Philippineangels.com is unlike any other internet dating site. We check the birth certificates and photo Id of all the ladies before their profile is uploaded. We meet most of the girls in our office in Tacloban or on our tour of the islands where we meet women personally before they are published onto the site.
Life in the Philippines
The smug and naive, who live in their cocooned and pretentious environment, may well describe the Philippines as a third world country. An undeveloped nation, with a fumbling economy, a corrupt and autocratic government and its demographic location, nestling somewhere south of China in the Pacific Ocean. Well having lived here for several months now, I can agree with one of these statements; it is south of China in the Pacific Ocean. I am not getting drawn into a political argy about the way things are run here, just let’s say that living in the Philippines, with its uncomplicated way of life, compared to my native UK, is a more pleasurable experience than all the time I had back in England.
Away from the industrial dust of Manila and Cebu, there is an economy based on an individual’s ability to generate an income. The Philippines may well be described as a nation of entrepreneurs. If you can catch fish- sell it. If you can buy fish from someone who catches fish for you – sell it to someone who cannot buy the fish from where you bought it. If you can do something with the fish, that’s even better
foryou, simple. Say what you will, but the Filipino has developed a perfect example of vertical integration into downstream consumerism. Unemployment as you may expect, with little industry or commercial activity, is quite high even amongst educated people. After the studies in college and universities, many expect to work overseas, to attain any reasonable income to support their families and repay the investment of their education. In the Philippines, an average salary for recently educated students, depending upon the region, can be as low as 1500 peso per month. The norm would be working 12 hour day 7 days a week. Salaries increase in the larger cities, but in rural locations, life can be a real struggle.
~ DAILY LIFE ~
For a few months we lived in an apartment above a shop, along a busy street near the Pacific ocean and from 6am, an assortment of things were offered for sale; a wide array of fish, live crabs, squid, shrimps of all sizes, fruit, local made sweets, natural honey and as the sun sets, out from nowhere would appear “Balot boys” young boys aged about 10 to 14 who sell a Pinoy delight (they shout “bal – oot” to attract prospective trading). Balot are warm hard boiled duck egg, sold from a polystyrene box with a twist, the twist which makes them a delicacy here is that the
eggs have an embryo inside. For the locals, a classic Pinoy culinary delight, for others like me, a source of instant regurgitation. Despite its modest price of 10 peso and the option of buy1 get1, I found the offer one which I could easily resist. However by all means try for yourself, the people here love them. A typical day here starts when the sun rises at around 5.45am every day, all year around and sets at around
A typical day here starts when the sun rises at around 5.45am every day, all year around and sets at around 5.30pm so 12 hours of sunshine is possible all year round. It does not take long to discover that life here starts when the sun rises and draws to an end when the sun disappears over the horizon. For children many schools start at 7am and close at 4.30 with just 1 hour lunch break (just ,
remember the best days of your life are at school). The rush hour here can start as early as 6am and last for many hours and then dwindling to a slower pace, before picking up momentum once more at around 4.30 and lasting to 6pm. Incidentally the school uniforms are worn by all ages and the children are a spectacle of colour when they amass the streets after a long hard day of having heads in books.
The climate even in the wet season (October – February) is still quite dry, though when the sun shines after a downpour, the humidity is close to being a liquefied state in the atmosphere. The rest of the year, you can expect occasional thunderstorms at night and searing sun during the day, with temperatures reaching 35c +. My wardrobe consists of shorts, more shorts, jeans and some polo shirts for use when I am forced to walk the streets (my bare chest being close to offensive even to many ladies). Footwear is mainly of the toe poke sandals or flip - flops, which they call slippers here. They vary from as little as 50 pesos a pair, to as much as you want to pay. Wearing sports trainers or leather shoes with socks is only for those who want to carry out a western tradition and yearn to overheat in the baking sun. At night, if you stay in a hotel, choose one with aircon for a restful sleep as the temperature rarely falls below 24c. We sleep in our apartment with just a single sheet to keep mosquitoes at bay and an electric fan to keep us cool, which works quite well for us after my acclimatisation to the conditions of slumber here.
