Living in the Philippines

[Dragon Slayer]

Guys,

Many of us travelling here have encountered ladies who are married but "separated" due to the No Divorce Law here. I met a few who told me they were single and I later discovered they were married. A few said they were Legally Separated but later they were back with their Husband. And of the 140, 000 or more Women working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers, I was told by one there that a very high percentage of these women are married. They have husbands and children back in the Philippines but this does not stop them from trying to.

Attract the attention of Foreign Men. What I never once thought about was the ADULTERY LAW that exists in the Philippines. Not until I was watching a program here in the USA last week.

I was in my livingroom in the evening eating, drinking some excellent No. California red and looking for a program to watch. Since I had my satellite system installed I am overwhelmed with several hundred stations. This time I check out the National Geographic Channel. The Program is titled,"locked up abroad". It is weekly and lasts for one hour. This one got my immediate attention. Concerned a handsome, educated and very articulate British man who meets and falls in love with a beautiful filipina in her mid 20s who lives in Manila. She becomes pregnant by him. Problem is she is still legally married and her estranged husband files a Complaint citing the Adultery Law.

This took place in 2005-2006, not 25 years ago. They are both arrested and charged with Felony Adultery. The sentence if found guilty is 17 years imprisonment. They are placed in the same cell where they stay for a week or longer until they are able to make bail. Having hired a decent, honest Attorney through the girl's Family in Manila, he was able to arrange their bail. He also gets charges against the man dropped as the Criminal Complaint had been issued in the wrong Name. But he tells him in a short period they will rectify this and once again arrest him.

The attorney advises the British guy to leave the Philippines immediately, never to return. But his woman is not more than eight months pregnant with his child. They go into hiding with members of her Family. Her husband, however, is taking this personally for whatever reason. He has men wait for them for their next Court Appearance. When they exit, a black van follows the car driven by their attorner. On the highway, he tries to shoot both of them, sitting in the back seat. The attorney runs a red light causing a traffic jam which blocks the van, and then pulls off the road and the two get out and run off and hide, as he drives in a differnt direction.

They have the baby and bring the child to the British Embassy, a Place they had previously gone seeking help but getting nothing. Here, they are informed that underr Philippine Law, the Child is legally Property of the girl's husband, to do with as he chooses. Miserable, they go back to her Family. Fortunately the British man has some money. He is able to bribe Government Officials with a sum of $ 10, 000 US for papers for both the child and his woman. Then they exit the country for Hong Kong and onto the UK from their.

They can never return to the Philippines as they face arrest and possibly murder at the hands of her husband there.

It had me re-thinking quite a lot. No more "separated" filipinas crossing my path. I leave them for the rest of you guys. Only single women for me and widows (I may insist on viewing and sniffing the corpse of her husband to verify this).

Dragon Slayer

[Member #4491]

There is now free SMS text to Smart and Sun in Gmail.

Could you elaborate a bit more on how you set this up, Cyber Whip? I did not quite understand the AT&T phone strategy either, but it does sound interesting. I associate AT&T with USA. Maybe I am wrong but it might be in place to mention that I am one of those not residing there.

B

[Chocha Monger]

Gentlemen:

Today, the US Department of State posted a new travel advisory on the Philippines. It contains little that's new, but its tone is more strident and makes the country appear more dangerous than the prior advisory. The State Department warning reads, in part, as follows:

What this implies, to me, is that less-than-intrepid souls are going to avoid coming here, and that the market of punters (the demand side of the demand-supply equation) will shrink. Assuming that the supply side remains constant, which is likely will given the crap economy and the lack of opportunity, those of us who will ignore the warning and remain and / or continue to travel here may experience a bonanza.

GE

Have you noticed that the most beautiful Filipinas live in the dangerous areas?

[Cyber Whip]

Besides Yahoo that was mentioned previously, I've used.

www.ipipi.com

And Skype to send SMS messages internationally. Rates are far below what Verizon (my USA carrier) charges.

www.ipipi.com

Typically originates the SMS out of the U. K. That can be good to disguise where you are. Return texts are directed to the online web application and / or your email.

