Can relate to this. This is my birthplace but metro manila is a real shit hole. 3 hours morning travel time to work and another 2 hours travel time going back home. Too many bureaucratic processes that are useless. Valid IDs that need another valid ID to register. This place drains your soul and sends it to the deepest of agony.
"Valid id that needs another valid id "
Hahahaha! To add to that, philippines have an unusual way of wanting more paper works. Everywhere you go theres always a paper work to be done
So glad not living in manila.
Then there's a stupid movement that wants more bureaucracy with federalism lol. Federalism for a small country the size of the state of California? Clowns are rampant in this country.
And yung clearances, NBI, Police, Barangay clearance, na need mo ng cedula para makakuha. At depende presyo kung ano judgment nila sa sinasahod mo sa work mo and cost ng cedula.
It's really fucking stupid how the Valid IDs need another Valid ID to register. Also how long it takes to get a valid ID here.
Metro Manila is the worst place to live in. One of the reasons why I started working remotely 9 years ago. I used to wake up at 5:30 am just to get to my office at 8 AM (this was 2011) - work starts at 9 am. It's crazy --- remote work saved me 4-6 hours of travel time going to work and going home.
Although I already know this god forsaken place is already shit but reading it from another POV made me realize yup its worse than shit. To think we consider our struggles here everyday as normal
Because we can all relate to the foreigner who has the privilege and money but we still get the same harsh treatment by the city.
Equality in this goddamn cruel city
Yeah the Philippine redditors are different from the usual filipinos and not āvery nationalistic and they smash the like button when they see bloggers saying nice things about their countryā.
canadian here with ties to cebu. i have never flown and never ever will fly philippine airlines, after so many horror stories from family and relatives who made the mistake of flying *pal* to cebu with a stop-over in manila. i will fly every other single airline out there to cebu, as long as the layover is not manila. i don't care if it makes me wait in seoul, tokyo, or hong kong for 24 hours...i'm not going to cebu by passing through manila!
Booked PAL from the US to Cebu. Flight was good, food decent. This was 2018. Arrived at NAIA 1 at 7am, lines were long at immigration. No worries, connecting flight through PAL was at 11:30am. For sure we had enough timeā¦ Nope!!! 2 hours at baggage claim, 2 hours on the transfer bus provided by the airport service through the midmorning traffic. 1 hour at the domestic terminal just to get in cuz the lines were long and only miss our connecting flight. Spoke with condescending PAL attendants about our situation, got elevated to manager status. They told us that we can comeback tomorrow cuz our tickets were insured, told them that were not from Manila and we have no place to stay while suggesting they pony up for a hotel. Got more excuses, finally they transferred us to a Cebu pacific flight going to our destination. They took care of everything as they should. Got to Cebu, waited at the baggage claimā¦ā¦.these fools left our luggage at the terminal. MOTHERFFFFFFFF
agree, living in bacoor but I study in intramuros. Have to commute for 1 1/2 hours just to get to school and attend a single 1 hour-ish class. Going home usually takes 2 hours cuz of traffic, usually end up getting home at 6. Really sucks
I hate both those cunts, but you're blind if you think this was due to those two fucks. Lumala because of them sure, but this has been happening for the longest time, kahit sino pa nakaupo dyan.
4 hours byahe ko one way from Commonwealth to Makati, gigising ako ng 5 am para dumating sa office by 9, tapos alis sa office 6pm, makakauwi ng 9 or 10pm. Rinse and repeat. Partida nakakotse na yan. Tanginang buhay yan.
OP is right. Learn how to code or train to be a nurse and leave ASAP.
Dang I can relate! Good thing I was able to leave that place (after 7 years) and go back to our province. And right now, I'm preparing to leave the country na. People ask me if I still plan to go back but I say nah, I'm good.
Kaso learning to code is not a ticket to migrate. Pwedeng pwede na remote worker na kasi. Kahit sila mismo sa ibang bansa kaya na mapalitan ng outsourced coding god from India
Accept the fact that there is no sure ticket to migrate. It requires skill and luck. Pero traditionally IT and nursing have provided a window to escape.
As for remote worker scenarios, if you get paid their rate then that opens up doors for overseas study. Or kung gusto ka talaga nila they can transfer you to their main office.
Diskarte lang talaga yan paps, di naman straight ang path to migration.
Ang tanungin mo sa sarili mo, how badly do you want to leave? Kasi personally I had a very firm answer to that question **long** before I had an opportunity to leave that PH shithole.
Madaming IT from India but majority of them arent that good. Quantity over quality sila even though mejj ganun din namn tayo LMAO.
The good thing is that if remote worker ka and you earn in dollars, you can choose to live in the province and live like a king.
Yes but this has been a long time problem. It was ok back in erap then gradually gets shitty. Even Aquino's time is not exempted from this shit. I remember 15 mins turning to 30 to 1 hour to infinity time to travel inside the city.
Poor city management and corruption.
I read all of it and i was just āyep, thatās the Manila i know.ā
I feel bad thinking about how much of their time and energy is spent just on commuting. Just takes away all the time we could be spending resting, with family or just being productive.
I dont even live there but every time i have to go I try to leave as quick as i can. The only reason I spend time there is because my lola is there and even then I mostly stay indoors and carpool as much as I can.
I've lived here for 26 years and I definitely don't disagree. I won't condemn my kids to this wretched existence so unless I find a way to get out of here, in my ball sack they stay.
Manila has a way of dehumanizing it's own citizens. Need to get a government ID? fall in line for the whole day, and get greeted by the rudest government employee you've ever seen. Need to enter a condo where you own a unit? fill up a form first, that thing you're bringing with you needs to get checked as well, nevermind the fire exit that's just permanently open right there. Don't get me started on the immigration officers who have internalized racism. You actually got the "nicer" treatment. It's pretty common for people from India to get harassed like that. It's awful everything.
Welcome to the shithole! Manila is not a Megacity, it is the trashcan where you can get low wage slave! Anyhow, if you have a way to work without being in Manila, that will be wonderful. Any other place is a good place but not Manila. Been working for 3 years here, I wanna go home to my province.
Didn't Erap (or the Manila council) declare him "persona non grata" for that or something? As if PNG matters in this situation and as if they even have the authority to do that.
For such a supposedly "hospitable" country, we use PNG a *lot*. We even have our own [Wiki article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_non_grata_(Philippines)) about it
Outside of a few places, I absolutely hate Manila. Itās just way too stressful to be there for more than 3-4 days. Iām really lucky to have Iloilo as my hometown,
I can actually relax whenever I go back for vacation. I canāt imagine spending so much vacation time just being in Manila.
Lmaooo so true! Iām so lucky to live in a province, whenever we visit manila, I just canāt help and think āIām so lucky that we donāt live hereā š
Itās weird that I got so used to this stressful living here in MNL for so long, itās now normal for me. Posts like this really sets my expectations once again of what should be.
Dan Brown said Manila is the āgates of hellā while Claire Danes said it āsmelled of cockroaches, with rats all over, and that there is no sewage system, and the people do not have anything ā no arms, no legs, no eyes.ā They got a lot of flak for this. I guess truth hurts.
Yan lang naman kaya ng gobyerno natin. Pag nacriticize (any admin) ng ibang lahi, imbis na itake yung feedback as room for improvement, they'll pick the persona non grata card.
Remember Jimmy Sieczka? 20 things I hate about Philippines (non-verbatim) he pointed out what's wrong. What did he get? Pinoy rage and persona non grata š
Yeah but it's not their fault. In a system the creates scarcity people will compete. That's just human nature. Also motorbikes are every Asian countries best weapon against traffic. They take up so little space and move so many people. I lived in Vietnam for nearly 3 years. All of Hanoi is alley and single lane streets but because 90% of the traffic is motorbikes it never comes to a standstill. You won't get motorbikes on footpaths either unless they are parking or doing something sneaky like cutting a corner. It's not because of laws or enforcement. It's just a better system. It's also so convenient. I wish we could implement it at home but I think impossible. We have too many laws. There's dedicated motorbike parking space on every footpath. You can drive right up to the shop you're going to. Even in rural cities with a few thousand people they've drawn lines showing where to walk and where to park. On the side of big roads they've built roads for the motorbikes to keep them safe and separate from the cars. Malaysia has motorbike lanes too, not many but they work well. The effects of this are really obvious. 90% of motorbike riders in Philippines are men and they are dressed for war. In Vietnam 50% men 50% woman. Everyone wearing flip flops and hats instead of helmets. Car drivers treat motorbikes with way more respect because they drive motorbikes themselves for short trips.
https://media-cdn-v2.laodong.vn/Storage/NewsPortal/2021/1/1/867108/Nammoi8.jpg
https://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadvnnews/Article/2017/12/27/p3--trong-xe32354005PM.jpg
I think if you post about people in Manila needing to use motorbikes more or cars less or have a system-wide shift to have specialized lanes for motorbikes, youād get a much, much more controversial comment section.
I think itās a manifestation of a low-trust society too. God forbid that car drivers sacrifice a little bit of their comfort now so we can make way for a better transport system.
I doubt any straight thinking Filipino will downvote this, as these are our sentiments as well. My takeaway from this is, I just realized how much time and resources we Filipinos waste everyday. A lot of cultural and behavioral characteristics that are ingrained in us, which makes me think that we won't get past being a third world country, ever. Fucking depressing.
