yeah a lot of Koreans and Chinese head there I think. Probably more Koreans though.

So for say $400 a month, you can get a nice place, with a pool, a bike, Sky TV, pay all bills and gym membership in Bohol?

I'm over there! Biggest thing for me would be internet connection.. how good is it? I need it to pay the bills

(07-30-2014 11:12 AM)2014 Wrote:  yeah a lot of Koreans and Chinese head there I think. Probably more Koreans though.

So for say $400 a month, you can get a nice place, with a pool, a bike, Sky TV, pay all bills and gym membership in Bohol?

I'm over there! Biggest thing for me would be internet connection.. how good is it? I need it to pay the bills

Yeah that's definitely doable. It depends on how long you are staying here. The prices I got were for 6 months and through negotiating. If you are staying shorter I would add $100-150 more for apartment and motorbike. The range then would be $500-550.

The internet speeds here are ok but not the greatest. For streaming sites you are fine. If you try to watch HD movies then you will have a lag.

thinking about relocating there, what age are the expats out there? I'm late 20s, been in asia the last 5 years, mostly Thailand, Korea, Philippines, Cambodia, Japan and probably in that order in terms of duration.

Went to alona beach for a few days last year, it was good but didn't meet many birds in the Alona Vida resort.

How do guys make cash out there? I'd probably do freelancing online, SEO, copywriting, web design, unless there's something local?

(07-30-2014 11:36 AM)2014 Wrote:  thinking about relocating there, what age are the expats out there? I'm late 20s, been in asia the last 5 years, mostly Thailand, Korea, Philippines, Cambodia, Japan and probably in that order in terms of duration.

Went to alona beach for a few days last year, it was good but didn't meet many birds in the Alona Vida resort.

How do guys make cash out there? I'd probably do freelancing online, SEO, copywriting, web design, unless there's something local?

Most of the expats here are older. Above 40.
I am 33, but there are some guys here going to dive school and are dive instructors that are in there early 30's and late 20's. Plus the expats here have weekly soccer/football games. Also everyday at 4pm there are many pickup basketball games.

I work for a entity back in the US, but do all my work online.
I am also looking for business opportunities and investments at any chance I get.

If you are looking for networking opportunities then I would recommend Manila, Cebu, or Davao. If you are looking for something laid back but only a 1.5-2 hour ferry ride away from Cebu on the beach, then come here.

Did you ever go to he malls in Tagbilaran? The BQ mall is swarming with college girls from the 4 colleges around it.

awesome man
youre making my mouth water for this place now

I thought the phils was too expensive for my shoestring budget
but now Im definitely gonna check it out

repped for intel

@calwinston:

Any tips/websites for locating a place? Did you pay a deposit?

I've been debating moving to Panglao the past couple months but didn't realize it was THAT cheap. Most of the stuff I've seen online is in the 15 to 20k range. Tempted to move out there next week now.

Calwinstone,
That's a sweet deal on a sweet place man! How long did it take you to find that place once you got there? Did you have local contacts to help with this or just walking around?
Btw, is this island you're staying at on the hurricane belt? The Visayas and central region of the Phil's are routinely hit hard by them. Is the place you're staying at strong enough to withstand. Hurricane? Is it easy and fast to get the hell out before one gets too close?
How are the girls? Sweet and friendly as the rest of the country? How is the talent on the ground?

Thanks man as I'm really interested in spending a few months in the Phil's in the near future.

(07-30-2014 03:20 PM)Enigma Wrote:  @calwinston:

Any tips/websites for locating a place? Did you pay a deposit?

I've been debating moving to Panglao the past couple months but didn't realize it was THAT cheap. Most of the stuff I've seen online is in the 15 to 20k range. Tempted to move out there next week now.

I got this price by working on the ground. You just have to ride your motorbike around and look at 4 rent signs. The online prices are scattered everywhere with the owners having their own personal websites. My guess the reason the prices vary so much is the expats are throwing around prices and seeing what sticks. The place is developing fast. A new airport will be opening here on Panglao in 2017-2018 replacing the one in Tagbilaran.
For a one room like mine you should be able to get from 7000-16000. One bedrooms range from 13,000-25000. You can find 2 bedroom houses here for around 20,000 and up. All these rates are for long term (6 months or longer). If you are staying shorter, then add a couple thousand pesos (2000-3000).
As is expected the farther away from the beach the more the price drops. But anywhere on the island the farthest away you are from the nearest beach is 5 minute motorbike ride.

