General Info

SM lemon is really quite good IMO.

[QUOTE=Cunning Stunt; 1419478]The SM Premium is a very quoffable ale. Usually retails at a tad under 50 pesos in cans, in supermarkets, and a bit cheaper in bottles (bottles are always cheaper than cans in the Phils). Also to be considered are:

Coors (original and light). Slightly cheaper than SM Pilsen.

Beer Na Beer. A malty brew, mainly available outside Manila. Cheap as chips.

It is possible, in the supermarkets, to pick up a pretty drinkable bottle of wine for 300-400 pesos. If you can stomach mass produced Californian plonk, Paul Masson's Chablis and Merlot can be had for about 240 pesos for a litre carafe.

Philippine brandy is a bit rough but better quality gin, such as Gilbey's, is very good and amazingly cheap.[/QUOTE]

X Man,

Sorry I can't be of much help on Toledo. My girlfriend last summer was from Toledo, and I was thinking "Toledo," the city. In actuality she was from the hills in the middle of nowhere, with Toledo the only recognizable landmark anywhere near.

When I thought we were going to Toledo, we took a long habal-habal ride out in the boonies, so far from anything that it was night and there were times when I couldn't see any lights.

It's a two-hour minivan ride from Cebu City. Having seen the online talent from Toledo, it might be a better bet to talk them into traveling to the city, where they are away from gossips and there is less pressure to provide for the entire extended family.

If you did the Toledo-San Carlos ferry, it would be a much shorter route to Bacolod than going to Dumaguete. My friends in Bacolod like to make day trips to Sipaway Island off San Carlos.

I forgot to mention I like Tanduay Ice, the clear color. Frankly, it's the best wine cooler-type drink I've ever had, tasting something like a spiked lemonade. From memory it's 20-25 pesos.

On Colon Street in downtown Cebu City near Gaisano Metro, the I Hing Store sells them cold, and they'll open it for you in the store. It's nice strolling the sidewalk and cooling off with a Tanduay Ice, feeling the guilty pleasure of getting away with what is a crime in most US locales.

[QUOTE=Ezinho; 1416922]Good grief, I hope this guy wasn't an ISG member as well!

[url]http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/30/936637/another-aussie-facing-charges[/url][/QUOTE]Unfortunately, he was a member. Without mentioning his nic, he liked to talk about all his g. F. 's. 1 thru 9 as I remember. He was too reckless and a bit on the arrogant side. The interesting thing about these girls, as I found out later, was most of them were lesbians and had tomboy boyfriends. Including his g. F. #1 who was a real tasty tidbit. Overall, his cover story didn't add up, and it probably didn't take the Federales too long to put 2 and 2 together. Personally, I hope he can wriggle out of this and buy his way to freedom. Nobody deserves what he is facing.

Thanks Sarg, I've done the motorbike ride out to the boonies and back, but it was a day trip. We got back to Cebu city at dusk. It was a great experience, but let me share the four things that stick in my mind: 4) riding three to a bike with me in the middle and my rather heavy back pack hanging on the front side of the driver 3) big pink house in the little town that was three times bigger than any other home."she married a poreiner".2) starting a camp fire behind the bamboo shack and realizing that this is how they regularly cook meals 1) the queasy feeling, the shock, and ultimately kid in a candy store feeling when she says,"I asked my father. He said it's okay if I stay with you." Yikes.

[QUOTE=SergeantRay; 1420252]X Man,

Sorry I can't be of much help on Toledo. My girlfriend last summer was from Toledo, and I was thinking "Toledo," the city. In actuality she was from the hills in the middle of nowhere, with Toledo the only recognizable landmark anywhere near.

When I thought we were going to Toledo, we took a long habal-habal ride out in the boonies, so far from anything that it was night and there were times when I couldn't see any lights.

It's a two-hour minivan ride from Cebu City. Having seen the online talent from Toledo, it might be a better bet to talk them into traveling to the city, where they are away from gossips and there is less pressure to provide for the entire extended family.

If you did the Toledo-San Carlos ferry, it would be a much shorter route to Bacolod than going to Dumaguete. My friends in Bacolod like to make day trips to Sipaway Island off San Carlos.[/QUOTE]

X Man,

I've seen people in Cebu City who regularly cook rice over fires and live in apartments without running water, refrigeration, or a bathroom of their own.

