General Info

[BroComplex]

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips. I am now booked on PAL in July. I'm still trying to understand the geography and get a good idea of the "red zones" around Manila. I'm pretty sure AC is really just one red zone, so should be easier to figure out. It's all basically near Walking Street, yes?

Next, I'm looking at hotels in Manila and AC that are:

1. Guest friendly.

2. Next to or in areas with open bars and FL's and / or near known FL locations (like Robinsons Mall?

3. Not shitty (maybe $50-$90 per night).

I will start by reviewing past posts in all relevant boards, and listing any that might meet my needs.

But if any of you have recent info (like less than 30 days old) and can share, please, I'll be in your debt to the tune of 3-5 San Miguels if we get to meet. .

Hello kat is this your first time going to the philippines? How long are you planning on staying and what is your game plan p4 p or dating or mix of both? Are you planning on going to the islands or other cities or is it just manila?

[Beavis]

I'd say Americans were the lesser of two evils--by a wide margin. It is also true that the US benefited substantially from Filipino guerillas, both in sharing intelligence and planning for the assault on Leyte and the later assault from Lingayen Gulf to Manila. The Huks, for example, a leftist group of rebels, sided with Americans in their efforts to retake Luzon. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but only in the short term.) After the war, however, the Huks were a continuous irritant to the Americans, even after the Philippines' 1946 independence. My recently deceased next door neighbor was stationed at Sangley Point Naval Station for several years after the end of the war. He has told me about the American military's ongoing need to protect infrastructure from attacks by the Huks. Technically, the Huks organized against the Japanese around 1942, but they were really part of an ongoing communist movement first focused against the Spanish, but then directing its wrath toward the Americans after the Philippine-American war.

We did not make many Filipino friends during the Philippine-American war. Emilio Aguinaldo, the nominal Philippine (dictatorial) head of state after the 1998 rebellion against Spain, travelled to French IndoChina to negotiate with Commodore Perry following the Spanish-American war. Translation was carried out by a British businessman and led Aguinaldo to believe that Perry was promising to support Philippine independence. Perry's fleet did sink a bunch of the Spanish fleet which had foolishly holed up in behind Cavite Arm, leaving themselves no exit route from Manila Bay. But whether or not Perry had promised to support Philippine independence, it was clear Perry did not follow through to do so. In fact, he secretly negotiated with the Spanish leader in Manila to stage a mock battle and allow the Spanish to escape relatively unscathed. Meanwhile, at the Treaty of Paris, the US agreed to buy the Philippines from Spain. Unfortunately, Filipinos were left out of the loop in negotiations for both the mock battle and the purchase of the Philippines. You can hardly blame Aguinaldo and other Filipinos for their reaction to what appeared to them as American deceit.

There were a number of chilling massacres during the Philippine-American war. One noteworthy one was the massacre of Balangiga in Eastern Samar. The story is told differently by Filipinos and Americans, with both sides attributing horrendous atrocities to the other side. In the process, in addition to a bunch of young Filipinos left dead, Americans stole three significant bells from a historic church in Balangiga and took one to an installation in Korea and the other two to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The US did not relinquish the bells until 2018, despite 117 years of appeals from the Philippines.

Did the US treat Filipinos better than the Spanish had under colonialism? Probably. The Americans expanded schooling to all Filipinos, and they opened hospitals, universities and other facilities to all Filipinos. They also built a civil service and employed Filipinos in its ranks, but for the most part not in positions of decision-making authority. The US tried, relatively unsuccessfully, to create a separation of church and state. But the US also attempted to squash labor organizing, and, therefore, various elements of civil society. One result was an expanding movement of communists, which persists to the present day. There was, for a number of years, a blurred line of organizing activity by Philippine Jesuits and communists. Some of those sentiments still simmer. One might also ask, as Filipinos sometimes do, why it took the US 45 years to grant independence to the Philippines.

As an American I have concluded that my country did better by Filipinos than did the Spanish. And there is no practical comparison to the Japanese. But I am cautious about romanticizing Filipinos' attitudes toward us. The extent of affection may decline somewhat when the source of sentiment is the lower levels of Philippine socio-economics. Poor Filipinas often express affection for usbut mostly for our money and the prospect of being transported to a wealthy Western country. Also, my sense of historical causation is that few events can be reduced to a single event or person, whether it's a Catholic Cardinal or Duterte's anger at a former wife.

And all of these actions were decided by about 1,000 or less idiots in Washington, the. See. Politicians poorly represent the entire population of any country. Plenty of good and bad people in any land.

