General Info

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2021353]The local government officials are also worried about scaring away potential tourists, especially locals, so they will sugar coat everything. I reported in a post 2 or 3 years ago about how a senior Department of Tourism official at a workshop that I attended said that more than 80% of tourism revenue came from local tourists. Foreign visitors make up only a small portion of the overall sum. It's the sheer volume of locals staying just a few nights all over the country that adds to the total budget, even if it's presumed that foreigners spend more during their short time in-country.

I had no reason to doubt him, and my experience of regularly staying at hotels all over the Philippines as part of my work reveals that most people at breakfast are locals and their families, even in the 5-star places. Check it out next time you are staying at a hotel.[/QUOTE]I am a diver. I stopped going to Sipidan, Palawan, Cebu, and the Sulu seas. Used to do many trips to chill.

If you have the Philippines ID, I think you get really good rates; like half of what I normally pay.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2021360]

I've heard / read two sets of analyses about the insurgency. A recently retired US Special Forces soldier who served in Mindanao told me that the AFP doesn't really want to win, as to do so would reduce the amount of military assistance (from which lots of people profit) provided by other countries.

The alternative view, espoused by some Filipino academics is that though small in number, ASG fighters are sheltered by the poor Muslim communities from which they come, since the ASG distributes part of the bounty it receives from kidnapping within the communities, while the government provides them little to no assistance..[/QUOTE]A good friend today told that another reason is the politicians in the ASG areas are in cahoots with them sharing the bounty at times. He also mentioned that some of the high level corruption has provided the ASG with guns etc plus targets. None of this is provable IMHHO but is speculation from him and a number of others we mutually know.

He said "decades of corruption have caused this also" and blamed past administrations lack of action and ineptitude (but did say Erap was trying to "eradicate" ASG but then was impeached for various naughty things".

It is a mess GE as you and others know more than me and the comment about 'is only 300 and why can't the AFP etc get rid of the nuisance' is something that I have heard a lot. That plus "please ask the Americans or SAS to come".

And did you hear any news about ASG being spotted near Carcar also today? Anyone as I did and saw a police notice but nothing mentioned in the mainstream media so could be Facebook news.

[QUOTE=Boarer;2021409]I am a diver. I stopped going to Sipidan, Palawan, Cebu, and the Sulu seas. Used to do many trips to chill.

If you have the Philippines ID, I think you get really good rates; like half of what I normally pay.[/QUOTE]Yes I forgot to mention that Boarer.

FIlipinos avail of this option regularly. It's a tourism initiative to get locals to use hotels.

It can be anything from 30 to 40% off.

I got 50% off at Waterfront in Cebu one time using my Philippines driver's licence which is all that is needed as confirmation that you're a local resident.

It helped that there was no convention on at the time and there were lots of spare rooms.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2021360] The socio-economic reasons for the rise of ASG the NPA and similar groups of intransigeants were inherited by Duterte and the roots of the struggle of poor Muslims (ASG) and dirt-poor subsistence farms (NPA) are buried deep in the history of this place and unless and until those historical realities are dealt with on the ground, peace in Mindanao remains unlikely.

GE.[/QUOTE]A recent squabble in the photo forum has drawn attention to that thread's superiority over forums from all the other countries in ISG. It seems to me that posts like this from very knowledgeable expats really put the Philippines forum head and shoulders above the other forums in terms of the quality, accuracy and depth of background information about the host country. Thanks to GE and several other gentlemen--you know who you are--for your informative posts.

[QUOTE=WickedRoger;2021454]A good friend today told that another reason is the politicians in the ASG areas are in cahoots with them sharing the bounty at times. He also mentioned that some of the high level corruption has provided the ASG with guns etc plus targets. None of this is provable IMHHO but is speculation from him and a number of others we mutually know.

He said "decades of corruption have caused this also" and blamed past administrations lack of action and ineptitude (but did say Erap was trying to "eradicate" ASG but then was impeached for various naughty things".