I paid a 10,000 peso deposit.

(07-30-2014 05:07 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Calwinstone,
That's a sweet deal on a sweet place man! How long did it take you to find that place once you got there? Did you have local contacts to help with this or just walking around?
Btw, is this island you're staying at on the hurricane belt? The Visayas and central region of the Phil's are routinely hit hard by them. Is the place you're staying at strong enough to withstand. Hurricane? Is it easy and fast to get the hell out before one gets too close?
How are the girls? Sweet and friendly as the rest of the country? How is the talent on the ground?

Thanks man as I'm really interested in spending a few months in the Phil's in the near future.

It took me 2 days to find this place. Rented a motorbike and drove around. Also there are places off the beaten paths that have great deals. If you want local pricing then you can find much cheaper than the prices I quoted. But they may not be up to your standards. All the construction here in most of the buildings are concrete/cylinder blocks. No worries about hurricanes knocking the place down. Some of the places are reinforced bamboo construction. That's up to you if you want to stay in those places.

Hurricanes usually come from the east. I have been told by the time they reach here they have weakened, going through the outer islands and Cebu.

The airport has 10 flights to Manila a day. So you can easily get out if you want to. If you need to fly international then Cebu is a 2 hour ferry ride away.

The girls here are good looking, just like anyplace in the Philippines. If you have been to any second/third tier city in the Philippines then its similar. Like I said earlier Tagbilaran is a college town like Dumaguete, but not talked about much. If you are talking easiness, similar to second/third tier cities. You can easily have a lay everyday to every other day. Just a word to the wise is to vary your dating venues. ie (dont go to the malls every time) the probability of you running into a girl you dated before or one of her friends is out there.
Me being the nice guy, I made the mistake of dropping a girl off I fucked the night before at school the next morning. This led to her friends asking who I was. She tells them "he is my man", to save face. Also led to her begging me to go along with her lie if one of her friends see me later. Which I told her I am not lying for anyone. To avoid this just give her trike fare and tell her you wore me out and you can't move.
The girls will sleep with you, but are conservative so nothing in the open, behind closed doors the freak comes out.

I have a general question for anyone living or been here in the Philippines.
Is anyone getting from the girls while having sex yelling for you to cum inside them?
This seems to be a phenomenon that I encounter here, more than any other country I have visited or lived in.
I know one of the reasons could be entrapment.
That might also explain the easiness of the girls here. They live in the moment instead of thinking of the consequences.

Yes Calwinstone,
Had this happen a few times. Not only for the pay off this would provide but also a lot of girls are dreaming of having a beautiful mixed kid. Majority of the celebrities in the Phils, be it actors, singers, models, tv presenters are all mixed. This is their dream. Mixed babies are indeed very cute and it's very hard to resist the temptation when you're deep inside a sweet, yet tight teen or a 21 year old sweetheart.

Those are the dilemmas and challenges one faces while in the Phils. No wonder the official slogan of the country is "It's more fun in the Philippines".

Thanks for the detailed reply on my questions Calwin! Appreciated man! +1 for all the intell you've been dropping!

I'll definitely make it a point to visit Pangalo when I return later this year to the PI. How long are you staying there for?

(07-31-2014 12:13 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Thanks for the detailed reply on my questions Calwin! Appreciated man! +1 for all the intell you've been dropping!

I'll definitely make it a point to visit Pangalo when I return later this year to the PI. How long are you staying there for?

I settled down and paid for a full year on the apartment. It forces me to stay in one place. Plus I can hop over to Japan anytime my favorite destination.

(07-31-2014 12:22 AM)calwinston Wrote:  I settled down and paid for a full year on the apartment. It forces me to stay in one place. Plus I can hop over to Japan anytime my favorite destination.

How does that work Visa wise? Are you getting extensions or making border runs every so often? I'm gonna spend winter in South America but then I plan to head back to Asia around March... And now I plan on checking out Panglao Island for sure. I loved Davao the only thing it was lacking was beach life, Panglao seems like it may be a better fit for me. Hope you are still there when I get there Calwinston, I owe you a beer! Vacancier Permanent this may be a good place for us to link up as well.

Do you know what the best months to be there are? Would summer time (Jun-Aug) be the best? Perhaps thats when you get the most foreign chicks on vacation to go along with all the hot local talent?

Out of curiosity, what are the prices like (not only rent, but food, beers, clubs...) in Panglao, comparing to Boracay? Much cheaper? Like those in Manila?

