Post: #1176

Any of you guys who like to stay healthy try any of these? Looks pretty legit at around $10 per day plus 50 cents to a dollar delivery fee. Calories are low but even two of them would be $20 a day.

http://candidcuisine.net/diet-delivery-s...in-manila/

Also has anyone ever thought of hiring an assistant since labor there is so cheap? They could be messaging and flirting with these girls for you while you're out enjoying the rest of what Manila has to offer.

Post: #1177

^ You could hire a live-in maid with a culinary degree for a fraction of that price.

Post: #1178

(03-04-2015 04:20 AM)Enigma Wrote:  ^ You could hire a live-in maid with a culinary degree for a fraction of that price.

Thanks I will look into it. I just did some googling and I'm seeing some stuff on craigslist. Any better resources you recommend?

Post: #1179

(03-04-2015 04:31 AM)Shimmy Wrote:  

(03-04-2015 04:20 AM)Enigma Wrote:  ^ You could hire a live-in maid with a culinary degree for a fraction of that price.

Thanks I will look into it. I just did some googling and I'm seeing some stuff on craigslist. Any better resources you recommend?

There's olx.ph and you can also just ask around/use word of mouth. Any time I've mentioned hiring some help to a girl, most will immediately volunteer someone or themselves.

I've never actually hired someone to do my cooking full-time since I don't have a second bedroom, but a live-in is like $50 to $100 in Davao. I wouldn't think it'd cost more than $200 or so in Manila for a culinary grad.

The fresh grads there only make like a $1 an hour working in hotels, etc. And they'll be able to cook a much better range of foods than the average Filipina.

Post: #1180

(03-04-2015 02:22 AM)the-dream Wrote:  One tip I'd give to people using foreign cards is to withdraw from BPI ATMs. I've managed to get 20k pesos from them in a few different locations whereas all the other banks seem to have a 10k maximum withdrawal. This doesn't seem to apply to the standalone ATMs in malls (they have a 10k limit too), only the ones at the actual bank branches.

Really? Wow... that's news to me. I've only been able to get P12k from their ATMs... which branches allow you to get P20k?

I'm not sure if you're able to open one, but Charles Schwab has a "High Yield Investor's Checking Account" that allows me to withdraw from any ATM at market rate conversion and at the end of the month, they will reimburse all ATM fees you've accrued. It's the best way for me not to travel with so much cash. I couple that with a Capital One credit card for no foreign transaction fees.

Post: #1181

A question...

I am planning a trip of the Philippines for thie October or <november... Thinking I will divide my stay in Metro Manila to two places. One would be in Makati, the other in Quezon City.

I am looking ino some flats in Grass Residences, seem like an acceptable quality at a real good price. Does anyone have any info about the security and the girl friendliness of the place?

Post: #1182

^ I stayed there 8 days (in Grass Residences). It's a good place with a bridge directly to a very big and known mall (sm north). There's a large pool complex with several swimming pools and some more entertainment. It's quite nice. Not 5 stars, but nice.

The quality of your condo depends on the owner you are renting from, but it's not likely to be trashy since the whole thing is quite new.

Look for a room facing the pool complex since it makes for a nice view. Otherwise the view isn't impressive even if you're on a high floor. Also there's construction work (4th building being built) so if you're not facing the inner side of the complex, you might end up facing that (depending on your building), i.e. a lot of noise, all day and all night. Been there heard that.

No problem with security although occasionally they will ask your guests to register on a piece of paper or leave their id and pick it up later. It's kind of random. Sometimes they'll ask, often times they won't. Just like any other condo building I've been to.

Post: #1183

(03-04-2015 03:41 AM)calwinston Wrote:  I don't know if I posted it here before.

I have opened an account with BPI here in Panglao.

Already gave you +1 for comments on QOL in Phils or I'd give you one.
thanks.

If you ever need help with anything in Cebu I've got a motorcycle and know how to use it.

Post: #1184

(03-05-2015 07:09 AM)Malo Wrote:  ^ I stayed there 8 days (in Grass Residences). It's a good place with a bridge directly to a very big and known mall (sm north). There's a large pool complex with several swimming pools and some more entertainment. It's quite nice. Not 5 stars, but nice.

The quality of your condo depends on the owner you are renting from, but it's not likely to be trashy since the whole thing is quite new.

