Anyone Here Ever Live In Manila?

[Espada]

My partner may take a chance to get new job there in Phillipine, Manila. I have no idea what it gonna be. If he did accept the job, mean we are separate. But it good for his future. Even though we will not live together like we use to do. I wish all good things for him. Can anyone here tell me what is it gonna be? I don't know anything about Manila. Some others told me that it dangerous for foreigners, especially in Manila.

* sigh*....

Edited April 24, 2007 by Espada

[petecooper]

Sorry to say this but I thought the place was awful, when I worked there for a week. Not safe, like BKK, all my co-workers were telling me not to go walking around at night, etc. There are guards with machine guns at the entrances of lots of building and shopping malls, etc, which I found very creepy. Also the whole population are mad-keen catholics so the general vibe is quite different to that of a Buddhist country.

On the other hand I must confess I was only there for one week so my experience is limited - perhaps others can share some of the more positive aspects of the city.

I am sorry for your situation as it sounds like it will be tough for you both.

[Espada]

Sorry to say this but I thought the place was awful, when I worked there for a week. Not safe, like BKK, all my co-workers were telling me not to go walking around at night, etc. There are guards with machine guns at the entrances of lots of building and shopping malls, etc, which I found very creepy. Also the whole population are mad-keen catholics so the general vibe is quite different to that of a Buddhist country.

On the other hand I must confess I was only there for one week so my experience is limited - perhaps others can share some of the more positive aspects of the city.

I am sorry for your situation as it sounds like it will be tough for you both.

Thank you for sharing. I'm really concern about his safety other than anything. I've been told by other gay guys here in Pattaya that during his visit Manila he must be very careful when go out. Kidnapping, robbing and other that can harm people. For all those situation above. I would suggest him to visit Manila before he make a choice. ....

*sigh*... I know it sound self-fish but I really love him. Really hard time.

[thaigerd]

Friend of mine (german like me) has worked and lived some years in Thailand.

More than a year now his company ordered him to work in Manila wher he stays right now with his Thai wife.

He hates it:

Bad food

Weapons everywhere

Robberies every day

For security reasons he has to live in a flat

He is missing his freedom from Thailand.

Let him visit Manila first!!!

Gerd

[Espada]

Gerd, thank you so much for info. oh gosh...the more i read it sound terrible. good idea. I will convince him to visit Manila first. let's see what it going to be. thanks again.

[samtam]

Unless it's a highly paid job with fantastic perks including good accommodation in the best neighbourhood, I wouldn't even think about it. Actually, I would. I wouldn't go to Manila period. It sucks. The Philippines sucks. I know this a generalisation, but it's not one I could apply to many countries, but I haven't been to Bangladesh, Nigeria etc. (Apologies to all nice Filipinos, Bangladeshis, Nigerians etc.)

[blizzard]

im not gay but id like to participate. dont listen to peple who come from pi how it is they all say very safe.

but people who visit say different, why?

[Prakanong]

I have just been for business for 2 weeks and work with a lot of Filipino's in Singapore.

I do not like guns and the sight of them everywhere was offputting

Sniffer dogs and mirror under car checks at 5* hotels was offputting

Our PI staff were warning us not to go anywhere or show valuables

Even the guards at our company had big guns - I once suggested getting the taxi the 5 minutes to hotel from the street to the horror of our staff - that is why we have drivers

After all that though I did enjoy the place - the people are very nice (well the ones I know)

Would I work there - it would have to be secure condo with driver picking me up and taking back each day

I am talking about Manila here - my break in Cebu was great

[Prakanong]

I have just been for business for 2 weeks and work with a lot of Filipino's in Singapore.

I do not like guns and the sight of them everywhere was offputting

Sniffer dogs and mirror under car checks at 5* hotels was offputting

Our PI staff were warning us not to go anywhere or show valuables

Even the guards at our company had big guns - I once suggested getting the taxi the 5 minutes to hotel from the street to the horror of our staff - that is why we have drivers

After all that though I did enjoy the place - the people are very nice (well the ones I know)

Would I work there - it would have to be secure condo with driver picking me up and taking back each day

I am talking about Manila here - my break in Cebu was great

[Kido]

I have been staying in Manila with my Phillipinine bf, cute guys, well English speaking(compare with Thailand, Phillipino speaks better English), cheap beers on 20 BT -30 Bt per bottle of small bottle in pubs.

