General Info

[QUOTE=MrHappyKat;2685006]Soapy, sorry about the quote spam. Thanks for the tip.

Gofer. Thanks for the hotel advice as well. After decades of business travel, I've learned to try to NEVER go on the road without a confirmed hotel for every travel day. So booking a few days then extending or moving is against my nature. I'll have to push back my habits for this and to take your advice.

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)..[/QUOTE]I would agree Card for hotels and major bookings.

In restaurant's and retail stores you are still better to use cash. Tips can be better handled direct to staff. Also many stores have extra layers of security on card use which will slow you down.

Grab you can pre-pay credit every few days.

I am not a fan of "travel" cards which often have a 'loading' fee which you pay when you load your currencies. Plus there is still a foreign exchange margin when you more currency around plus there is usually a fee for inactivity such that the leach away any remaining credit.

'Travel' cards are a big bank old school service. These days they are replaced by a card such as Wise or in Australia we have Citibank Visa Debit, fee free overseas withdrawals and ING debit cards which rebate overseas fees.

I guess it depends on what card you use but I have been using a Capital One credit card here for years. I use it for everything I can then go online and pay. In thousands of uses at several stores and Agoda I have never had any transaction that was overcharged or incorrect.

[QUOTE=MrHappyKat;2685006]Soapy, sorry about the quote spam. Thanks for the tip.

Gofer. Thanks for the hotel advice as well. After decades of business travel, I've learned to try to NEVER go on the road without a confirmed hotel for every travel day. So booking a few days then extending or moving is against my nature. I'll have to push back my habits for this and to take your advice.

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.

Does this make sense, or should I just go with cash for all except perhaps hotels? By the way, I'm single, retired and no kids, so I'm not worried about PI transactions on my statements.

Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

As most of you know, I detest both Americans and America. Imagine my surprise then when my bank contacted me to say someone was having fun with my credit card in the USA. The card is now cancelled and Pedro is being refunded.

Pedro, needless to say, was not at fault. It was, my bank says, a data breach on one of the online stores (or shops) I use; I just got more deliveries this morning. Though I know credit / debit card details are for sale on the dark web, I will never go there as I do not like snake pits.

My advice: ignore the "old hands", many of whom have a crooked hand in the game. In SE Asia, minimize your use of plastic and be very careful where you use plastic.

I seldom use ATMs even at home. I withdraw substantial cash amounts and do most shopping online.

If one practices care with see ash in SE Asia, one should be OK. Those expensive bags, so American, don't appeal to me either, Best to be under the radar.

Travel is stressful and it stretches our logistics as even our own houses do. Burglars know exactly where to look: main bedroom is target number 1. Even in your own house, you have to do the research. The same and more applies when you are in Scam Country.

Tests are done at 3rd level, Terminal 3 NAIA airport. There is a make shift shop set up in the huge vacant area. Easy to find. Just circle around to it.

Yesterday I scouted out the place around 2 pm and there were about 30 people waiting for their results.

Now at 10 am I am the only one here. After taking the sample you have to wait in the waiting area for 30 minutes. Easy process.

Received my printed results in 10 minutes.

P600 is the cost. As always in PH bring the exact amount.

Btw, the sky walkway to T3 (officially called Manila Runway Footbridge) is open again. The unmarked unsigned entrance/exit is behind Belmont Hotel and the side of McDonalds drive up window. If you dont have a lot of luggage to haul around then have your taxi drop you off here. You will bypass the long lines of cars and especially the outside long lines for the entrance security and scanner.

The Philippines has experienced its first major storm of 2022, Tropical Storm Megi, Philippine name Agaton. It hit over the past weekend but accurate reports on deaths and displacements are just now coming in. Already there are reports of about 150 dead and scores of others missing.

Worst of the carnage seems to be on Leyte Island, especially in Abuyog on the eastern coast and Baybay on the western coast. These two towns are almost back-to-back at a point where Leyte Island is only about 15 miles wide. I've been to Abuyog but not Baybay. Both towns experienced mudslides that wiped out small villages and flooding in several other villages. Rescuers have dug out many or most of the buried bodies.

Unlike Typhoon Rai, this storm packed lighter winds, but the real damage was from rainfall. At this latitude Leyte has a hilly, nearly mountainous topography that descends steeply down to water on both sides of the island. But Filipinos try to farm these hillsides with rice, corn, and especially coconut and banana palms. Unfortunately, palms have very shallow roots, and when the soil becomes saturated palm trees offer little protection against soil collapsing on the hill sides. A similar fate in 2006 caused a coconut palm mountainside in the village of Guinsaugon, in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte to collapse, burying the entire village of approximately 1200 people.

Although it's unclear how islands to the west, including Cebu and Negros, may have fared, there are reports of damage across the Western Visayas as well. Some of us should probably expect solicitations for money to repair homes and replace carabao and other losses from the storm. (Dg, you've been warned.) Sorry about the overload of news reports, which span several days from this week.

[URL]https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/asia/philippines-storm-megi-agaton-deaths-floods-evacuations-intl-hnk/index.html[/URL]

[URL]https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/philippines-reports-21-dead-landslides-after-tropical-storm-megi-2022-04-11/[/URL]

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKW-0Spm5Q[/URL]

[URL]https://www.rappler.com/nation/death-toll-leyte-tropical-storm-agaton-april-14-2022/[/URL]

[URL]https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1583271/agaton-landslides-floods-death-toll-hits-148[/URL]

[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2685415]As most of you know, I detest both Americans and America. Imagine my surprise then when my bank contacted me to say someone was having fun with my credit card in the USA. The card is now cancelled and Pedro is being refunded.

Pedro, needless to say, was not at fault. It was, my bank says, a data breach on one of the online stores (or shops) I use; I just got more deliveries this morning. Though I know credit / debit card details are for sale on the dark web, I will never go there as I do not like snake pits.