[Soapy Smith]

(1) Filipinos resented the Japanese not the Americans from the gitgo during WWII and aided GI's for example during the Death March of Bataan and beyond.

I'd say Americans were the lesser of two evils--by a wide margin. It is also true that the US benefited substantially from Filipino guerillas, both in sharing intelligence and planning for the assault on Leyte and the later assault from Lingayen Gulf to Manila. The Huks, for example, a leftist group of rebels, sided with Americans in their efforts to retake Luzon. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but only in the short term.) After the war, however, the Huks were a continuous irritant to the Americans, even after the Philippines' 1946 independence. My recently deceased next door neighbor was stationed at Sangley Point Naval Station for several years after the end of the war. He has told me about the American military's ongoing need to protect infrastructure from attacks by the Huks. Technically, the Huks organized against the Japanese around 1942, but they were really part of an ongoing communist movement first focused against the Spanish, but then directing its wrath toward the Americans after the Philippine-American war.

We did not make many Filipino friends during the Philippine-American war. Emilio Aguinaldo, the nominal Philippine (dictatorial) head of state after the 1998 rebellion against Spain, travelled to French IndoChina to negotiate with Commodore Perry following the Spanish-American war. Translation was carried out by a British businessman and led Aguinaldo to believe that Perry was promising to support Philippine independence. Perry's fleet did sink a bunch of the Spanish fleet which had foolishly holed up in behind Cavite Arm, leaving themselves no exit route from Manila Bay. But whether or not Perry had promised to support Philippine independence, it was clear Perry did not follow through to do so. In fact, he secretly negotiated with the Spanish leader in Manila to stage a mock battle and allow the Spanish to escape relatively unscathed. Meanwhile, at the Treaty of Paris, the US agreed to buy the Philippines from Spain. Unfortunately, Filipinos were left out of the loop in negotiations for both the mock battle and the purchase of the Philippines. You can hardly blame Aguinaldo and other Filipinos for their reaction to what appeared to them as American deceit.

There were a number of chilling massacres during the Philippine-American war. One noteworthy one was the massacre of Balangiga in Eastern Samar. The story is told differently by Filipinos and Americans, with both sides attributing horrendous atrocities to the other side. In the process, in addition to a bunch of young Filipinos left dead, Americans stole three significant bells from a historic church in Balangiga and took one to an installation in Korea and the other two to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The US did not relinquish the bells until 2018, despite 117 years of appeals from the Philippines.

Did the US treat Filipinos better than the Spanish had under colonialism? Probably. The Americans expanded schooling to all Filipinos, and they opened hospitals, universities and other facilities to all Filipinos. They also built a civil service and employed Filipinos in its ranks, but for the most part not in positions of decision-making authority. The US tried, relatively unsuccessfully, to create a separation of church and state. But the US also attempted to squash labor organizing, and, therefore, various elements of civil society. One result was an expanding movement of communists, which persists to the present day. There was, for a number of years, a blurred line of organizing activity by Philippine Jesuits and communists. Some of those sentiments still simmer. One might also ask, as Filipinos sometimes do, why it took the US 45 years to grant independence to the Philippines.

As an American I have concluded that my country did better by Filipinos than did the Spanish. And there is no practical comparison to the Japanese. But I am cautious about romanticizing Filipinos' attitudes toward us. The extent of affection may decline somewhat when the source of sentiment is the lower levels of Philippine socio-economics. Poor Filipinas often express affection for us—but mostly for our money and the prospect of being transported to a wealthy Western country. Also, my sense of historical causation is that few events can be reduced to a single event or person, whether it's a Catholic Cardinal or Duterte's anger at a former wife.

[The Rose]

There has long been an underlying resentment toward the US, and this was the dynamic that prompted some Filipinos to push the removal of American forces from Clark and Subic in the early 1990's. When Duterte proposed to cut off joint exercises with American forces, I think he was tapping into this resentment.

(1) Filipinos resented the Japanese not the Americans from the gitgo during WWII and aided GI's for example during the Death March of Bataan and beyond. Unusual for a colonial military to get that kind of support.

(2) The push for the removal of US bases was catalyzed by the puritanical Cardinal Sin who blamed the prostitution on Fields in Angeles and Magsaysay in Olongapo on the presence of the military bases and their horny 20 year old sailors and airman. I am a lot older than 20 and I am still horny. Muddle minded Catholic cleric. He should have gotten his cock sucked by one of those pros on Blow Road.