It is a mess GE as you and others know more than me and the comment about 'is only 300 and why can't the AFP etc get rid of the nuisance' is something that I have heard a lot. That plus "please ask the Americans or SAS to come".

And did you hear any news about ASG being spotted near Carcar also today? Anyone as I did and saw a police notice but nothing mentioned in the mainstream media so could be Facebook news.[/QUOTE]There was actually an article a few years ago, that made it through 2-3 news cycles, about a Filipino General who had been caught selling new automatic weapons intended for the AFP, to one rebel group or another. I'm guessing nothing ever happened to the General and I never saw any follow-up stories. I've also heard that the Islamic rebel groups get tons of money from Malaysia and other majority-Muslim countries, though I've no idea if that's true and have no corroboration. But I have heard speculation that the conflict is simply too profitable for those in charge on both sides, to want a true cessation of hostilities.

The roots of the conflicts however, and the persistent underlying causes have never been addressed. The fact is that Muslim communities in Mindanao have for decades been the poorest in the country. Residents of these communities are far less likely to complete school, fall consistently into the bottom quintile of health indices, are among the poorest in the country, and receive less development / social funding than other areas. It's also a fact that, from the time of Marcos, the GOP intentionally pushed Muslims, which had been the majority population of Mindanao, into tenuous minority status.

The roots of the NPA-related conflict run even deeper, as small holder farmers--despite repeated promises of land reform--became (and remain) virtual serfs to the large land owners whose "rights" to enormous stretches of fertile land were given to them by the Spanish in exchange for ensuring the peasants paid perpetual obeisance to Mother Spain. Americans, during their tenure here, continued the practice, granting land tenure rights to huge US agri-businesses. The family of former President Aquino has one of the largest land holdings in Luzon, and has refused repeatedly, and despite court orders, to break up the estate and redistribute it to smallholder farmers. Even those with small plots of land have little access to modern agricultural technology, no access to credit, and are perpetually in debt to brokers and seed merchants. No wonder these guys are angry, and their rage began during the Spanish colonial period which ended around 1900.

Duterte does not come from the Sino / Spanish historically rich class of large land owners and more recently large business owners, and I think he recognizes fully the historical antecedents of the problems here. Whether he'll be able to do anything about it is open to question, given the power of the big families.

Thanks Soapy for the kind words.

GE.

Hi guys, planning to go solo to the Philippines in June, and last time didn't hit the nightclubs, went only to the ones on makati ave. This time planning to go some of the well known clubs in manila / makati and wondering how much is usually reserving a table? Also is it worth it? I mean I'll be alone, so are some of the girls there might join or something, I know this seams a bit odd, but I'm just wondering.

[QUOTE=ElNice;2022454]Hi guys, planning to go solo to the Philippines in June, and last time didn't hit the nightclubs, went only to the ones on makati ave. This time planning to go some of the well known clubs in manila / makati and wondering how much is usually reserving a table? Also is it worth it? I mean I'll be alone, so are some of the girls there might join or something, I know this seams a bit odd, but I'm just wondering.[/QUOTE]Depends which club, if you're at Revel or Valkyrie, a table can set you back anything from 15 k-25 k sometimes that'll include drinks, sometimes not. And that doesn't guarantee a bevy of girls is going to join you (but it certainly won't hurt your chances). A table at Royal or Penthouse will be less but they're smaller and potentially less busy depending on the evening.

[QUOTE=ElNice;2022454]Hi guys, planning to go solo to the Philippines in June, and last time didn't hit the nightclubs, went only to the ones on makati ave. This time planning to go some of the well known clubs in manila / makati and wondering how much is usually reserving a table? Also is it worth it? I mean I'll be alone, so are some of the girls there might join or something, I know this seams a bit odd, but I'm just wondering.[/QUOTE][URL]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showthread.php?1001-General-Info&p=2022996&viewfull=1[/URL]#post2022996.