We always look on the bright side, boys there are cute mixed Spanish with local.

Police extort money while you are in cab, keep your passport with you all the time.

Sauna have to be member and room have to rent,Nice show in White bird pub in Rizal St.

I quite like MAnila but gays are not so accepted in Catholic country still able to cruze around with 800-1,500 BT for 1 night where the living standard are much lower in most Asia countries.

[fruity]

Lived for years in Manilla / Phillipines; n.b. better than Thailand!.......Yet, here am I; IN Thailnd!?......pm for details

[bigmove]

Depends on the area. Metro manila is different from manila. Metro manila consits of many cities i.e makati, quezon city,mandaluyong, pasig,kalookan & of course manila. If you're bf will live in manila then i suggest don't. manila has a lot of pickpockets and the like.But the bars and resto are very good because especially malate.Well, if he will get a job in Makati (the business district) then it is quite safe for him.A lot of expats too working in multinatinal company. If your bf will decide to go there tell him to be extra careful.Filipinos are very hospitable people and talks english a lot better than most Thai. Just try to visit some of the province too, it is a lot safer (cebu, davao, palawa etc).

hipe this helps

[chocolato]

one thing in common about any other US cities and manila is that guns are visible from almost everywhere, well that's how they deter crimes so i won't complain about it...good thing though you won't hear any whacko philipino who would just down the the street and shoot people, which btw is happening everyday in the states.

yes, in depressed areas of the city you'll find dirty streets, beggars, shanties, pimps, just like the normal seen you're seeing in bangkok.

but if you want to see good pics of the nicest part of city, try to search this with google image: makati, philippines, or just click on the link.

manila pics - downtown

...about your security, you should be worried about the bombing there in thailand, troubles in the philippines happens only on tiny island down south, so i shouldn't worry about it, man that is a country of 7000 island...i can't even backpack it in a year! it's an easy place to travel though coz people there speaks fair english...far better than funny accents of singaporeans or thai. also, it's the free country, freest in southeast asia i suppose, no comments about thailand...and don't miss san miguel, the locally brewed beer...i found some in bangkok last month but quite expensive.

well, i can't change the face of manila but at least i can change ways you look at it...just pack your stuff and don't forget a lonely planet.

[Pd10642]

It's hard to compare. Manila has its pros and cons (like everywhere). Compared to Bangkok however, I would have to say Manila has less culture - they, I mean we, are West-worshippers. Sad actually.

You'll be fine if you live in the rich areas - #1 is Makati City, the Business district. Nice condos and hotels. But not something to write home about. If you are white, you will be treated with utmost respect and courtesy.

I'm a Filipino and I love Bangkok!

[MiG16]

sorry to borrow your thread to ask my question here....but seeing its Manila....and I didnt want to start a new thread....

am looking for ideas/tips/suggestions:

WHAT TO DO IN MANILA /MAKATI

Please list your ideas here....for evening places to visit/things to do.....

Not my first trip there, but have to be there for 1 week this time.......wasnt too impressed on other occasions.....so tips and ideas are much welcome..... (ok rephrase.....I think I was kinda bored....cos no friends there......)

last time I discovered Max Brenner ...which was lovely.....

have been to Intromuros (sp?) and found a place with nice chocolate cake.......

been to some restaurants in the Green Belt......

other ideas? fun places and things to do?

are there places to shop apart from the numerous malls? some local type places?

and yes ofcourse should be relatively safe for a girl on her own

over to you pleaseeeeeeeeee

[geriatrickid]

I'm curious as to what happened. Did your friend move to Manila?

I had an opportunity to move there and declined. Same reason I won't live in BKK. No green space, crazy assed development, too many cars, too big, pollution etc. While Manila may have its crime problems, there is a functioning justice system and the police are not as corrupt as one would think. For an english speaker, the philippines is much easier to get around in since english is more commonly spoken than in many SE Asian countries. Pinoys are accomodating to alternative lifesyles. Actually, I don't think they give a ######, as they have bigger issues to worry about. They might disapprove of the lifestyle but it won't be the in your face kind of sentiment you will find in the rest of the world.

The Philippines major export is intellectual and labour capital, so the chances are you are going to be served by a decently educated and polite person in the service industry. Manilla has high end vocational schools that churn out electricians, plumbers etc. Maybe the standards and quality aren't the best, but at least you can get skilled labour. Many hospitals in the west actively recruit their nurses from the phillipines.