With most businesses open from 7am to 5 pm or later, there is plenty of time to frequent the huge selection of retail stores. Most businesses are open 7 days a week, though some close at lunchtime on Sunday. Why close at all on a Sunday? Well many people here have deep religious beliefs and the Catholic faith is very strong especially amongst the younger generation. In fact visit any church here on a Sunday and if you arrive late for mass, the chances are all the best seats will have been taken. Religion and the teaching of morality to the young play an important part in the education system and because the education has to be paid by the parent, truancy is unheard of. As a result of all this, there is a very quiet respect for those of us, like me, whose teenage years are a very distant memory.
Social responsibility to others and the acceptance of what life is to people here makes a safe and pleasant community feel. Illegal substances, dodgy tobacco and amphetamines maybe exist in Manila or in Cebu, but everywhere else they are virtually unheard of. Alcohol is readily available and relatively cheap, but unlike the unrest caused in many
western cities, through binge drinking every Friday and Saturday night, alcohol appears to be treated with much more respect. In the Philippines they enjoy a litre of san Miguel like the rest of us, but unlike the rest of us, many stop drinking, before they turn a normal conversation into incoherent gibberish.
Watch out for Tuba, a coconut wine, which cursorily enough is made from coconut juice extracted from the same said tree. The raw magic potion goes through some curious transformation before being available for human consumption. This process I was not privy to, however, the finished concoction when mixed with a cola turns into a kind of edible beverage. Having tried this amazing blend of semi fermented tropical juice and carbonated Pepsi, I am convinced its real purpose is to fuel internal combustion engines, or when refined, to propel space shuttles into high orbit. San Miguel on the other hand, offers a safe alternative for the untrained palette and at around 55 peso per litre one can become extremely social. For the hardened consumers’ of alcohol, locally distilled brandy and rum are good source of pleasure and are also reasonably priced at less than 100 peso per bottle. Please note, the quality is far from any 5* Napoleon, despite the obvious economic advantage.
If you love night clubbing and wild all night discotheques stick to Manila and Cebu, otherwise you may feel that night life is a tad too quiet for you. In Cebu you can show off your soft shoe shuffle in Paseo, (nr Ayala Centre) it's where the young meet, have fun and drink. There are several bars inside in that area and often live bands have been heard playing. Techno or dance music is played continuously, so people can attempt dance and drink simultaneously.
~ PHILIPPINE CUISINE ~
If you love the golden arches (MacDonald’s) cuisine then there are plenty to choose from in most major cities, Jollybees offer a similar menu to MacDonald’s and Greenwich offer a wide range of fresh baked pizza, KFC and Pizza hut are also found in metropolitan areas. For some reason I cannot figure out why, MacDonald’s is a magnet for foreign tourists to such a degree I sometimes
feel as though I am in Sydney or LA, rather than Ozamiz. But for the more adventurous, try the local restaurants, the usual rule of travellers thumb applies, if it looks clean and tidy, is busy with locals and has a good quality wine on offer, chances are that you will be in for a gastronomic treat. Such restaurants exist and if you don’t know where to find them, ask tricycle drivers, they like cab drivers everywhere are a great source of knowledge. One such seafood restaurant we found in Tacloban was one of the best meals I have had anywhere and cost for the two of us with drinks less than 1000 peso with wine would have knocked the price up to around 1500 peso.
Keep a look out for the markets which abound most large towns, you can buy a multitude of various kinds of fresh fish. Or even dried fish, the odour of which leaves a lingering trail across many streets. During the festivals or for a special occasion, birthday or wedding, it is possible you will enjoy a real treat, a spit roast suckling pig. The beast tend be around 30kg and are prepared by having a huge pole inserted where the sun don’t shine. They then are revolved on an open fire for several hours until golden brown then served on a large wooden plate for everyone to carve a slice or two. On such an occasion you can expect to find an assortment of traditional fare and a goodly supply of San Miguel and Tuba to aid the lubrication of a dry palette.