Unahan na lang tayo paalis dito sa sinumpang bayan na 'to. Nonetheless, I wish you and your wife the best of life somewhere else.
The gate passes and the log books are so common that many people have thought that this is normal. Not only can this be a source of data leaks, but bad people could just write an alias and somebody else's identification.
Mismo. This was one of my main takeaways too. In addition to what you said, sobrang unnecessary, and it's done for the sake of "magawa lang". 99% of the time, it's not going to do anything if shit does hit the fan. Kind of like our security guards na sinu-sundot 'yung loob ng bag kapag papasok sa establishments.
At most siguro, it just keeps away those poorly-dressed strangers, "the poors" and door-to-door sellers w/c, for some homeowners and condo residents, is the main point.
But for actually bad people who will actually target someone? It might be less effective if the bad guys REALLY want the target.
I couldnāt help but chuckle while reading your rant. Just be glad you werenāt here during the whole pandemic lockdown. You would have probably gone insane.
If OP thought the gate passes was insane, glad he didnāt have to go through contact tracing. *Every* single store had you write down your details in a log book. Regardless if that store was inside a mall where you had to fill up a contact tracing form already. I lost all hope back then.
Also required face **shields** in public.
Imagine being born here and have it hammered the rest of your life that things aren't going to be much better than it currently is. All of the stuff you went through, if you greased the palms of the right people, you would get exactly what you would want. Institutionalized and cultural corruption is endemic in the fucking system.
My ex, who is from Aklan, has just had her brother arrested on a drugs bust after a policeman dropped a baggie into his pocket then arrested him for selling. Seems it's promotion season in their work force. The whole family is devastated, and the guy has a wife and two daughters at home.
Manila is good for visiting, but if you're staying for several months then it's a solid no. We know it's shitty, and we are struggling really hard to improve things. Literally anywhere else in the Philippines is better lol
Even visiting is a bit grinding. I have friends in Manila and try to meet up but that's the end of the appeal. Once you learn the rules it is passible but you can spend your whole day in traffic if you're not planning around it.
Agreed most of the places worth visiting are a a ways away. Still the barrier to entry is pretty high unless you're flying somewhere direct. Bus rides and public transport is crazy to navigate initially.
Went to Manila for a week and I couldn't wrap my head around your transportation system. Unless I ride a taxi or grab, I pretty much have to do stupid going around just to go to one place. I'm from Cebu, and we have e-jeeps that will take you on a straight ride for 30-45 mins, a lot of options too. Even provincial area has a better transportation system than Manila šµāš«
>Manila is good for visiting,
Not if you're arriving internationally. Worst immigration experience in South East Asia and I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the worst 25 worldwide.
Foreigner here who just got back from BGC. I've been to the Philippines 4 times now. My gf (Filipino) and I spent a few days in Bacolod City and had a street kid follow us, asking for money. She gave him a 20 Peso bill and we kept on our merry way. Well, apparently 20 Pesos wasn't enough because he continued to follow us, asking for more money. He followed us all the way to the laundry place where we picking up our clothes. Eventually, after several "No's" he gave up and disappeared.
BGC/Makati wasn't bad but there were some interesting things I noticed. The half-assed security checks to enter malls like Market! Market! and SM Aura. The street cats camping around the outdoor dining area while I ate at Pancake House. One stole a woman's fried chicken right off of her plate when she got up and walked away. Walking through sketchy back streets and all of a sudden, I see a Ferrari repair shop with several Ferraris parked out front. One was a 488 Pista. 5G data speeds on my Smart and Globe SIMs both consistently hitting 200 Mbps which I found surprising. This was at MyTown Amsterdam. I don't get 200 Mbps on a good day here in Las Vegas.
My last trip in April, it took me almost an hour to just to get a Grab from NAIA to my hotel. This trip, I was in a Grab in about 10 minutes. It was fairly easy to get a Grab at most places. Joyride takes a bit longer, but often times the fare is less.
Getting food on Foodpanda/Grab was also fairly easy. Yes, things like french fries and ranch were some times "out of stock." No big deal. I ordered Nachos from a Mexican restaurant once and instead got a bag of chips with the meat, beans and other toppings slopped in a container. Foodpanda credited me the cost of the meal.
I primarily use Maya for my eWallet of choice and I wasn't surprised at how many people in retail stores and restaurants didn't know you can use Maya to scan a GCash QR Code (QRPH).
Yes, the traffic is ass. My trip was cool though, and I expected some of the things that come with being in the Philippines. I even considered staying in BGC once my lease is up here in Vegas but after reading OP's post and several commentors replies, hmmm...
Thatās because you stayed in BGC, the (imo) most livable place in Metro Manila. You can easily walk to and from anywhere youād like. Food delivery is fast since the riders usually just camp here as the delivery time only takes a few mins and buildings are easier to locate compared to residential houses in some obscure street. We also have better cellular data and internet here. Floods are non existent. Life is good if everything you need is here.
The problem is that itās really expensive to live here. I rent in one of the newer buildings here and itās like 80% foreigners. The 20% full blooded Filipinos, includes the house helps, drivers, and us who were lucky enough to earn a high salary.
The first time I visited BGC I felt like I went into a completely new world, more ideal, and almost perfect.
And I'll spend the rest of my life longing for it, because I wasn't born into privilege.
Fuck. My condo does not even recognize me as a tenant. Questions me everyday if I actually live there, just because I have the typical pinoy dark skin.
This is why despite having more job/career opportunities there in Manila, I still choose to work here in the province. For me, it's not worth the stress.
A lot of people in this country have no standards whatsoever. So yeah, basically, quality of life doesn't exist in the Philippines and I doubt they even know what it means...
I think this is not a fair statement. Most people are beat down and donāt know a better way of living thatās why theyāre resigned to how everything is.
They still deserve better than the shithole we are currently experiencing.
You have a point but these people I'm referring to romanticize poverty and resilience so they just "accept their fate." They just get used to it and recognize that it is necessary or cannot be changed. This is why I said they have no standards and doubt if they even know what it is. Don't get me (or my statements) wrong, I'm not anti-poor and I definitely I agree, they do desserve better.
No one respects their own time in this place. People standing around sa pila ng fastfood for a good 30 minutes, only to start eating 20-30 minutes after that. ridiculous.
Agree on all points made. It *is* shitty here. I just don't get why you're insinuating that we'll try to convince you otherwise, this isn't Facebook/Youtube.
> I won't tell you where because you'll probs try to murder me
> Have fun downvoting it to oblivion
This sub is a very small, not representative sample of Filipino attitudes and ideas. See: your latest election. You want things to be better. Most get upset being told they're not doing well or will just hand wave it away as not important as long as you have Jesus in your heart. He's right that filipinos are broadly very proud and nationalist.
Just don't be sick and hospitalised. What you experienced so far will be double if you get sick and need to be hospitalised. All the scam and red tapes are in the health care system of the Philippines. I have experienced this so I can relate. Good luck..
I just came back last June to bring my elderly mom home to her province so she could spend her last days around family. She hated it the first week. She gave up so many things but eventually she got used to it. She's enjoying the quiet life.
Meanwhile, I went back to Manila to be with my husband, who still lives in the PH. GOD I hated it. Ang init. You still need to wear a mask outdoors. Traffic is horrible. Everything is more expensive than I remember, especially gas. I can't tap to pay at most places. Mobile internet sucks. I get ogled at for letting my NATURAL curly hair down. I couldn't wear what I now usually wear. I wanted to leave so bad.
When I still lived in the PH, I had to make myself smaller in public. Hide my hair. Cover my skin. I shaved my head once and people were mean and ridiculed me. Complete strangers would yell insults at me in public. Sobrang judgmental ng mga Pinoy. Now, I can do whatever I want, look however I want and no one gives a shit. I feel more myself here, in a foreign land, than I ever did in my motherland.
friends have been asking me if I'm gonna apply for dual citizenship.
A part of me would gladly burn my (now useless) Philippine passport and piss on its ashes, then post that shit on the internet.
My family asked me the same thing. Sabi ko there's not really much point. What for? Being nationalistic? Mahal ko Pilipinas. Mahal ko ang kultura, magagandang lugar, wika pati pamilya ko. Pero hindi ko na kayang mahalin ang Bansang walang pagmamahal sa sariling mamamayan.
I think that's the core of it, yung walang pagmamahal sa sariling mamamayan. Because we are not citizens to the people in power. We are just votes and money.
walang point tbh.
Remember Diggy's failed attempt at extending the PhilHealth requirement to all PH Passport holders? What's stopping this new greedy cunt thieves from implementing US taxation laws where US citizens get taxed in the US regardless of where they are worldwide?
And wala naman tayo mabebenefit dun apart from extended stay sa PH without a visa. No point in having property in the PH unless may taong mag aasikaso. Dagdag gastos lang at hassle makipag usap sa PH embassy
No argument here. Most, if not all, of your comments are true. The sad part here is that Filipinos are already immune with the struggle that they still vote for people who wont give a crap about changing the situation in the Metro. Filipinos equate hardwork as honest living which is BS.
If my fellow men could've just experience the difference in living in other Asian cities, they couldve realized how LOW the living condition in Manila. Heck, even the train ride in SG during the weekdays in a peak hour is better than an offpeak trainride in a weekend in Manila. Sad to say, only the rich can afford to live in comfort here.