Skype will either show your home cell number or nothing if you choose. Skype return texts go to your home cell number which if you are traveling isn't great unless you are roaming. Verizon currently offers no method to get access to texts from an application.

There is now free SMS text to Smart and Sun in Gmail. You get something like 50 txts initially then if you get a reply, from anyone, you get 5 credits return. The reply can be your own cell phone, so in theory it is almost limitless txting. Be warned though, a reply from Philippines to gmail is something like 20p, so the local's load will evaporate quickly. Best to have a smart sim in unlocked at&t phone, put it in international mode. Then you can receive replies for 1p as if you were still in the country. So you can send a text for free and get a reply back from them (their cost is 1p, or so, depends on system). Best to use Smart for all this, I haven't tested with Sun to know the details.

[Dragon Slayer]

GoodEnough,

Thankyou for this informative post. I have been calling you for over a week now. I finally gave up three days ago as I had called more than _______ since my return and I cleared the security block on my phone each time so you would have no doubt it was me calling. But to no avail as either my calls went unanswered and unreturned or were "cut off" in the middle of the ringing, indicating that you could not or would not answer at that time.

Good to know you still post here in any event.

Dragon Slayer

[GoodEnough]

Gentlemen:

Today, the US Department of State posted a new travel advisory on the Philippines. It contains little that's new, but its tone is more strident and makes the country appear more dangerous than the prior advisory. The State Department warning reads, in part, as follows:

Philippines.

June 14, 2011.

The Department of State warns USA citizens of the risks of terrorist activity in the Philippines, particularly in the Sulu Archipelago and on the island of Mindanao. Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate and could occur in other areas, to include Manila. Targeted sites may be public gathering places including, but not limited to, airports, shopping malls, conference centers, and other public venues. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated November 2, 2010, and updates specific regions of concern and reflects continuing threats due to terrorist and insurgent activities.

Travelers should exercise extreme caution if traveling to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago. Regional terrorist groups have carried out bombings resulting in injuries and death. Sporadic clashes have occurred between lawless groups and the Philippine Armed Forces throughout Mindanao, particularly in rural areas. USA Government employees must seek special permission to travel to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago.

The Philippine government declared a state of emergency on November 24, 2009, for the Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces, as well as Cotabato City in Mindanao, as a result of election-related violence. Although the elections have passed, this state of emergency is still in effect. Travelers should be aware of heightened police activity and significant military presence in these areas. They should carefully research restrictions imposed on travel and follow the instructions of government officials. *

Kidnap-for-ransom gangs are active throughout the Philippines and have targeted foreigners. USA citizens traveling, living, and working throughout the Philippines are urged to exercise heightened caution in public gathering places. **USA citizens should exercise caution when traveling in the vicinity of demonstrations since they can turn confrontational and possibly escalate to violence.

What this implies, to me, is that less-than-intrepid souls are going to avoid coming here, and that the market of punters (the demand side of the demand-supply equation) will shrink. Assuming that the supply side remains constant, which is likely will given the crap economy and the lack of opportunity, those of us who will ignore the warning and remain and / or continue to travel here may experience a bonanza.

GE

[Paul2020]

I recently started searching for information on sending text to cell phones from my e-mail. I know it is possible here in the US, by sending to XXXXXXXXXX@txt.att. (where X represents the phone number). And I am sure the other major carriers in USA have similar methods. But I can't seem to find any information for similar techniques with the major carriers (Smart, Globe, Sun) in PI. I try to keep in touch with the mothers of my 2 kids in PI, as well as some of the other women I have met in person, or online. With inflation constantly on the rise, I'm trying to find the most inexpensive way to do this. If anyone has information about this, please let me know. I have lists of the carriers, and their prefixes. I just need to know how to format the "send to" address.

Thanks!

HW

Besides Yahoo that was mentioned previously, I've used.

www.ipipi.com

And Skype to send SMS messages internationally. Rates are far below what Verizon (my USA carrier) charges.

www.ipipi.com

Typically originates the SMS out of the U. K. That can be good to disguise where you are. Return texts are directed to the online web application and / or your email.

