Manila

[IAmTrout]

I'll be coming to the Philippines for the first time soon. I'm flying into Manila, staying for a week and a half, and flying back out from Manila. I plan to do some traveling through the country as well like to Cebu and the like.

Unfortunately, I'm on a budget, and I have a lot of social anxiety so the loud bar scene really makes me uncomfortable. I also am extremely allergic to alcohol.

I was hoping that you guys could give me some tips:

I normally try and find brothels or online sex websites that the locals use because those have the best prices, but I've never done an overnight at a hotel I've stayed at.

- Any cheap girl-friendly hotels in Manila, Angeles, Cebu, and places between Cebu and Manila? I'm not looking for luxury. Just a hotel that I can bring a girl back to.

- Am I correct in assuming that overnight should be PHP 2500 or less? Short time is PHP 1500 or less? And streetwalkers can be as low as PHP 500?

- Are there any cheap blowjob bars in these cities? Search doesn't seem to turn up anything, so I guess BJ bars or Hoc Tocs aren't a thing?

- Any good brothels that the locals use where there are zero westerners? Kind of like fishbowls? Again, nothing pops up on search.

[Mr Hawaii]

I have not stepped inside EDSA in over 2 years but I doubt prices would have changed much. Drinks are 250 p for the girls. 1950 p barfine. Girls expect around 3000 p for LT (overnight, they will usually hang around till late morning). Quality is always a hit and miss. Popular bars inside are Cotton Club, Firehouse, Bullets & Arrows, Pitstop. There are also a couple of videoke bars. I have never entered those, they are usually a rip off.

In the past girls would help you dodge the barfine by slipping their contact number to you, you could then contact them and wait at a convenient spot. They would come over after they finish work, which is usually very late. Dunno if that still works. This MO does not work at Burgos bars though, unless you know the girl for a while and she then might come over in the afternoon before starting work in the evening.

Prices have been up for some time now. Barfines are 2500 pesos. Girls want 3 K short time. Girls drink are 375? Something like that.

[PilotPaul]

Grab Express could also have worked well in this case. They will bring stuff by motorcycle so it can zip through traffic quickly.

I have used them a couple times for sending small packages and it is quick and cheap..

For a while I though that Grab stopped carrying just parcels without passengers. It turned out that dealers were able to use the Grab service for a cheap and efficient distribution service.

[Blanquiceleste]

Noted.

Any thoughts on market prices for EDSA? Will be headed there next month.

I have not stepped inside EDSA in over 2 years but I doubt prices would have changed much. Drinks are 250 p for the girls. 1950 p barfine. Girls expect around 3000 p for LT (overnight, they will usually hang around till late morning). Quality is always a hit and miss. Popular bars inside are Cotton Club, Firehouse, Bullets & Arrows, Pitstop. There are also a couple of videoke bars. I have never entered those, they are usually a rip off.

In the past girls would help you dodge the barfine by slipping their contact number to you, you could then contact them and wait at a convenient spot. They would come over after they finish work, which is usually very late. Dunno if that still works. This MO does not work at Burgos bars though, unless you know the girl for a while and she then might come over in the afternoon before starting work in the evening.

[Strel75]

I came up with a process that worked really well, and I thought I should give back to the community.

I coordinated with a girlfriend I already had in Manila. Through the web, I found a girl willing to freelance and go on vacation with me as long as I took care of her.

I got us a two bedroom AirBNB which we turned into a party house. She had her room and I had mine. We both picked freelance up girls. I was able to use her skill with Tagalog to negotiate better prices. We took girls home and had threesomes on most nights of the week. We had a lot of luck, especially at L. A. Cafe.

Even better, my girl had a few contacts that wanted to get a piece of a foreigner, and I was happy to oblige them.

I kept the fridge stocked with San Mig. Light, ordered pizza, and we had a party with multiple beautiful women.

I highly recommend this method if you're staying in Manila since the traditional bargirl scene is quite weak and expensive compared to Angeles. If you go to Manila, it's about the freelance scene. Much easier on the wallet.