CSP did but would some girls join as you have a table. Maybe as you paid up to 25 k pesos for it and they see you as a guy with cash sitting alone so someone who can provide free drinks all night and not give back. All depends on what you say, how you act etc.

Can I get a nano SIM card for Globe or Smart once I get to Phils? My previous Samsung used the larger Micro SIM, but the new beastie uses a nano Sim.

WC.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2023076]Can I get a nano SIM card for Globe or Smart once I get to Phils? My previous Samsung used the larger Micro SIM, but the new beastie uses a nano Sim.

WC.[/QUOTE]Yes. Very easily.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2023076]Can I get a nano SIM card for Globe or Smart once I get to Phils? My previous Samsung used the larger Micro SIM, but the new beastie uses a nano Sim.

WC.[/QUOTE]New SIM cards come in 3 pre cut sizes. If you want to use the old SIM card number then you can have it cut to nano size at any independent cell phone place. Costs between 40 to 50 pesos. I have had my SIM cut from micro to nano in the past.

[QUOTE=ElNice;2022454]Hi guys, planning to go solo to the Philippines in June, and last time didn't hit the nightclubs, went only to the ones on makati ave. This time planning to go some of the well known clubs in manila / makati and wondering how much is usually reserving a table? Also is it worth it? I mean I'll be alone, so are some of the girls there might join or something, I know this seams a bit odd, but I'm just wondering.[/QUOTE]From p2000 to crazy money, like p50,000. This is consumable. Girls joining? Often yes, but no guarantees. At the very upscale clubs in BGC rules 1 and 2 apply. I think it's worth it because you don't need to keep finding a waiter to take your next drink orders and, of course, you have a table.

[QUOTE=CallSignPapa;2022996]Depends which club, if you're at Revel or Valkyrie, a table can set you back anything from 15 k-25 k sometimes that'll include drinks, sometimes not. And that doesn't guarantee a bevy of girls is going to join you (but it certainly won't hurt your chances). A table at Royal or Penthouse will be less but they're smaller and potentially less busy depending on the evening.[/QUOTE]Yeah that's what I'm talking about, I would like to try something like that, I've heard a lot about valkyrie and I'm eager to visit it and trying to reserve a table in there. What about Royal and penthouse do non Wg go there or it's full of WG? I might go to these instead. Thanks man.

[QUOTE=Hutsori;2023106]From p2000 to crazy money, like p50,000. This is consumable. Girls joining? Often yes, but no guarantees. At the very upscale clubs in BGC rules 1 and 2 apply. I think it's worth it because you don't need to keep finding a waiter to take your next drink orders and, of course, you have a table.[/QUOTE]True, I don't like looking for waiters to get my next drink, I like to sit and watch, as I'm not much of a dancer but I like the scene and like watching people drunk dancing. Thanks, I appreciate your answer.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2023076]Can I get a nano SIM card for Globe or Smart once I get to Phils? My previous Samsung used the larger Micro SIM, but the new beastie uses a nano Sim.

WC.[/QUOTE]Want to borrow mine Westie? Easy as now they sell the SIMs so you can choose which size is needed.

I would say go to any Smart / Globe shop but that can be a painful waiting experience for something so basic so try the airport but I can guarantee the ladies there will have but ask.

[QUOTE=ElNice;2023156]Yeah that's what I'm talking about, I would like to try something like that, I've heard a lot about valkyrie and I'm eager to visit it and trying to reserve a table in there. What about Royal and penthouse do non Wg go there or it's full of WG? I might go to these instead. Thanks man.[/QUOTE]Whether you go to Valk, Royal or Penthouse, you won't find overtly obvious WGs. However on a Friday or Saturday night it is virtually impossible to leave empty handed. You really don't need a table, if you spent a fraction of that money buying some girls drinks, you'll be very popular. Royal is smaller but definitely has a higher female to male ratio. Valkyrie is huge, but there's lots of bar space to hang by and after 1 am when the girls are getting a little bit merry, it's very easy to start up conversations.

As with all things, be friendly, generous and funny and you'll get what you need.