The Pearl of the Orient in a Glance
The Philippines, also known as the pearl of the orient, is an
archipelago located in southeast Asia. It consists of about
7,000 islands; a little more if it's low tide. It's quite hot
all year round, and it seems that the heat only dissipates
sometimes during the monsoon season or "wet season." During this
time a series of typhoons slam the Philippines with strong
rains. Apart from typhoons causing occasional floods, the
Philippines also experiences volcanic eruptions every now and
then; Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Mayon, and Mt. Taal are some of the more
active Philippine volcanoes in the past century. Filipinos are
some of the friendliest and most fun-loving bunch of people
you'll ever meet. However, some of these same people will not
think twice to fool, steal, or take advantage of you in some way
if they think they can profit from it. Unfortunately, the
Philippines is still a third world country for the most part and
so the majority of the people are very poor and struggle in
their daily lives. The country also has its fair share of litter
and pollution. Top of the line sky scrapers can be found in
metropolitan areas such as Manila and Cebu, and straw huts are
still being used in provincial areas. Food is exceptionally
delicious in the Philippines, but most of these are high in fat
as is usually the case for great tasting food. Most things in
the Philippines are cheaper in price than what you will find in
more developed countries. But Filipino wages are also very
cheap. If you plan on visiting in the Philippines you will
probably land via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in
Manila, although an airport can also be found at Clark Air Base
and Cebu City. You will probably want to arrange for ground
transportation beforehand for taking you to your desired
location within the Philippines. Otherwise, you may find
yourself getting ripped off by the taxi drivers. One of the
first things you will notice when you step out of the airport is
the intense heat, the crowds of people and traffic, the manner
in which the people drive, the litter and pollution, and the
humongous billboards. You will also notice how everyone calls
you sir, ma'am, or boss and acts overly polite. Some are being
friendly but don't be fooled, most of the time it's just a
facade to hide their less presentable intentions. You will be
approached by old beggars, young hustlers, and tugging children,
so prepare yourself. Although you may feel sympathetic, I
wouldn't recommend giving them anything as they usually don't
spend it as they should. You will see sari-sari stores
everywhere, which are usually small versions of stores you would
find in a typical gas station that sells general items. I
mentioned the traffic, and I must say that I wouldn't want to
maneuver through the mess of traffic they create in Manila and
other urban areas. Even driving (or walking) down rural roads
can be dangerous as most drivers make a habit out of fearless
passing. Stray dogs, cats, and other animals can be found
roaming the streets. I wouldn't mess with them to avoid getting
bitten, infected, or hassled by their owner. Produce is usually
fine to buy in the Philippines (always wash though). Fish is
fresh if you go to the open markets early in morning. As far as
meat and poultry goes, sanitation isn't that great so I would
just recommend cooking until well done to avoid getting sick.
Water doesn't taste that great either and you may experience a
bad case of traveler's diarrhea after a few days from arrival.
You can boil it, buy bottled water (although it's not guaranteed
that the bottled is any different from tap), or just let your
intestinal flora adapt to the tap water (especially if you're
staying in the country for a while). "Chicheria" (chips,
crackers, etc.) and other processed foods is abundant. Milk,
cheese, and other dairy products will be hard to find. Fast food
is readily available as McDonald's, Jollibee (like McDonald's),
Greenwich (like Pizza Hut), and Chow King (Chinese fast food)
have infested the place. Food is dirt cheap for the typical
foreigner or tourist, even in the local restaurants. You may
have a hard time finding a five star hotel or something that
even comes close if you're staying outside of Manila. Although
Filipinos learn quickly and work hard when they need to, a lot
of Filipinos are not very professional and can sometimes develop
a nasty habit of being lazy. There are lots of beaches in the
Philippines, and a lot of the beaches are dirty (in some cases,
very dirty). Don't be surprised to find cans, plastics, diapers,
feces, and other types of trash and debris in the water of a
non-resort locale (and sometimes even at the resorts). Boracay,
Puerto Galera, Puerto Princesa, and Cebu have more
tourist-oriented beaches and facilities. If you're more of a
party-goer, Boracay and Cebu would be the perfect place. If
