Galt, you correctly infer that you should not take my experiences as a reason to cancel your trip. I'm just giving feedback about what I have seen. A very short trip in Manila, a bit longer elsewhere in the Philippines.

However, the "you can get fucked everywhere in the world" rhetoric is a bit overkill. It's technically true. But anyone who has set foot in the Manila nightlife, knows there is a wild west side to it that is on another level. Go see for yourself.

I am also not going to consider the kind of people I meet there a coincidence, despite your efforts to bring statistics into it. But hey, focus on stats or posters with more experience then me - although you already seem to have made your mind up. Exposing yourself to different ideas might just be too much, wouldn't it now.

Lastly, my comment on said user was unrelated to the current situation, they didn't happen at the same time. Your disinterested and shrug-your shoulders response towards his well-being is more examplative of your character, then his limited amount of posts and rep points to his.

asdfk:

I meant no disrespect, and I didn't intend to dismiss your concerns or points.

I'm not at all trying to step on anyones toes, ESPECIALLY not anyone more well-traveled than myself. I appreciate the wisdom and knowledge that is shared here, and I didn't mean to offend.

I'm just trying to separate the fear from the facts. Nothing more.

A lot of people say Durtete is going to murder you and your family. Others say you'll be fine unless you're being an idiot.

I'm sure the truth is somewhere between. I'm just trying to figure out where exactly that line is.

As to your comments regarding Mr. Pink, I was not attempting to speak down about him, merely pointing out what he stated in his own posts, that is, that his mental state was not a healthy one, and this most likely correlated to his departure from the forum.

I hope that clarifies my intent and attitude.

I'll repeat it again. Don't fuck with the wrong people you'll be FINE.

That's the impression I'm getting.

Also a lot of the complaints seem to be related to Manilla. To me, it seems comparable to someone visiting Chicago, talking about how many muggings and murders are happening in the city, and then extrapolating that America is dangerous because of it.

The forest is missed through the trees.

I have never been to Asia - could someone chime in on how amazing Paul says it was pre 2014. That is a sad fact if I missed eating some upper es chi lion quality monkey meat by 2 years

Of course you will be safe and fine but foreigners will always be mostly insulated from the problems. I don't think it's in anyway particularly worse for a foreigner today than it was before Duterte. No matter what happens it won't be the foreigners that suffer but the poor locals.

I would go back tomorrow without a second thought but that doesn't mean I wouldn't understand that my experience is different from poor locals. For the most part they aren't affected on a daily basis but you can be sure that history has proven the dangers/effectiveness of promoting such policies.

@ Kale

The girls will still be there waiting for you when you come. I was in Cebu city, Oslob city and Mactan island in April with no problems. I've stayed in contact with acouple girls from my previous trips and they have reported no problems. I asked about the amount of foreigners and they told me that theirs just as many there now as before.

If you want my two cents. You should be fine walking the streets and dealing with locals. It's the families of the women that get screwed over that you have to worry about.

Stay away from the virgins

"You can get killed walking your doggie!" -Al Pacino


I'd say all posters are right, been living there for 3 years.

There won't likely be gun battles in the streets of Makati and BGC, but it has happened before (Peninsula Seige in 2007) so nothing is impossible. You can get your legs blown off running the Boston marathon.

If you piss off the wrong people, you may get smoked. (That's always been the case)

I know of folks that have but they deserved it mostly.

Here's an example of a guy who didn't deserve it: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...pines.html

If I recall correctly, the people that did it were very rich and got off with very light punishment (if any).

You can find hundreds of cases like this, and you can find hundreds of cases that aren't.

Gunfight on Pinoy Wall Street:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Peninsula_siege

You can find plenty of video on YouTube.

There are shootings everyday in America too.

I guess I just don't understand what people are comparing it to.

Edit:

The article you listed said that the guy got stabbed after getting into an altercation with 4 dudes. They were fighting with the Security guards.

Did he deserve to get killed? Of course not. Could he have seen it coming? Yeah.

I wouldn't get between a bunch of dudes in a brawl in America. People can do some crazy shit when they're angry, no matter what country it is.

That's not scary. Scary is just getting stabbed at random for no apparent reason. Not getting stabbed while trying to break up a fight.

If you want to find trouble, you can find it, anywhere in the world, no matter who's leading the country.