(07-31-2014 08:54 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 12:22 AM)calwinston Wrote:  I settled down and paid for a full year on the apartment. It forces me to stay in one place. Plus I can hop over to Japan anytime my favorite destination.

How does that work Visa wise? Are you getting extensions or making border runs every so often? I'm gonna spend winter in South America but then I plan to head back to Asia around March... And now I plan on checking out Panglao Island for sure. I loved Davao the only thing it was lacking was beach life, Panglao seems like it may be a better fit for me. Hope you are still there when I get there Calwinston, I owe you a beer! Vacancier Permanent this may be a good place for us to link up as well.

Do you know what the best months to be there are? Would summer time (Jun-Aug) be the best? Perhaps thats when you get the most foreign chicks on vacation to go along with all the hot local talent?

This applies to Davao but the process is the same no matter where you are in the Philippines. Here in Tagbilaran it only takes 15 minutes. The reason for that is they are checking the national database to see if you have a police record in the country.

Quote:You will need to have an outbound flight ticket when visiting the Philippines. It’s better to do this ahead of time online so you don’t get stuck buying an expensive ticket last minute at the airport. The ticket can leave from anywhere in the Philippines, so your best bet is picking up a one-way out of the country with one of the budget airlines like Air Asia, Tiger Air, or Cebu Pacific for as cheap as possible. You can always ditch that ticket and purchase a new one when you’ve decided on a new destination.

The Philippines offers a 30 day visa on arrival for most countries. If you plan to stay in the Philippines for more than a month, you could get a visa in another country beforehand (i.e. your home country or another country that you are visiting). In the United States you can get a 60 day visa for $60 by visiting the Philippines Embassy. To be clear, though – it’s awfully easy to extend your visa in the Philippines. You can arrive on a 30-day visa and extend as long as you’d like, typically.
If you decide to extend your stay in Davao, you will need to go to the immigration office located across the street from Victoria Plaza on JP Laurel Avenue. The office is open Monday through Friday until 5pm. You’re better off avoiding Mondays and Fridays as the office tends to get quite busy on those days.
The office of an immigration attorney is located on the 2nd floor in the building to the left of the Immigration Office. If you need help, you can go there and pay 500 PHP for them to help you with the process, but this is largely unnecessary – the process is pretty straightforward.
To extend your visa you will need your passport, a copy of your passport information page, a copy of your most recent visa/stamp, 1 passport/visa photo, and a completed visa extension form. They have a copy machine there if you need to make copies (3 PHP per page).
You can get the visa extension form at the Immigration Office Window 3. The form will ask for your basic contact info (local phone number, local address, home address, etc). It will also ask for a local reference. I don’t think this part is a big deal, so you can just put down someone’s name, phone number, and address that you know here.
It will cost you roughly 2,000 PHP per month for visa extensions. Bring cash. The good news is that you do not have to leave the country, you can just go straight to the Immigration Office and keep extending. You can extend 2 months at a time (4,050 PHP).
You will need to provide your passport, passport copies, local address, phone number, and complete an application form. They will charge you mandatory express fees and require you to purchase a national ID card (~3,500 PHP and valid for 1 year) on your second extension.
The Visa Extension Process: Go to window 3 to pick up the required form. Complete the form and give it to the guy/girl at window 3. He will check it to confirm everything is correct, and then give you a number. Sit down. When your number is called (about 30 minutes later) you will pay the total extension fee in cash (PHP). Sit down. In about 30 minutes your name will be called and your passport & visa will be ready. Check the visa to make sure it is correct before leaving.

http://empireflippers.com/ultimate-guide...avao-city/

This applies to Davao but the process is the same no matter where you are in the Philippines. Here in Tagbilaran it only takes 15 minutes. The reason for that is they are checking the national database to see if you have a police record in the country.

http://www.immigration.gov.ph/index.php/...sionofstay






The office is right beside STI College, if you are doing it in Tagbilaran. Some of the area around there might be unrecognizable in the video. The construction across the street is a new shopping center and all the old buildings there were knocked down. The BQ mall and Unitop store in the video are recognizable and are good landmarks to go by.

Nations that can enter the Philippines without a visa and extend.


