Why Would Anyone Want To Visit The Philippines?

Why Would Anyone Want To Visit The Philippines?

January 31, 2016

I’m fairly well traveled. I’ve been in the Philippines many years and have experienced it.

Here’s the true take on the Philippines: 

1. Never relaxed or felt safe at all whilst moving around in Manila. Was constantly on edge and waiting for bad things to happen. Was on guard but all the time felt nervous. Going out at night unless by taxi was a big no-no. Even by taxi was a risk. 

2. Went to Clark AFB, a cyclone came in and weather was terrible for about three days.

3. Couldn't eat at McDonald’s without children or women with babes in arms banging on the restaurant windows asking for money. Have never seen as much poverty or as many slums as in Manila and children begging. It had all the sounds of a dysfunctional country.

4. The only positives were the women spoke English and understood better.

5. Was constantly hassled by beggars in the street and really believe Manila to be the worst city ever visited.

6. Food on the streets, was by and large greasy, unhealthy and inedible unless went to lousy fast food joints. 

People being mugged in broad daylight in Manila, gangs of well dressed Filipinos robbing people without shame in Jeepneys working in groups of up to 8, terrible poverty, drugs being placed in peoples drinks knocking them out and getting robbed, credit card scams in restaurants, aggressive and nasty attitudes from Manila taxis threatening and refusing to open meters, cheating and scamming as soon as you get off the plane, police and security with machine guns at shopping malls and ever increasing threats from Muslim insurgents.

My God, it makes Pattaya sound like kindergarden!!!

I have made a few friends from the Philippines on Facebook and can assure readers ALL BAR NONE are trying to get out of the Philippines and work elsewhere. Never met one, male or female, that says they love the Philippines and want to stay.  

There you have it… As Paul Harvey would say, “and that’s the real story.”

Why would anyone want to visit the Philippines???

Reader Comments:

Scruffy cities. Boring, unhealthy food. Above all, skip Manila. Worst city in SE Asia by far.

the Philippines way ahead  in the murder stakes.

Downsides: 

Many natural disasters (storms, earthquakes, volcanoes)
Much poverty
Food is often bland
Taxation on world-wide income (only of interest to those wishing to live there).

Everything is inferior:

  - The ubiquitous grime

  - The catholic bigotry seems an insult to the intelligence

  - The filthy food where each dish is bursting with fat and sugar

  - Too low roof Jeepneys where it enters and leaves squatting

  - All types of more expensive and less good housing.

  - As stated above beggars, slums, garbage everywhere, misery, rats ...

The Philippines, the banking system there is just shit, they learned from the Americans, the road system is shit and the traffic is unbelievable, the train system does not exist and the ferries are overcrowded and dangerous. Since Marcos every government came in on the promise to do something against corruption and then they just filled up their own pockets and disappeared. So if you don't want to be disappointed make a circle around the Philippines and call it a "No go Zone"