General Info

[Starchild2012]

Anyone mentioned this video? I saw it posted on another site and thought you guys might wanna check it out. Of course one hopes to never be paid a visit from the Bureau of Immigration...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNzaSWjouA

Wow...very good video ...an eye opener...

Foreigner's who come to PH should always remember that "There is no cure for jealously". I'm from a third world country and i know to some extent how it works here. As you see in the video, all folks who come from EU or America built a palatial bungalow surrounded by ghettos in remote places.

They are bound to be the target of extortion by mafia. No matter how many books you read and forum posts about in living in the Philippines .....one will take a long time in understanding the psychology of people in a third world country.

Except few, everyone who is on top in a third world country came from mafioso mentality extortion and parasitically leeching into who made money genuinely. You will face the same issues if you do that in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia etc anywhere in Asia. This is also true in Korea and Japan... Protectionism in Asia by few families which i call mafia is everywhere. You may read ohh how great is Japan and look at korean economy, they are better than PH...if true.., try opening a business there...you will be cut down in no time.....its worse in Korea and Japan...in PH you can bribe and get your way around..In Japan and korea..you will be stuck in prison for ever.

How many Europeans or American do you think have made it in japan or korea...None...How many Japanese and Koreans are successful in America and europe....thousands

You don't have to worry about poor people, its a wrong assumption that poor people are after your money. Its the people who are in power, with plenty of money to payoff other gangsters will do such a thing. Actually, 90% of people in Asia are good like anywhere, its the few people on top who controls everything and would do anything to stop anyone else from coming up.

As Denom has pointed out, its pretty much the case. Since, last 150 year's, few families are controlling the breath of PH economy. Do you think they will easily give it all away ?

As many of us know, why do you think farangs always say "no matter what you do, you will never be a part of them" however, many Asians, who go to farang lands quickly raise to the top, becoming part of the society, contributing to the society and culture of the adopted land. We know 1000's of Asians who are successful in europe and America and part of the society.

UK's richest man is an Indian, lots of Filipinos and Asian's are millionaires in America. How many we know in reverse..none...Its a fact folks..Don't swing your tail too much..else it will be cut to size..Period.

1. Keep a low profile. 2. rent condos 3. Live among Filipinos 4. Don't built 100 thousand dollars mansion in remote corners of the country.5 Most of all...keep moving from place to place..Don't attract too much attention.

Personally, even if im from India, which does not attract too much attention. Due to my lifestyle :)...I always keep changing my location...couple of years back i was in Cebu, then i moved to manila...i came back..now i go back to Cebu and live in a different place.

The point is...when you start getting attention and people start to recognize you around...time to pack your bags. Again, I say, PH and Asia is a very good place to live and enjoy..people are nice..poor, middle class people are not your problem...its people in power with millions of dollars with greed down in their neck will make sure you pay for trespassing into their territory

I hate this when good people are exploited.

[Ekspat]

I'm thinking of opening a Phil peso account, anyone sufgest which bank is best.

I'm with HSBC Premier. excellent service so far.
Cheers!

[Econo Tech]

I agree with you completely. I was skeptical at first to post an anti Filipino site. But figured not many Filipinos are members here. So just went with it. I was also surprised by the site for its blatant form of article reporting against PH, then found out, all writers on that site are Filipino-americans.

Me and my dumb brain

Knowing the attitude, I casually mentioned the site and a colleague of mine swears that it is run by people who don't like FILIPINOS. I culled further discussed and did a vanishing act.

Being from India. I'm very well aware of the false national pride that is injected into all Indians from an early age. Even if you try to point out the mistake you will always be the culprit. Later, when I traveled, I found out the problem is in all over Asia. It is same in Thailand, I would say far greater than PH. China, Korea etc are same. Japan is cool to an extent.

Well, no comments. Most Indians and other asians think that 'national pride' overrides everything.

I took counter measures and now I don't face any issues at all. However, when I point the same stuff back home that why bar girls/girls in general don't like Indians as one of the reason is smell.

