Why the Philippines should be on your bucket list…

[Pinay_ako]

For those of you who haven’t been to the Philippines yet or don’t know where in the world it is, look no further, I will guide you how to get there and where to go once you land in this beautiful sun soaked country.

The Philippines is located in the south eastern part of Asia. From Canada, I have to take a plane from Toronto to Seoul, South Korea which takes 13-14 hours and from Seoul to Cebu or Manila, Philippines which will take 3-4 hours.

The travel seems long but I assure you, it’s all worth it once you discover the 7,641 and counting islands the Philippines is composed of.

1. Your dollar goes a long way

$1 CAD is P39.

2. Language barrier is not a problem

As long as you can speak English, most Filipinos can communicate with you in English. All signs everywhere are in English.

3. Fresh and mouth watering food everywhere!

Everywhere you look is food, food, food. For $5, you can eat like a king. Have you heard of boodle fight? It’s the military style of eating back in PMA (Philippine Military Academy, Baguio City) where food is served on a banana leaf and everyone eat with their hands. No cutlery? No problem. You will get to enjoy rice served with all kinds of Filipino dish. If you haven’t tried Filipino food yet, you are missing out. Been to a fiesta before? The food and the beer are overflowing...

Filipino Boodle Fight style

Halo Halo dessert

4. The Filipino people

We will give our guests our bed so we can sleep on the floor. That’s how easy it is to put it. And we like to party!

5. Commute is easy

Travelling around won’t be a problem. There are many cheap modes of transportation to take you places without making a hole in your pocket. There are tricycles, jeepneys, multicabs, taxis, Ubers, buses, kalesa (carriage) or just your feet. Traffic is just a pain in the ass literally.

6. The malls are gigantic!

The Philippines may be a third world country but it has some of the world’s biggest malls. It will take you a full day to tour these malls. I have been to some of them (SM Seaside City, Cebu) and it is a work out. If you like to shop till you drop, check this out.

Sm Seaside City, Cebu

7. The beaches

The Philippines appeared many times over on the top islands in the world to visit. Palawan, Siargao, Boracay, Cebu are few of the islands you have to see in your lifetime. A picture will not do justice to the beauty of these islands.

Bohol

Coron, Palawan

8. Mother Nature

The Philippines has lush greenery and breath taking natural sights and sounds that will make your stay more enjoyable and unforgettable. To name a few, check out the great Tinuy an Falls from the South and Enchanted River in Hinatuan, Philippines. It has one of the cleanest waters in the world. The world's most perfect cone shaped volcano Mt. Mayon is found in Bicol, Albay.

Tinuy An Falls, Surigao Del Sur

Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao Mountains (8th wonder of the world)

Island of Batanes

9. Endangered Species

The Philippine Eagle is considered the largest eagle in the world with regards to its wing’s span. You will also find one of the smallest primates in Bohol, the Tarsier.

The Philippine Eagle in Davao

Philippine Tarsier in Bohol

Whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu

Tamaraw

10. Never ending sunshine and romantic sunsets

They have their rainy seasons too but other than that, the sun always shines on the Philippines and sets to bring you a multitude of stars at night…

Sunset in Boracay

Night sky in El Nido

There are many other reasons why the Philippines should be your next go to destination on your bucket list but I want you to write them yourself once you have discovered the beautiful islands of the country I always call home.

Thanks for the time reading!

XOs Pinay_Ako

[Izumiblu]

I really like the Philippines and the people were mostly great

I always think of shakeys pizza. Jolly bee. Spaghetti is strangely everywhere

Uhhh there was this one thing I always had at breakfast. Was like sweet rice or Mochi cut in squares and layered with mango or taro or brown sugar. Don’t recall the name but I loved those things

Crispy pata, and adobo dishes.

[Still-alive]

wow i remember this chick...

[melekarduc]

Oh gosh! This post made me wanna go there so bad! Definitely adding it on my bucket list!

[TonyMetal_86]

It seems that someday i'm going to visit the philippines but you have talked about everything except girls 😄

Are there girls over there who are still traditional and loves to get married and become housewives? 🙂

[Pinay_ako]

I didn't want to reveal too much about the people because I want to leave more for the imagination... Filipinos are very traditional but keeping up with the times. Find out for yourself when you go there one day. :)

[TonyMetal_86]

Your the lady of surprises, no doubt that filipinas are good girls 😊

[Indian_Guy]

Excellent my take.. I have 4 online friends from Philippines... I wanna meet them soon.. They're excited too. They live in different parts.. Manila quezon batangas mindanao.. Lovely people and happy families.

