General Info

[QUOTE=Ikksman;1701500]Likely to be another of the 9 or so cyclones that hit PI every year. It is currently a 'Super Typhoon' category storm. and will be named Chedeng by the PI once it reaches their territory.

Let's hope that it does not make landfall, and that it weakens even more than predicted.

Forewarned is forearmed!

Ikks[/QUOTE]Chedeng (as is what Mercedes Benz is known in Phil.) is weak, but still expected to cause some damage across Luzon.

Be safe, avoid needless travel to far away places.

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1701958]I am moving to the Philippines and need a place in Cebu (Choice #2 Manila). I need a place shorter term, without massive deposits and with wired Internet, until I can find a more permanent place once I get there. I have covered Airbnb and other sites but really haven't found anything. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks.[/QUOTE]I'm amazed you can't find find anything for Metro Manila in Airbnb. There are several hundred places fitting all budgets. What are the unnamed "other sites"? [URL]http://www.olx.ph[/URL] (former sulit) is good.

Other than internet you can't / won't detail your requirements (desired location(s) in each city, number of BR, amenities, definitions of "massive deposit" and "shorter term", or even budget), so you've left it to the community to guess wildly. And that I'll do.

This place in Metro Manila looks passible, only just, [URL]https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4505130?checkin=04%2F25%2F2015&checkout=05%2F25%2F2015&s=GN8k[/URL], and it has internet. I must say the AC looks a tad underpowered for the living room.

If you don't need more than 1 BR then this condo may be acceptable, [URL]https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4226538?checkin=04%2F25%2F2015&checkout=05%2F25%2F2015&s=GN8k[/URL].

Nope. Never have been to the Philippines. I have lived in Costa Rica, Mexico and Medellin. In some countries when a landlord advertises that Internet is available it actually means 'the Internet'. In the Philippines there are many 'cautions' published about the Internet and few if any raves about it. Therefore my question to those of you who have experience in the Philippines.

Since I paid my $19.95 I think I m entitled to my quest without the smirks of someone who by pm Has be identified as a trouble maker.

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1701958]I am moving to the Philippines and need a place in Cebu (Choice #2 Manila). I need a place shorter term, without massive deposits and with wired Internet, until I can find a more permanent place once I get there. I have covered Airbnb and other sites but really haven't found anything. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1702920]In some countries when a landlord advertises that Internet is available it actually means 'the Internet'. In the Philippines there are many 'cautions' published about the Internet and few if any raves about it. Therefore my question to those of you who have experience in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]Forget searching the internet for Cebu, at least for longer term rentals. The majority of them, and I mean about 95%, are overpriced, already gone, are "bait and switch" (for sale not really for rent; old pics, etc). Don't waste your time looking now, wait till you arrive and then look around.

You don't mention a budget and I presume for short term you want fully furnished? Hard, but not impossible to find. In Mabolo: most will run you about 30 k per month plus utilities; Strawberry Residences, Santoni's (ad's say long term, but they accept month to month), Tancor 1, 2 and 3 (they require a month advance plus security dep). In Banilad, close to Country Mall, you can try Apartelle de Arcenas (about 20 k++). Around IT Park there's a few, but they tend to be very small overpriced studios (about 20 sqm at 25-35 k) and they tend to cater to Korean students and foreigners (read again as K-poppers) working in call centers. Near Ayala there's the Wellcome Hotel (not a typo, it's spelled with 2 "L's") at about 35 k per month.

Can't help with cockroach infested fan room type low budget places as that's not how I roll.

You can also inquire at some of the hotels, although not advertised, many offer monthly rates. This is not a recommendation, but as an example the Diplomat's executive room can be rented monthly for about 30 k (not sure if there's still an extra fee for electricity).

As has been reported here and in other forums, the internet service in Cebu is sub par. Depending on where you live you can get broadband service from PLDT, Globe or Sky Cable (there's a couple of other players, but the aforementioned 3 are the larger ones). All cost about the same, 1 - 1,500 k per month and require at least a one year contract (some rentals may already include service; all of the short term ones usually do include Wi-Fi, but quality will vary; Tancor 3's sucks). As a backup I suggest you get a 4 G / LTE pocket Wi-Fi device (about 4-5 k) with a Smart LTE SIM card (1 k per month for unli service); 4 G service here is pretty good and Smart covers most of the city (it will default to 3 G if 4 G not available).

I realized, when glancing at my license plate a couple of days ago, that it's time to renew my car registration. Given that I've not got the patience, the time or the willingness to deal directly with the LTO bureaucracy in Mindanao, I contacted the same fixer I've been using for years. She explained to me--and I later verified--that the country is switching to new plates, so this year there's an "extra" charge to cover the cost of the new plates. Unfortunately, the new plates are not available, but the charge applies nonetheless. In prior years, updated stickers for the plate weren't available. I think the last time I got one was in 2012, but now it's the plates themselves.

How can anyone take this country seriously?

GE.

[QUOTE=EconoTech;1702856]Chedeng (as is what Mercedes Benz is known in Phil.) is weak, but still expected to cause some damage across Luzon.
Be safe, avoid needless travel to far away places.[/QUOTE]On April 1 this year, the TV program Topgear published an article that Mercedes Benz was suing the PI government for naming typhoons Chedeng. Haha!

