Thanks. OK, that makes the decision even more difficult. The prices that I had seen were about $1,000 for a one-bedroom at the Gramercy versus about $1,300 to $1,500 near the Greenbelt (advertised prices on Airbnb, without any negotiation). I do not know what the studio prices are near the Greenbelt.
Guys,
I wouldn't book anything long term on Airbnb as the rates are very inflated specially in Manila. Instead, book a decent hotel for the first 3-5 nights then during that time, use the technics that Direct Danger outlined earlier on this thread to contact as many real estate agents with what you want (name of building or area, length of time and your budget). This way, you'd get a much better deal both price wise and quality wise than booking online for a long term and getting hosed.
Common sense really guys.
The Gramercy studio for 625/month or the 1BR for 875/month is very very tempting! The place looks dope!
(09-10-2014 12:43 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote: Guys,
I wouldn't book anything long term on Airbnb as the rates are very inflated specially in Manila. Instead, book a decent hotel for the first 3-5 nights then during that time, use the technics that Direct Danger outlined earlier on this thread to contact as many real estate agents with what you want (name of building or area, length of time and your budget). This way, you'd get a much better deal both price wise and quality wise than booking online for a long term and getting hosed.
Common sense really guys.
It depends on what you mean by "long term." Even if I was visiting for a full month, I do not want to waste several days contacting agents, looking at apartments, and repacking and moving my belongings. My time is worth more than a few hundred dollars in savings.
If you are spending a few months or more, then it certainly makes sense to spend the time to find a better place for less money.
Quote:Two guys sit down, one on your left and one on your right, then some ass outside the jeep acts like a crazy person and spits on the back of your neck, then this guy on you left offers to wipe the spit off with a hankey or something, while the right guy (who might have a large package or backpack in his lap that hides his hands) is already pillaging your pocket while you're busy being angry at the guy who spit on you while also facing the guy on the left, resulting in classic misdirection. Before you know it, the both guys get off on the same stop and you lose all your cash or your cell phone.
(09-10-2014 12:43 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote: Guys,
I wouldn't book anything long term on Airbnb as the rates are very inflated specially in Manila. he 1BR for 875/month is very very tempting! The place looks dope!
This is true also. Always negotiate. It's second nature for most long stay SEA expats so I don't mention it but always negotiate and bargain for any price given. The only time you don't do this is if you've been given a price (by a close friend) that you already know as being within fair market boundaries. Trying to bargain below fair market can be a bit insulting.
If you don't know tell them you'll think about it and double check with your own due diligence. This is also a good integrity check in seeing how trustworthy certain people are. The bigger the price gap the bigger the disrespect.
It wouldn't nor it should take several days contacting agents. If you text agents, you will hear back within 1-2 hours and be on your way right away to visiting places. So in a span of 1-2 days tops, you can easily visit 10-20 places in your desired locations for the exact types of places you are looking for.
This is what I would do, but that's me.
(09-10-2014 12:52 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:
(09-10-2014 12:43 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote: Guys,
I wouldn't book anything long term on Airbnb as the rates are very inflated specially in Manila. Instead, book a decent hotel for the first 3-5 nights then during that time, use the technics that Direct Danger outlined earlier on this thread to contact as many real estate agents with what you want (name of building or area, length of time and your budget). This way, you'd get a much better deal both price wise and quality wise than booking online for a long term and getting hosed.
Common sense really guys.
It depends on what you mean by "long term." Even if I was visiting for a full month, I do not want to waste several days contacting agents, looking at apartments, and repacking and moving my belongings. My time is worth more than a few hundred dollars in savings.
If you are spending a few months or more, then it certainly makes sense to spend the time to find a better place for less money.
I've been to Chupacabra several times, and actually have had a good meal every time. Its in the shithole of Burgos, but off a side street, and actually not far from the Ft. by taxi cab. Very few if any street hawkers trying to sell cialis or sneakers on that street, so its possible to sit outside (also doesnt have the smog one ingests on the main roads like Makati and Burgos. If you're yearning for some western food (I wouldnt say mexican, but they do make street tacos) you could do a lot worse, and last time I checked there are still some legitimate clubs open on the north end of Makati Ave or nearby that arent simply hooker dens.
(09-10-2014 10:01 PM)DirectDanger Wrote: I thought this was interesting...
The Philippines as a nation is honestly pretty fucked up. This is why I don't believe things will improve any time soon for the average person. The government there is so corrupt that any attempt at basic things like land form is just an excuse to cheat the people. Pretty much all the wealthiest families there are in on it. It's just an impossible situation unless we're talking full scale revolution again and even then it's rolling the dice.
On the bright side this sort of massive inequality and poverty means that the Phi will remain a decent place for expats for quite some time.
This clip also shows how truly fucked things are for the poor. Would you like some pag pag?
Orbitz.com doesn't show the Cebu Pacific flights, but WeGo.com does. At least for Manila to Davao.
Looks like there is an airline called PAL express that's owned by Philippine Airlines which does all the domestic flights here.
Is one airline preferable to the other?
