friends. Once, this Anglo Cowboy type teen was trying to pick a fight with me over who knows what. I was scared cuz he was a lot taller than me and had a big ol' cast on his arm, which I knew would bust my face up once he slammed it into me. All of sudden, a really big Navajo guy that I barely knew from a metal shop class came walking up really fast and cold cocked this guy. Cowboy went down so fast and when he tried to get up and defend himself the Navajo guy beat the living crap out of him. Needless to say, me and the Injun became fast friends.

Goslig
  8/31/2019 20:44 EST

surfingcebu The other big NO-NO is raising your voice. When things go South, remain quiet and soft spoken. Shouting is totally embarrassing to Filipino’s and is grounds for a complaint with the Mayors office. something that can lead to deportation. I have a copy of their form for it. Any spicy messages on Messenger, delete “for everyone” immediately. You don’t know if you’re chatting with Filipina who’s married or has a boyfriend. Guard against candid photos of you that could compromise you after they are posted on Facebook. Filipins’s can be beautiful and very sexy, but also ruthless and vicious. Eastern Luzon still celebrates their heritage as head hunters in song and dance.

Goslig
  8/31/2019 20:51 EST

phonedoctor1 Most Pinoy’s who own a car, have a gun safe in it. Many Pinoy’s carry concealed, (motorcyclists). Many undercover PNP dressed like ghetto or act retarded when doing surveillance on suspects. My wife spots them. Pinoy Muslim ghetto dressed guys steer clear of, especially when in pairs.

surfingcebu
  8/31/2019 20:52 EST

Dark- yes , you are right . One would NEVER mention this paradox a few years ago for the sake of pressures from political correctness.... But its so true .... In the USA you encourage everyone to be one , but that is NOT the way it flys in the RP or many others countries . You always an 'outsider' - NOT invited to be a 'citizen ' or even near to it .

Our hosts in the RP are friendly and nice , but dont dare think of calling yourself Pinoy, a local , or other ...even if you have lived there 20 years , and donated 20 times to the local hospital . Once you deal with this - your better off ! You really see yourself as a outsider when there is a MVA or legal matter ... foreigners loose.

surfingcebu
  8/31/2019 21:04 EST

Goslig - good points - there is SO much extortion now!!! ....watch who is taking pictures of you . No Yelling, nor spicy e-mails or texts ....can be huge trouble in the wrong hands .

Goslig
  8/31/2019 21:04 EST

If you are having a one night stand, always take your phone, keys, wallet and passport to the shower with you.

surfingcebu
  8/31/2019 21:07 EST

Goslig - good point ....better yet , leave the wallet and keys , and take the Beauty to the shower with you ;) ....no chance for her to steal stuff ....I joke but it happens so much !

Goslig
  8/31/2019 21:32 EST

The ‘rule of thumb’ with bar girls is don’t go beyond a two night stand with the same girl. After that go to another hobo-hobo bar, or you are asking for trouble.

surfingcebu
  8/31/2019 22:04 EST

Goslig , I have heard this many times ... down date a Bar girl more Ethan 3 times, as trouble will follow ... jealous boyfriend ? or?

Facebook is still an issue - love the knowledge on there , but so much stuff comes with it in the RP - like extortion, stalking and other .....

Goslig
  8/31/2019 22:24 EST

surfingcebu Once you pick one, they “own” you as their customer. They want you to become their “suki”, get on your payroll. That’s how they survive, especially during the rainy nights when customers are hard to come by (a good time for a foreigner). Usually the top girl takes a run at you first. They have their own ‘bar rules’. The going rate for a bar girl drink is 300 pesos, usually “shoelaces” (Steinbeck), left over beer or booze from tables. The bar takes 200 of those pesos for the drink. The ‘bar fine’ is about 2,000 pesos or more (foreigner price), next they charge you for the VIP room, then you have to tip afterwards which is her ‘take home’ pay. Never pay a bar with your visa. It’s best to troll the malls for a normal girl, or the beach where there are always parties. The fist thing they ask, on the beach, is if you’re with anyone. I am often offered free drinks of rum after my swim by guys. Most Filipino’s don’t know how to swim, but there are triathlon’s here. In Angeles City, you never see bar girls or their hustlers approach Westerners who live there and know the Filipino price.

darkfader24
  8/31/2019 23:00 EST

All that "Bar Girl" stuff seems so dangerous to me. Dear Goodness, to kiss a mouth that's had how many you-know-what's in it - including "man cream"? Not for me, thank you very much! The possibility of AIDs - terrifying. You could pay the consequence with a slow, agonizing, and very expensive death. Then there's the social dangers mentioned - jealous boyfriends, etc. Wow! Scary, expensive and extremely risky.

draks
  9/1/2019 02:03 EST

I live just outside Angeles, I went on a bar crawl once with a good friend, I got loads of attention, but of course you know why your getting attention, and that just leaves me cold. I felt like a dirty old man looking for young p, =!y. There were men who looked to be honest pathetic sitting drinking beer hoping they get laid. But they are paying for it. Didn't like the atmosphere, didn't like the loud mouthed drunk idiots who thought they were God's gift because they have a hooker on each arm. I! Know a lot of guys enjoy it and that is totally up to them, but for me it's a no-no. The stories of girls robbing you while you shower or sleep are true. These are not nice decent girls who like you because your such a handsome lovely man and they like older fat men, you there with them for one reason only. Money runs out so do they.
All around Angeles is actually a nice place loads to do hot rod association, fantastic cars, bike clubs, race track, water parks etc etc but bars and prostitutes just don't do it for me. And on top of all this HIV and aids are very common here make no mistake. In Feb 2018 there were 800 new cases of HIV and aids in Cebu alone, 800 new cases in one month, how many are walking around undiagnosed or not getting treatment. Where is the most likely place to catch this disease do you think? If you have sex with 10 partners every single night then your chances of catching an STD are very high. Women are a minefield here anyway, so I would not increase the risk purposefully.