Like any country, it all depends on where you live and eat if you want something decent. Yes there are armed security guards everywhere but I am either lucky or nondescript because I never ever have had a problem or been approached by criminals. I had some encounters in BKK and Phuket though. Sure, parts of Manila are dangerous, but how many of you promenade through BKK's hooker zone? I won't drive in Thailand, but I will in the philippines.

I reckon it's all about how you choose to approach the place. If you want it to be ok, it will be.

[THAILIBAN]

I just came back from Manila. I liked the people, but this place is near to some kind of APOCALYPSE..... been to Jakarta for many times before, both places are dirty and the poverty is depressing, but still Jakarta is much much safer. Not to mention Bangkok....

The only good thing about Manila: I have never seen so many Pedestrian sidewalks anywhere in Asia (except Singapore), and not blocked by street vendors (so this means there was a lot of space for the street-kids to follow you hundreds of meters and beg in a sometimes very aggressive way)

the food is not that bad, but its rather hispanic than Asian....

and when I walked in that huge "KULTURA FILIPINO" - shop at the huge MALL OF ASIA, where they sell handicrafts and textiles and all that, there was a cultural performance going on and suddnely all the staff participated from one second to the other.... very nice to see, but I felt like I am in Mexico City or Guadalajara rather than in South-East-Asia.

[Buki]

y

I just came back from Manila. I liked the people, but this place is near to some kind of APOCALYPSE..... been to Jakarta for many times before, both places are dirty and the poverty is depressing, but still Jakarta is much much safer. Not to mention Bangkok....

The only good thing about Manila: I have never seen so many Pedestrian sidewalks anywhere in Asia (except Singapore), and not blocked by street vendors (so this means there was a lot of space for the street-kids to follow you hundreds of meters and beg in a sometimes very aggressive way)

the food is not that bad, but its rather hispanic than Asian....

and when I walked in that huge "KULTURA FILIPINO" - shop at the huge MALL OF ASIA, where they sell handicrafts and textiles and all that, there was a cultural performance going on and suddnely all the staff participated from one second to the other.... very nice to see, but I felt like I am in Mexico City or Guadalajara rather than in South-East-Asia.

Thats very easy to explain. The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more than 300 years. Thus explains the hispanic-like culture of the Filipinos. Its deeply rooted in their religion (same as here with Buddhism). I kinda miss Manila and Cebu.

[Pd10642]

sorry to borrow your thread to ask my question here....but seeing its Manila....and I didnt want to start a new thread....

am looking for ideas/tips/suggestions:

WHAT TO DO IN MANILA /MAKATI

Please list your ideas here....for evening places to visit/things to do.....

Not my first trip there, but have to be there for 1 week this time.......wasnt too impressed on other occasions.....so tips and ideas are much welcome..... (ok rephrase.....I think I was kinda bored....cos no friends there......)

last time I discovered Max Brenner ...which was lovely.....

have been to Intromuros (sp?) and found a place with nice chocolate cake.......

been to some restaurants in the Green Belt......

other ideas? fun places and things to do?

are there places to shop apart from the numerous malls? some local type places?

and yes ofcourse should be relatively safe for a girl on her own

over to you pleaseeeeeeeeee

Manila - Go to Malate, it's the clubbing area of Manila. Bars, clubs, etc. Make sure you go to one of the Stand-up Comedy bars if that's your thang. Note that this is also the gay village of the Philippines.

Makati (business district) - definitely go to Greenbelt. Classy, posh and ultra hip. The place to be "seen." Lots of bars/clubs. Gonuts Donuts sells the best doughnuts ever.

Must go to places:

Intramuros - you did right!

Greenhills - large shopping area of goods, jewelries, designer knock offs (bags, shoes, etc). Boutique stores all around the place.

Tip: You'll be safe on your own unless you wear flashy clothes/accessories. But do not attempt to use your cellphone in public, under any circumstances. Oh, if you have a bag/purse, make sure you hug it or tuck it tightly under your arm. Sorry if I scare you.

I'm afraid Filipinos are obsessed with malls, that's where we usually hang out. Sad, actually. You will have to travel to other cities/towns if you want to see historical & social places of interest.

Good luck!

