General Information

[Red Kilt]

The guy was inviting a knife in the ribs. These gangs work in tandem and often they watch each other's backs. If he escaped the incident with his wallet intact but money gone he is lucky not to become another story in the "Sunstar".

Why guys still walk around anywhere in the Philippines with a wallet containing all their credit cards and cash in one neat bundle is beyond comprehension. I have received at least 3 security briefings from the different agencies for which I work and all of them, amongst other things, say to carry your cash separately from your credit cards, and always leave at least one of your credit cards secure in your hotel.

I carry two money clips; one with small bills (100s. 50s and 20s) and the other with the 1000 and 500 bills. If anyone holds me up with a gun or a knife I will give them the small bills. We are advised not to hand them over but to throw them to the side onto the ground. Same for a cell phone. Throw it aside and then run like hell.

Those of you who pump iron or fight UFC or are 200 cm and 150 kgs and fancy yourselves as any match for these street punks should think about it. Even Jack Reacher may not be a match for these street kids. There is plenty of evidence to show that these guys run in groups and carry weapons and fight dirty.

Much better to be pro-active and avoid these sort of confrontations.

It may well end in tears.

[Brymor]

Was up near Vikings at about 1. 30am this morning having walked up from Mango Square. Juliana's or whatever it is called now was pretty quiet from how I used to remember the place, seemed to have more guys than girls.

Saw the ususual group of street urchins stood on the corner across the road from Yellow Cab pizza when all of a sudden this large foreigner aged in his 50s comes hurtling across the road towards these kids screaming like a banshee. I saw one of the kids offering a wallet to him with his outstretched hand as he caught up with them, none of the kids tried to run I guess they were like startled rabbits caught in the glare of a car's headlights. The foreigner gained his composure as he stood glowering at the kids and checked the contents of his wallet, not surprisingly whatever cash he had in there had gone. The next thing is he grabs one of the larger kids a quarter of his size and begins wrestling him to the floor with his arm around his neck screaming "give me back my money" and the kid repeatedly shouting "it wasn't me".

I decided this was not something I should get involved in and I left behind a writhing mass of limbs, as I walked off back to Mango Square. This is just a reminder to those that frequent this particular area that these street kids are a constant menace with their thieving hands and you need to make sure you watch you pockets at all times. They have been here and working the same MO ever since I started coming to Cebu 10 years ago. You just need to be assertive and firm and make sure everything of value is secured

[Pip Jaeger]

i believe it was about 300p, but not sure. snip all beaches on mactan are man-made. water is shallow and ocean swimming is poor.

i was mainly interested in finding a beach to go swimming / snorkeling so i guess i'll pass on tambuli.

tambuli (when i visited) was a mud flat. i guess that could be a good thing if someone is looking for a free therapeutic mud bath.

on the other hand, maybe i'll bring a couple of my girls and see if i can entice them into a bit of "therapeutic" mud wrestling, lol.

thanks for the info guys.

[AnywhereInAsia]

Thanks for the advice even though it comes across (whether intended or not) as a bit patronising. I am pretty familiar with the culture and customs here and don't really need educating on the lack of initiative and independent thinking that many locals display. Admittedly I was taken by surprise with the complete lunacy that a patient should be expected to know beforehand what tests they should have, in order to determine if they have an infection rather than screening them for any infection. I have learnt another lesson, one of many I will continue to learn the more often I come here. I have often used the expression 'nothing surpises me anymore' but just occasionally it still does!

Doctors are hopeless all over the Philippines, its the only country in the world that I'm confident I'm smarter than the doctor treating me. I often research what meds ill need beforehand and simply tell the doctor to write the prescription as this is what my regular GP has given. Claymidia is the worst, since its often unnoticed as there is no symptoms, and also many places don't know how to test for it. Getting a broad std check up would be not accurate, better off just self medicating for claymida to be safe, and testing for HIV. The rest you prob would have noticed something already. The doctors at the bottom of ayala are fine for a script, but there advice is broad and simple.

[Brymor]

Thanks for the advice even though it comes across (whether intended or not) as a bit patronising. I am pretty familiar with the culture and customs here and don't really need educating on the lack of initiative and independent thinking that many locals display. Admittedly I was taken by surprise with the complete lunacy that a patient should be expected to know beforehand what tests they should have, in order to determine if they have an infection rather than screening them for any infection. I have learnt another lesson, one of many I will continue to learn the more often I come here. I have often used the expression 'nothing surpises me anymore' but just occasionally it still does!