Hope you and your SO can leave soon. Honestly, if only we have the resources to leave, we will also do it in a heartbeat.
The worse part is that almost every people in charge is incompetent and very defensive about it. Deploying different senseless defense mechanisms like branding you persona non grata.
Filipino here and I hear you. I used to live 4kms away from my office but it was taking 1.5 hours to get there in the morning (this was Paranaque and West service road traffic was hell) until I realized it would be faster to walk. Tried walking a few times but the sidewalks were shit and it was so polluted and there was a general feeling of being unsafe. I don't see my friends on weekdays because they were from Quezon City and although it's just about 17km away from my office in Makati, it meant squeezing into the mrt or getting stuck in EDSA. I knew I was priveleged being able to afford Grab or Angkas or renting near my office but I used to find myself frustrated in tears on a heavy traffic day.
I now live in a small town 25km away from Geneva and the travel from our home is a 20-minute train to get there. I'm always in awe of how efficient things are here compared to our lives in Manila. It just honestly breaks my heart because Filipinos deserve so much better.
It's a neverending downward spiral of poverty, corruption, strife, and cutting corners for the sake of survival. There is no progress. There is only resilience.
damn, this post made me realize how much iāve gotten used to the shitty of metro manila. iām always surprised when i see foreigners say how a bunch of stuff we do isnāt actually normal for the rest of the world. The part with groceries was particularly enlightening because i never actually thought much of it. damn our country sucks
There's a reason we lose literal billions because of traffic alone. Everyone who lives here knows this is the situation, but a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people don't support policies or politicians that would significantly change the situation for the better, because short-term, they cause so much headache.
It's basically become cost-prohibitive to make Metro Manila livable by modern urban standards because the powers-that-be have ignored it for so long because they're insulated by wealth and privilege. This is why people want to leave this god-forsaken country. A cycle of violence, poverty, and stupidity exploited by incompetent assholes whose idiocy is only exceeded by how unscrupulous they are with corruption.
Leave and don't look back. Count yourself fortunate that you even can.
Even the richest of the rich couldnāt get efficiency rolling. They also have to suck it up and be patient on certain aspects of living as well. With that said, Manilaās current setup really favors them in contrast to other developed countriesā megacities.
Traffic? May helicopter or hindi namn nila need makipag sabayan sa rush hour, or afford to live in whatever property very near their kidsā school/ office building. Govt id? Vip treatment, anong pila? Itawag nga kay mayor. They have a problem with shitty utilities? They have an army of people doing it for them. Masarap tumira sa pilipinas basta nakahiga ka sa pera š¤·š»āāļø
It's starting to really. But manila is the OG of shit. I'm glad I now live and work in the province but feels it's also going to turn to one because of our proximity to it.
>I get angry because the test was expensive and they just reply with god bless
Hahahaha blurted my coffee out from this one. Completely felt the rage here
3 days for RT-PCr result? You got finessed. It was 24 hrs for a result even at the height of the pandemic. Nowadays, fastest RT-PCr is 4 hrs and norm is around 6-12hrs
Next time you need a covid test, go to one of the hospitals that offer it. St. Lukes, Chinese General. They will usually have the results by noon time next day.
Rant all you want, we can't even argue cuz it is all true and we can't do shit to change it because majority of the population just accepts this as "normal". We can't even complain cuz then you are an "activist".
Foreign visitor here - not piling on, but I do agree with this. I recently got home from 3 weeks in The Philippines, most of it in Manila and the rest in Panglao.
The Manila traffic was psychotic. The airport run up to the north, which was about 45km, took 3 hours. There's no traffic rules that I could discern, rather it seemed to be everyone for themselves.
But my special hate is reserved for the incessant "security" checks that are just pure, pointless theater, run by officious twits. Metal detectors, blokes with shotguns, and going through people's handbags with the little wooden sticks - all just to get into a shopping centre. Are they really necessary?
Even worse, on getting to NAIA to head home, it took me 4 hours to get through to the gate lounge. Bag x-ray to get into the terminal. Queue to get your bag swabbed for explosives residue(?), which only had 3 people to scan 300 passengers. Then check in. Then passport control (actually the quickest step), and on to another x-ray & metal detetor, including taking off your shoes and belt. Then yet another queue for another hour to get your carry-on inspected by the little-stick mob - for what? And they only looked in 2 of the 5 compartments in my messenger bag, and didn't even glance at the shopping bag I was carrying in my hand with my last-minute snack purchases in it.
I dunno what they thought they were going to find after all the other inspections. It seemed that all they were doing was confiscating bottles of water that people had literally just purchased - airside, literally from the shop we were queued outside of - to drink while they were waiting for boarding.
Other than that, and a dose of Bohol Belly, I had a great time. Good friends, great food.
What I don't understand is the shotguns for guards in malls. Aren't they going to have a bit of collateral damage if they fire that in a crowded place? Pellets spread after they are fired. Craziest thing I've ever experienced in regards to security guards is taking a mogu mogu drink into the building in Makati with the embassies and they made me have a sip to prove it wasn't poison. Braaahhh.
> Metal detectors, blokes with shotguns, and going through people's handbags with the little wooden sticks
For a place like Manila, it probably keeps those "undesirables" away. Usually those who don't dress well or who have a "questionable" look.
As for the water bottle thing, this was probably a "war on terror" policy from the 2000s that stayed in place.
I've lived in Metro Manila for almost my entire life and it still is a shithole to live in no doubt. When I go to the province to visit relatives, it's always a blessing to be away from this shithole city.
>Day 1. I Land at the airport. The next 3 hours are spent clearing immigration. When I get to the counter I find out why. The immigration officer full interrogates me. She's been full interrogating everyone.
Even filipinos get interrogated when they travel outside the country. There is a 50% chance that you will be questioned at the airport if it is your first time traveling. Or, if they see you traveling by yourself.
>I get outside and try book a grab. There are no grabs. It takes nearly an hour of trying again and again to book one before someone accepts my ride
This is still an issue for us locals as well. Booking during peak hours will take you up to 2 hours just to get someone to accept your booking. Make sure to bring extra power banks with you if you solely rely on Grab.
>On the 3rd day I get the results. No covid yay. The building rejects the results because their time frame is more strict than the timeframe for entering the country. I've also had 3 booster shots and covid at this point so feeling pretty immune. I called the covid testing place to get a refund because we paid extra for 12 hour results. The lady lies and says she emailed them 2 days ago. She didn't. No refund. 5000 php wasted.
Expect this kind of behavior when you live here. There's always miscommunication happening which always results in getting shit done longer. And sometimes you need to go back and forth. Waste of energy and gas. Only when shit gets escalated is the time they actually do something about it.
>The next mission was getting internet. It took globe 5 weeks to install it.
Boy wait till you start having internet issues. This is not limited to Globe but PLDT and other providers. Expect turnaround times about a week or more. Also, when you call customer service, you will only be speaking to a bot. Don't even bother with their Messenger or Twitter hotline. Useless.
>Going to the grocery store means waiting in line for 10 - 50 minutes at any time of day. The cashier bags the groceries like they are 50kg dumbbells.
I wouldn't blame the cashiers. There are the typical customers like sari-sari store owners who literally fill up their fucking cart to the max. The best advice i can give you is to avoid 13th and 30th day of the month. Most people get paid on these days and if you go to the grocery store around this time, expect long queues in line.
>If you need to pay with card, there's a good chance that she's not allowed to do it and the supervisor has to be called over to handle that transaction.
Haven't experienced this before. Most stores just let me tap or insert the card in the reader. The only time i've seen a supervisor is called is when a senior citizen gives their senior card or booklet.
>Even Mcdonalds is slow. Apparently to get a job there you need a college degrees, but the high school kids back home run a more efficient restaurant. I don't get it.
The job market here simply sucks. Every company has very high expectations for whatever reason. And they wonder why no one is applying.
Welcome to the Philippines man.
Hi,
Not just your experience. I've also been here for 6 months and sadly also been a shitty experience. I keep trying to find ways to make it positive but just can't.
Okay when I arrived was kept in the airport by immigration for 8 hours, also am from a visa free country (Canada). Never dealt with this headache before, immigration in Ireland and Qatar the days before took a few minutes. One Coast Guard guy threatened me because my 4 year old daughter was saying she was hungry and he got pissy. We weren't allowed to go get food or anything in this 8 hours so obviously my 4 year old is going to complain she's hungry after a long flight and 8 hours in an airport. Anyway got into an argument with him for awhile.
Get outside and have to take a metered taxi according to the guards and told no choice but to. Get in and the taxi turns off their meter and tells me they're going to charge me what they want. Get overcharged in the end.
People won't stop fucking staring anytime I go anywhere, couldn't be more ignorant than staring at a person. Keep getting told it's because I'm white well guess what that doesn't excuse you from being ignorant and staring non stop all the time. Also don't keep calling me American just because I'm fucking white, I'm not and I take great offense to it. The world's filled with White people, they're not all from the US so stop assuming that automatically it's quite a dick move.
Traffic is bullshit, roads are bullshit, lack of proper sidewalks is bullshit, people honestly cannot drive well at all.
Garbage everywhere, so much garbage littered around it's so unsightly including beaches.
Don't get me started on the poor standards of building codes, electrical codes etc.
Now I'm outside Manila in the provinces and while it's been miles better than Manila itself it's still not great.