[Indian_Guy]

Thanks for the MHO!!

[freewife]

We absolutely loved the Philippines and definitely plan to visit again. We were there for about a month and travelled around a bit but decided to spend most time on Palawan Island in Port Barton where we stayed about 10 days. The reefs there are incredible so we went out there several times, but also the nearby river valley and waterfall. Honda bay was nice as well with some great reefs. Went as far south as Quezon and out to an island there where some of the earliest human settlements have been found. We didn't go further south because of the risk of filariasis. We also went to Bohol and checked out the chocolate hills, went swimming with the whale sharks and spent a bit of time in Cebu. I would still like to go to El Nido and other places.
Some observations were the food which was a bit plain for us, only because we're used to spicy Korean food, but some was really nice, especially the street food. And the fact too many people carry guns there made me a bit wary at times. It was hard seeing the real poverty for so many people who deserve better. Seeing all the lavishly built churches everywhere and knowing the Philippines send vast sums to the Vatican when the money should be going to the people is hard to swallow. Please don't take these as harsh criticisms it's not meant that way at all, I really love the country and people who are so friendly. They are just observations. Every country has things that someone will like or not.

[Pinay_ako]

My parents and I used to live at Honda Bay. 🥰

[freewife]

Magic place... hope you get to visit often!

[LawrenceKen]

This article is full of lies. Anybody who isn't filipino and has been to the phillipines knows its a 3rd world hellhole.
Here's my mini bucket list, why you shouldn't go to the phillipines..

1. The food is shit - I went there a few years ago, and honestly a threw up a bunch of times from the disgusting items offered to me. Things like balut (duck foetus) and chicken intestines, just f*cking nasty. Whoever came up with this recipe should be shot.

2. Theives/pickpockets are everywhere! I had my camera stolen by a little filipino bastard who reached into the jeepney and snatched it. Also a lot of Americans have had thier hotel rooms broken into by savage pinoy robbers.

3. Most of the women there are prostitutes, so don't think about dating one. They love rich American old man hehe.

4. Everywhere you turn looks like a ghetto dump, you see people going to the toilet on the side of the road. Garbage and stinky sewage everywhere.

5. Rural filipinos have no manners, burping and farting while eating a family dinner is perfectly fine and normal. So is rudely staring at foreigners and pointing.

6. Filipinos are so obsessed with God and Jesus (even though neither one exists) and it gets kinda old and cringey after a while.

There's plenty more but I just can't be bothered to right them all. But yeah STAY AWAY, FAR FAR AWAY.

7.

[Pinay_ako]

#1 I am Filipino but I have never ever eaten a Balut. Of course that shit is nasty! But some people like it and good for them! Different strokes for different folks.
#2 Thieves/Snatchers --- they're in your country too.
#3 Most women are prostitutes... FALSE. You're meeting the wrong kind of women at the wrong places... Mail order brides, dating online for money and sex are also in your country too and everywhere else in the world.
#4 Ghetto dump everywhere? Again, you are lost in the wrong places. Whoever is your tourist guide should be fired. Or you didn't do your research good enough.
#5 I was born in a rural area (province), and where I was from, we had manners and we are not ignorant people who haven't seen a foreigner.
#6 There is nothing wrong with being religious and deeply rooted in faith with God and Jesus. Not only that we respect other people's religion and we try to live in harmony.
For you to just shit on my post and my country is just disrespectful. Constructive criticism is okay but blatantly trash talking about someone else's country is beyond disgusting. I guess where you from, this is normal. Says a lot about you. Thank you for taking the time to express negative ideas. Please don't come back.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

1. So what if you don't like balut? Is it that hard for you say no you don't like it? Nobody is forcing you. I personally like it but why do you care? If you think it's nasty then I think that's just a half duck and a half egg. Both edible but last I check no one's forcing you to eat one to qualify for something. Go have Mc donalds or something else which is available for someone picky.
2. Sure thing that's an issue here but it's no one's fault you don't know shit about precautions. While crimes like those happens here more often, at least we don't have crimes such as school shooting, high jacking cars, road rage shooting, bombing buildings killing groups of people. I mean who cares? That happens less often than pick pockets around. *shrugs*
3. "Most" How many women in the Philippines you see dating Americans? 5? 10? Sure because on the Philippines, there are only like 15 women in total lol (sarcastic)

4. Everywhere in 7,641 islands. Sure you've been there lol

5. Oh so you've ate with every families in the rural areas too just to judge them? And you don't consider yourself rude mr. perfect.