1. Andorra

2. Angola

3. Antigua and Barbuda

4. Argentina

5. Australia

6. Austria

7. Bahamas

8. Bahrain

9. Barbados

10. Belgium

11. Belize

12. Benin

13. Bhutan

14. Bolivia

15. Botswana

16. Brazil*

17. Brunei

18. Bulgaria

19. Burkina Faso

20. Burundi

21. Cambodia

22. Cameroon

23. Canada

24. Cape Verde

25. Central African Republic

26. Chad

27. Chile

28. Colombia

29. Comoros

30. Congo

31. Congo, Democratic Republic

32. Costa Rica

33. Cote d’Ivoire

34. Croatia

35. Cyprus

36. Czech Republic

37. Denmark

38. Djibouti

39. Dominica

40. Dominican Republic

41. Ecuador

42. El Salvador

43. Equatorial Guinea

44. Eritrea

45. Estonia

46. Ethiopia

47. Fiji

48. Finland

49. France

50. Gabon

51. Gambia

52. Germany
53. Ghana

54. Greece

55. Grenada

56. Guatemala

57. Guinea

58. Guinea-Bissau

59. Guyana

60. Haiti

61. Honduras

62. Hungary

63. Iceland

64. Indonesia

65. Ireland

66. Israel*

67. Italy

68. Jamaica

69. Japan

70. Kazakhstan

71. Kenya

72. Kiribati

73. Korea (ROK)

74. Kuwait

75. Kyrgyzstan

76. Laos

77. Latvia

78. Lesotho

79. Liberia

80. Liechtenstein

81. Lithuania

82. Luxembourg

83. Madagascar

84. Malawi

85. Malaysia

86. Maldives

87. Mali

88. Malta

89. Marshall Island

90. Mauritania

91. Mauritius

92. Mexico

93. Micronesia

94. Monaco

95. Mongolia

96. Morocco

97. Mozambique

98. Myanmar

99. Namibia

100. Nepal

101. Netherlands

102. New Zealand

103. Nicaragua

104. Niger


105. Norway

106. Oman

107. Palau

108. Panama

109. Papua New Guinea

110. Paraguay

111. Peru

112. Poland

113. Portugal

114. Qatar

115. Romania

116. Russia

117. Rwanda

118. St. Kitts and Nevis

119. Saint Lucia

120. St. Vincent and the Grenadines

121. Samoa

122. San Marino

123. Sao Tome and Principe

124. Saudi Arabia

125. Senegal

126. Seychelles

127. Singapore

128. Slovak Republic

129. Slovenia

130. Solomon Islands

131. South Africa

132. Spain

133. Suriname

134. Swaziland

135. Sweden

136. Switzerland

137. Tanzania

138. Tajikistan

139. Thailand

140. Togo

141. Trinidad and Tobago

142. Tunisia

143. Turkey

144. Turkmenistan

145. Tuvalu

146. Uganda

147. United Arab Emirates

148. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

149. United States of America

150. Uruguay

151. Uzbekistan

152. Vanuatu

153. Vatican

154. Venezuela

155. Viet Nam

156. Zambia

157. Zimbabwe
*Brazilian and Israeli nationals are given fifty-nine (59) days stay based on existing agreements.

It much easier here than any other place I have been in the world so far. I am surprised more people don't take advantage of it.
Panama is a close second, where you can get permanent residency within a short period of time. Friendly Nations Visa, With this visa you have to pay taxes to Panama. The Philippines Visa treats you as a tourist with benefits.
The ACR-I card you get after the second extension allows you to get a drivers license in the country and open a bank account. Amongst many other things you can use it for down the line.

(07-31-2014 08:54 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 12:22 AM)calwinston Wrote:  I settled down and paid for a full year on the apartment. It forces me to stay in one place. Plus I can hop over to Japan anytime my favorite destination.

Panglao seems like it may be a better fit for me. Hope you are still there when I get there Calwinston, I owe you a beer! Vacancier Permanent this may be a good place for us to link up as well.

Do you know what the best months to be there are? Would summer time (Jun-Aug) be the best? Perhaps thats when you get the most foreign chicks on vacation to go along with all the hot local talent?

I have only been here in Panglao for 2.5 months so I couldn't tell how the seasons vary with the chicks.
Low season here is June to October. The rest of the year is high season.

For sure man, Ill still be here until May next year. I'm debating moving into a house after my lease ends here. Since they only start at 18000-20000 for a good house with western standards.

(07-31-2014 09:01 AM)Tough lucky Luke Wrote:  Out of curiosity, what are the prices like (not only rent, but food, beers, clubs...) in Panglao, comparing to Boracay? Much cheaper? Like those in Manila?