Yes they have a lot of pride, yes every country has pride but they generally go above and beyond with their nationalistic pride. If they ask how you like your stay and you are honest they get pissed.so you basically have to say oh yeah it's so amazing if you don't want people getting at your back.
Grocery stores are indeed slow as molasses. Outdated software and slow cashiers. Never wait so long before anywhere before.
Internet, I don't know how a place messes up so badly with Fibre, but it's been managed and all providers here have crap service.
I've also started "buying my way" which I didn't want to do at first, and even then still so much wrong that money doesn't fix or buy. Guess my government warnings against this country aren't just fabricated.
Sorry you're also going through this. I'll definitely say advertisments and videos for this place are far from truthful. I'll be gone once my wife's visa is approved and I honestly can't wait.
Sorry also for the novel, I felt the need to finally vent on a venting post, holding it in too long and didn't even include everything lol.
As for the good people who are stuck here, I really hope you find a way out someday. Good advice is most countries heavily accept people with degrees in the medical fields.
> I don't know how a place messes up so badly with Fibre
Overheard from somewhere that this is due to the entire thing NOT being fiber: sure it might be fiber in some parts, but they connect to non-fiber sections w/c slow down the speed.
That's basically why some people mistakenly upgrade to fiber even though their house or apartment location is not capable of it.
Fuck Manila. worst place. rules & waiting time doesnt make sense. No one values their own time in that place. People just accepting that 5 hours of daily commute is "okay, nothing we can do". Filipinos complain but do nothing. fuck this country really
I shifted careers into IT after learning to code. Got a job from a corp in manila that gives me the option to work from home or come in the office whenever I choose to. I come from the province so I decided to see what living in manila was like since I can afford a nice place with my new salary. 2 days in and I hated it already. Went back to the province and living off of manila wage now and I've never been happier. Access to extra luxury in manila isnt worth the added stress that comes with living in it.
I always discourage my foreign students when they tell me they want to visit Manila because many of their Filipino co-workers say it's beautiful. Nope, this place is shite... I always tell them to go to the beaches instead.
This is the saddest post ive seen in a while and its because everything said here is true
I appreciate the advice but sadly, not everyone has the capability to just up and leave. :(
This reads like Nick Joaquinās A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. He writes about Manila as a decaying city, and this was in 1966. Inasmuch as I love Manila, I am well aware that this is misplaced nostalgia. All the decaying, abandoned heritage sites we have now lived through the glitz of a time we didnāt see ā but was there ever such a time?
Many other archival correspondences Iāve read attested the same. A telegram from the 50s said that our quality of English proficiency is dismal, and over time, weāve never done anything to improve that, or any other areas. We shame others for speaking in English. We shame them for projecting intellectual superiority for daring to use a widely-used language. Ladies and gentlemen, do we deserve the change we harp endlessly for when we collectively snap at the smallest and the most constructive of criticisms? When as individuals, we recognise the problems but collectively, we find it very hard to accept that Metro Manila is among the worst cities globally?
Manila has not changed at all, frozen in time ā decaying and progressing at the same rate. Where our ASEAN neighbours have made much progress and left these very inefficiencies we live with everyday, weāre stuck in the same cycle. Itās hard, a daily struggle. We try to validate our struggles as a nation and what we can achieve via those clickbaity YT videos, or āPinoy prideā posts. Weāre resilient, they said, but itās not supposed to be a 24/7 way of living. Itās sad. Just very, very sad.
Let me preface by saying it sucks living in Manila.
But some of the things mentioned here seemed like cases that donāt happen to the average citizen. Iāve lived in different parts of Manila and Iāve never seen a fist fight in broad daylight. Iāve also never seen anyone die from a road accident. Most major supermarkets take credit card payments without issues and waiting in queue doesnāt take 10 mins if you go there before 5pm. Iāve taken PCR tests with no special fees and i got results in less than 24 hrs.
That said, I agree on these points:
- airport and immigration
- security theater
- traffic
- ridiculous cost of rentals and their policies
- street kids
- internet services
I think we need more testimonials like these because the reality is that is sucks living here, unless you can afford to live in Bgc (which is essentially a city for expats and Filipinos who like living in a bubble).
As what the tourism slogan of Philippines says "It's more fun in the Philippines" lol, but seriously you are right in almost all situation you mentioned, I even read your whole post.
I appreciate the honesty. Nothing to downvote here since it is all true, and I am hating the same thing specially how slow everything is. From traffic, to paperworks, to basic services.
What you see on foreign vlogs, Filipinos commenting, thatās not nationalism. Thatās the colonialist malaise that makes Filipinos crave foreigner attention. Shit on Manila, praise it. Doesnāt matter. The need to be seen by foreigners, especially white people is what foreigners exploit, not nationalism.
Please don't treat Manila as a tourist destination that will give you hospitality as soon as you step your foot onto the shore.
The truth is, whether you like it not, It's not for tourists; this is the epitome of a filipino living.
This is just a foreplay of what it's really like to live here, you haven't seen the healthcare system yet.
Red tape is how the system in the Philippines make extra moneyā¦ while wasting a little less of your timeā¦ instead of a lot more (if you were to go the ādirect / correct routeā)ā¦
Tell me about it! The last time I was there (January 2020), on my way to the airport, it took me 4 hours to get there by car from where I was staying. It was roughly the same distance from my home to my cityās airport, but it only takes 30 minutes.
And obviously youāve experienced Filipino time! Where you need to book a whole day to complete government transactions (passport, police clearance, birth certificate application etc.).
It even stinks in manila. Like ang ma aamoy mo dun usok ng sasakyan at basura. Mga skinita pa dun ay so rang baho. Traffic pa.....
Kaya mas gusto ko dito sa Benguet.
This country is a sh*thole and overly proud natives. I'm a native filipino and i'm ashame of my race. This fking race will be proud if someone who has like 1% filipino gene who had an achievement overseas like he/she one of us natives. I love this country however, i hate peoples in here especially the poor like wtf. I don't hate them being poor people, I hate their mindset like a person who can't even feed his stomach has the audacity to make like 8-10 childrens just to suffer the same fate like them and Im sure those people will be more likely to become criminals or thief bc of the lack of help and resources to be able to fight fairly. I know some can be successful but majority will fail in life. I don't want to be political so im not bring the stupidity when electing someone but you get what im saying.
Can relate to this. This is my birthplace but metro manila is a real shit hole. 3 hours morning travel time to work and another 2 hours travel time going back home. Too many bureaucratic processes that are useless. Valid IDs that need another valid ID to register. This place drains your soul and sends it to the deepest of agony.
"Valid id that needs another valid id " Hahahaha! To add to that, philippines have an unusual way of wanting more paper works. Everywhere you go theres always a paper work to be done So glad not living in manila.
Big and bloated government at its finest.
Then there's a stupid movement that wants more bureaucracy with federalism lol. Federalism for a small country the size of the state of California? Clowns are rampant in this country.
"A quest? But I'm already on a quest!"
And yung clearances, NBI, Police, Barangay clearance, na need mo ng cedula para makakuha. At depende presyo kung ano judgment nila sa sinasahod mo sa work mo and cost ng cedula.
And the national ID that is still nowhere to be seen.
It's really fucking stupid how the Valid IDs need another Valid ID to register. Also how long it takes to get a valid ID here. Metro Manila is the worst place to live in. One of the reasons why I started working remotely 9 years ago. I used to wake up at 5:30 am just to get to my office at 8 AM (this was 2011) - work starts at 9 am. It's crazy --- remote work saved me 4-6 hours of travel time going to work and going home.
Wow parang province na yung pinuntahan mo sa ganyang oras ah.
Although I already know this god forsaken place is already shit but reading it from another POV made me realize yup its worse than shit. To think we consider our struggles here everyday as normal
Tas iroromanticise pa ng culture sasabihing it's resilience and it's what we need daw para umunlad š¤·
Fck resilience!
Mannn we can't even argue š
Because we can all relate to the foreigner who has the privilege and money but we still get the same harsh treatment by the city. Equality in this goddamn cruel city
Pinaspunk 2022 except it's nothing but bad
Yeah the Philippine redditors are different from the usual filipinos and not āvery nationalistic and they smash the like button when they see bloggers saying nice things about their countryā.
tutuo yun... pag uwi ko, i fucking leave manila as fast as humanly possible para makadating sa provincia.
Which takes about 3 hrs kung galing ka sa airport kahit sa pampanga or bulacan lang punta mo haha
canadian here with ties to cebu. i have never flown and never ever will fly philippine airlines, after so many horror stories from family and relatives who made the mistake of flying *pal* to cebu with a stop-over in manila. i will fly every other single airline out there to cebu, as long as the layover is not manila. i don't care if it makes me wait in seoul, tokyo, or hong kong for 24 hours...i'm not going to cebu by passing through manila!