Look for a room facing the pool complex since it makes for a nice view. Otherwise the view isn't impressive even if you're on a high floor. Also there's construction work (4th building being built) so if you're not facing the inner side of the complex, you might end up facing that (depending on your building), i.e. a lot of noise, all day and all night. Been there heard that.

No problem with security although occasionally they will ask your guests to register on a piece of paper or leave their id and pick it up later. It's kind of random. Sometimes they'll ask, often times they won't. Just like any other condo building I've been to.

Thanks, I appreciate the information!

Post: #1185

Scott my brother, come visit my travel thread, if your credit is decent getting 1 percent back on purchases for no transaction fees is a low end solution, especially for someone like you who gets around. Many cards have no transaction fees. Don't give all that money away to CO.

(03-05-2015 01:54 AM)Scott Free Wrote:  

(03-04-2015 02:22 AM)the-dream Wrote:  One tip I'd give to people using foreign cards is to withdraw from BPI ATMs. I've managed to get 20k pesos from them in a few different locations whereas all the other banks seem to have a 10k maximum withdrawal. This doesn't seem to apply to the standalone ATMs in malls (they have a 10k limit too), only the ones at the actual bank branches.

Really? Wow... that's news to me. I've only been able to get P12k from their ATMs... which branches allow you to get P20k?

I'm not sure if you're able to open one, but Charles Schwab has a "High Yield Investor's Checking Account" that allows me to withdraw from any ATM at market rate conversion and at the end of the month, they will reimburse all ATM fees you've accrued. It's the best way for me not to travel with so much cash. I couple that with a Capital One credit card for no foreign transaction fees.

Post: #1186

(03-05-2015 01:54 AM)Scott Free Wrote:  

(03-04-2015 02:22 AM)the-dream Wrote:  One tip I'd give to people using foreign cards is to withdraw from BPI ATMs. I've managed to get 20k pesos from them in a few different locations whereas all the other banks seem to have a 10k maximum withdrawal. This doesn't seem to apply to the standalone ATMs in malls (they have a 10k limit too), only the ones at the actual bank branches.

Really? Wow... that's news to me. I've only been able to get P12k from their ATMs... which branches allow you to get P20k?

I'm not sure if you're able to open one, but Charles Schwab has a "High Yield Investor's Checking Account" that allows me to withdraw from any ATM at market rate conversion and at the end of the month, they will reimburse all ATM fees you've accrued. It's the best way for me not to travel with so much cash. I couple that with a Capital One credit card for no foreign transaction fees.

Yeah man, all the BPI branches in Fort that I use (mostly around Burgos circle) allow 20K withdraws. All the other ATMs I've tried only do 10K. The issue with BPI ATMs is they're frequently empty lol.

Sounds like I have to get a Schwab checking account. All you guys are vouching for them.

Post: #1187

^ HSBC allows 40K I think. I definitely withdrew 30K.

Now stuck with the pesos since I pay for accommodations through AirBnB and don't need so much cash Anybody wants money? lol. Want to open a local bank account and they won't let me

Post: #1188

(03-05-2015 10:42 PM)Malo Wrote:  ^ HSBC allows 40K I think. I definitely withdrew 30K.

Now stuck with the pesos since I pay for accommodations through AirBnB and don't meet so much cash Anybody wants money? lol. Want to open a local bank account and they won't let me

That's cool. Do you use HSBC or was this with another bank's debit card? Now that I think of it I haven't tried an HSBC. I'll give it a shot next time.

Why don't you exchange them back to Euros or Dollars?

Post: #1189

No it's a debit card from my bank in Europe. HSBC just allows a bit bigger withdraws that's all. OTOH they don't have that many ATM's (definitely not outside of 'central' Manila).

I want to come back next season so exchanging back to eur|usd will cost me -- shitty exchange rates and then buy the pesos again later on, wouldn't be surprised if at a worse rate since the pesos is in a long term appreciation trend for more than a decade now.

Post: #1190

(03-05-2015 09:11 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  If you ever need help with anything in Cebu I've got a motorcycle and know how to use it.

Where in Cebu are you based IKE? I'll be in town from Apr 30 - May 4. Will PM you to schedule a meetup if you're up for it, as we get closer to my trip.

(03-05-2015 10:48 AM)Global Entry Wrote:  Scott my brother, come visit my travel thread, if your credit is decent getting 1 percent back on purchases for no transaction fees is a low end solution, especially for someone like you who gets around. Many cards have no transaction fees. Don't give all that money away to CO.