darkfader24
  9/1/2019 02:32 EST

Draks - Who I feel a lot of empathy and sadness for are these young girls. Because of their great poverty they feel that this a better alternative, which it is not. They have no remorse stealing from the ugly old fat guy that just violated them and used their bodies as a sperm repository. They are probably disgusted by it, but have hardened themselves by doing it over and over on a daily basis. I'll bet many become alcoholics, because they are around it all the time with drinks getting bought for them, plus they have to be miserable. Think about it. If I felt like I had to have some dude shoving his dirty diseased c!*k in me, dude after dude, some possibly giving me a disease that could kill me or infect my brain like syphilis, which will eventually drive you insane if not treated, I would want to kill myself - or at least get massively drunk or use drugs to drown the pain. It is the sad destruction of a Human Soul.

Goslig
  9/1/2019 04:40 EST

Not just prostitution, but drug also addicts sharing needles can give you AIDS passed on & on. You can tell the Filipina’s with AIDS at the stage of the disease where their skin breaks out in sores. They dress like Muslims, wear dark sunglasses and (some) don’t look like prostitutes. Look for a Filipina who maybe just have had one boyfriend/husband, hasn’t dated in a long time, and is older. Some go by the age difference formula for the “youngest” age being “older” than half your age plus 7 years. To each their own.

surfingcebu
  9/1/2019 11:10 EST

Goslig - the whole problem with deadly diseases , such as AIDS, and TB , and such, is the reporting structures are very poor in the RP . How bad is malaria ? We can't tell you other than word of mouth really, due to poor reporting structures and manipulation of the real facts in the RP . Yes even the stats on health are corrupt .

I never knew the girls with aids wore muslim garb ... dark glasses too ? why ? Why the dark glasses - sensitive to light , or ?

I knew a very nice women once , her husband was a sea-man , eh came home once per year . well, on his 5 or 6 th year out he contracted AIDS and gave it to her. she died quickly , he is still living thanks to drugs and medical care given to him by the shipping company who employed him . Very sad story .

darkfader24
  9/1/2019 15:51 EST

Gos - There was a young man who my wife and I used to babysit in the mid 1970s. He was extremely intelligent. For fun, he would read the Encyclopedia Brittanica - and amassed an incredible amount of knowledge. He was also quite artistic - and gay. Very handsome and charming, the girls would swoon around him. He started a Landscaping Company in Southern Arizona - and was always taking "Best of Show" awards with his magnificent designs for the landscaping that he would create for really rich people. Well, on the side and unbeknownst to his family and all that loved him, he was sharing needles with other druggies - some of who were Gay. Somewhere along the way, somebody had HIV and it got shared. I'm sure it took years, but all of a sudden he took a downward turn, losing weight fast, getting a sallow, sunken look, and ended up in the hospital. It took them awhile to figure out what was wrong - cuz he never would admit to being Gay or a needle user, but they figured it out. He passed relatively quickly and it was heartbreaking, cuz he was a really great person. All to say - even the smartest and most talented among us can get it easily - with just one sexual or shared needle encounter.

Goslig
  9/1/2019 18:58 EST

surfingcebu They cover up all their face and skin to hide their skin sores. They don’t wear a burka though. Anyone who sees them knows what will happen to them, sad.

Robertdav298
  9/1/2019 21:02 EST

Dark and Surf, interesting discussion, I have this to add. In the 1940's, 50's and 60"s until present day in many cities you have ethnic neighborhoods. Early on it was safe to go into these neighborhoods, buy produce, eat at restuarants etc.....BUT as the years passed things changed NOW their are no go zones in the cities, why because most of the OLDER GENERATION has died and these neighborhoods are a shell of what they once were.
Now do not get me wrong there are still places in the US where there are ITALIAN, POLISH, GERMAN and IRISH to name a few where they have preserved their heritage and yes it is safe. In fact most tour guides will bring tourists to these places.

LarryKar
  9/1/2019 21:26 EST

Robertdav:
"Now do not get me wrong there are still places in the US where there are ITALIAN, POLISH, GERMAN and IRISH to name a few where they have preserved their heritage and yes it is safe. In fact most tour guides will bring tourists to these places."
What are you smoking? Yes I hate it when back in the USA I accidently cross over into a Polish NGZ, (No Go Zone) and those Irish OMG vicious blood thirsty savages. You are cracking me up with this stuff.

surfingcebu
  9/1/2019 21:34 EST

Dark/ Gos - is there some good medicine for HIV these days . Isolates virus somehow? Read an article about it...

darkfader24
  9/1/2019 22:51 EST

Surf - I have read about some amazing medicines for HIV - so Yes. You have to discover the infection early on and hit it hard - but I have heard that there has been tremendous success with it. I don't recall exact details, as it has been a long time since I have read about it.

Robertdav298
  9/2/2019 06:40 EST

Yeah remember MAGIC J......he was diagnosed with HIV years ago and is still alive and well.

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