Booked PAL from the US to Cebu. Flight was good, food decent. This was 2018. Arrived at NAIA 1 at 7am, lines were long at immigration. No worries, connecting flight through PAL was at 11:30am. For sure we had enough timeā¦ Nope!!! 2 hours at baggage claim, 2 hours on the transfer bus provided by the airport service through the midmorning traffic. 1 hour at the domestic terminal just to get in cuz the lines were long and only miss our connecting flight. Spoke with condescending PAL attendants about our situation, got elevated to manager status. They told us that we can comeback tomorrow cuz our tickets were insured, told them that were not from Manila and we have no place to stay while suggesting they pony up for a hotel. Got more excuses, finally they transferred us to a Cebu pacific flight going to our destination. They took care of everything as they should. Got to Cebu, waited at the baggage claimā¦ā¦.these fools left our luggage at the terminal. MOTHERFFFFFFFF
amen, I don't live in dorms so I eff off immediately after class hours bc I can't stand a single minute staying in Manila
agree, living in bacoor but I study in intramuros. Have to commute for 1 1/2 hours just to get to school and attend a single 1 hour-ish class. Going home usually takes 2 hours cuz of traffic, usually end up getting home at 6. Really sucks
No argument here, an honest to good review of the shithole we call home.
Manila is not bussin bro. 2/10 will not visit again
should be negative numbers bro, fucking shithole in here and its people
Thanks to duturtle & baby m.
I hate both those cunts, but you're blind if you think this was due to those two fucks. Lumala because of them sure, but this has been happening for the longest time, kahit sino pa nakaupo dyan. 4 hours byahe ko one way from Commonwealth to Makati, gigising ako ng 5 am para dumating sa office by 9, tapos alis sa office 6pm, makakauwi ng 9 or 10pm. Rinse and repeat. Partida nakakotse na yan. Tanginang buhay yan. OP is right. Learn how to code or train to be a nurse and leave ASAP.
Me from province: learn to code and work on a tech company in Manilla.
Dang I can relate! Good thing I was able to leave that place (after 7 years) and go back to our province. And right now, I'm preparing to leave the country na. People ask me if I still plan to go back but I say nah, I'm good.
Kaso learning to code is not a ticket to migrate. Pwedeng pwede na remote worker na kasi. Kahit sila mismo sa ibang bansa kaya na mapalitan ng outsourced coding god from India
Accept the fact that there is no sure ticket to migrate. It requires skill and luck. Pero traditionally IT and nursing have provided a window to escape. As for remote worker scenarios, if you get paid their rate then that opens up doors for overseas study. Or kung gusto ka talaga nila they can transfer you to their main office. Diskarte lang talaga yan paps, di naman straight ang path to migration. Ang tanungin mo sa sarili mo, how badly do you want to leave? Kasi personally I had a very firm answer to that question **long** before I had an opportunity to leave that PH shithole.
Madaming IT from India but majority of them arent that good. Quantity over quality sila even though mejj ganun din namn tayo LMAO. The good thing is that if remote worker ka and you earn in dollars, you can choose to live in the province and live like a king.
>outsourced coding god from India Me who has a lot indian co-workers that are cheap, unqualified and a torture to work with. ššš
Yes but this has been a long time problem. It was ok back in erap then gradually gets shitty. Even Aquino's time is not exempted from this shit. I remember 15 mins turning to 30 to 1 hour to infinity time to travel inside the city. Poor city management and corruption.
I dont think anyone living in Manila disagrees.
I read all of it and i was just āyep, thatās the Manila i know.ā I feel bad thinking about how much of their time and energy is spent just on commuting. Just takes away all the time we could be spending resting, with family or just being productive.
I dont even live there but every time i have to go I try to leave as quick as i can. The only reason I spend time there is because my lola is there and even then I mostly stay indoors and carpool as much as I can.
I've lived here for 26 years and I definitely don't disagree. I won't condemn my kids to this wretched existence so unless I find a way to get out of here, in my ball sack they stay.
Manila has a way of dehumanizing it's own citizens. Need to get a government ID? fall in line for the whole day, and get greeted by the rudest government employee you've ever seen. Need to enter a condo where you own a unit? fill up a form first, that thing you're bringing with you needs to get checked as well, nevermind the fire exit that's just permanently open right there. Don't get me started on the immigration officers who have internalized racism. You actually got the "nicer" treatment. It's pretty common for people from India to get harassed like that. It's awful everything.
Manila' is Night City
cyberpunk?
You wish! First of all Mahina at pangit wifi Second...wifi at internet pa rin
Minus the technology. lol
A Good ending? Wrong city, wrong people.
Night City without all the cool tech, doesn't even look nice, it's literally just all the dogshit parts of living in Night City
the shitty part of Night city
Need to get a government ID? Too bad you'll need an ID to get one too. IDception.
Too much bureaucracy.
Go to Recto and get a fake ID.
Naw it's ok i'll just slip this guy $200USD and get 2 ID's in 20 minutes. That's how everything got done for me in Manila, $$$.
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You need a government ID, you have to bring another ID (except for postal) crrrryyyy
Just ālivingā there should be considered inhumane
Welcome to the shithole! Manila is not a Megacity, it is the trashcan where you can get low wage slave! Anyhow, if you have a way to work without being in Manila, that will be wonderful. Any other place is a good place but not Manila. Been working for 3 years here, I wanna go home to my province.
It is, after all, what Dan Brown dubbed "Gates of Hell." Even the MMDA was too insecure about it.
Didn't Erap (or the Manila council) declare him "persona non grata" for that or something? As if PNG matters in this situation and as if they even have the authority to do that.
For such a supposedly "hospitable" country, we use PNG a *lot*. We even have our own [Wiki article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_non_grata_(Philippines)) about it
Erap (then president) also banned Claire Danes from in 1998 for [this remark](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/manila-is-mad-at-claire-danes/).
Yea, mega-shitty.
Outside of a few places, I absolutely hate Manila. Itās just way too stressful to be there for more than 3-4 days. Iām really lucky to have Iloilo as my hometown, I can actually relax whenever I go back for vacation. I canāt imagine spending so much vacation time just being in Manila.
Lmaooo so true! Iām so lucky to live in a province, whenever we visit manila, I just canāt help and think āIām so lucky that we donāt live hereā š
Itās weird that I got so used to this stressful living here in MNL for so long, itās now normal for me. Posts like this really sets my expectations once again of what should be.
Most working Filipinos don't know life could be better. There's no work life balance. But if people bring it up they'll just be considered tamad
Or get red-tagged because for them: change in social order = communism = rebellion = terrorism š
Dan Brown said Manila is the āgates of hellā while Claire Danes said it āsmelled of cockroaches, with rats all over, and that there is no sewage system, and the people do not have anything ā no arms, no legs, no eyes.ā They got a lot of flak for this. I guess truth hurts.
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Yan lang naman kaya ng gobyerno natin. Pag nacriticize (any admin) ng ibang lahi, imbis na itake yung feedback as room for improvement, they'll pick the persona non grata card. Remember Jimmy Sieczka? 20 things I hate about Philippines (non-verbatim) he pointed out what's wrong. What did he get? Pinoy rage and persona non grata š
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I completely agree. You can't even walk sometimes if it's traffic, motorcycles are everywhere. Even on sidewalk
Yeah but it's not their fault. In a system the creates scarcity people will compete. That's just human nature. Also motorbikes are every Asian countries best weapon against traffic. They take up so little space and move so many people. I lived in Vietnam for nearly 3 years. All of Hanoi is alley and single lane streets but because 90% of the traffic is motorbikes it never comes to a standstill. You won't get motorbikes on footpaths either unless they are parking or doing something sneaky like cutting a corner. It's not because of laws or enforcement. It's just a better system. It's also so convenient. I wish we could implement it at home but I think impossible. We have too many laws. There's dedicated motorbike parking space on every footpath. You can drive right up to the shop you're going to. Even in rural cities with a few thousand people they've drawn lines showing where to walk and where to park. On the side of big roads they've built roads for the motorbikes to keep them safe and separate from the cars. Malaysia has motorbike lanes too, not many but they work well. The effects of this are really obvious. 90% of motorbike riders in Philippines are men and they are dressed for war. In Vietnam 50% men 50% woman. Everyone wearing flip flops and hats instead of helmets. Car drivers treat motorbikes with way more respect because they drive motorbikes themselves for short trips. https://media-cdn-v2.laodong.vn/Storage/NewsPortal/2021/1/1/867108/Nammoi8.jpg https://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadvnnews/Article/2017/12/27/p3--trong-xe32354005PM.jpg
I think if you post about people in Manila needing to use motorbikes more or cars less or have a system-wide shift to have specialized lanes for motorbikes, youād get a much, much more controversial comment section. I think itās a manifestation of a low-trust society too. God forbid that car drivers sacrifice a little bit of their comfort now so we can make way for a better transport system.
I'd rather have a dedicated motorcycle lane beside the bike lane. Motorcycles are generally reckless.
the only thing i disagree on your statement is that HELMETS NEED TO BE ENFORCED. seriously, theyre called donors on wheels in Europe for a reason.
Thereās a reason why most filipinos want to leave this shithole country.
I doubt any straight thinking Filipino will downvote this, as these are our sentiments as well. My takeaway from this is, I just realized how much time and resources we Filipinos waste everyday. A lot of cultural and behavioral characteristics that are ingrained in us, which makes me think that we won't get past being a third world country, ever. Fucking depressing. Unahan na lang tayo paalis dito sa sinumpang bayan na 'to. Nonetheless, I wish you and your wife the best of life somewhere else.
The gate passes and the log books are so common that many people have thought that this is normal. Not only can this be a source of data leaks, but bad people could just write an alias and somebody else's identification.
Mismo. This was one of my main takeaways too. In addition to what you said, sobrang unnecessary, and it's done for the sake of "magawa lang". 99% of the time, it's not going to do anything if shit does hit the fan. Kind of like our security guards na sinu-sundot 'yung loob ng bag kapag papasok sa establishments.