Skype will either show your home cell number or nothing if you choose. Skype return texts go to your home cell number which if you are traveling isn't great unless you are roaming. Verizon currently offers no method to get access to texts from an application.

[Progman]

Gentlemen,

I'm a former regular poster and former resident of Angeles and Manila (commuted).

Back in the states now dreaming of the day I get to retire and move back. As with many of you, it seems, I'm looking for something less hectic than AC. So, I'm considering the south. As an avid diver, the under sea side is almost as important as the top side fun.

I'm leaning toward Palawan, based solely on what I've learn from non-sex travel sites. Yes. I will "RTFF" deligently, but would appreciate any personal input you guys might have.

Next RP trip has to wait until April 2011, and I'm going to try not to let my pecker do all the thinking, as to where we're going, and do some real research into living locales.

Regardless of responses. Thank you much for the info already provided.

Firedick

Hey buddy. It's been ages since I last saw anything from you other than your Facebook page. My asawa and I visited Puerto Princesa for a weekend. The resorts were nice but one thing I quickly noticed about Palawan was an overall lack of infrastructure IMO.

I ended up building a home in Surigao Del Norte. Our town is only about 10 km from Surigao City. You might want to look around this area. Also, Siargao Island has seen an increase in foreigners moving there permanently (not just to enjoy the Surfing). That said General Luna has really built up. They now have an airport that you can fly to from Cebu. Rumor has it they are expanding the runway to accommodate aircraft as large as a Boeing 727. This will be significant because they can possibly support International flights.

Anyway I have not regretted planting my roots in Mindanao. I only visit once or twice a year but my wife is able to fly back and forth often to oversee renovations and upgrades (like we're doing now).

Take care. (prog)

[Hairy Wonder]

DLH,

Thanks for the suggestion. I have used YM on occasion to send messages to the phones there. It is a great service, but after 3 texts, it will not send any more, until they reply to your YM. I have also used Chikka. Com for sending. But it is flaky sometimes, sending duplicate texts to the phone, or not sending at all. I was once asked why I was sending the same message multiple times everyday for a week. Just trying to find something with less restrictions, and more reliability.

HW.

P. S. Hope you are feeling better DS!

[Davao Local Hunk]

How about telling your loved ones to log in to Yahoo Messenger via their Cellphones. There's a monthly rate for it or daily I think. Its cheaper compared to you sending text messages to them. How it works is simple, you just open your YM and send them messages, they will receive it in their phones if they're subscribed to YM. Local carriers support it and has lots of promos.

Sadly theres no email to sms thing here.

I recently started searching for information on sending text to cell phones from my e-mail. I know it is possible here in the US, by sending to XXXXXXXXXX@txt.att. (where X represents the phone number). And I am sure the other major carriers in USA have similar methods. But I can't seem to find any information for similar techniques with the major carriers (Smart, Globe, Sun) in PI. I try to keep in touch with the mothers of my 2 kids in PI, as well as some of the other women I have met in person, or online. With inflation constantly on the rise, I'm trying to find the most inexpensive way to do this. If anyone has information about this, please let me know. I have lists of the carriers, and their prefixes. I just need to know how to format the "send to" address.

Thanks!

HW

[Hairy Wonder]

I recently started searching for information on sending text to cell phones from my e-mail. I know it is possible here in the US, by sending to XXXXXXXXXX@txt.att. (where X represents the phone number). And I am sure the other major carriers in USA have similar methods. But I can't seem to find any information for similar techniques with the major carriers (Smart, Globe, Sun) in PI. I try to keep in touch with the mothers of my 2 kids in PI, as well as some of the other women I have met in person, or online. With inflation constantly on the rise, I'm trying to find the most inexpensive way to do this. If anyone has information about this, please let me know. I have lists of the carriers, and their prefixes. I just need to know how to format the "send to" address.

Thanks!

