Manila

[QUOTE=Puerto La Cruz]A world away from Blue Marlin Bar in SJ Costa Rica. I fly 8,500 to get away from that place and its worth it too. LA Cafe is much better and much more down scale.


PLC f/k/a Slippery[/QUOTE]


I had fun at the Blue Marlin, but it costs more and I didn't get any GFE.
Some of the Coloumbians where super hot, but they had hardcore attitudes.... and to me that equals no fun.

Whats with these pink lines that seem to have appeared painted on the pavements/sidewalks (where they exists) all over Metro Manila. Noticed them in Las Pinas the other day and noticed the same pink lines in Malate today. Asked a few locals but they don't have a clue either.

I assure you they are there (check the next time you are out) and not the result of one too many SML's!!

Anyone any idea? GH

[QUOTE=Gamahucher]Does that not just sum up the Philippines for you. Its almost as if they are adverse to doing business. They must lose so much trade with these ridiculous policies. I once tried to book flights online and being unsuccessful, visited one of their sales outlets. The queue was enormous and so I approached the assistance counter where I was told that my anticipated wait was 1-2 hours and that I would need travel tax waivers for all the pax (despite the fact that none of the party was travelling on Philippine passports!). I quickly admitted defeat, went home and booked a less convenient route online with a rival budget airline. Their attitude is the typically Pinoy way of you either put up with the discomfort, inconvenience and silly requirements of our business or you are free to fuck off elsewhere. And I imagine so many potential customers do just that.Cheers GH[/QUOTE]Right on GH. I didn't and still can't believe what one needs to get a monthly cell phone contract. They showed me a list of 9/10 things required for the application (employment contract, passport/visa...on and on). I looked the cashier with a straight face and said, "Here, just take my Visa number and charge me each month, like the cell companies do in America". She replied, Sorry Sir, we don't do that here. OIP (Only In the Philippines)

Robb

So to get a loan in terms of business you have 2 choices basically.....go to the bank where for 15% interest per year they want you to provide 2 times the aomunt you are borrowing in collateral. All banks want same.

Or you go to a moneylender where for 30% per annum plus collateral you an borrow what you want.

Not exactly conducive to growing the economy. But as the banks are monopolised by the same few families who monopolise politics they are happy with their licence to print money and keep everyone in their place.

Banks are also into this 'we don't really want your trade, its all too much hassle' business model that is endemic throughout the Philippines. A couple of years ago I tried to open bank accounts at BPI and HSB (a bit shocking for one of the worlds biggies) and neither was able to accommodate me. BPI turned me down direct and HSB put so many bureaucratic hurdles in my way that it just wasn't worth the effort. Now I stress, I didn't want a loan but wanted an account where I would be transferring funds amounting to several million pesos. If I'd been in the west, a bank would have bitten my hand off.

A countries banking system is the veins and arteries of its economic health. I would suggest that in this case the place has terminal coronary thrombosis. GE summed it up a while ago by suggesting that if there was a fourth world category, the Philippines would be definately be tops. GH

I don't disagree with your conclusions, but maybe it is govt' regulation causing the problem rather than the bank. Just a thought.

X

[QUOTE=Gamahucher]Banks are also into this 'we don't really want your trade, its all too much hassle' business model that is endemic throughout the Philippines. A couple of years ago I tried to open bank accounts at BPI and HSB (a bit shocking for one of the worlds biggies) and neither was able to accommodate me. BPI turned me down direct and HSB put so many bureaucratic hurdles in my way that it just wasn't worth the effort. Now I stress, I didn't want a loan but wanted an account where I would be transferring funds amounting to several million pesos. If I'd been in the west, a bank would have bitten my hand off.

A countries banking system is the veins and arteries of its economic health. I would suggest that in this case the place has terminal coronary thrombosis. GE summed it up a while ago by suggesting that if there was a fourth world category, the Philippines would be definately be tops. GH[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=X Man]I don't disagree with your conclusions, but maybe it is govt' regulation causing the problem rather than the bank. Just a thought.

X[/QUOTE]

Yes and what sort of government puts restrictive/protectionist regulations on their banking systems - I am no economist but I imagine the answer is a pretty crap/insecure one. India used to be the same about until about 10 years ago they discovered that a partial deregulation and modernisation of their banking system was the only way ahead for their proposed economic expansion plans. And look at them now. The Philippine banking system is 20 years out of date. Where else can you waste an hour queing to do a simple transaction. Or what about those fucking annoying, constantly offline ATM's (or conversely, as happened to me the other day I withdrew P4000 and got it all in 100's. Nice!!). And have you tried to cash a TC in a Philippine bank recently. No the banking system is like the rest of the place, a fucked up, chaotic mess. GH

After five years of living here, I'm constantly amazed at the indifference of most businesses toward actually responding to consumers and to maximizing profits by providing responsive service. Then I finally realized that the "bottom line" here is not the "bottom line" at all as we understand the term. Rather, it's protecting your business, at all costs, against the possibility of theft. This is why, in a department store, it may take you ten minutes to select your purchase, but 45 minutes to pay for it, since only one person is allowed to handle the money and she will be watched by three other people making sure she doesn't steal the money. It's why you cannot get a monthly cell phone contract until the company has verified, 17 different ways, that you will pay the monthly bills. The risk-reward paradigm here is skewed toward risk aversion. That is, companies take no risks and settle for modest (or no) reward.