Filipino food can best be described as rice and soy sauce with everything; various vinegars and seasonings make up the majority of food additives when combined with seafood and other meats. It is really typically Asian with noodles, bean sprouts, sweet & sour dishes, fried rice and of course lots of fish. You will notice as the sun begins to set, the busy streets are filled with barbeques, seemingly appearing from nowhere, selling Lechun Manuk (barbeque chicken). Again just be careful where you buy, there are some places the local rodents do not frequent for fear of contracting Filipino tummy.
Breakfast can consist of Rice with Argentina (corned beef), Bangus which is grilled fish marinated in soy sauce or a spicy sausage. Lunch varies, but may well be fish soup; with rice or increasingly bread sandwiches are becoming more popular. Many places offer street foods and there is an increasing tendency to introduce western foods into their diet. French Fries, burgers and pizza are creeping into the day to day lives of many. In the more popular fast food outlets, spaghetti and fried chicken already dominate the contemporary menus.
Along the streets you will also see small cafes selling food in glass dishes and served with, yes you guessed it, rice. Despite their obvious lack of hygienic facilities, some of these places can offer some edible delights such as Adobo chicken, Chilli beef steak and Squid in soy sauce. Do not expect the food to be piping hot though and the service might not always come with an
obligatory smile, but to stave off the hunger pangs, try them and taste the local delicacies for yourself. These gastronomic delights vary from place to place and can cost as little as 50 pesos per person. Your lady friend should be able to advise you of what to eat if you are weary of experimenting
~ SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES ~
It seems ironic to me that a country that has a male population with an average height of around 5’ 4”, the main and almost obsessive sport here is Basketball. In India you see clothing used as wickets to play cricket, in UK the same clothing, but slightly thicker, is used as goal post for soccer, in USA the same clothing is used as posts for baseball, here in the Philippines, well of course no surplus
clothing, but there are basketball courts or hoops on almost every street. Even in remote areas, the pounding of basketballs from 6am can be heard as the hunger for game is so great. So fanatical is the following here that the majority of butch males, where replica vests and shorts of their American heroes.
The other major activity here not surprisingly this time though, is swimming. Probably because the nation is built on a collection of 7000 islands the standard of aquatic activities including swimming and diving are from, almost embryonic stage of life, as high as any amphibian or natural nautically equipped mammal. For the more adventurous, some of the major resorts offer snorkelling and sub aqua diving, including training and equipment hire. If you are interested in these aquatic activities, check out the tourist sites relating to Cebu, Bohul and Boracay .
To relax after dark many play a game of playing cards called “tong et” a mixture of brag, poker and many other games all conjoined into a seemingly complex competition for players to outwit their opponents . It is played with 12 cards each and only three players can play at anytime. It is played almost everywhere and taken very seriously. Often with stakes reaching 20 peso or more, so seasoned casino gamblers should beware. It is predominantly just a potentially serious gambling game, as many play just for the sheer hell of winning or being mindfully out-manoeuvred by a more seasoned veteran performer.
~ ENTERTAINMENT ~
If you cannot believe your ears and swear you can hear the dulcet tones of Celine Dion from the house next door, it is more probable that you are the victim of the audio able performance, by an impersonating amateur karaoke star. Most homes are equipped with one of these devices and from sometimes very early in a morning (I have often been a
waken from my beauty sleep by Elvis at 120 decibels. Yup Elvis is alive and still singing, deep in the Philippine mountainous plains). Singing here is not just a hobby, it is a way of life and everyone can seemingly sing very well, some I hasten to add, more than others, but in all cases, they can sing much better than my untrained resonating harmonics.
Many bars and cafes offer videoke to promote their emporiums, so expect to hear Whitney Houston, Madonna and many other internationally acclaimed superstars, being mimicked by enthusiastic performers everywhere. In far remote areas where the probability of an electrical supply seems improbable, high tech audio devices, which can amplify an impersonation of Brian Adams to concert hall volumes, can be heard above the crowing cockerels and silencer less motorcycles, which adorn the suburb districts and provinces.