I know what you mean.during that trip my girlfriend and I had our own room in her grandparents' house, and everybody was cool with it.

On the lighter side, I had a friend with a long-time girlfriend whose family was having second thoughts about their relationship. In a flash of insight, he gave several hundred pesos to the family for expenses. Dad drove the two of them on his tricycle directly to his hotel room!

it seems to be a recurring theme here, with foreigners thinking they are bulletproof and doing stupid "[url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord113][CodeWord113][/url]."

first of all, you have to realize that philippine laws aren't necessarily logical. filipinos aren't alone in this. a friend of mine stationed in korea used to bribe koreans with playboy magazines. while prostitution and brothels were rampant, girlie magazines were illegal.

you can live a non-stop live of sexual carousing with an endless string of 18 year olds, and you're good as gold. this includes the guy on the forum who's into rubber suits.

but have some aging woman with 3 kids show her breasts on a webcam, and you're looking at hard time. while women and young girls are bought and sold on a regular basis, put a woman doing a strip show on a webcam and the nbi will come crashing through the window. i've read letters to the editor by filipinos who are outraged that some dirty, lusty foreigner several thousand miles away is looking at a filipina on webcam. in the meantime, filipinas are being bought and sold two blocks away, with nary a dirty foreigner involved. who cares?

i've seen asian men get out of nice cars with girls who couldn't be older than 14. i've seen a prostitute get beaten by a pimp in the middle of the street. and last summer i couldn't believe all the **** hookers in colon. where were the cops? they were prepping for raids on places where "exploited" women were working on internet cam shows or in bars that weren't up-to-date on their bribes.

i may have written on this before, but this incident encapsulates the duplicity of filipino priorities and show law enforcement. some japanese went to a remote island off of mactan to film a porno. no filipinos were involved. the japanese were followed by filipinos who observed the proceedings (strictly for law enforcement purposes, i assure you) and reported. the police then disguised themselves as fishermen and launched a raid, nabbing the japanese before they could. uh, well, who knows what might have happened if they had continued filming on a remote beach. they were fined.for the sake of justice, not to buy anyone's san miguel-and banished from the philippines. some in the newspaper suggested that the police should receive a special commendation for their outstanding performance.

you have to realize what is really going on. 19 year old girls are going to go off with 50-60-70 year old men because the family is desperate. there are brothels that are unknown to foreigners, and run entirely on filipino clientele. everybody is fine with this. but play into the meme of "dirty foreigner preys on filipinas," and you set yourself up to be used as an example to prove that the problem is dirty foreigners, not filipinos or the philippine economy, that filipino law enforcement is right on top of things, and filipinas flashing on webcam is the worst sexual crime the country faces.

There is a logic to the apparent dissonance. It has to do the the image of the Philippines and Filipino womanhood abroad. Whatever the problems and injustice domestically, there is high sensitivity about global image. The large part of national income that comes from overseas workers is also a factor.

[QUOTE=SergeantRay;1421859].But have some aging woman with 3 kids show her breasts on a webcam, and you're looking at hard time. While women and young girls are bought and sold on a regular basis, put a woman doing a strip show on a webcam and the NBI will come crashing through the window. I've read letters to the editor by Filipinos who are outraged that some dirty, lusty foreigner several thousand miles away is looking at a Filipina on webcam. In the meantime, Filipinas are being bought and sold two blocks away, with nary a dirty foreigner involved. Who cares?.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=SergeantRay;1421859]You have to realize what is really going on. 19 year old girls are going to go off with 50-60-70 year old men because the family is desperate. There are brothels that are unknown to foreigners, and run entirely on Filipino clientele. Everybody is fine with this. But play into the meme of "Dirty Foreigner Preys on Filipinas," and you set yourself up to be used as an example to prove that the problem is dirty foreigners, not Filipinos or the Philippine economy, that Filipino law enforcement is right on top of things, and Filipinas flashing on webcam is the worst sexual crime the country faces.[/QUOTE]You have nailed it with this summary. Of course, many girls also flash for free.

And theres an army of guys who don't have ther with, wisdom or smarts to get the girls to show for free. So they offer money. Which is why many many profiles all say " don't ask I don't webcam shows " etc.

But certainly, the recent spate of arrests will make a few foreigners a lot more wary than they have been. The Filipinos of course will not be impacted at all. They will carry on as they are doing.