Interesting note: at one time the Pearl S. Buck foundation had an office in Angeles in the Diamond Subdivision neighborhood whose purpose it was to give assistance to the Philam children of unwed and abandoned mothers. By way of review for the untutored PM, Pearl Buck was the American Nobel Prize winner in literature whose parents were Chinese Christian missionaries. The last time I saw it open was maybe 1996.

(3) Du30's American resentments stemmed from his experience from being a husband to an American wife. Nobody can blame him there.

[GDreams]

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips. I am now booked on PAL in July. I'm still trying to understand the geography and get a good idea of the "red zones" around Manila. I'm pretty sure AC is really just one red zone, so should be easier to figure out. It's all basically near Walking Street, yes?

Next, I'm looking at hotels in Manila and AC that are:

1. Guest friendly.

2. Next to or in areas with open bars and FL's and / or near known FL locations (like Robinsons Mall?

3. Not shitty (maybe $50-$90 per night).

I will start by reviewing past posts in all relevant boards, and listing any that might meet my needs..

In Manila I prefer Malate. Then again I like Korean, Japanese and Chinese food of which there is and abundance. There are a lot of KTVs but I don't visit. Robinsons place is there and La Cafe but I get 95% of girls online. Never been in a gogo bar. Pricing of reasonable hotels is in your price range. Makati is not so fun to walk around, the malls are overly large and crowded and not very interesting.

[Soapy Smith]

You will definitely not fit in the trikes, nor in the jeepneys. I'm not really a big guy, but I'm quite tall, and I have to fold myself to get in a trike. Jeepneys are easier to get in, but the roof is quite low and the ride is only a little bit less uncomfortable than a trike ride.

M, you're probably right about trikes and jeepneys, but maybe he should try each once, just to say he did. The jeepney is the more challenging of the two, because there's a steeper learning curve: need to know where the route goes, need to know where to get off, and need to know bayad po and para po.

[Mogwai]

New question, please: I was reading a long string about money exchange on the AC board and it got me wondering when I should pay by card vs cash. Paying by card reduces the need to bring and exchange cash, and with a Travel Visa card from my primary bank I can avoid or reduce FX fees for most card transactions. I have enough cash to pay off the card bills the next month, so not worried about loading up interest charges. So here's what I'm thinking:

1. Cash for all mongering activities. Barfines, bar bills, ST / LT fees and tips, etc.
2. Cards for all non-mongering activities at "legit" merchants like hotel, restaurants, retail stores, etc. IF they accept cards and IF they have a legit credit card terminal (I used to be in that business so I can spot card scammers. Mostly).
3. Cash for street vendors, 7-11-ish stores, taxis / Grab.

Maybe it has already been mentioned, but please be aware that credit card surcharges are illegal in the Philippines. So if your hotel adds a surcharge, just say it's illegal and they will remove it from the bill immediately.
By the way, some hotels offer a 5 or 10% discount if you pay cash. Pre-covid anyway.

[Mogwai]

Next, I'm looking at hotels in Manila and AC that are:

1. Guest friendly.
2. Next to or in areas with open bars and FL's and / or near known FL locations (like Robinsons Mall?
3. Not shitty (maybe $50-$90 per night).

https://www.berjayahotel.com/makati might be an option for you. It's about 200-300 metres from the bars in P Burgos street. Girl friendly, nice rooms, good breakfast buffet, and most of the rooms are facing a quiet side street.

Another option are the condo's of 'Mosaic Tower by Funsho'. Google it like that. Further away from P Burgos, but very close to the Greenbelt mall, in nicer more Western like surroundings.

[Mogwai]

Transportation in-city. As mentioned, I have bad knees and as a bigger guy, I'm not sure I'll fit in the trikes. So Grab seems like the way to go for short trips, maybe 4-8 per day depending on daily activities.

You will definitely not fit in the trikes, nor in the jeepneys. I'm not really a big guy, but I'm quite tall, and I have to fold myself to get in a trike. Jeepneys are easier to get in, but the roof is quite low and the ride is only a little bit less uncomfortable than a trike ride.

[CPO59]

Can I get a Taxi at Clark Airport easily.

How much (aprox) to a hotel in Fields.

[Soapy Smith]

(1) Morales is not xenophobic which is a generalized fear, antipathy of anything foreign. Morales's fear & antipathy is focused and not generalized. He is not xenophobia; he is viscerally and irrationally anti-American. Maybe some real American (b) itch spurned him. God knows there are plenty of them.

But place names like Clark, MacArthur, and Taft still endure as a testimony to the lasting affection that persists between the two countries. Recall that in California the largest Asian minority is Philippine.

So if Mr. Morales hates Americans, and it's a free country, his hatred must perforce extend to the Philippines.