I'm just bombarded with anti Indian messages, banned from forums and get 1000 curse words in mail. I understand its a sensitive issue, I make it extra careful to point it out. Yet educated people also don't get it.

Well, no comments been there, heard that, and got shit to smithereens. Now when guys ask why the girls are not even entertaining the guys, I say nothing.

Well, of course, when the girl has met and knows the guys is clean enough, then it is a wild ride, and more often I have heard girls telling to other girls about some of my friends. "He is INJAN, BUT NOT SMELLY" I don't attempt to hurt the feeling of the indians and others and I keep quite.

But word of caution. Don't do the same with Indians, Pakistanis, srilankans, thai or any Asians. One will get the same negative response.

Back to bar girls. Considering their moral brain, it is wrong to discuss politics, and some of the worse things you can do is ask them to 'get out of the business' as they will think you are the bad guy and the 'business' they are in isn't bad

No comments mate And good writing.

Cheers

[Denom]

PS - I wrote the post below before realizing there is a part II of the video. It does not change much to what I wrote except that it is true that some of the people presented in the second part have indeed made quite a difference. They have done outstanding work and deserve all our admiration and gratitude - especially if their efforts prove to be sustainable!

[Denom]

anyone mentioned this video? i saw it posted on another site and thought you guys might wanna check it out. of course one hopes to never be paid a visit from the bureau of immigration...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlnzaswjoua

wow!!!

i am not surprised though. there are three big potential problems/traps for foreigners living in the philippines: 1) doing business could be a nightmare because of the endemic corruption, 2) the difference in wealth can create problems over time; and 3) launching baseless accusation and authorities playing along with it is so easy.

for 1, all of my friends having done business where the government was involved (i.e. granting licenses etc) have lived to regret it, especially where big money was at stake - and i am not speaking of the relatively common occurrence of the wife going away with all the possession that was put on her name or to which she had access to.

for 2, you have to try to get local neighbors involved, even for small money, maybe having a nearby field where they can grow things, etc. then they will support and protect you, otherwise they may create trouble (from slashing your tires to robberies to false accusations to shooting).

for 3, a case in point would be lac, that went down through false accusations by the international justice mission, maybe triggered after the owner filed criminal suit against one of its members, with lim playing along with it for his own agenda. another was the smith case, falsely accused of [CodeWord125] a bar girl who willingly went with him! a case that was played up for pure political reasons by people like legarda (who at least lost the presidential election together with the equally wicked villar, thanks god). another case that comes to mind is the one of albert wilson, narrated in the book "sentenced to death", who was lined up for the death penalty after completely fabricated accusations of him having had sex with a girl below 12, and who was proved innocent on the last minute!

the philippines can be paradise or hell, depending on how well you navigate through the maze of intrigues, greed, and jealousy that the contrast of wealth will inevitably create. it certainly helps to take more than one precautions, and knowing people like that guy (who deserves the highest praise) would certainly be an asset! i wish he would one day write a book with all the cases he encountered, for our own enlightenment!

[Red Kilt]

GL I have a peso account at HSBC and I have no balance but that maybe because of my account here in Saudi. Worth a check maybe?

I agree with WR.
I use HSBC (the world's local bank) in Manila.
I am not charged ANY fees because i deposit my pay cheques directly into the account.
I have 3 sub-accounts under the major account - a peso, an Aust dollar and a USD account, with 3 different ATM cards to access any of them anywhere.
I also have an HSBC credit card account that is linked to one of these accounts for direct debit.
All very easy to do with minimum of fuss.
The best thing about HSBC is that there is never any lines to deal with at ATMs or inside the bank itself.

[Denom]

I'm thinking of opening a Phil peso account, anyone sufgest which bank is best.So far I've checked BPI and Metrobank - Metrobank has a lower min balance 2000P cf 3000P and less documentation requirements.

I am very happy with BPI, and not so with Metrobank. BPI has great service, and easy to use web access. Metrobank may be good on the long run but on new account they have many restrictions and are a pain in the neck (no remitance at first, etc).