Whether or not the TV transmissions are not as gripping here, as people would prefer, chances are the home TV is used for videoke rather than viewing the latest soap opera entertainment. Having said that, most TV stations transmit what seems like a constant selection of singing shows or singing related competitions. You have to watch “Wowowee” one such show which enables the not quite so wealthy to make a fool of themselves while hoping to win the chance and succeed with various prizes including modest cash lump sums. It is an incredible show which makes me smile every time I see it. The cast is predominantly of young attractive and scantily clad bikini girls dancing around every camera angle and so even if the volume is turned down, there is still a fair degree of entertainment value. (Sexist I know, but here attractive ladies are used to promote virtually all consumables in any form of marketing). It has to be said I have never seen a deodorant manufacturer sponsor a show before and watch the dancing girls mimicked the application of the product while dancing simultaneously to music while the audience applauded.
As previously mentioned in the metropolitan areas of Cebu and Manila, you can find bars and some night clubs and have a greater choice of restaurant and leisure facilities. In the provincial areas however, after dark means you are limited to whatever is available in the locality. In other words do not expect bustling bars and rampant nightlife everywhere. In one such town, of Abuyog with a population of 52000 people, after around 7pm, the streets are desolate. There are just two bars open for entertainment and close when you finish drinking, it’s a nice arrangement really.
One thing the Philippine people do love is a festival. Preparations for the great day are combined with community project management skills, to build up into a crescendo of entertainment on the appointed day. Expect to see an abundance of immaculately turned out marching bands and majorettes as they throng the street with wonderfully decorated floats and displays. The party starts
on day one and finishes when the people are finished drinking and tired of dancing, which usually means all through the night and well into the next sunrise. Look out for the local festival dates in your ladies area and try to be there when the party starts, it really is a treat not to miss.
Cinemas and theatres are only to be found in the metropolitan districts, check with the local hotel what amenities are available in your area. Most do show a mixture of Hollywood, Asian and some home grown flicks, prices vary from place to place, but all are reasonable priced. Many also allow you to take your own popcorn and cola inside, so two seats on the back row and you will still have enough change for the tricycle ride home.
~ SHOPPING ~
The first thing you notice here when you walk the streets, is that there are many shops selling a variety of seemingly the same things. Amongst the selection of sandals and there are usually many, will be found cooking pots, floor mats, clothing, home essentials, cell phone spares and many other variations. To get a real variety of goods, visit the larger stores that are numerous in most cities. The lager stores sell an assortment of electrical
goods the same as you would buy anywhere, many famous brands, Sony, Philips / whirlpool or alike are available in the major cities. Clothing is quite reasonable as it is shipped across from mainland Asia, so it’s probably cheaper to buy some holiday wear here than pay excess luggage charges. Do watch for Chinese copies of famous named brands, if you think you have just picked up the bargain of the year and
proudly display a shiny new Gucci wallet for 100 pesos, just remember, it is more likely to be just a good copy and to never have seen the inside of the crafted Milan workshops. If your hunger is for serious shopping, then seek out the major malls in Cebu and Manila. The Mall of Asia is claimed to be the largest such mall in south Asia and offers hours of retail therapy and to search for that elusive bargain. You can get there by bus or Jeepney from most central areas of Manila.
Gaisano has a national network of department stores offering a good selection of clothing, home ware goods and has good choice of foods in their supermarket. Watch out for midnight sales, which as their name suggest trades until midnight, with display inventory being reduced by up to 75%. When you visit a major store here, most have the facility to leave your shopping at the front desk. The attendant will give you a ticket which you simply redeem when you leave the store. The service is usually free and saves having to haul your previous purchases around the store, which may inhibit you from making further transactions.
There are many excellent bargains to be found in the Philippines and anyone who suffers impaired vision like me can get a wide choice of designer appliances at knock down prices. I had one pair bi-focal and one prescription sunglasses, for less than 5500. Look out also for hand crafted goods, which are surprisingly cheap. Do not however expect to be inundated with souvenirs and Philippine memorabilia; they are limited to the cities and ports. Oh and finally, do not expect the walkways or footpaths to be all the same level – they are not. Various heights and obstacles including water pipes and other utility services, can await the unsuspecting pedestrian, even in the larger cities.
~ MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ~
The Philippines pride themselves on being a “bird flu free nation” and long may that continue, although your local GP may recommend you have an assortment of jabs to fill your arm against tropical deceases. What illness that does exist here is mainly due to poor hygiene and the deceases spread by bites from various creatures, namely mosquitoes and cockroaches, which prey on the unsuspecting while sleeping.
As with most countries medical fees have to be paid for privately, so ensure you take out adequate medical insurance, to cover any eventuality. There are many choices of pharmacy in most towns and cities and the staff are generally well trained in medicine applications for minor illness and injury. These Pharmacies are a good place for impartial advice to cure the minor misfortunes in life and can offer prescription grade drugs, in ones or twos to sort out your internal organs or limbs. Do not expect any complex preparations of creams and jellies to aid your nocturnal activities. If the course of true love does not run smoothly, you should either find a more effective lubricant; or purchase more credits to search on Philippineangels.com. For more intimate remedies or for serious ailments and self infliction, there are many GP’s available. They on average charge around 100 pesos per consultation. Hospitals charge more, dependent upon your condition, state of consciousness and ability to pay.
It should go without saying you should only drink bottled water from a sealed bottle or if you prefer get a suitably large receptacle and buy in bulk, buy only from an authorised filling station. These are the most economical ways to get fresh drinking water and can cost as little as 35 pesos for 25 ltr. Please consider the climatic conditions here and if you are unaccustomed to the searing daily temperatures, you are likely to be required to consume at least 2 – 3 litres of mineral water a day. Sadly San Miguel will only aid to dehydration so go easy on the amber rooster juice during the day. Tap water is available in most urban areas, though because the water is stored high above ground in storage tanks, even the cold water is warm. Something to bear in mind when you visit a CR and there is an absence of toilet tissue, to clear away any embarrassing misfortune, (anyone with military experience will advise you what to do here).
~ WILDLIFE ~
When you are here look out for fleas which abound where dogs and cats run free, the creatures love soft white skin, so if you are unlucky enough to be wearing such attire, top up your tan which somehow hardens your skin. This should be done as soon as possible, to deter these ferocious predators. I know this to my cost, as my feet and legs have been bitten by all manner of creatures seemingly cuing to have suck at my innocent blood through white purulent skin. Wearing socks only attracts the rascals and they have an amazing ability to rummage into your clothing waiting for the opportunist moment to strike. Occasionally, pairs of these predators will use a pincer like movement to inflict maximum damage, when you least expect it.
Watch out for the small lizards which mainly appear at night. They have the amazing ability to walk on ceilings and walls with the same agility as any gold medallist Olympic athlete. They are however more scarred of humans than believe it or not, we are of them and so even if you see one, they will not come close to you. Otherwise apply “get off” lotion to prevent mosquitoes attacking you, it is very effective and worth the 150 or so peso.
~ CLIMATE ~
It may or not come as a surprise, but the climate here is probably as idyllic as one can imagine for me, coming from the frozen north of northern Europe. To me, compared to Manchester, the Philippines, even the wet season is dry. From October to February, you can expect hot sunshine during the day interspersed with the occasional shower. This is the rainy season and it is when the rivers which are fuelled from the falling rains from the mountainous areas, are raised to above average levels. Much of the flatland plains which surround the volcanic mountains inland are where the rice fields are found. Consequently these areas become extremely moist during these months to aid rice production. There is very little evidence of any irrigation so the fields need to have the areas contained to avoid the water dispersing away. It is not uncommon to see field after field of water which to the untrained eye may appear as a flooding catastrophe.