HW

[Irony Monger]

Just returned from my first trip to PI, and thought I would share my thoughts on what I loved best:

Things I love about the Philippines (serious edition)

* Girls, girls, girls!

* Feeling quapo

* SmartBro cellular broadband. Should have been the first thing I bought, but silly me thought that when a place advertizes internet access, they would actually have it and it would be somewhat reliable. Once I got my SmartBro, I was always connected. Though it was sometimes slow.

* San Miguel Light

* More girls!

* Winks, thumbs up, or outright high fives from hotel doormen when you bring back 4 girls, vs. The dirty looks our outright eviction one would typically receive from 4+ star hotel staff in the west (Vegas excluded).

* Feeling rich with just $100 worth of local currency in my pocket.

* Did I mention the girls?

Things I love about the Philippines (sarcastic edition)

* "Itsokay" is the answer to every problem (me: you're 5 ***ing hours late! Her: "Itsokay! ")

* All the friendly people trying to "help you" anytime you look lost or confused. Amazing how they all seem to have the same relative in the hospital about to die if you don't give them PHP 1000 in the next 5 minutes. Of course they will meet you back at the hotel and return the money later tonight after they get paid. Don't you trust them?

* No need to remind yourself that insects make up the majority of the biomass on the planet. Just look under the bed.

* Seems that 100 PHP can also double as a boarding pass at airport security. How convenient!

* Every time I plug in my laptop. SPARKS! Hey, who doesn't love free fireworks!

[GoodEnough]

Today I got my Globe bill, and was shocked to see that it was about three times higher than it's ever been. Given that there was nothing unusual about my calling patterns over the last month, I took a really hard look at the itemized bill, only to realize that there were more than 50 calls to some number I didn't recognize in the 408 area code of the US. Since I use Skype to make about 98% of all calls to the US, it was pretty obvious that I hadn't made those calls, and since the BlackBerry was never with anyone else but me, it was fairly obvious that someone had "cloned" my sim card.

I have to admit that Globe was very understanding, and told me that I certainly wasn't the first customer to whom this had happened. Though I had been cloned twice years ago in the States, this is the first time I've even heard of it here. So a word of caution for those with post-paid sims, is probably in order.

GE

[Irony Monger]

irony monger:

the internet connections in mindanao right now can be a bit erratic, given the power cuts, especially for those hotels that advertise wireless access, since the routers go down when the power goes off. the same, i'm sure, for cebu which is also experiencing power outages. to be safe, you might consider purchasing the wireless modems offered by both smart and globe. they cost about php1800 ($38), and work with a sim card that comes with the modem. you can then purchase time. i think the cost is about php40 ($.45) an hour. these are reasonably reliable, but the speed can vary enormously. however, they're fine for emails. i've even used mine--with mixed success--for skype.

at the larger hotels in davao you will not run into these problems since they all have generators. the mallberry in cdo has a generator as well and the mallberry suite rooms are great for work. the constant power outages can damage the wireless routers there, but the hotel will also lend you a cable so you needn't depend on the wifi.

ge

ge,

thanks for the info. good to know about the outages. i plan to be working off a netbook with long battery life, and will definitely get one of the wireless modems you mentioned to keep me afloat with email, and a backup cell phone with a reasonable international calling plan for when skype fails.

[GoodEnough]

irony monger:

the internet connections in mindanao right now can be a bit erratic, given the power cuts, especially for those hotels that advertise wireless access, since the routers go down when the power goes off. the same, i'm sure, for cebu which is also experiencing power outages. to be safe, you might consider purchasing the wireless modems offered by both smart and globe. they cost about php1800 ($38), and work with a sim card that comes with the modem. you can then purchase time. i think the cost is about php40 ($.45) an hour. these are reasonably reliable, but the speed can vary enormously. however, they're fine for emails. i've even used mine--with mixed success--for skype.

at the larger hotels in davao you will not run into these problems since they all have generators. the mallberry in cdo has a generator as well and the mallberry suite rooms are great for work. the constant power outages can damage the wireless routers there, but the hotel will also lend you a cable so you needn't depend on the wifi.

ge