Couple the risk-aversion model with draconian, inflexible labor laws that discourage the creation of permanent employment--and knowledgeable employees, and you've got a moribund, unresponsive consumer sector. The only way to get satisfaction here is by knowing "important people" and thus avoiding the red tape. I got a local Visa card here--after two years of fruitless endeavor--only after I became friendly with the president of a very large company in Manila who was the golfing buddy of a very senior executive of a large bank. He made a call and I had the credit card in two days. I have two post-paid, personal cell phone accounts, but only because my company has 150 contracts with SMART and I got to know the account rep. very well.

Since, unlike the US, Europe, Japan and other real countries, there's no way to check credit history here, the automatic assumption is that those applying for credit will not pay. The lack of access to capital, on the part of consumers and most businesses partially explains the lack of a vibrant small business sector. The oligarchs who run the place solely for their own benefit are, of course, quite content with this state of affairs, since it ensures their continued control.

Make no mistake. This is a kleptocracy. Owned and operated by about 3% of the population solely for their aggrandizement and continued enrichment.

GE

Fucking hell GE, don't get me started! Between us we paint a pretty hopeless picture of the Philippine Economy although you have obviously put more thought (and bile) into it. Guess you have been here and put up with the annoying petty bureaucracy longer than me. But appreciate the points you make which are all valid. The fear in business here of losing their ill gotten gains leads to some ridiculous situations. Where else in the world can you see an armed guard protecting a burger bar!! But note that one of the main tasks of that guard is frisking staff as they leave the premises. One of the things that always annoys me is how you are always required to surrender your bags (and brolly!! -why?) on entering any large retail outlet. Its a real pain in the rear. The reputation of the Philippine people thoughout the region is that of a nation of petty thieves and these practices certainly do nothing to allay that stereotype.

Similarly, like all foreigners here, I always had problems with getting decent banking service here. That is until, through a neighbour, I was introduced to an insurance salesman (through whom I insured my house). His wife happened to be the manager of nearby branch of Metrobank. That was it, I was in. She actually came round to my house to bring papers to open my account and everything was set up in super quick time. Now, whenever I visit that branch, I get super efficient, express VIP treatment ahead of the the poor workaday hoi polloi. It is really quite embarrassing. Goes to prove it is not what you know in the Philippines but who you know. Know the right people, life is easy. Otherwise join the long queue, Joe. GH

[QUOTE=Buds66]Arriving. If I will be able to reserve with Cebu Pacific. The system is the only one didn't accepting my visa credit card: Really I don't know why. Had anybody the same problem in past?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sumart]I have the same problem. They don't accept CC issued outside Philippines any more.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Gagoo]I had this problem too. I think it is only a problem with VISA.[/QUOTE]
Never had any problems booking tickets through their website. Gagoo hit the nail on the head! You must use a Mastercard or similar!

Cebu Pacific will take credit cards from certain countries. Mattrick you must not have a USA or Canadian credit card. My friend has a China issued credit card and he has no problems. I think they said there was too many stolen credit card numbers from a lot of western countries.

[QUOTE=Mattrick]Never had any problems booking tickets through their website. Gagoo hit the nail on the head! You must use a Mastercard or similar![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Horntoad]Cebu Pacific will take credit cards from certain countries. Mattrick you must not have a USA or Canadian credit card. My friend has a China issued credit card and he has no problems. I think they said there was too many stolen credit card numbers from a lot of western countries.[/QUOTE]
Don't think so. I've got a Philippines Visa and I've never gotten Cebu Pacific to accept it or my US Visa. I think it just depends on the time of day, whether the system is working or not, and other factors that contribute to making this one of the least efficient, least productive countries in the world.

Here is a suggestion.
Go online to visa verified or mastercard secured site.
Check and see if the bank who issued your card is there..
If they are sign up- it is free.
You need to put an password there.
So when you try to use the card , a screen will come on asking for your password.
Once you put the password it should go through.

Not many american banks participate in visa verified or mastercard secured.

I have a capital one card which participates. I have no problem using that
Card in asia.

Gamahucher & GE,

Talaga ! Right on the money ! Life here is about who you know. I have been here just under a year. My friend introduced me to a friend of a friend who happens to be a president of a bank, got my bank account and Visa within a couple of days. No other references required. Damm it i even put in some thing like US 500 to get the account running. ( my business funds are offshore). The bank manager personally filled my forms in my house and I never have to queue again at the bank. Also, I never have to queue at the airport , whizz in&out customs & imigration, never have to bother about colour coding, have some of the hottest girls (from the entertainment world/models/etc) delivered to me, introduced and have automatic VIP treatment at the likes of Pegasus, AEN, Airforce One, etc...including some private clubs that you can only dream about - I dont pay retail either, my X5 comes with a 5% discount coz my lawyer knows "the guy". Even my rented digs in Forbes Park is at some stupid low rental rate coz a friend of a friend of a friend vouched for me.

Yeah man, life is great if you know the the right friend. Better still make sure he knows other right friends.

Like Michael, GH and lots of other foreigners who have lived here for a while, I now know lots and lots of people, mainly through business, and I use these contacts shamelessly to avoid the day-to-day hassles of living here. I don't wait in line at the bank; I don't walk around town paying my monthly bills and waiting in endless queues, etc. In fact, I probably live a lot like the "elite" (absent any political power) who run this place. I've found though that you cannot insulate yourself entirely from some of the insanity of living here. Sooner or later, for example, you're going to have to walk into a store to purchase something and then the fun begins all over again.