Girls nicknamed Mercedes are also sometimes called Chedeng.

Ikksman

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1702920]
Since I paid my $19.95 I think I m entitled to my quest without the smirks of someone who by pm Has be identified as a trouble maker.[/QUOTE]Of course you are. But $19.95, or any price for that matter, doesn't give you carte blanche. Even on [URL]carteblanche.com[/URL]. Have you ever been a member of a country club? You don't get to make a mess of the locker room or disregard propriety because you paid a membership fee. Calling others idiots, as you did to Amavida, won't endear you with the community; this is especially true when you're asking that community for help. With the membership rights also come responsibilities. Vague questions don't get you answers. They do clutter the board.

A quick recap.

1) For reasons that you can't / won't mention you've ruled out the hundred and hundreds of places on airbnb.

2) For reasons you can't / won't mention you've ruled out other unnamed sites.

I provided you two listing of condos in the Fort, a location where you will be most likely to get the highest speed internet service - just take a look at all the foreign offices there. Your posts back in September were quite clear for your need of this. And these places fall within your budget because you PM'd Amavida and told him you are rich. Unless you are willing to buy an ISP and invest to upgrade the QOS you will have to endure what is available locally. Like the rest of us. Sorry to break that to you.

These are your remaining lodging options. Hotel. Couch surfing. Camping. Squatting. The quality of internet service for the last two is quite poor. Perhaps non-existent.

If very reliable, high-speed, always-on internet service is a must for the country you choose to reside you ought to look at, according to 2014 global rankings done by Akamai Technologies, 3) Japan, 2) Hong Kong and 1) S. Korea. The Philippines ranked 49th. I'm amazed it ranked so highly.

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1702920]Nope. Never have been to the Philippines. I have lived in Costa Rica, Mexico and Medellin. [/QUOTE]Well then, you have stepped up a notch coming to the phils threads.

[QUOTE=PirateMorgan;1702920]Since I paid my $19.95 I think I m entitled to my quest without the smirks of someone who by pm Has be identified as a trouble maker.[/QUOTE]Not at all true. Paying the $19.95 gets phils-newbs to PM status. Hit myself or any other senior board member in PM with questions. Hitting the boards with questions before filing a FR is littering. Asking questions and then disappearing without filing FR's is taking-without-giving. While doing those stinky things is fine on the CR / DR / Columbia threads, its not here.

Regarding Internet speeds / availabilities, I sent you a 7-paragraph PM a five days ago. Hope you got it.

[QUOTE=Ikksman;1703194]Girls nicknamed Mercedes are also sometimes called Chedeng.[/QUOTE]One of my girls, who's name really is Mercedes, goes by the nick name "Chedeng". But I misunderstood her pronunciation of it and so I call her "bling bling" instead.

[QUOTE=Ikksman;1703194]On April 1 this year, the TV program Topgear published an article that Mercedes Benz was suing the PI government for naming typhoons Chedeng. Haha!

Girls nicknamed Mercedes are also sometimes called Chedeng.

Ikksman[/QUOTE]Yes, saw the Top Gear PH facebook post. And it was even more comical to see the loads of Filipino who truly believed that story and demanded that MB be fined heavily for insulting Filipino pride!

Will arrive in Cebu City and planning to stay in Royal Crown Hotel & Towers.

Is that a good choice considering Girl Friendly? Or ID-check? (I'm not into [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord902][CodeWord902][/url] but all girls don't have ID).

Will arrive around May 24, if you are in town and want to join send a PM or just answer here.

Thanks

[QUOTE=MadMad;1704007]Will arrive in Cebu City and planning to stay in Royal Crown Hotel & Towers.

Is that a good choice considering Girl Friendly? Or ID-check?[/QUOTE]Better to pose your question in the Cebu Hotels thread and you will find my response there:

[URL]http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/showthread.php?3160-Cebu-Hotels[/URL]

I am searching fruitlessly for a place to rent / live in Olongapo.

Does anybody have name (s), number (s) for reputable real estate agents / brokers who can help me?

Are there any board members who live in Olongapo?

Thanks in anticipation.

Gangles.

[QUOTE=Gangles;1704750]I am searching fruitlessly for a place to rent / live in Olongapo.

Does anybody have name (s), number (s) for reputable real estate agents / brokers who can help me?

Are there any board members who live in Olongapo?

Thanks in anticipation.

Gangles[/QUOTE]I am planning on moving to Barretto when I can finally get my ass into gear.

On other expat forums, it seems most properties are advertised by a sign hung on the wall, stuck in the window or naile to a telephone pole. Usual advice is to pound the streets, or.

Rent a scooter if you need to cover a larger area. Networking in western run bars might well produce contacts, as well as giving you an idea on market rates. One site suggested.

Almost asking random people in the street!

Most opinion is agents not only charge you the skin tax, but make a healthy profit between what they charge you and what they pass to the landlord.

Anyways, would be glad to read of your experiences.

Happy hunting.

[URL]http://www.rappler.com/nation/89480-us-troops-liberty-policy-philippines[/URL]

US military must be in their rooms by 10 pm.