Hey IJM, did you know there are bars near Baclaran with girls who for sure are less than 18. Want to go raid those. No I didn't think so.

Its election day and the rainy season seems to have arrived at last. Afternoon thunderstorms for the last 4 days and its pissing down as I write. Bit cooler too although the humidity is obviously high.

Adds a bit of variety to the boring 'scorchio' daily weather reports of the last few weeks.

[QUOTE=SergeantRay;1421859]It seems to be a recurring theme here, with foreigners thinking they are bulletproof and doing stupid . <SNIP> . .[/QUOTE]Like FF says, I think you have explained the general situation very well here Sarge in a lucid and relatively dispassionate manner.

[quote=sergeantray;1421859]i may have written on this before, but this incident encapsulates the duplicity of filipino priorities and show law enforcement. .,.and you set yourself up to be used as an example to prove that the problem is dirty foreigners, not filipinos or the philippine economy, that filipino law enforcement is right on top of things, and filipinas flashing on webcam is the worst sexual crime the country faces.[/quote]the point is, when the citizens are naive and hero worshipping, a senator / congressman with a dozen [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url] cases will still be voted in. because, after all, he is 'defending and protecting the prided of the filipinos. ' which he accomplishes by ensuring the foreigners don't spoil the natives. i. e. let us get our women raped / pregnant / abused / sold, it's ok. thanks but not thanks, we don't need foreigners to get our women pregnant.

and the role of ngos who are funded by foreign govts (ahem.) are very active in weeding out the 1% or less of the foreigners. than the 99% of natives who are into buying selling etc. etc

recently when i was talking to a ngo, i casually mentioned that 99% of women trafficked into singapore are trafficked by fellow citizens and none of the natives ever go to the cop-shed, so they can go on to repeat the 'export of women' with others. it is always the foreigner who may have the smallest role. or bankrolling the operation. who is accused, villified and destroyed. she was like "are you kidding? don't make up stories, our people will never take advantage of their own country men." i realised i over-stepped my authority and disappered saying "i heard from some friend of friend of friend" than get involved in proving her wrong.

btw, classical pinoy thinking. chavit singson. son gets caught red handed in hk with drugs (damn he wasn't caught in singapore or he would have gone to prison for longer.) and then chavit goes on to do a citizen's arrest on some kids who were visiting his son claiming the foreign kids were drugged etc. etc. and guess what? the typical pinoy mind forgives chavit's sons' indiscretion and goes on to give chavit another chance for being morally upright.

and i can still smile when i remember the son's defence in hk when caught with drugs "my girl friend left me, and i was facing a tough time." and exactly the same words used by the natives of ph to forgive him. after all, his gf was causing him stress, what kind of people we are if we cannot forgive him. and look at his father, his father is an upright man, even going to the extent of throwing dirty foreigners in jail. if they were not good people, would his father do such a thing? etc. etc.

my whole conclusion is, it is not the law enforcement. the whole mentality of the natives is the problem here. and one too many politician and ngo are exploiting it to the max. anybody remember the.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/subic_rape_case[/url]

? how idiotic would it be. i don't condone [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url] of bar girls, but the girl, according to the ngos who were championing the case the girl was there in the bar to have a drink and the marines raped her. and all, including gabriella group. were adamant that even if the girl didn't' want to pursue the case, the marines must be hanged. and boy, didn't that whole case firmly anchor more than one senator / congressmen's career in the pretext of defending the right of innocent filipino women? and i know one top-shot who was in the limelight was blatantly abusing a 15 year old girl, but hey, he is ok and can be forgiven as long as he fought to put the americans behind bars.

rant over.

BTW, how incredible is the Philippines Legal System. When researching for something else, I came across the following

Reclusióand perpetua carries the accessory penalty in which, as defined by Philippine Law, guilty parties suffer lifetime [B]barring from holding political office[/B]. Life imprisonment does not carry this penalty.

So, if you have a life imprisonment, you can still contest and hold public offices.

Welcome to the Philippines Islands!

This is a good read and see the only comment at the bottom of the page.

[url]http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/a-rogues-gallery-of-philippine-election-candidates[/url]

CNN is pushing their new "slavery expose reality show" about 100, 000 Filipinas in the sex slave industry. The NGO ex P4P "savior" is trying to enlist Pacquiáo in the endeavor. Her big Pinoy Pride line is "we Filipinas can't be bought".