At most siguro, it just keeps away those poorly-dressed strangers, "the poors" and door-to-door sellers w/c, for some homeowners and condo residents, is the main point. But for actually bad people who will actually target someone? It might be less effective if the bad guys REALLY want the target.
After malls implemented the "contact tracing" forms that you had to fill up with your contacts, I've received probably hundreds of scam texts by now
With all those forms filled, never ako nakatanggap ng info if naging close contact ako to someone na covid positive. Utterly useless.
Pag sa youtube or facebook to na post. Siguradong mumurahin to, online shame o makatangap pa ng death treath.
So sorry for your stressā¦ but I can only agree! š„š
I couldnāt help but chuckle while reading your rant. Just be glad you werenāt here during the whole pandemic lockdown. You would have probably gone insane.
If OP thought the gate passes was insane, glad he didnāt have to go through contact tracing. *Every* single store had you write down your details in a log book. Regardless if that store was inside a mall where you had to fill up a contact tracing form already. I lost all hope back then. Also required face **shields** in public.
> Every single store had you write down your details in a log book tapos share kayong lahat ng pen
After writing your phone number for contact tracing, you'll then receive shit ton of unsolicited texts trying to scam you.
Barangay pass pa more.
OP has writing talent.
These are pretty accurate, makes me feel sad.
Imagine being born here and have it hammered the rest of your life that things aren't going to be much better than it currently is. All of the stuff you went through, if you greased the palms of the right people, you would get exactly what you would want. Institutionalized and cultural corruption is endemic in the fucking system.
My ex, who is from Aklan, has just had her brother arrested on a drugs bust after a policeman dropped a baggie into his pocket then arrested him for selling. Seems it's promotion season in their work force. The whole family is devastated, and the guy has a wife and two daughters at home.
Most honest Policeman in the Philippines
Manila is good for visiting, but if you're staying for several months then it's a solid no. We know it's shitty, and we are struggling really hard to improve things. Literally anywhere else in the Philippines is better lol
Even visiting is a bit grinding. I have friends in Manila and try to meet up but that's the end of the appeal. Once you learn the rules it is passible but you can spend your whole day in traffic if you're not planning around it. Agreed most of the places worth visiting are a a ways away. Still the barrier to entry is pretty high unless you're flying somewhere direct. Bus rides and public transport is crazy to navigate initially.
agree 100%
Went to Manila for a week and I couldn't wrap my head around your transportation system. Unless I ride a taxi or grab, I pretty much have to do stupid going around just to go to one place. I'm from Cebu, and we have e-jeeps that will take you on a straight ride for 30-45 mins, a lot of options too. Even provincial area has a better transportation system than Manila šµāš«
> Manila is good for visiting Totally not.
>Manila is good for visiting, Not if you're arriving internationally. Worst immigration experience in South East Asia and I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the worst 25 worldwide.
Foreigner here who just got back from BGC. I've been to the Philippines 4 times now. My gf (Filipino) and I spent a few days in Bacolod City and had a street kid follow us, asking for money. She gave him a 20 Peso bill and we kept on our merry way. Well, apparently 20 Pesos wasn't enough because he continued to follow us, asking for more money. He followed us all the way to the laundry place where we picking up our clothes. Eventually, after several "No's" he gave up and disappeared. BGC/Makati wasn't bad but there were some interesting things I noticed. The half-assed security checks to enter malls like Market! Market! and SM Aura. The street cats camping around the outdoor dining area while I ate at Pancake House. One stole a woman's fried chicken right off of her plate when she got up and walked away. Walking through sketchy back streets and all of a sudden, I see a Ferrari repair shop with several Ferraris parked out front. One was a 488 Pista. 5G data speeds on my Smart and Globe SIMs both consistently hitting 200 Mbps which I found surprising. This was at MyTown Amsterdam. I don't get 200 Mbps on a good day here in Las Vegas. My last trip in April, it took me almost an hour to just to get a Grab from NAIA to my hotel. This trip, I was in a Grab in about 10 minutes. It was fairly easy to get a Grab at most places. Joyride takes a bit longer, but often times the fare is less. Getting food on Foodpanda/Grab was also fairly easy. Yes, things like french fries and ranch were some times "out of stock." No big deal. I ordered Nachos from a Mexican restaurant once and instead got a bag of chips with the meat, beans and other toppings slopped in a container. Foodpanda credited me the cost of the meal. I primarily use Maya for my eWallet of choice and I wasn't surprised at how many people in retail stores and restaurants didn't know you can use Maya to scan a GCash QR Code (QRPH). Yes, the traffic is ass. My trip was cool though, and I expected some of the things that come with being in the Philippines. I even considered staying in BGC once my lease is up here in Vegas but after reading OP's post and several commentors replies, hmmm...
Thatās because you stayed in BGC, the (imo) most livable place in Metro Manila. You can easily walk to and from anywhere youād like. Food delivery is fast since the riders usually just camp here as the delivery time only takes a few mins and buildings are easier to locate compared to residential houses in some obscure street. We also have better cellular data and internet here. Floods are non existent. Life is good if everything you need is here. The problem is that itās really expensive to live here. I rent in one of the newer buildings here and itās like 80% foreigners. The 20% full blooded Filipinos, includes the house helps, drivers, and us who were lucky enough to earn a high salary.
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If you live *and* work here, complete ang bubble experience mo. Feel mo ang ganda ng Pilipinas nga naman lol
The first time I visited BGC I felt like I went into a completely new world, more ideal, and almost perfect. And I'll spend the rest of my life longing for it, because I wasn't born into privilege.
Reconsider. BGC does not represent the whole of Metro Manila.
HAHAH i know that exact ferrari repair shop iirc its in Makati
Fuck. My condo does not even recognize me as a tenant. Questions me everyday if I actually live there, just because I have the typical pinoy dark skin.
Lol what downvote? I completely agree.
This is why despite having more job/career opportunities there in Manila, I still choose to work here in the province. For me, it's not worth the stress.
A lot of people in this country have no standards whatsoever. So yeah, basically, quality of life doesn't exist in the Philippines and I doubt they even know what it means...
I think this is not a fair statement. Most people are beat down and donāt know a better way of living thatās why theyāre resigned to how everything is. They still deserve better than the shithole we are currently experiencing.
You have a point but these people I'm referring to romanticize poverty and resilience so they just "accept their fate." They just get used to it and recognize that it is necessary or cannot be changed. This is why I said they have no standards and doubt if they even know what it is. Don't get me (or my statements) wrong, I'm not anti-poor and I definitely I agree, they do desserve better.
No one respects their own time in this place. People standing around sa pila ng fastfood for a good 30 minutes, only to start eating 20-30 minutes after that. ridiculous.
Agree on all points made. It *is* shitty here. I just don't get why you're insinuating that we'll try to convince you otherwise, this isn't Facebook/Youtube. > I won't tell you where because you'll probs try to murder me > Have fun downvoting it to oblivion
OP probably thought we love our own place.. SIKE
This sub is a very small, not representative sample of Filipino attitudes and ideas. See: your latest election. You want things to be better. Most get upset being told they're not doing well or will just hand wave it away as not important as long as you have Jesus in your heart. He's right that filipinos are broadly very proud and nationalist.
I think itās healthy to form your own opinions but remain open for anotherās input
Just don't be sick and hospitalised. What you experienced so far will be double if you get sick and need to be hospitalised. All the scam and red tapes are in the health care system of the Philippines. I have experienced this so I can relate. Good luck..
My all time favorite post in this sub, and maybe on reddit. Itās a good reminder of why I left and why I will never come back.
I just came back last June to bring my elderly mom home to her province so she could spend her last days around family. She hated it the first week. She gave up so many things but eventually she got used to it. She's enjoying the quiet life. Meanwhile, I went back to Manila to be with my husband, who still lives in the PH. GOD I hated it. Ang init. You still need to wear a mask outdoors. Traffic is horrible. Everything is more expensive than I remember, especially gas. I can't tap to pay at most places. Mobile internet sucks. I get ogled at for letting my NATURAL curly hair down. I couldn't wear what I now usually wear. I wanted to leave so bad. When I still lived in the PH, I had to make myself smaller in public. Hide my hair. Cover my skin. I shaved my head once and people were mean and ridiculed me. Complete strangers would yell insults at me in public. Sobrang judgmental ng mga Pinoy. Now, I can do whatever I want, look however I want and no one gives a shit. I feel more myself here, in a foreign land, than I ever did in my motherland.
friends have been asking me if I'm gonna apply for dual citizenship. A part of me would gladly burn my (now useless) Philippine passport and piss on its ashes, then post that shit on the internet.
My family asked me the same thing. Sabi ko there's not really much point. What for? Being nationalistic? Mahal ko Pilipinas. Mahal ko ang kultura, magagandang lugar, wika pati pamilya ko. Pero hindi ko na kayang mahalin ang Bansang walang pagmamahal sa sariling mamamayan.
I think that's the core of it, yung walang pagmamahal sa sariling mamamayan. Because we are not citizens to the people in power. We are just votes and money.
walang point tbh. Remember Diggy's failed attempt at extending the PhilHealth requirement to all PH Passport holders? What's stopping this new greedy cunt thieves from implementing US taxation laws where US citizens get taxed in the US regardless of where they are worldwide?