Sweet GE! It's next on my list. I read through the first page and there's a lot of really good info to absorb, especially since I'm on Delta Skymiles and trying to expand. My credit is steadily increasing thanks to this Blue Pill job that's kept me away from the forums.

(03-05-2015 10:39 PM)YardDog Wrote:  Yeah man, all the BPI branches in Fort that I use (mostly around Burgos circle) allow 20K withdraws. All the other ATMs I've tried only do 10K. The issue with BPI ATMs is they're frequently empty lol.

Sounds like I have to get a Schwab checking account. All you guys are vouching for them.

Nice! Good to know YD. My trip is fast approaching and the excitement is mounting. BTW, I'm working on a write up of my last trip to check out the island of Camiguin. Will have that ready soonish for all of you Pinas-ophiles!

Post: #1191

(03-06-2015 01:31 AM)Scott Free Wrote:  Nice! Good to know YD. My trip is fast approaching and the excitement is mounting. BTW, I'm working on a write up of my last trip to check out the island of Camiguin. Will have that ready soonish for all of you Pinas-ophiles!

That's funny, some girl literally was just telling me about Camiguin last week. Had never heard of it until then. Looking forward to the report.

Post: #1192

I've been in Manila for 7 hours and already have 2 notches. A third is on her way to my room now. Pipelining.

Gramercy security is a bit more than I expected. I had to sign some 'short-term' lease document, which has a line that mentions that guests that aren't family have to be out by midnight. Check-in was a pain.

It is easy to sneak the girls in through the Century City mall 2nd floor entrance, although the mall is lame and none of the girls know it. It closes at 9 P.M. I'll see tonight what they say about the girl that is on her way over at the front desk.

Edit: I'm pretty sure I'm going to be tired of banging girls by Tuesday, so if anyone is around I'd love to grab a beer.

Post: #1193

Guests out before midnight ...
What if you pull in the club's and return 3am ? Surely a small charge like 5-10£ will overcome that objection.
Anyone know more ?

Post: #1194

(03-08-2015 02:23 AM)mttt Wrote:  Guests out before midnight ...
What if you pull in the club's and return 3am ? Surely a small charge like 5-10£ will overcome that objection.
Anyone know more ?

I had to sign the girl in last night, but she didn't have to leave before midnight.

It's just written on a document that you will have to sign, and that means that they could potentially give you a hard time. I don't think it will be enforced unless the neighbor doesn't like noises.

Not really a fan of Gramercy or its location so far. The pool is very unimpressive as well.

Post: #1195

(03-08-2015 02:23 AM)mttt Wrote:  Guests out before midnight ...
What if you pull in the club's and return 3am ? Surely a small charge like 5-10£ will overcome that objection.
Anyone know more ?

Something like 7 Euros is a whole day's pay for a security guard in Philippines. You shouldn't have to pay that much.

I also agree with above posters that it is probably a safeguard only enforced for assholes that have several drunks nightly stumbling out of their apartments yelling and waking everyone up at 2-3 AM. I would be cautious about having the girls be quiet in the hall if you escort them out, don't be laughing real loud attracting attention at 3 AM in the halls.

Post: #1196

Question for you all: do you have some kind of fail safe way of determining whether she's a working girl or normal girl, either from online, from a date of otherwise? Buddy of mine just got bait and switched and I'm trying to avoid the same fate. What are the major red flags to look for, questions to ask, etc?

Post: #1197

Ye I was wondering about the pool at gramercys. Looks really small....is there decent food options around in the area ? Not a fan of cooking to be honest.
Elcid, enjoy your stay there . I will check in next door at Knightsbridge on the 19th. If you are still around let me know and we will go for a beer

Post: #1198

Eastwood City

Hey Guys – been lurking on this site for a few months now and after meeting a few forum members randomly (and not so randomly) in Asia and South America, I thought it was time to give a little input.

Quick background – Have been doing an around the world trip for just under a year with stops on each continent minus Australia and Antarctica. I’m fairly new to game and only found this site about 3 months ago after doing some “research” on the Phils. Blonde hair, blues eyes, late 20’s but look younger, and in decent shape / style. I was in Phils about 2 months ago…

Reading through this post (or one of them) there was mention about living in QC, and more specifically Eastwood City. When I arrived to Phils for the second time on my trip, I was debating living in Ortigas or Eastwood City but after looking at condos and rents at both locations (AirBnB), I choose Eastwood City for the quality / rent of the condo and for the high foreigner potential.