[Stroker Ace88]

i checked their website and no mention of how much a day pass costs. what did you pay and how long ago was your visit? also, i read few reviews about the resort, sounds like a dump and that you could only really swim in the ocean if the tide was high. was that your experience too?

this place is older and fit for local and cheap charlie consumption. i was curious and stopped at tambuli and toured both the east and west facilities a few years ago. the receptionist showed me around and it reminded me of some mid to low-end all-inclusive resorts in the dr and cuba. i thanked the nice hrm ojt receptionist and made my way back to shangri-la to lounge around the pool.

tambuli (when i visited) was a mud flat. i guess that could be a good thing if someone is looking for a free therapeutic mud bath.

[Stroker Ace88]

I am currently in Cebu for one month. I met a professional, educated middle class woman for the first ever time here. Although she does not know my history, she does know I have visited the island many times over the years and before embarking on a relationship with me, she asked me to get tested. I thought this was not an unreasonable request from her especially as I really like her so off I went to Hi Precision Lab situated just off Fuente Circle. These clinics are always very busy and reception is part of the main waiting area. It is a bit disconcerting to try and communicate what you need without all the other people in the waiting room hearing and no matter how 'thick skinned' you are it is difficult not to feel some embarrassment. Anyway once I got over my initial fear I tried to quietly inform the receptionist what I wanted and the conversation went along like this.

[SNIP]

You claim to have a lot of time spent in the Philippines, yet you went in unprepared. You need to know exactly what test (s) you want before you go into the clinic. Go in armed with a list and have a backup test for every disease just in case your first choice is not available. Nurses and receptionists are trained to only focus on the tests they offer. Most have zero ability to think outside the box or to think quickly. It's ingrained in the culture. Try going into ACE hardware and asking for a small plumbing piece and you will get the same result. Few locals can think outside the box and use questioning and the process of elimination to come to an answer.

All the clinics / hospitals you visited have STI / STD tests, some full spectrum some not. You have to know what you want before you go in so you're not lost in the "sir not available sir" merry-go-round.

[Questor55]

I checked their website and no mention of how much a day pass costs. What did you pay and how long ago was your visit? Also, I read few reviews about the resort, sounds like a dump and that you could only really swim in the ocean if the tide was high. Was that your experience too?

I believe it was about 300P, but not sure. Rooms at East are indeed dumpy, but grounds, pool and restaurant are fine. However, as I said before, it's West that gets my recommendation on all fronts. Was at both last year. Stayed a few nights at West. All beaches on Mactan are man-made. Water is shallow and ocean swimming is poor.

[Pip Jaeger]

Tambuli West is my choice for a day trip on Mactan. Also Tambuli East (about 300 metres north along the beach is pretty good). West has a very nice pool design, whereas East has a convential rectangle. Both have beach areas that are so-so. Both restaurants are decent and the day pass rate is much cheaper than most.

I checked their website and no mention of how much a day pass costs. What did you pay and how long ago was your visit? Also, I read few reviews about the resort, sounds like a dump and that you could only really swim in the ocean if the tide was high. Was that your experience too?

[Brymor]

hi-precision labs located on osmena. as the name states they are a full service medical testing facility and do everything on site. no appointment needed, and usually the test results are ready the same day. hiv takes a lot longer. awhile back the full spectrum std tests were around 1000php, not sure if the price is still the same.

cebu docs and chong hua both have a lot of clinics and docs that do std checks. most ask for 300php+ per office visit and another fee for the test. test results usually take a few days.

https://www.hi-precision.com.ph/branches.do?id=12164

i am currently in cebu for one month. i met a professional, educated middle class woman for the first ever time here. although she does not know my history, she does know i have visited the island many times over the years and before embarking on a relationship with me, she asked me to get tested. i thought this was not an unreasonable request from her especially as i really like her so off i went to hi precision lab situated just off fuente circle. these clinics are always very busy and reception is part of the main waiting area. it is a bit disconcerting to try and communicate what you need without all the other people in the waiting room hearing and no matter how 'thick skinned' you are it is difficult not to feel some embarrassment. anyway once i got over my initial fear i tried to quietly inform the receptionist what i wanted and the conversation went along like this.

receptionist: hello sir how may i help you (loudly)

me: (quietly) please can you tell me do you offer testing for sexually transmitted infections?

receptionist: yes sir we do, which test do you want?

me: i just want screening in case i have any kind of sexual infection.

receptionist: sir we don't do that i am sorry, you need to tell me what kind of test you want?