[siam2007]

y

I just came back from Manila. I liked the people, but this place is near to some kind of APOCALYPSE..... been to Jakarta for many times before, both places are dirty and the poverty is depressing, but still Jakarta is much much safer. Not to mention Bangkok....

The only good thing about Manila: I have never seen so many Pedestrian sidewalks anywhere in Asia (except Singapore), and not blocked by street vendors (so this means there was a lot of space for the street-kids to follow you hundreds of meters and beg in a sometimes very aggressive way)

the food is not that bad, but its rather hispanic than Asian....

and when I walked in that huge "KULTURA FILIPINO" - shop at the huge MALL OF ASIA, where they sell handicrafts and textiles and all that, there was a cultural performance going on and suddnely all the staff participated from one second to the other.... very nice to see, but I felt like I am in Mexico City or Guadalajara rather than in South-East-Asia.

Thats very easy to explain. The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more than 300 years. Thus explains the hispanic-like culture of the Filipinos. Its deeply rooted in their religion (same as here with Buddhism). I kinda miss Manila and Cebu.

I knew that before. and I didnt say its BAD. actually I like Hispanic culture. only it has not much to do with South-East-Asia anymore.

unfortunately the American influence is much more prevalent there..... all young kids desperately trying to look like Hip-hop-stars and Gangsters (probably some are). everybody playing basketball, but no Football/soccer anywhere, not even results of the european major leagues in the daily papers.... oh, and fast food crap galore.... didnt really find out about the PINOY food culture.... though it was okay for 10 days.... now back In SIAM I can order my "Somtam, mai phed, krab" again.

as I said, I liked the People in the Phils.... relaxed lifestyle, and sometimes they can be very pragmatic.... never had any problems dealing with them

Edited June 20, 2007 by siam2007

[MiG16]

thanks for the tips everyone..esp SirAlain...Ill note them down...

Malate -- night clubs and gay district....

Greenhills? -- this is not greenbelt is it? how to get there and how far away is it?

Mall of Asia --someone mentioned this as being the handicraft centre? -- directions please

turns out I 'might' have one day free during the week...but it will only be 1 day...so cant go too far out of makati...any suggestion?

thanks again people Im kinda not looking forward to the week...mainly cos no friends there so all ideas from you are much much appreciated...will safe me from some lonely evenings I hope

[hUsh]

thanks for the tips everyone..esp SirAlain...Ill note them down...

Malate -- night clubs and gay district....

Greenhills? -- this is not greenbelt is it? how to get there and how far away is it?

Mall of Asia --someone mentioned this as being the handicraft centre? -- directions please

turns out I 'might' have one day free during the week...but it will only be 1 day...so cant go too far out of makati...any suggestion?

thanks again people Im kinda not looking forward to the week...mainly cos no friends there so all ideas from you are much much appreciated...will safe me from some lonely evenings I hope

Hi MiG!

I have been reading this thread,but didnt really have time to reply until now... So when are you going to Manila??

I haven't been back to Phils for the last 3 years... but last time I was there I really enjoyed it. Ofcourse its my home

Few places you should check out...

-Makati --so many places to go there.. shopping malls: greenbelt, ayala avenue, loads of restaurants, bars and disco...

-SM Megamall in Ortigas, Mandaluyong has a quite a big selection of handicrafts (I'm sure you can also find them in makati but just can't remember the name)

-Libis and Tomas Morato in Quezon City - streets full of new restaurants, bars and discos with some small shops (Highly recommended!!!) Nightlife is great... Bars/clubs open till 4 or 5 am...

-Greenhills is close to Quezon City not the same as greenbelt - malls with either fake or real brands

-Mall of Asia in Magallanes - supposedly really really big although I havent been there.

Malate is okay, but that's in downtown Manila and personally I don't prefer to go there--place where I feel quite unsafe...

It is true that there are so many malls in the city and not much of green or anything else.. But there are some nearby provinces that you can go to.. I recommend Tagaytay where you can see the Taal Volcano (volcano in the middle of the lake) and nice scenery.. Its about 1-2 hours drive from Manila.

Have fun... I hope I can go with you and show you places (or atleast try)...

Cheers...

[siam2007]

thanks for the tips everyone..esp SirAlain...Ill note them down...

Malate -- night clubs and gay district....

Greenhills? -- this is not greenbelt is it? how to get there and how far away is it?