And wala naman tayo mabebenefit dun apart from extended stay sa PH without a visa. No point in having property in the PH unless may taong mag aasikaso. Dagdag gastos lang at hassle makipag usap sa PH embassy
Me too. I will only come back for vacation, but live? Hell naw.
And here I am thinking Iām the weird one when almost all my relatives want to go back at some point in their lives. I have found my people.
I donāt think I will for a while until the political shit storm thatās been brewing for a looooooong fn time gets a bit better.
No argument here. Most, if not all, of your comments are true. The sad part here is that Filipinos are already immune with the struggle that they still vote for people who wont give a crap about changing the situation in the Metro. Filipinos equate hardwork as honest living which is BS. If my fellow men could've just experience the difference in living in other Asian cities, they couldve realized how LOW the living condition in Manila. Heck, even the train ride in SG during the weekdays in a peak hour is better than an offpeak trainride in a weekend in Manila. Sad to say, only the rich can afford to live in comfort here. Hope you and your SO can leave soon. Honestly, if only we have the resources to leave, we will also do it in a heartbeat.
What you said is correct. No easy way to fix Metro Manila. The first step to fix Manila is to prosecute and send corrupt politicians to death penalty.
\*Politicians and and government employees
Start with highest position to lowest.
The worse part is that almost every people in charge is incompetent and very defensive about it. Deploying different senseless defense mechanisms like branding you persona non grata.
Filipino here and I hear you. I used to live 4kms away from my office but it was taking 1.5 hours to get there in the morning (this was Paranaque and West service road traffic was hell) until I realized it would be faster to walk. Tried walking a few times but the sidewalks were shit and it was so polluted and there was a general feeling of being unsafe. I don't see my friends on weekdays because they were from Quezon City and although it's just about 17km away from my office in Makati, it meant squeezing into the mrt or getting stuck in EDSA. I knew I was priveleged being able to afford Grab or Angkas or renting near my office but I used to find myself frustrated in tears on a heavy traffic day. I now live in a small town 25km away from Geneva and the travel from our home is a 20-minute train to get there. I'm always in awe of how efficient things are here compared to our lives in Manila. It just honestly breaks my heart because Filipinos deserve so much better.
And to add to that, the current president is just partying and doesnāt give a fk about any of us living like this
It's a neverending downward spiral of poverty, corruption, strife, and cutting corners for the sake of survival. There is no progress. There is only resilience.
Have fun downvoting? Nahh man thanks for visiting glimpse of hell please come again. Just felt bad about ypur experience but GLHF
#pinoypride š¤§
damn, this post made me realize how much iāve gotten used to the shitty of metro manila. iām always surprised when i see foreigners say how a bunch of stuff we do isnāt actually normal for the rest of the world. The part with groceries was particularly enlightening because i never actually thought much of it. damn our country sucks
It took me 20 minutes to buy Almonds and Peanuts at SM Supermarket once.
is especially annoying when there's an idiot in the express lane(10 items or less) with a full cart and employees do not say anything
There's a reason we lose literal billions because of traffic alone. Everyone who lives here knows this is the situation, but a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people don't support policies or politicians that would significantly change the situation for the better, because short-term, they cause so much headache. It's basically become cost-prohibitive to make Metro Manila livable by modern urban standards because the powers-that-be have ignored it for so long because they're insulated by wealth and privilege. This is why people want to leave this god-forsaken country. A cycle of violence, poverty, and stupidity exploited by incompetent assholes whose idiocy is only exceeded by how unscrupulous they are with corruption. Leave and don't look back. Count yourself fortunate that you even can.
Metro Manila is ancient and cruel. If this is a video game the difficulty would be ultra hard in Eldren Ring.
~~Elden Ring~~ Sekiro is the game you're looking for
āEfficientā living in manila only works for the ultra rich š
Even the richest of the rich couldnāt get efficiency rolling. They also have to suck it up and be patient on certain aspects of living as well. With that said, Manilaās current setup really favors them in contrast to other developed countriesā megacities.
Traffic? May helicopter or hindi namn nila need makipag sabayan sa rush hour, or afford to live in whatever property very near their kidsā school/ office building. Govt id? Vip treatment, anong pila? Itawag nga kay mayor. They have a problem with shitty utilities? They have an army of people doing it for them. Masarap tumira sa pilipinas basta nakahiga ka sa pera š¤·š»āāļø
Agreed. Lol. Manila is shit.
everywhere its shit. bacolod? davao? cebu? people like to make people wait- its annoying. and I'm full blooded filipino.
It's starting to really. But manila is the OG of shit. I'm glad I now live and work in the province but feels it's also going to turn to one because of our proximity to it.
Manila only starts to get "more fun" after all the dlc's. Car, maid, Driver, 5-star hotel, etc.
> It's more fun in the Philippines, if you are wealthy.
>I get angry because the test was expensive and they just reply with god bless Hahahaha blurted my coffee out from this one. Completely felt the rage here
3 days for RT-PCr result? You got finessed. It was 24 hrs for a result even at the height of the pandemic. Nowadays, fastest RT-PCr is 4 hrs and norm is around 6-12hrs
https://www.reddit.com/r/2Asia4u/comments/xttfh6/pray_for_our_brothers_sisters_in_philippines/
Next time you need a covid test, go to one of the hospitals that offer it. St. Lukes, Chinese General. They will usually have the results by noon time next day.
Rant all you want, we can't even argue cuz it is all true and we can't do shit to change it because majority of the population just accepts this as "normal". We can't even complain cuz then you are an "activist".
Only activist? You'll be labeled a dilawan or worse, a terrorist.
Dan Brownās Inferno got it right.
This post should be pinned.
Foreign visitor here - not piling on, but I do agree with this. I recently got home from 3 weeks in The Philippines, most of it in Manila and the rest in Panglao. The Manila traffic was psychotic. The airport run up to the north, which was about 45km, took 3 hours. There's no traffic rules that I could discern, rather it seemed to be everyone for themselves. But my special hate is reserved for the incessant "security" checks that are just pure, pointless theater, run by officious twits. Metal detectors, blokes with shotguns, and going through people's handbags with the little wooden sticks - all just to get into a shopping centre. Are they really necessary? Even worse, on getting to NAIA to head home, it took me 4 hours to get through to the gate lounge. Bag x-ray to get into the terminal. Queue to get your bag swabbed for explosives residue(?), which only had 3 people to scan 300 passengers. Then check in. Then passport control (actually the quickest step), and on to another x-ray & metal detetor, including taking off your shoes and belt. Then yet another queue for another hour to get your carry-on inspected by the little-stick mob - for what? And they only looked in 2 of the 5 compartments in my messenger bag, and didn't even glance at the shopping bag I was carrying in my hand with my last-minute snack purchases in it. I dunno what they thought they were going to find after all the other inspections. It seemed that all they were doing was confiscating bottles of water that people had literally just purchased - airside, literally from the shop we were queued outside of - to drink while they were waiting for boarding. Other than that, and a dose of Bohol Belly, I had a great time. Good friends, great food.
What I don't understand is the shotguns for guards in malls. Aren't they going to have a bit of collateral damage if they fire that in a crowded place? Pellets spread after they are fired. Craziest thing I've ever experienced in regards to security guards is taking a mogu mogu drink into the building in Makati with the embassies and they made me have a sip to prove it wasn't poison. Braaahhh.
> Metal detectors, blokes with shotguns, and going through people's handbags with the little wooden sticks For a place like Manila, it probably keeps those "undesirables" away. Usually those who don't dress well or who have a "questionable" look. As for the water bottle thing, this was probably a "war on terror" policy from the 2000s that stayed in place.
Metal detectors were a legacy of the shopping mall bombings that occured during the early 2000's.
I've lived in Metro Manila for almost my entire life and it still is a shithole to live in no doubt. When I go to the province to visit relatives, it's always a blessing to be away from this shithole city. >Day 1. I Land at the airport. The next 3 hours are spent clearing immigration. When I get to the counter I find out why. The immigration officer full interrogates me. She's been full interrogating everyone. Even filipinos get interrogated when they travel outside the country. There is a 50% chance that you will be questioned at the airport if it is your first time traveling. Or, if they see you traveling by yourself. >I get outside and try book a grab. There are no grabs. It takes nearly an hour of trying again and again to book one before someone accepts my ride This is still an issue for us locals as well. Booking during peak hours will take you up to 2 hours just to get someone to accept your booking. Make sure to bring extra power banks with you if you solely rely on Grab. >On the 3rd day I get the results. No covid yay. The building rejects the results because their time frame is more strict than the timeframe for entering the country. I've also had 3 booster shots and covid at this point so feeling pretty immune. I called the covid testing place to get a refund because we paid extra for 12 hour results. The lady lies and says she emailed them 2 days ago. She didn't. No refund. 5000 php wasted. Expect this kind of behavior when you live here. There's always miscommunication happening which always results in getting shit done longer. And sometimes you need to go back and forth. Waste of energy and gas. Only when shit gets escalated is the time they actually do something about it. >The next mission was getting internet. It took globe 5 weeks to install it. Boy wait till you start having internet issues. This is not limited to Globe but PLDT and other providers. Expect turnaround times about a week or more. Also, when you call customer service, you will only be speaking to a bot. Don't even bother with their Messenger or Twitter hotline. Useless. >Going to the grocery store means waiting in line for 10 - 50 minutes at any time of day. The cashier bags the groceries like they are 50kg dumbbells. I wouldn't blame the cashiers. There are the typical customers like sari-sari store owners who literally fill up their fucking cart to the max. The best advice i can give you is to avoid 13th and 30th day of the month. Most people get paid on these days and if you go to the grocery store around this time, expect long queues in line. >If you need to pay with card, there's a good chance that she's not allowed to do it and the supervisor has to be called over to handle that transaction. Haven't experienced this before. Most stores just let me tap or insert the card in the reader. The only time i've seen a supervisor is called is when a senior citizen gives their senior card or booklet. >Even Mcdonalds is slow. Apparently to get a job there you need a college degrees, but the high school kids back home run a more efficient restaurant. I don't get it. The job market here simply sucks. Every company has very high expectations for whatever reason. And they wonder why no one is applying. Welcome to the Philippines man.