10/10 would do again.

[Tachibana]

Once again, just let the chick leave first then you come out a couple of minutes after to avoid that drink stuff. Hell the chicks are the ones that taught the trick to me. They were really trying to fuck you over if they tried to make you buy them drinks AND pay 3000 ST. And please don't give them hoes 3000 pesos again, not even for Long Time. Although I have never given that much, I would say 2500 max for LT.

Noted.

Any thoughts on market prices for EDSA? Will be headed there next month.

[Tachibana]

The gimmicks around drinks and attitudes of some servers are annoying. But some of the attitudes may be understandable...

Thanks for the perspective. It's something I knew but we all need reminding from time to time. I've worked some service jobs back in the day and my attitude was probably less than stellar at times.

Though, I do believe we all have our crosses to bear and regardless of our situations we should strive to not be venomous to people. Or maybe if there's one group of people it is justified to despise it is degenerate punters! But, I for one think its admirable for people with crummy jobs to be bright and friendly, and I have seen a lot of that in the US.

Reminds of a good Louis CK quote - "do your job. Because its your job. Because you're the person standing there, doing that thing. So just do it! Do the shit out of it!

All that being said, I digress. I'll concede that it's probably just as bad to be complaining about bad service as it is to give it.

[Kabul Guy]

One hotel kept my ID and I forgot to collect it when I checked out. I discovered the missing passport when I was in the taxi on the way to the airport. I called and made the hotel staff bring it to me in a taxi because I didn't have time for the round trip. Luckily the hotel's number as on their receipt. (keep your receipts). Stressful.

Grab Express could also have worked well in this case. They will bring stuff by motorcycle so it can zip through traffic quickly.

I have used them a couple times for sending small packages and it is quick and cheap.

I also would never let anyone keep my passport. The only exception would be if it was actually needed for getting a visa or other reason that required a passport to be surrendered, at a hotel they can take a photocopy or I would give them a DL or something that I could survive without in case it went missing.

[Soapy Smith]

The server who led us to our seats was a real *****. I right away called her out on her crappy attitude and asked her "why are you angry? To which she cracked a small genuine smile before returning to bad face. Later on I would find she harassed my friend for a "ladies drink", which my he ignored but that she put it on the tab anyways. Friend just went "fuck it" and paid.

The gimmicks around drinks and attitudes of some servers are annoying. But some of the attitudes may be understandable. During slow business hours I have inquired about how much servers are paid. Both they and p4 ps have advised me that LAC servers' pay is about half what retail clerks in the stores are paid, presumably because owners assume they'll get rich on tips. Another annoying practice is when your server circles back with a bottle of some booze and tells you the managers insist that they sell at least five shots or mixed drinks of the particular booze during their shift. I'm pretty sure that stuff is put on them by the managers.

Another indicator of the working conditions: it takes forever to get your server back to settle your bill when you want to leave. I'm pretty sure that they're not making themselves hard to find intentionally; after all, much of their takehome depends on the tips from customers, which they don't score until the customer settles the bill. Having tried to chase down servers under these circumstances, I have usually found them running around serving drinks or collecting from other customers. In other words, when it's busy, they're running their asses off.

More than 20% of Filipinos live in poverty. Within Southeast Asia, only Laos and Myanmar are worse. Yet the Philippines has one of the fastest growing economies in the world; problem is, during the last couple decades of economic growth the Philippines is one of about a half dozen countries in which income inequality is getting worse. What does this have to do with finding horizontal talent in the bars of the Philippines? Servers accept these awful working conditions because they don't have alternatives; likewise with our p4 ps. If you're expecting smiles and thankyous from servers or p4 ps in the Philippines, it's better not to expect Western standards of hospitality.

Don't know what country you're from, but as a Yank contrast, how often do we get smiles and thankyous at Walmart or McDonalds?

[Blanquiceleste]

Interesting. Have stayed Gram several times. Also Milano and Knightsbridge. Front door security takes my girl's eye dee every single time.