Words of Caution

Eastwood City is a nice developed area with a mall (albeit small), coffee shops, call centers, restaurants, and a very limited (i.e. it doesn’t exist) bar scene. While the area is nice, it is just to small to spend any amount of time wandering around and talking to girls. The mall (and mall area) is probably one of the smallest malls in Manila and after about 1.5 weeks of being in the area you become recognized by name / face to the locals. This of course becomes a pain in the butt when your trying to setup and coordinate dates at one of the 3 coffee shops in the area. It will also screw with your day game because you are noticed so easily… (Note – there are some foreigners that work in the area at the call centers but you won’t see them during the day wandering around)

In picking Eastwood City, I was hoping to be pulling girls from the QC North area – while this worked to a certain degree, you still end up finding (Tinder, FC, etc…) girls from all over the place in Manila. As you know, QC is a huge area (even to the north) and the logistics of getting to Eastwood City are awful during the day. There’s only one route (C-5) in from Ortigas, QC North, Makati, etc… and its crawling with traffic from 5 am to 9 pm.

There is no nightlife in Eastwood City at all – there are a couple of bars where the call center girls go for a quick drink with their colleagues and the club that was mentioned in the previous post has since been closed down without a replacement. Without any nightlife, you find yourself making the 30+ minute taxi to The Fort, TM, or wherever for any kind of action.

While I still had a good time, the logistics of Eastwood City are too much to overcome – its too far from everything, many girls don’t know where it is or if they do, they don’t want to be bothered on trying to make it out to you. I was still able to have a stable of girls on call but it takes a lot of time that could be alleviated by living in Makati, Ortigas, or even near SM North (Grass Residences).

On my next trip to Phils, I will look at living in either Ortigas or near SM North – there is plenty of action there and the logistics aren’t quite as bad. SM North would be a long haul if your into clubbing on the weekends though.

In closing, spend a couple days in Eastwood before you sign a long lease – trust me on this. Additionally, wrap it up because these Phil girls are fertile for your white baby...

Post: #1199

(03-08-2015 05:11 AM)elcidcampeador Wrote:  

(03-08-2015 02:23 AM)mttt Wrote:  Guests out before midnight ...
What if you pull in the club's and return 3am ? Surely a small charge like 5-10£ will overcome that objection.
Anyone know more ?

I had to sign the girl in last night, but she didn't have to leave before midnight.

It's just written on a document that you will have to sign, and that means that they could potentially give you a hard time. I don't think it will be enforced unless the neighbor doesn't like noises.

Not really a fan of Gramercy or its location so far. The pool is very unimpressive as well.

Thanks for the info on Gramercy ElCid. Further helps my decision to stay out of that P Burgos area. How long are you staying in Manila for? I'll be there next week

Post: #1200

I'm leaving today. As much as Gramercy tries to come across as strict, they really can't do anything. I had more girls in my room than I can count and nothing happened. I even had multiple girls sign in within hours of each other and nothing happened either.

As for the area, I don't know if I'd recommend it over the Fort, but would probably recommend it over Greenbelt. There's not much to do and girls aren't familiar with the Century City mall. Still, if they come, you are getting laid, so I always pushed not to meet at Greenbelt (which a lot of the online chicas suggested). Burgos is filled with whores and losers. There's a nice little night market outside of Gramercy which has some good food and fun people watching.

At the end of the day it's most important to find a place where the girls want to come. Girls certainly aren't opposed to come to Gramercy, although when they live in Quezon City or beyond they are harder to persuade. Most of the yuppies are clubbing exclusively at Valkyrie in the Fort, although club game isn't required in Manila. Had a fun night there, and checked out 71 Gramercy as well mainly for the nice views.

I banged 3 girls living in Gramercy (one was Chinese), so the whole rich girls are harder concept is definitely not applicable to Manila. I also picked up a girl with big tits at the Starbucks at the mall after she tried to sell me a condo in Gramercy. There are some hotties hanging out there desperately selling condos all day and they are easy. Endless opportunities everywhere if you are well-dressed and young. You don't even need to be tall because no one here is taller than 5'8".

Online game made my first two days in Manila great, but the quality is definitely better elsewhere. There are women everywhere and they all are tired of the unattractive foreigners roaming their streets paying for sex. I don't think online game is necessary unless you're going for one of those '30 girls in 13 days' adventures. I'm usually a huge fan of pipelining, but it was just too much and the girls were consistently one or two numbers less than what they appeared in their pictures.