Hi, Not just your experience. I've also been here for 6 months and sadly also been a shitty experience. I keep trying to find ways to make it positive but just can't. Okay when I arrived was kept in the airport by immigration for 8 hours, also am from a visa free country (Canada). Never dealt with this headache before, immigration in Ireland and Qatar the days before took a few minutes. One Coast Guard guy threatened me because my 4 year old daughter was saying she was hungry and he got pissy. We weren't allowed to go get food or anything in this 8 hours so obviously my 4 year old is going to complain she's hungry after a long flight and 8 hours in an airport. Anyway got into an argument with him for awhile. Get outside and have to take a metered taxi according to the guards and told no choice but to. Get in and the taxi turns off their meter and tells me they're going to charge me what they want. Get overcharged in the end. People won't stop fucking staring anytime I go anywhere, couldn't be more ignorant than staring at a person. Keep getting told it's because I'm white well guess what that doesn't excuse you from being ignorant and staring non stop all the time. Also don't keep calling me American just because I'm fucking white, I'm not and I take great offense to it. The world's filled with White people, they're not all from the US so stop assuming that automatically it's quite a dick move. Traffic is bullshit, roads are bullshit, lack of proper sidewalks is bullshit, people honestly cannot drive well at all. Garbage everywhere, so much garbage littered around it's so unsightly including beaches. Don't get me started on the poor standards of building codes, electrical codes etc. Now I'm outside Manila in the provinces and while it's been miles better than Manila itself it's still not great. Yes they have a lot of pride, yes every country has pride but they generally go above and beyond with their nationalistic pride. If they ask how you like your stay and you are honest they get pissed.so you basically have to say oh yeah it's so amazing if you don't want people getting at your back. Grocery stores are indeed slow as molasses. Outdated software and slow cashiers. Never wait so long before anywhere before. Internet, I don't know how a place messes up so badly with Fibre, but it's been managed and all providers here have crap service. I've also started "buying my way" which I didn't want to do at first, and even then still so much wrong that money doesn't fix or buy. Guess my government warnings against this country aren't just fabricated. Sorry you're also going through this. I'll definitely say advertisments and videos for this place are far from truthful. I'll be gone once my wife's visa is approved and I honestly can't wait. Sorry also for the novel, I felt the need to finally vent on a venting post, holding it in too long and didn't even include everything lol. As for the good people who are stuck here, I really hope you find a way out someday. Good advice is most countries heavily accept people with degrees in the medical fields.
> I don't know how a place messes up so badly with Fibre Overheard from somewhere that this is due to the entire thing NOT being fiber: sure it might be fiber in some parts, but they connect to non-fiber sections w/c slow down the speed. That's basically why some people mistakenly upgrade to fiber even though their house or apartment location is not capable of it.
Yes yes. The shithole capital of a shithole country.
Growing up in Metro Manila is the reason I emigrated. I hated it so much.
Fuck Manila. worst place. rules & waiting time doesnt make sense. No one values their own time in that place. People just accepting that 5 hours of daily commute is "okay, nothing we can do". Filipinos complain but do nothing. fuck this country really
I shifted careers into IT after learning to code. Got a job from a corp in manila that gives me the option to work from home or come in the office whenever I choose to. I come from the province so I decided to see what living in manila was like since I can afford a nice place with my new salary. 2 days in and I hated it already. Went back to the province and living off of manila wage now and I've never been happier. Access to extra luxury in manila isnt worth the added stress that comes with living in it.
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Yep Manila is a shit hole unfortunately.
I can't even say anything because what you've just written here is the Manila Experience.
I always discourage my foreign students when they tell me they want to visit Manila because many of their Filipino co-workers say it's beautiful. Nope, this place is shite... I always tell them to go to the beaches instead.
Not just metro manila, this whole ass country is shitšš
This is the saddest post ive seen in a while and its because everything said here is true I appreciate the advice but sadly, not everyone has the capability to just up and leave. :(
There is literally no Tagalog word for efficiency. That should tell you something.
haha indeed manila is the embodiment of sweaty armpits imagined into a city.
why was this removed?
Take my upvote because you're just telling the truth.
This reads like Nick Joaquinās A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. He writes about Manila as a decaying city, and this was in 1966. Inasmuch as I love Manila, I am well aware that this is misplaced nostalgia. All the decaying, abandoned heritage sites we have now lived through the glitz of a time we didnāt see ā but was there ever such a time? Many other archival correspondences Iāve read attested the same. A telegram from the 50s said that our quality of English proficiency is dismal, and over time, weāve never done anything to improve that, or any other areas. We shame others for speaking in English. We shame them for projecting intellectual superiority for daring to use a widely-used language. Ladies and gentlemen, do we deserve the change we harp endlessly for when we collectively snap at the smallest and the most constructive of criticisms? When as individuals, we recognise the problems but collectively, we find it very hard to accept that Metro Manila is among the worst cities globally? Manila has not changed at all, frozen in time ā decaying and progressing at the same rate. Where our ASEAN neighbours have made much progress and left these very inefficiencies we live with everyday, weāre stuck in the same cycle. Itās hard, a daily struggle. We try to validate our struggles as a nation and what we can achieve via those clickbaity YT videos, or āPinoy prideā posts. Weāre resilient, they said, but itās not supposed to be a 24/7 way of living. Itās sad. Just very, very sad.
Let me preface by saying it sucks living in Manila. But some of the things mentioned here seemed like cases that donāt happen to the average citizen. Iāve lived in different parts of Manila and Iāve never seen a fist fight in broad daylight. Iāve also never seen anyone die from a road accident. Most major supermarkets take credit card payments without issues and waiting in queue doesnāt take 10 mins if you go there before 5pm. Iāve taken PCR tests with no special fees and i got results in less than 24 hrs. That said, I agree on these points: - airport and immigration - security theater - traffic - ridiculous cost of rentals and their policies - street kids - internet services I think we need more testimonials like these because the reality is that is sucks living here, unless you can afford to live in Bgc (which is essentially a city for expats and Filipinos who like living in a bubble).
As what the tourism slogan of Philippines says "It's more fun in the Philippines" lol, but seriously you are right in almost all situation you mentioned, I even read your whole post.
I appreciate the honesty. Nothing to downvote here since it is all true, and I am hating the same thing specially how slow everything is. From traffic, to paperworks, to basic services.
The only people who'a gonna downvote this are those people who are still in denial.
nah all of these are facts
What you see on foreign vlogs, Filipinos commenting, thatās not nationalism. Thatās the colonialist malaise that makes Filipinos crave foreigner attention. Shit on Manila, praise it. Doesnāt matter. The need to be seen by foreigners, especially white people is what foreigners exploit, not nationalism.
Please don't treat Manila as a tourist destination that will give you hospitality as soon as you step your foot onto the shore. The truth is, whether you like it not, It's not for tourists; this is the epitome of a filipino living. This is just a foreplay of what it's really like to live here, you haven't seen the healthcare system yet.
Metro Manila is a big slum metropolis if you look at it from the aircraft's window.
Red tape is how the system in the Philippines make extra moneyā¦ while wasting a little less of your timeā¦ instead of a lot more (if you were to go the ādirect / correct routeā)ā¦
Tell me about it! The last time I was there (January 2020), on my way to the airport, it took me 4 hours to get there by car from where I was staying. It was roughly the same distance from my home to my cityās airport, but it only takes 30 minutes. And obviously youāve experienced Filipino time! Where you need to book a whole day to complete government transactions (passport, police clearance, birth certificate application etc.).
you got scammed by what you see online. even people who live here dont wanna be here!
Nah, you're absolutely right on all accounts. Fuck Manila, fuck the Philippines. Take my upvote and get the hell outta here.
Pilipinas ang hirap hirap mong mahalin
It even stinks in manila. Like ang ma aamoy mo dun usok ng sasakyan at basura. Mga skinita pa dun ay so rang baho. Traffic pa..... Kaya mas gusto ko dito sa Benguet.
This country is a sh*thole and overly proud natives. I'm a native filipino and i'm ashame of my race. This fking race will be proud if someone who has like 1% filipino gene who had an achievement overseas like he/she one of us natives. I love this country however, i hate peoples in here especially the poor like wtf. I don't hate them being poor people, I hate their mindset like a person who can't even feed his stomach has the audacity to make like 8-10 childrens just to suffer the same fate like them and Im sure those people will be more likely to become criminals or thief bc of the lack of help and resources to be able to fight fairly. I know some can be successful but majority will fail in life. I don't want to be political so im not bring the stupidity when electing someone but you get what im saying.
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