Surprising indeed. When you get to the front doors, you enter from the left door (facing the building), there is usually one or sometimes two guys standing there who do nothing but smile and open the door. Then in the lobby there is that ugly circular reception area, which is manned by 1 - 4 staff depending on time of the day. They don't even bother to look. You simply walk past to the right and duck into the elevator lobby. But I always fetch the girls myself. I never allow them to walk into Gramercy unaccompanied. I usually tend to meet them across the street at 7/11 and walk back with them. That allows me to buy some snacks / food for the cutie, and they are always hungry.

[Sammon]

Once again, just let the chick leave first then you come out a couple of minutes after to avoid that drink stuff. Hell the chicks are the ones that taught the trick to me. They were really trying to fuck you over if they tried to make you buy them drinks AND pay 3000 ST. And please don't give them hoes 3000 pesos again, not even for Long Time. Although I have never given that much, I would say 2500 max for LT.

Another piece of advice is do not buy any drinks for the girls. They charge double as lady drinks. If a girl asks for a drink and if you want to buy just give her the money under the table. If she buys herself it is cheaper. Another trick is get the phone number after negotiations and wait at a convenient point. Some of those mamasan are downright mercenary although they should not act as mamasan. Only Koreans use them to get them girls but then they are big spenders.

[Sidtip]

I have a couple expired driver license from home that I will leave with security. So far they have never objected to that. Now if they lose my ID it is not much of a loss.

Security anywhere has never lost an ID but one place put my ID with the tag from another person's ID and they had to search for about 30 minutes, only found it when the other person returned and they went to give her my Canadian DL.

They kept wanting to serve the people behind me before returning to look for my ID, I was pretty firm that first come first served and any fall out for the line taking too long was not my concern. Did end up with one person dedicated to looking for it.

One hotel kept my ID and I forgot to collect it when I checked out. I discovered the missing passport when I was in the taxi on the way to the airport. I called and made the hotel staff bring it to me in a taxi because I didn't have time for the round trip. Luckily the hotel's number as on their receipt. (keep your receipts). Stressful.

[Mr Enternational]

Before we left stank breath bitched at us about how the rule was we need to buy a ladies drink for the ladies, or else LA cafe will charge the girl for a drink.

Once again, just let the chick leave first then you come out a couple of minutes after to avoid that drink stuff. Hell the chicks are the ones that taught the trick to me. They were really trying to fuck you over if they tried to make you buy them drinks AND pay 3000 ST. And please don't give them hoes 3000 pesos again, not even for Long Time. Although I have never given that much, I would say 2500 max for LT.

[WestCoast1]

I always stay at Gramercy in Makati. Yes, I have to get my own ID done along with a photograph and copy of passport / other identity document. Not once has anyone asked for the identity cards of the myriad of girls I have brought back, No one even as much blinks.

Interesting. Have stayed Gram several times. Also Milano and Knightsbridge. Front door security takes my girl's eye dee every single time.

In Cebu at a recent condo stay, security made me sign a release form before letting my non-eye-dee'd girl into the elevator (she is a regular, lost her eye dee, we replaced it).

[Blanquiceleste]

I stayed in an airbnb there at the end of November. Every single thing is exactly as you have described it. I think I was on the 35th floor. I remembered asking my girlfriend how the fuck they only have 4 elevators for a building this tall. And like you said, they only use 3 at a time. I went into one of the hotel operations to ask about the rooms. They took us up to see a few. They were much more basic and more expensive than the airbnb that I was staying in.

Oh, and your guest has to turn in their ID, get processed, take a picture, and get a visitor's badge to get past the front desk. There is a turnstyle that you have to scan the badge on to get to the elevators. You have to do it upon arrival as well and they keep your passport or ID until you check out.

I always stay at Gramercy in Makati. Yes, I have to get my own ID done along with a photograph and copy of passport / other identity document. Not once has anyone asked for the identity cards of the myriad of girls I have brought back, No one even as much blinks.

Prices in the range of $50 - $70 a night, I usually get a room on level 60 or above.