China bank has the best internet download service straight to MS Money. I like that. Citibank is the most convenient if you have accounts in several countries but the minimum maintaining balance is very high. HSBC has the worst internet service and credit card service. For other things they may not be that bad but are not worth the high maintaining balance IMO. BPI gives a much better service for a much much lower maitaining balance. BDO is good. Don't take an account with Union bank. They are terrible.

IMO the best is Citibank, and the more useful of the smaller banks is China bank, followed by BPI, followed by BDO.

Well, that's my experience at least. YMMV.

[Tenchi]

Anyone mentioned this video? I saw it posted on another site and thought you guys might wanna check it out. Of course one hopes to never be paid a visit from the Bureau of Immigration...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNzaSWjouA

[Starchild2012]

My 2 cents advice: having worked with emotionally driven filipinos, don't even mention that site to any Filipino, as in their emotionally driven state will twist it till they will accuse you of being the owner of that sit. Not amount of clarification will get into their head

I agree with you completely. I was skeptical at first to post an anti Filipino site...but figured not many Filipinos are members here..so just went with it....I was also surprised by the site for its blatant form of article reporting against PH, then found out, all writers on that site are filipino-americans.

Being from India...im very well aware of the false national pride that is injected into all Indians from an early age...even if you try to point out the mistake you will always be the culprit. Later, when i traveled, I found out the problem is in all over Asia...it is same in Thailand, i would say far greater than PH. China, Korea etc are same...Japan is cool to an extent.

Case in point, Many Indians smell bad, myself included compare to other country folks...it may be due to the spices we eat, our curries :)....When i came to PH first...i took the smelling issue in my stride when girls action made it clear that, my smell is an issue for them. I took counter measures and now i don't face any issues at all....however, when i point the same stuff back home that why bar girls/girls in general don't like Indians as one of the reason is smell..

I'm just bombarded with anti Indian messages, banned from forums and get 1000 curse words in mail. I understand its a sensitive issue, i make it extra careful to point it out...yet educated people also don't get it.


I read, hear 1000 stories about Indians getting rejected all around the bars.....but when i say may be its could be our fault...they would say...no the bar girls are racist etc.

You are right, im very careful in these matters...i just go with the flow...unless i know a girl very well...i don't take any political or cultural issues with them.

But word of caution...don't do the same with Indians, Pakistanis, srilankans , thai or any Asians....one will get the same negative response. :)

[WestCoast1]

Hello all,

I will be a newbie to The Philippines and this is a very general question about the available activities of Filipina bar girls. I've had several trips to Cambodia and Thailand and enjoy an anal trip, generally after one too many beers but enjoyable none the less. I'm planning a trip to AC and Subic Bay and have heard that because of the general Catholic upbringing it is rare to find a Filipina that does anal. Do you know if it is really that rare or just a matter of asking? Thanks for your input (that's a joke guys).

Plenty of filipina bargirls do anal, just like anywhere else. You just have to spell it out before you take her. Don't wait until you get to the room and say, "By the way, can you also do..."

[GoodEnough]

Hi all, Check out these awesome interviews with Expats about life and love in the Philippines. They are so no holds barred, truthful, and refreshing with NO political correctness. Just what I like! It's rare to hear people talk so truthful publicly.Enjoy!

Thanks for the links. I listened to a few of the episodes and was fairly disappointed. I didn't find either of these guys offering any insights that a guy who has been here for a week or two wouldn't develop. Maybe it's because I live here, but I don't think so.

GE

[Jsayla]

Hello all,

I will be a newbie to The Philippines and this is a very general question about the available activities of Filipina bar girls. I've had several trips to Cambodia and Thailand and enjoy an anal trip, generally after one too many beers but enjoyable none the less. I'm planning a trip to AC and Subic Bay and have heard that because of the general Catholic upbringing it is rare to find a Filipina that does anal. Do you know if it is really that rare or just a matter of asking? Thanks for your input (that's a joke guys).