EDIT: I just stumbled upon this site called edreams.ph that "appears" to give a substantial discount on these tickets. Haven't booked anything through it yet but so far the price is substantially lower than booking through the airlines directly or through orbitz. WeGo.com directs you to that site.
Orbitz.com doesn't show the Cebu Pacific flights, but WeGo.com does. At least for Manila to Davao.
Looks like there is an airline called PAL express that's owned by Philippine Airlines which does all the domestic flights here.
Is one airline preferable to the other?
EDIT: I just stumbled upon this site called edreams.ph that "appears" to give a substantial discount on these tickets. Haven't booked anything through it yet but so far the price is substantially lower than booking through the airlines directly or through orbitz. WeGo.com directs you to that site.
(09-10-2014 10:01 PM)DirectDanger Wrote: I thought this was interesting...
"The Grim Reality Behind the Philippines' Economic Growth"
Quote:In 2012, Forbes Asia announced that the collective wealth of the 40 richest Filipino families grew $13 billion during the 2010-2011 year, to $47.4 billion--an increase of 37.9 percent. Filipino economist Cielito Habito calculated that the increased wealth of those families was equivalent in value to a staggering 76.5 percent of the country's overall increase in GDP at the time. This income disparity was far and away the highest in Asia
Quote:Meanwhile, other huge sectors of Filipino industry (such as banking, telecommunications, and property development) are almost entirely monopolized by a few elite political families, most of whom have been in power since the Spanish colonial era. And despite wide-reaching government reforms from the 1980s, those industries remain effective oligarchies or cartels that vastly outperform small businesses. According to a paper released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for roughly 99 percent of Filipino firms. However, those SMEs only account for 35 percent of national output--a sharp contrast with Japan and Korea, where the same ratio of SMEs accounts for roughly half of total output. This translates into far fewer high-paying jobs on the local level for Filipino employees and exacerbates the huge income disparity across the country.
Quote:The surge in the Philippines’ consumer spending has led to a bubble in shopping mall development, and the country now hosts 9 of the world’s 38 largest malls – beating even the U.S., China, and most other developed countries. Global consumer brands are now flocking to the country’s malls, and luxury goods companies are looking to become players in the consumer market, including Rolls Royce and Bentley.
The two most common, but flawed, explanations given for the Philippines’ growing middle class and consumer spending boom are the rise of the business process outsourcing or BPO sector (call centers are the most common form of BPO) and remittances from overseas Filipino workers. While the BPO sector has grown healthily in the past decade, it only accounts for $11 billion or 4.4 percent of the Philippines’ $250 billion economy. Similarly, remittances have grown at a high rate, but they only account for $26 billion or 10.4 percent of the country’s economy. These two popular explanations for the economic boom only account for a combined 14.8 percent of the Philippines’ economy, so are overstated in their impact, while the role of cheap credit and asset bubbles is greatly understated.
There is also reason for skepticism about the growth and sustainability of remittances to the Philippines because 53 percent of remittances originate from the United States, with much of it sent from Filipino nurses who are benefiting from an unsustainable healthcare bubble that is driving salary and employment growth in the U.S. healthcare industry.
The Philippines is lucky they have a culture that puts family first. If it turns into a western style culture where individualism is praised. Then their economy would not be doing nearly as well as its is today.
Its a consumer culture.
Example
Filipina nurse (average salary in the US $45000-80000 thousand depending on the state) (11 million OFW's -11% of the population) sends 1000-2000 dollars to family for the month.
The family buys what they need (supplies, food, house, car, etc.) and sits at home and does nothing till the next load of money comes in through western union a month later. This is the reason why the malls here are filled with people in the middle of the day during the week, watching movies and shopping. Enriching the few elite families that own the real estate, malls, and telecommunications.
I observed this recently, when a neighbor of mine, went back to Australia for the next 6 months to work in the mining industry. His wife moved her mother in and 2 brothers in the apartment. While having a drink with my landlord one day I asked what do the 2 brothers do. He said they do nothing.
Here you have 2 abled body men under the age of 30, who are leeching off a guy working his ass off in Australia. More than likely he has no idea that the guys are living there. The wife is a nice girl from talking with her, 23 years old. More than likely she received pressure from the family to move in or she felt guilt about leaving her family behind.
Working with 2 filipinos while living in California, showed me what they go through with their families back home. They feel like the where being leached off, used and the families back home think they are rich and can afford to help out.
This is something to consider if planning to marry one and bring her back to the states. Even if you don't want her to work, she will feel pressured by her family to do so in order to send money back home.
I guess it's something you would have to negotiate and talk beforehand about. The other option is living in the Philippines, but then you have the family putting direct pressure on you to give them money.
This is based on stories I've read on Philippines expat forums. They say, from the girls point of view, her families needs and desires always comes before her husbands. Maybe that depends on the girl and how much she's into you. I don't know
Anti,
I was in the Phils my first time between dec 27 to jan 19 in Cebu. It was fine, night life was going strong. However, if going to Cebu, keep in mind during the 3rd week of Jan, there's a major celebration almost like Carnaval like called Sinulog. Google it. Very big religious event where people from all over the country come in. Hotels in Cebu city get packed and booked months ahead. I remember being told by the hotel I had stayed the previous 2 weeks to leave for the Friday of Sinulog as they had sold out in advance. So me and my buddy headed out to a resort in Lapu Lapu for the weekend with 4 girls.