You should definitely go. I don't think anyone is saying to cancel your trip. Members like PaulB and Dagnasty are talking about the Philippines from a different perspective (and way of living) then the other guys who are going there for a few weeks on a bang mission.

I don't like Duterte for many reasons, but I have thought often about going back to the Philippines. At the very least to hang out with the Manila crew again, and of course enjoy some young Pinay's

I would like to think I'm a humble guy who minds his own business, but the reality is I have an inner-question about justice in the world and so it can cause me to "unconsciously" insert myself into situations I probably shouldn't. For example, "helping a guy out when it's 4 to 1", or trying to quell an argument.

In America you can yell and curse at a guy on the streets of NYC and they will yell back and not much might come of it. At most a fist fight. In the Philippines, it's quite different.

My #1 advice. Use a false name!! Never let the girls know your real identity. More than once I've thanked my lucky stars for that.

http://www.philstar.com/metro/2016/11/16...bed-makati

This was sad for me to read, as I liked taking some buses when going from Makati to megamall since it costs pennies and basically goes the same route the taxi does.

Armed men boarded the bus, took everybody's belongings, and got off.

No more buses for me. Although most foreigners never take them in the first place.

However I agree with previous posts that going around in Manila fearing for your life, unless you have no common sense about you, is normally quite exaggerated.

@John_Galt - You should go and not worry to much. You will be fine.

I know both Dagnasty and Paul B personally and they are good guys who have lived in Manila for years and full of good info.

--------------

@Kale_anonymous - There have been lots of changes. If it is better or worse I can't say for sure. The first time I lived in Manila back in 2006 there was no online game but club game was easy. Oh the glory days of when the club called Embassy was the hot spot.

Now club game is not near as easy but you can get online and get girls. But in 2013/2014 when online peaked it was easier than today. Its all a cycle.

Thanks for all the input guys.

I will definitely keep my head on a swivel, but seeing as I'll be in Cebu, I won't be losing any sleep.

Cheers.

One more thing. I'm not feeling much idolization of Duterte from the filipinos I've spoken with. One girl I gamed at the airport - I asked her how she felt about Duterte and she didn't seem enthused about him at all.

My girl here said she was upset about how he and his previous actions (death squads) made the Philippines look bad to the rest of the world, but is cautiously hopeful that things on the ground will improve for the middle and lower classes.

My assessment is that most filipinos are in wait-and-see mode, hopeful for a better future and fearful of the worst that might come.

Huge demonstration planned in Manila this Friday against the burial of Marcos at Hero's Cemetery. Members should try to avoid this area if at all possible as judging from what I have seen here on the ground there is a hell of a lot of bad feeling out there at the moment against this and it could boil over!

Thanks pacfan, please keep us updated

BTW as multiple people have mentioned (unless you're already in the Phils) you'll need a return ticket to go there. Some have managed to produce a fake ticket or book something and then cancel and it's sufficient.

Anyone done Sinulog?

I'll be leaving Cebu just before the main weekend when the parade is, although I'm wondering whether it makes sense to postpone departure until after.

(11-19-2016 10:33 PM)asdfk Wrote:  But anyone who has set foot in the Manila nightlife, knows there is a wild west side to it that is on another level. Go see for yourself.

Can you elaborate on this a bit?

(11-19-2016 11:57 PM)Schlep Wrote:  Stay away from the virgins

I've been prioritizing them, lol. Why do you say to stay away from them?

(11-23-2016 12:40 AM)rvlefty Wrote:  BTW as multiple people have mentioned (unless you're already in the Phils) you'll need a return ticket to go there. Some have managed to produce a fake ticket or book something and then cancel and it's sufficient.

Just landed last week and had a return ticket, but they never asked to see it.

@ headovertail

The last thing you want to be doing right now is pissing people off and being an asshole. Screwing over virgins and having her family getting involved is asking for trouble.

But, you do as you wish

(11-23-2016 06:36 AM)Schlep Wrote:  @ headovertail

The last thing you want to be doing right now is pissing people off and being an asshole. Screwing over virgins and having her family getting involved is asking for trouble.

But, you do as you wish

I hear you, but personally, virgins are the ones I'm least likely to screw over. More likely to be long term material in my eyes.