me: well how am i supposed to know what infection i have, the reason i want testing is so that you can tell me?

receptionist: perhaps you can see our doctor today first?

me: a doctor may not be able to tell if i have an infection or what kind of infection i have without testing.

i was getting a bit exasperated by now so we ended up going through a long list of diseases, me giving the name of each infection i could think of and the receptionist confirming if they do or do not do the test. i got to chlamyidia and the receptionist said "yes we do that one sir but there are three types of chlamydia which test do you want? some infections are not tested for here and my experience shows they do not cover the full spectrum of sexually transmitted infections. by now i had begun to lose the will to live and i made my excuses before leaving!

next i tried the hosptital behind fuente circle chong hua. same situation, crowded waiting room with reception in full earshot of everyone. seems they do all the tests but not on site. swabs, blood and [CodeWord109] specimens are sent to manila (that is what the receptionist told me) and take up to one week or longer for the results. i guess that is ok if you have time to wait but it is not suitable for someone who wants quick results. i thought i would try one more place recommended to me by a friend and that was prime care a private clinic situated on the 1st floor of sm mall (or second floor if you are american since we do not count the ground floor in england). that too was crowded to the hilt with the reception about 1 meter away from everyone meaning no private conversations at all. i decided to email them and got the following reply (unedited cut and pasted).

thanks for the inquiry. for sexually transmitted disease, tests would include hiv 1 and 2, hbsag, syphilis, and gonorrhea.

if you already have those tests done then i think there's no need for other tests. [CodeWord109] testing would only indicate urinary tract infection (uti) , gall stones and kidney problems.

if you have secretions then that's the time you request for urethral discharge culture and sensi.

hope i was able to answer your querry.

phil.

philip neri estocada, rmt | marketing manager|prime care cebu

dl: +63 32 232 2273 loc. 120 | f: +63 32 234 2273.

e: primecarecebu@gmail.com

www.primecarecebu.com

so no tests for chlamydia or nsu which are common infections or indeed trichomoniasis another very common infection. interestingly [CodeWord109] testing is the best way to indicate whether a person has chlamydia so the receptionist was completely wrong when he said [CodeWord109] testing will only indicate uti. in my own country and i am sure in most civilized countries, medical staff screen for any infection. in the end i gave up and have stuck with condoms whilst i am seeing the girl but i found the whole experience of testing very stressful and difficult to say the least. i would be interested to hear others who have had better experiences than i had?

[Questor55]

Many thanks for all the replies relating to day trips to beaches in Cebu. I usually stay around Cebu City and then go to beaches in Palawan, Boracay, Leyte, Bohol etc so was wondering what the low down was on similar beaches within a day trip of Cebu and I am guessing from the response that basically they are in a slightly different league.

I think my best bet is to probably visit a resort for the day in Mactan.

Tambuli West is my choice for a day trip on Mactan. Also Tambuli East (about 300 metres north along the beach is pretty good). West has a very nice pool design, whereas East has a convential rectangle. Both have beach areas that are so-so. Both restaurants are decent and the day pass rate is much cheaper than most.

[D Cups]

LOL pretty sure you meant CARCAR Cebu, but then again you have a certain attraction to double D cancans so the freudian slip is understandable.

Carcar is not that far from CC. Ceres liner ride is less than 1hr to the south bus terminal. If she took a slower / cheaper jeep ride it's longer but not by a lot.

Cheers Mate.

Hi Ace, yes, I meant Carcar. But she did have nice can cans hahhah.

[Garotoz]

Almost no input since 2012 or 2013. Did something Happen? I'll be traveling in the spring. Any recent info would be appreciated.

Thanks, Garotoz

[Python75]

Many thanks for all the replies relating to day trips to beaches in Cebu. I usually stay around Cebu City and then go to beaches in Palawan, Boracay, Leyte, Bohol etc so was wondering what the low down was on similar beaches within a day trip of Cebu and I am guessing from the response that basically they are in a slightly different league.

I think my best bet is to probably visit a resort for the day in Mactan.

[Weewillem]

Last time I was in Cebu was about 4 years ago.

I'm rather old, not a lot of money, so I settled for an occasional, exciting bit of "bottom feeding"

4 years ago you could get an average looking, pleasant ST girl from a choice of 20-30 at the Junquera basketball court for under 500P.

Googling the internet and reading back issues of ISR seem to suggest that the basketball court venue "is no more".

Is this famous venue still alive and functioning?

If so, how much has the price inflated?