Mall of Asia --someone mentioned this as being the handicraft centre? -- directions please

turns out I 'might' have one day free during the week...but it will only be 1 day...so cant go too far out of makati...any suggestion?

thanks again people Im kinda not looking forward to the week...mainly cos no friends there so all ideas from you are much much appreciated...will safe me from some lonely evenings I hope

as far as I remember (sorry, dont have all my collected Manila-Info handy now), GREENHILLS is a shopping mall near makati, whereas GREENBELT is that very popular upper-class entertainment- and restaurant-center in Makati (both places are not far from each other, though)

Mall of Asia: Its actually just one huge mall, near the airport on reclaimed land. there is one big shop, called CULTURA FILIPINO, where they sell all those handicraft-items and textile products (blankets, carpets, pillows, whatever).... including the usual tourist-sovernirs such as T-shirts etc...

its not over-impressing, but as u say u only have one day, so it might be worth a visit to get an overview....

Edited June 20, 2007 by siam2007

[MiG16]

wow...people thanks for all these really good info....I will make sure to make some brief notes to remind me

Hush....Im going mid July....from 14th July to 20th July to be exact.....are you going back for home visit?

Id be thrilled if you were there at the same time....we can finally have our meet-up that never happened since last year!! yayyyyy

and sorry to the OP for kinda taking this over a bit.....hope u will forgive me? and yes what happened to your friend...did he move?

[Pd10642]

thanks for the tips everyone..esp SirAlain...Ill note them down...

Malate -- night clubs and gay district....

Greenhills? -- this is not greenbelt is it? how to get there and how far away is it?

Mall of Asia --someone mentioned this as being the handicraft centre? -- directions please

turns out I 'might' have one day free during the week...but it will only be 1 day...so cant go too far out of makati...any suggestion?

thanks again people Im kinda not looking forward to the week...mainly cos no friends there so all ideas from you are much much appreciated...will safe me from some lonely evenings I hope

Greenbelt - is a shopping & entertainment area in Makati City.

To the North is Mandaluyong City, where you can find SM Megamall and Shangri-La Plaza (mall for richer folks!) and other malls.

North of Mandaluyong City is San Juan City, where Greenhills is located. Greenhills is mainly for hardcore shoppers.

Now these 3 cities are right next to each other, and you can just take a taxi to and fro. Maybe 15 - 20 minutes from A to B and B to C. Avoid the rush hour!

Mall of Asia - located at Pasay City, southwest of Makati. Again, it's very close from Makati so you can just take a taxi. Haven't been there yet. The owner also owns SM Megamall, and batallions of other malls. Their handicrafts are more touristy than authentic. Rip-off in my opinion. Never appealed to me. Maybe because I prefer buying from street markets and local vendors. Worth the look, maybe.

For the life of me, I can't think of any interesting non-mall places you can go to! My people are pathetic. Too bad you're not staying longer. Lots of virgin, undiscovered, white sand beaches in the Central Philippines.

[gregchambers]

Have not been for five years or so, used to stay in Makati. Reasons for not going:

Incredible hassle getting a taxi from the airport at a reasonable rate, even going upstairs to arrivals and using one that has just deposited passengers (almost impossible to actually get out of the building as well!).

Overpriced hotels at the Burgos end of Makati Avenue - they run a cartel on the price, minimum rate which they will not go below. Used to have cheap apartments available for a month but they have joined in.

Frightening security guards who run their own string or gals in the night and have various scams going.

Hopeleesly overpriced bar girls, ladies drinks and bar fines in Makati and even in the other somewhat cheaper bar areas. Most of the gals graduates of Angeles City who have been around the block several times.

Terrible food, the only tolerable outlet was Subway.

Heat and pollution make walking anywhere almost impossible even compared to Bangkok whilst it is a constant hassle to get taxi drivers to use the meter. The jeepneys and buses incomprehensible with regards to where they were going and the former likely to do serious damage to my back.

To be fair, I was never attacked and it was easy enough to ignore the scam artists on the street whilst the police seemed to have much more fun hustling locals than foreigners (one taxi driver nearly killed us when he suddenly spotted a police checkpoint and went into Mad Max mode to avoid it).

Only a minority of the women were up to Thai standards of beauty and they were mostly overwhelmed with local suitors.

Doesn't sound like it has changed very much although perhaps cheaper for Brits if they have kept their hotel rates pegged to the dollar.