The rest of the year, the temperatures during the day can soar to the high 30’s and only dwindle to a modest baking heat of mid 20’s during the night. After dark there is usually only a remote chance of the occasional thunderstorm to illuminate the evening and quench the thirsty coconut and banana trees. It has to be said, that when it does rain here, it rains very hard and can begin at only a few minutes’ notice. We put some bowls out before one such
storm and in two hours we estimate we got around 6” or 15cm of rain. The drainage system here copes very well and after such a shower, when the sun appears with his hat on and shines, the searing heat (seemingly gas mark 5 or more) quickly evaporates the inclement moment away.
For me coming from a country where every street has its own skin tanning studio, it seems such a waste of natural resources for people in the Philippines to use skin whitening soap and an elaborate collection of creams to keep their skin white. Having a tan is frowned upon and instead to have a whiter than white skin, as in any famous brand wash powder commercials, is highly desirable. To be in vogue here you will encounter many people (mainly females) with umbrellas to fend off the tanning sun as they walk the streets. Most of the male population have given up all hope of attaining pure white skin and favour the more traditional deep bronze appearance.
~ ELECTRICAL ~
The electric supplies is 240v and uses a flat 2 pin plug, if you need an adaptor for your own equipment these are plentiful from most department stores or some sari sari at around 25 peso each. Batteries are available from most late night opening pharmacies for that late evening emergency; most types of alkaline voltages are stocked in all manner of shapes. One thing to be aware of in the more provincial areas, is that electricity is not guaranteed for a 24hr supply, black outs or brown outs can be a regular occurrences, so be prepared to have a flash light handy or consider ways to amuse and entertain your lady in the dark.
You only have to look around the streets to realise that many of the installations look like they were made by some failed apprentice from high school. However despite the obvious lack of attention to installation detail, the system on the whole copes quite well. Electrocution from the electricity network is not as likely as suffering a near death experience when you pay the actual bill. When we lived in
Abuyog the payment office was on the same site as the substation about 7km away from the town. Paying the bill took hours as the process is manual and the bills are sent to hundreds of consumers at the same time. The deadline to pay and incentive to pay early to avoid late payment penalties only fuels the desire to cue from 6am onwards. Day trips to other towns were a popular choice to avoid the prolonged wait. The sari next door, we have been told, allegedly had an assortment of snacks, drinks and various life support machines on hand, just in case of any coronary failure, while waiting to have their payment extracted. Incidentally bills here are paid monthly and an average household’s bill is around 800 peso.
~ BROADBAND, INTERNET and PHONE USED ~
Internet cafes are too numerous to mention as most families cannot afford to buy a PC or the internet connection, if you want to use your laptop for internet while here, you can use either Globe or Smart, the two main telecom companies. They can supply for around 3000peso, a mobile dongle modem which gives basic internet access using GPRS on the mobile phone network. It’s not the fastest in the world and it is not advised to attempt to download dodgy DVD, but if you intend to use for basic email and online messaging its fine.
Cell phones work here if you have a triple band handset or have the set unlocked to any network, a tip here is advise your friends to text you only here and use a Smart or Globe sim card in your set to keep in contact. It is much cheaper that way and you can easily top up a load from anywhere with a Smart or Globe sign from as little as 30 peso. A text to a cell phone here on such a network only costs 1 peso. There is usually no problem getting topped up at endless sari sari (small grocery store) where you can load up any time of day. The most common phone here not surprisingly is the Nokia 3300 series. Only the more affluent affording the latest high tech gadgetry.
~ COMMON WORDS and PHRASES ~
Even if you cannot get your tongue around the native dialect, as when visiting foreign lands it is always useful to know some words and phrases to show at least you are willing to communicate in the local tongue.
CR
Room or RR rest room; you see these everywhere Toilet or Lavatory signs are not seen.
These rates are based on the exchange rates in November 2008 and are for guidance purposes only, for current rates of exchange information, please check with your bank or online currency calculator sites.
The use of credit / debit cards is widely accepted in many major stores and retail outlets. However beware, ATM’s are only found in major cities, so if you are living in the provinces, remember to get enough cash to last until you go back to the closest city. Incidentally the usual maximum limit you can draw in one transaction is 10000 peso. All the machines I have used, do have instructions in English, just incase your Tagalog is not so fluent.