Not sure about Manila or the rest of the country as to how much Sinulog is celebrated elsewhere in the Phils. That's something to keep in mind if one is in Cebu during that time.
(09-23-2014 11:56 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote: Anti,
I was in the Phils my first time between dec 27 to jan 19 in Cebu. It was fine, night life was going strong. However, if going to Cebu, keep in mind during the 3rd week of Jan, there's a major celebration almost like Carnaval like called Sinulog. Google it. Very big religious event where people from all over the country come in. Hotels in Cebu city get packed and booked months ahead. I remember being told by the hotel I had stayed the previous 2 weeks to leave for the Friday of Sinulog as they had sold out in advance. So me and my buddy headed out to a resort in Lapu Lapu for the weekend with 4 girls.
Not sure about Manila or the rest of the country as to how much Sinulog is celebrated elsewhere in the Phils. That's something to keep in mind if one is in Cebu during that time.
+1 from me, VP. I had just started researching Cebu for a January trip and you helped me from maybe getting caught with my pants... up?
Corroncho,
No worries man. Happy to have provided some insight to a fellow brother.
Are you going to be elsewhere in the Phils during that time?
You can still go to Cebu in January, have a great time, find a cool/hot girl or 2or 3 and take them with you to a nice nearby beach. Don't cross Cebu altogether in January as there's tons of fun to be had there. Thankfully Sinulog is only for a weekend Friday to Sunday.
I'm going to Cebu for about 6 days beginning of December. Does it make sense to stay near the Ayala mall all 6 days, or get a hotel near the beach for 1-2 nights? Gaming girls is a priority, but I also want to spend some time on the beach. Is it close/convenient enough just to get a taxi there in the morning and come back to Ayala in the evening?
Brodiaga,
Nightlife in Cebu is located around Mango Square which is a short 2$ cab ride from Ayala. Nightlife around the beach not sure about it, most likely not much. The nearest beach is in Mactan, located about 1-1.5hr cab ride depending on traffic ( from memory of my time there almost 4 years ago, it was 300-400P each way). So if your main goal is nightlife, stay within the city and around Ayala or around Mango Square if you want to be within walking distance of the action. Do the beach during the day with a girl or two that you picked up the previous night.
Bally,
Can't comment on Davao as I haven't been there yet. But I do intend in going there this fall once I return to the Phils.
Are you in Davao? I thought Davao girls were conservative from what I've been reading and hearing. Good to hear they are easy!
What I noticed in my time in Cebu is that the the best way to get to the top talent in terms of looks, not necessarily the richest, is to go to high end hotels, resorts or Restos or boutiques in malls and start chatting with the girls working there at the reception. The hottest girl I saw in my entire first mini retirement in Asia 4 years ago was a girl working as the manager of a nice resort in Lapu Lapu. Simply stunning, doll like perfect Latina look alike face, long curly hair, creamy white silky skin and super sweet.
I am pretty sure it would be the same throughout the country where labour is so cheap and where employers can pick who they want to hire. Head out to high end Restos, boutiques or resorts and you'd be bound to find some top talent. Then just run your game as usual.
Cebu might not be your best choice if you want beach AND notches. I wasn't a huge fan of what I experienced during Easter week (when it was packed with social circle oriented filipino families) but Boracay might be a better choice for you than Cebu. Definitely gorgeous beach, and off peak I think it would be better, and easier to isolate girls.
If you're already booked, I think rather than day tripping to Mactan, you might stay near Ayala, find a girl or two, then like you said head to the beach with her for a few days, then finish up back in the city again. You've a lot of choices too from Cebu nearby, not just Mactan. You can go to Bihol as well, which supposedly has some great beaches.
I didn't stay in Mango Sq. You of course can, but its mostly grungy and dirty right there. I stayed at the Mandarin Plaza right across from Ayala, which was a very good deal and very clean. Had no issue pulling girls back to the hotel, and they gave me zero headache about bringing guests in. Marco Polo is across the street as well - I believe its somewhat pricier (I paid around 45 per night if I recall, check my data sheet) but people have reported good things about various Marco Polos on the Phils threads.
(09-23-2014 07:57 PM)Brodiaga Wrote: I'm going to Cebu for about 6 days beginning of December. Does it make sense to stay near the Ayala mall all 6 days, or get a hotel near the beach for 1-2 nights? Gaming girls is a priority, but I also want to spend some time on the beach. Is it close/convenient enough just to get a taxi there in the morning and come back to Ayala in the evening?
I haven't booked yet, but the reason I'm considering Cebu instead of Boracay is that I'm going for notches (quantity and quality). The general consensus based on a number of trip reports is that Cebu is much, much easier for notches than Boracay. Also, there are beaches close to Cebu which makes a perfect balance. There is still time to reconsider, but Cebu seems like a much better alternative.
I guess I can take a girl to the beach for a couple of days. I'd have to pay for 2 hotel rooms at the same time, but hey, it's a vacation, so might as well do that.