you're more in need of some peace, the Puertos would be more
your thing. Or why not experience all four yourself and find
out? Other tourist hot spots include but are not limited to
Baguio (cool weather, rice terraces), Manila (urban frolicking),
Zambales (Subic Base and Hundred Islands), Bohol (Chocolate
Hills, near Cebu City), and Palawan (spelunking, trekking). Bars
are quite common in the Philippines if you're into bar-hopping,
drinking, and go-go dancer amusements. I would always travel
with a buddy or two or three, especially if you're roaming at
night or travelling through Muslim infested regions. Mindanao is
the Muslim hotspot. You should also watch out for the NPA (New
People's Army) as they oppose foreign intervention. NPA members
and affiliates are all over the Philippines, but especially in
the rural areas. So those are who you watch out for... the
Muslims, the NPA, and the other NPA (people with no permanent
address, hehe). You should also watch out for who you date in
the Philippines. STDs are not uncommon, and hookers aren't
either. And sometimes hookers aren't the gender you expected
them to be either. Homosexuals are all over the place there, so
don't be surprised if you meet several and meet some that you
thought were women. But as far as the real Filipina women goes,
don't be surprised if you fall head over heels for one of them
(this is considering you didn't already fall in love with one of
the many attractive Chinese flight attendants of China
Airlines). Just as anywhere else in the world, Filipinas can be
downright gorgeous, downright butt ugly, or just the plain
medium blah. But it's more than skin deep, right? Right. You
will also have to take into account that many of the Filipinas
hide, lie, manipulate, and have an overwhelming lust for wealth.
Oh yes, and don't be surprised if their loyalty to you is
overruled by their loyalty to their family (who, by the way,
view you as the golden rooster who can allow their hen to lay
their share of golden eggs that they've been yearning for all
their lives) . But Filipinas also have a desirable side. They
hold traditional values and some actually really do love you
(and will continue to exhibit their love for you endlessly). But
those are hard to find nowadays anywhere in the world. And
please note that the aforementioned Filipina descriptions are
purely stereotypical; just as anywhere else in the world, women
come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities in the Philippines.
You just have to find one that suits your liking. As far as
communication goes, English is widely spoken. You may want to
invest in a cell phone as the Philippines is the txt capital of
the world (even the dirt poor have cell phones). Nursing and IT
seems to be the boomers for jobs in the Philippines. Registered
nurses are sometimes lucky enough to go abroad, and the IT
sector is seeing growth as the US is beginning to realize the
profit of outsourcing most IT jobs to lower waged Asian IT
professionals. But for the most part, jobs are scant in the
Philippines (especially for foreigners) and are usually not
desirable (either because of the pay or the nature of the job
itself). Political corruption is rampant, and only the very rich
get richer. The rest are left to fend for themselves, hence
starvation, poor health, the homeless, and theft are also
rampant. Holidays and festivals are wonderful in the
Philippines. Filipinos do know how to put on a party. Fiestas
are vibrant and the food is always plenty. The Christmas
holidays are usually the best celebrations of the year.
"Chismis" or gossip is very common. What did you expect?
Remember that most of the Filipinos are either homeless,
jobless, lazy, or are just plain talkative. So don't go to bed
with multiple women who live in the same neighborhood, because
you may end up with one too many protective fathers chasing you
with a machete. Tricycles and jeepneys (old WWII jeeps revamped)
are the typical local means of transportation. Always demand
your change, you can't support the whole union. As far as sports
goes, basketball, billiards, and boxing are the most popular
(and probably in that order). Showbusiness stars are a hit in
the Philippines. Actors, singers, sports stars, sitcom hosts,
and matinee idols are loved by the Filipinos, who are fanatic
about showbusiness and mainstream entertainment. Filipino movies
are not that great compared to international standards. But
Filipinos can sing, and karaoke is a popular past time there.
Drugs and alcohol are common, and so are corrupt police
officials. I'm sure that if it were plotted, statistics would
show a direct relationship with average income and moral
standard for the Filipinos. As you can see, the Philippines has
more than enough flaws to make people to want to leave the
country, but despite the detractors, something enchanting about
the ambiance of the Pearl of the Orient keeps many coming back,
myself included.