My advice: ignore the "old hands", many of whom have a crooked hand in the game. In SE Asia, minimize your use of plastic and be very careful where you use plastic.

I seldom use ATMs even at home. I withdraw substantial cash amounts and do most shopping online.

If one practices care with see ash in SE Asia, one should be OK. Those expensive bags, so American, don't appeal to me either, Best to be under the radar.

Travel is stressful and it stretches our logistics as even our own houses do. Burglars know exactly where to look: main bedroom is target number 1. Even in your own house, you have to do the research. The same and more applies when you are in Scam Country.[/QUOTE]Well Pedro Morales (o cualquier nombre tienes) you detest a country with 310 million people ++ (because we don't know how many with names like yours?) and everybody that was born there. Do you have the superiority in status, class, and origin to have the expertise to totally degrade a large portion of the planet? Because, they don't a fit into your perfect world? You obviously are an internet bad ass. I must say I am very impressed.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2686048]The Philippines has experienced its first major storm of 2022, Tropical Storm Megi, Philippine name Agaton. It hit over the past weekend but accurate reports on deaths and displacements are just now coming in. Already there are reports of about 150 dead and scores of others missing.

Worst of the carnage seems to be on Leyte Island, especially in Abuyog on the eastern coast and Baybay on the western coast. These two towns are almost back-to-back at a point where Leyte Island is only about 15 miles wide. I've been to Abuyog but not Baybay. Both towns experienced mudslides that wiped out small villages and flooding in several other villages. Rescuers have dug out many or most of the buried bodies.

Although it's unclear how islands to the west, including Cebu and Negros, may have fared, there are reports of damage across the Western Visayas as well. Some of us should probably expect solicitations for money to repair homes and replace carabao and other losses from the storm. (Dg, you've been warned.) Sorry about the overload of news reports, which span several days from this week.[/QUOTE]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.

Cebu etc seems OK based if you look at Baybay, bad rain but nothing like the devastation of those 2 towns.

As power is on. Off and very disrupted sending cash can take time to collect.

My 2 cents based on first hand reports from very good people (who are also very naughty kinky and in needs!

[QUOTE=Beavis;2686169]Well Pedro Morales (o cualquier nombre tienes) you detest a country with 310 million people ++ (because we don't know how many with names like yours?) and everybody that was born there. Do you have the superiority in status, class, and origin to have the expertise to totally degrade a large portion of the planet? Because, they don't a fit into your perfect world? You obviously are an internet bad ass. I must say I am very impressed.[/QUOTE]Thanks for responding to his even more asinine that usual post. Your rebuttal reminded me to put him on my "ignore" list, which I did promptly after reading your post. I had been meaning to do that for a while and somehow never got around to it.

GE.

[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2685415]As most of you know, I detest both Americans and America.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Beavis;2686169]Do you have the superiority in status, class, and origin to have the expertise to totally degrade a large portion of the planet? [/QUOTE]PM recognizes and is honest about his issue. Most xenophobes or racists are too embarrassed to admit their issue. Pedro, on the other hand, is belting it out like Whitney Houston.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2686183]Thanks for responding to his even more asinine that usual post. Your rebuttal reminded me to put him on my "ignore" list, which I did promptly after reading your post. I had been meaning to do that for a while and somehow never got around to it.

GE.[/QUOTE]Obviously someone who has a small penis and no hair. Wow, what an objective Asshole. There are good and bad people from every race and every country yet this jerk off just hates The USA and all Americans. Well we can't hate where he is from because he will not expose his location, ethnicity, or anything else. I have been on this board for 21 years now. Jackson would have expunged this idiot in 3 posts.

[QUOTE=Beavis;2686194]There are good and bad people from every race and every country yet this jerk off just hates The USA and all Americans. Well we can't hate where he is from because he will not expose his location, ethnicity, or anything else. I have been on this board for 21 years now. Jackson would have expunged this idiot in 3 posts.[/QUOTE]Have reported many of his posts to Admin. No response. While I advocated previously for PM saying what he likes (the free speech thingy), his xenophobic outbursts have caused me to use the Ignore List.

[QUOTE=Beavis;2686194]ackson would have expunged this idiot in 3 posts.[/QUOTE]The good-old / bad-old days is gone.

Who is at the helm?

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2686201]Have reported many of his posts to Admin. No response. While I advocated previously for PM saying what he likes (the free speech thingy), his xenophobic outbursts have caused me to use the Ignore List.[/QUOTE]The xenophobia is tough to ignore. In the past I foolishly engaged him in conversations, including a silly discussion about the threats of serial killers hovering around sex worker establishments. I should have quit before I started. Oh well, water under the bridge.

I have never put him on ignore; I just mentally ignore the more ridiculous posts. Admittedly, some of his recent posts have included some interesting literary references. In other words, either he has read more widely than most ISG members, he has extracted just enough content out of Wikipedia to sound literate, or he is a skilled plagiarist.

As to his hatred for the US, I understand that many people around the world resent American interventions in other countries. Our record is mixed. Germany and Japan have a lot to be thankful for in American efforts to prop them up following WWII. But Chile under Pinochet and Iran under Shah Riza Palavi were not our proudest moments. But to put things in perspective, Putin makes our interventions, even the Philippines in 1900-1901, look like walks in the park.

I don't think we should hold our collective breath waiting for Jackson to kick him off the board. Despite some of my past frustrating dialogues with him, I just keep him in sort of a mental ignore standing. I just don't take him very seriously.

[QUOTE=WickedRoger;2686175]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.[/QUOTE]Agreed Rog. It looks real ugly. Thanks for filling in the pieces. Soapy.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2686373]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.[/QUOTE](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.

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. .