On the beach the prices are always more expensive. If you go 5 minutes off the beach the prices drop. Compared to West the prices are cheap as hell. So most of us wouldn't bat an eye at the prices.
The bar prices here are similar to the small bar prices in Boracay. 35-125 pesos for a beer, cocktails slightly higher 60-200 pesos.
Eating on the beach will set you back 200-1000 pesos for 2 people. Off the beach in Panglao center lunch will cost you 100-300 pesos for 2 people.
Compared to Manila food cost is about 25 percent cheaper. Eating out in Tagbilaran is about 30-50 percent cheaper than Manila.
All the clubs do not have a entry fee unless they have a promotion going on ie all you can drink.
If you want to meet local college girls, I would go into Tagbilaran and hang out at the bars and some clubs there. Once I came upon a big block party at 11 at night with about 500 people dancing in Tagbilaran. Reminded me of Central and South America. It's small city stuff like that makes me like this place.
Panglao is not Boracay. Its a quieter version of Boracay. You will not have the variety and many club options. The advantages are the almost no pros, the local population is 7 times larger on the island, laid back atmosphere, close knit expat community, and having a college town 15-20 minutes away with a population of 100,000.

Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

(07-31-2014 08:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

What type of beach life are you looking for?

(07-31-2014 08:49 PM)calwinston Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 08:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

What type of beach life are you looking for?

A nice beach to relax + abundance of local girls. I don't really need diving, surfing, kite surfing, etc. Just a simple beach.

(07-31-2014 09:22 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 08:49 PM)calwinston Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 08:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

What type of beach life are you looking for?

A nice beach to relax + abundance of local girls. I don't really need diving, surfing, kite surfing, etc. Just a simple beach.

Then coming here would a good place for you. You can also try the beaches around Cebu. If you want to stay on Luzon, you can try Subic Bay. Only problem with Subic is the P4P. If you avoid it, it will avoid you.

(07-31-2014 08:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

I stayed there for a couple of days and thought the city was a bit of a dump although the night club inside the Metro Center hotel was pretty good, I much preferred Alona Beach which is about 30-40 minutes away by trike taxi. I like Dumaguete a lot more, its cleaner and better organized, its a 2 hour ferry ride from Tagbilaran (the ferry goes Cebu City-Tagbilaran-Dumaguete). Its about the same size as Tagbilaran but has a higher student population and also some nice beaches, but is less touristy overall, you'll have way less competition there from other poon hounds.

(07-31-2014 09:41 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(07-31-2014 08:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Is Tagbilaran worth visiting for a few days?

I'm planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks for the first time. Based on some good advice from this thread, I'll probably spend at least a week in Manila, around Greenbelt, but also want spend some time on the beach. Don't want to go to Boracay, though.

I stayed there for a couple of days and thought the city was a bit of a dump although the night club inside the Metro Center hotel was pretty good, I much preferred Alona Beach which is about 30-40 minutes away by trike taxi. I like Dumaguete a lot more, its cleaner and better organized, its a 2 hour ferry ride from Tagbilaran (the ferry goes Cebu City-Tagbilaran-Dumaguete). Its about the same size as Tagbilaran but has a higher student population and also some nice beaches, but is less touristy overall, you'll have way less competition there from other poon hounds.

Yeah Dumaguete does have a larger student population, the boardwalk on the sea, and is cleaner.
For the record to avoid confusion, Panglao=Alona Beach

Has anyone come across the following kind of small-time, little scam, which seems quite in fashion in Manila : A cute Filipina woman that you meet online or during day-game at a mall, pretends that she "has to work every night at a Karaoke bar", but she "invites" you to this bar tonight... and of course you'll have to pay the bill, after meeting her and sharing time with her, at the Karaoke bar (there goes the "invitation").? Happened to anybody?

Another question : In said situation, I managed to "escape" the bar while a bunch of Japanese customers were at the door... under cover of these Japanese, so to speak, I made my exit, without running but determined and fast (with the cute girl kinda running after me, but not all the way onto the street of course).... My question is :

After that night, the cute girl was desperate to get me back into the karaoke bar, "to explain all and so that she could make amends and be very, very nice with me", she sent tons of enticing sms to convince me to come back... Do you think that if I had come back, the karaoke-bar owners would have actually assaulted, beaten me?? in downtown Manila?.... What do you think would have happened?? They would have taken money from my pockets, roughed me up? worse?