You are correct about xenophobia, but I'm not convinced that Clark, Taft, and MacArthur are reflections of affection. There has long been an underlying resentment toward the US, and this was the dynamic that prompted some Filipinos to push the removal of American forces from Clark and Subic in the early 1990's. When Duterte proposed to cut off joint exercises with American forces, I think he was tapping into this resentment. It struck some observers as an effort to eliminate a sense of dependency on the US, particularly where armaments were concerned.

It's certainly possible that PM's hatred for Americans extends to Filipinos, but for his hatred to extend "perforce" seems to imply that he knows the historical connections you describe. That may be giving him too much credit.

[Goferring]

I'm pretty sure AC is really just one red zone, so should be easier to figure out. It's all basically near Walking Street, yes?

Next, I'm looking at hotels in Manila and AC.....

Yes, the AC scene is basically Walking street and it's extensions. Walking down Fields Ave away from McDonald's you have the Walking St Gogo's, the boom gate stopping vehicular traffic, smaller Gogo's and the popular foreigner drinking bars (lots of very rough street walkers in this area), a stretch of nothingness, then the Perimeter bars. You can walk in a straight line from the start of Walking St to the last if the Perimeter bars but it's a long walk. Trikes are also plentiful. Staying on or near Walking St also has you close to the Mall which has numerous eateries and sales girls keen for some overtime. Note that there isn't a Pattaya equivalent Beer Bar scene in AC.

Unfortunately Manila City is very spread out, with various red light areas some distance apart. Daytime traffic can be horrendous. At night, Makati has probably the best selection but Burgos is not cheap. I prefer to stay in a Greenbelt AirBnB as it's a short taxi ride to most hunting areas and there is a lot nearby to do during the day. Note that the malls in the area are quite high end so don't go propositioning every girl you see. Greenbelt malls and Glorietta are also recognisable landmarks for online girls to find if they are coming in to meet you.

Good luck. G.

[MrHappyKat]

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips. I am now booked on PAL in July. I'm still trying to understand the geography and get a good idea of the "red zones" around Manila. I'm pretty sure AC is really just one red zone, so should be easier to figure out. It's all basically near Walking Street, yes?

Next, I'm looking at hotels in Manila and AC that are:

1. Guest friendly.

2. Next to or in areas with open bars and FL's and / or near known FL locations (like Robinsons Mall?

3. Not shitty (maybe $50-$90 per night).

I will start by reviewing past posts in all relevant boards, and listing any that might meet my needs.

But if any of you have recent info (like less than 30 days old) and can share, please, I'll be in your debt to the tune of 3-5 San Miguels if we get to meet. .

[The Rose]

The xenophobia is tough to ignore.
But to put things in perspective, Putin makes our interventions, even the Philippines in 1900-1901, look like walks in the park.

(1) Morales is not xenophobic which is a generalized fear, antipathy of anything foreign. Morales's fear & antipathy is focused and not generalized. He is not xenophobia; he is viscerally and irrationally anti-American. Maybe some real American (b) itch spurned him. God knows there are plenty of them.

(2) Two weeks after Commodore Dewey sailed into Manila bay and sank the Spanish fleet, the nascent Germany navy steamed in trying to take advantage of any American weakness to exploit so as to replace the US but then backed off having found none.

In the ensuing insurrection the Philippine resistance to the Americans was divided and fought among themselves for preeminence. The upshot is that the Americans prevented the PI from being taken over by either the Germans, English, and Japanese or all three.

Finally the Americans prevented chaos arising from internecine warfare among competing local factions and united a diverse group into one country using English as its lingua franca. Americans were imperialists but they intended to show the world how to be good imperialists.

Americans are criticized for not breaking up the power of the big Philippine families whose power still presides over the country. But place names like Clark, MacArthur, and Taft still endure as a testimony to the lasting affection that persists between the two countries. Recall that in California the largest Asian minority is Philippine.

So if Mr. Morales hates Americans, and it's a free country, his hatred must perforce extend to the Philippines.

[Soapy Smith]

Baybay was badly hit have v good contacts there (a kinky anal loving GILF / MILF plus others) and have seen the devastation. Been sent videos, picture. Some barangays wiped out, many houses just floated away, lots of dead people etc. Limited power, no running water (water via truck but the kinky GILF has to go collect and that needs large containers she said and takes hours).

So if you do get the message and want to help this is not a scam as Baybay and Abuyog are badly smashed up.

Agreed Rog. It looks real ugly. Thanks for filling in the pieces. Soapy.