[Romeo0310]

Hi all,

Check out these awesome interviews with Expats about life and love in the Philippines. They are so no holds barred, truthful, and refreshing with NO political correctness. Just what I like! It's rare to hear people talk so truthful publicly.

Here are the links to listen to them.

Interview with Larry Elterman, author of "A Man's Guide to Life and Love in the Philippines":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOar7...eature=related

Interview with Steve N about Dating Filipinas vs. American women:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY3kDLNLRwI

Enjoy!

[Wicked Roger]

Bad news for those relying an ATM s to access funds in the Phils. Until today BPI was the only bank (unless anyone knows of any others) that did not charge a "transaction fee" for the use of foreign based ATMs. Today they added an outrageous 200P per withdrawal charge (2% on the maximum 10,000P withdrawal and of course a higher percentage on lower amounts.)

Because ATM transactions are carried out at the "commercial exchange rate" ie a very low bid/offer spread using your ATM may still be the most economical way to access cash from overseas as if you transfer a large amount and deposit in a Phil bank it will be changed at a retail ex rate which typically has a 5% spread.

I'm thinking of opening a Phil peso account, anyone sufgest which bank is best.So far I've checked BPI and Metrobank - Metrobank has a lower min balance 2000P cf 3000P and less documentation requirements.

GL I have a peso account at HSBC and I have no balance but that maybe because of my account here in Saudi. Worth a check maybe?

[Starchild2012]

It's also important to remember that call center work is reserved for the educated. Typically, call centers require at least two years of college, and the requirements for management require, I am sure, college degrees, which eliminates the vast bulk of the population. Couple this with the fact that approximately 95% of all applicants fail the call center English tests, and again, you're looking at a minuscule percentage of the population that can qualify for these admittedly abundant jobs. The major problem for call centers here is that they cannot recruit a sufficient number of people given the stringent English language requirement and the lousy work hours that require the agents to work at night, since that's when it's daylight in the West.

GE

True. I have worked in a call center myself in India when i graduated from college . I won't recommended anyone to work in a call center...its like slaving away your youth working in a grave yard shift for a penny with no experience gained.

Sure enough, it pays a bit more than regular job around you in a third world country....but the pay is still low to make any significant change in your life. You can't buy a house, a car, or go around the world with a call center salary.

Young people just don't understand what trap they are getting into...at first, when you are in the 20's your body is good and you are full of energy..20 thousand pesos looks great....working in night shit is not a problem.

When you hit 30's and all the toll it takes to work in the night shift...your body slowly starts to give away....you get married, have kids and can't stay at night in a call center for ever....you resign and look for another work.

Recruiters will laugh at you with your call center experience....they say you have graduate degree from a good university in Bsc, science..where is the work experience....cold calling someone for 10 years in America does not look good in the resume after you hit 30.

Filipinos would suffer the same fate that Indians did. Why you wonder that PH is taking over India in call center business...'cos in India, people have learned their game. Attrition rate in India is like 80%, no one wants to stick around in a call center for too long. ofcourse in media you hear all rosy picture...the ground reality is different...call centre job in India is now a days one of the last option...just 10 years back...it was the thing to be in.

The people who open call centre in a third world country are looking for slaves and are scums of the earth, they make 40 times more per seat opening a call centre in India or PH and give them back a bit more than average salary around. Do they compromise on quality NO, may be in some cases on calls they compromise on accent but by not much...but for backend work..they require the same quality as they would get in America.

If they don't compromise on quality why should we compromise on salary ? like they pay 80% less than what a call centre agent in America would make.

A bar girl working in Cebu at night is at an equal footing with a call center agent..they both work at night, they make more or less the same amount of money and they talk to same people "farangs" from America and Europe :)..

Only difference between them is that a bar girl can get sometimes lucky by hooking up with a farang and has a greater chance learning the american accent than a call center agent plus she could also realize her American dream which a call center agent could never. :)