6. It's non of your business if we believe in God just like it's none of our business if you're a cringey atheist with their supremacy. So does it really bother you that much? When religion is basically everywhere in world. If you're so salty then you better not live.

[midnightmoon05]

My ex. went there thinking the girl was serious about him... he spent lots of money chatting with her before smart phone. He told me the girl only wanted to leave the Philippines. Found out she was also talking to other guys from Europe. She went to Europe. My ex. was glad he met me after that trip. She also tried to scam him for money.
He told me, lots of girls will have sex with any Westerns to keep the guy and have their babies.
They went to some bars for karoke. Lots of prostitutes.
My younger sister also visited the Philipines when she was teaching English in Korea. She was just not impress, sure the food is cheap and the natural landscapes are beautiful. She said it was a turn off with the quaility of the people even though lots with religious background. Yet lots of scammers. Women use their charm to seduce Westerns. She went with some of her Western friends. Those girls were all over the guys with no shyness.
I am sure there are also lots of decent Philipinos. But hearing from 2 very close people who visited... perhaps... more cautious than looking at it at one view.
I also have Philipino friends here. They are very family oriented.
I just don't trust those in the Philipines. They say how amazing it is.. yet they all want to leave.
Some other South Eastern country girls the same. Some men came back with STDs...
I am sure I will get lots of down votes for being so negative and honest.

@TonyMetal_86
I second @LaweranceKen

[TonyMetal_86]

Thanks for your concern dear but don't you think that in every country there are girls like that, there is no country in the world that has only the good, actually i'll be surprised if i find any good person since in this day and age. the majority of people around the world are corrupted, we have hundreds of filipinas working here as maids and in factories, most of them works because they need to take care of their parents or of their kids because they are single mothers, there is the bad and there is the good and thanks for your concern, i really appreciate it...

I talked with hundreds of filipinas so it's not new to me 😄 and it was only a suggestion...

[Pinay_ako]

I understand your concern. But you haven't experienced it yourself. Other people's experience won't automatically mean it will happen to you. You only see what others told you or what you read/seen on TV or online. Things can happen to people even in their own country. Anything is possible.

[TonyMetal_86]

Yep i know miss pinay ako, already said that...
My friend went 2 times to the philippines and he was so happy and enjoyed his time and if there any country that he likes to keep going back to it, it's going to be the philippines 🙂

[TonyMetal_86]

He went to thailand and was happy there too but he said the philipinnes is a lot better when it comes to people and girls...

[Pinay_ako]

@TonyMetal_86 Oh I wasn't replying to you lol. I was replying to midnightmoon05. Thanks

[Dargil]

Been there twice. Brought her home. Want to get back.
Filipinos are the consummate cultural appropriators and that is a compliment. I have heard reggae, R&B, country/western and non native international music. They managed to fuse tribal, Spanish/Mexican, East Asian and American cultures seamlessly. I observed NO cultural/racial angst. There are some down-sides but by no means counter-balancing. In some respects, they LOOK Asian but are more MEXICAN. They love to cook, eat and party. Member of a Phil-Am group here. When both Latinos and other Asians got wind of us, they started showing up at our mass parties at VFW and American Legion halls and were welcomed without hesitation. Am I hopelessly biased? Yes.

[Daniela1982]

Oh yeah, got to love those baluts and lumpia. I just ask one question. If the Philippines are such a happy place, then why do all the young girls want to get to the US by willing to marry older men in their 50"s as I have seen on some dating sites related to the Philippines?

[Pinay_ako]

Because of poverty I think? It's not only in the Philippines that this is happening... Correction, not ALL young girls from the Philippines want to go to the US and marry old men.

[Cuminginside]

Don't make anybody a guru these days, you wind up keeping real quality out.

[ObscuredBeyond]

If I could only afford the airfares. Of course, it's tricky now to marry any of the natives. Mail order brides have been illegal for years, and not entirely unjustifiably.

I'd probably avoid the south side of Mindanao though. Pickpockets, pornographers, prostitutes, traffickers, and terrorists supposedly flood the streets. And there's no room for them in prison, because the prisons are full of grannies accused of abusing drugs, but who have been there for 13 years without a trial. Yeah, I think I'll skip that region. Not sure how that particular island drew the bum end of the stick, but it's not exactly safe.

[Pinay_ako]

I was born and raised in Mindanao... The news is all flash but Mindanao is huge.

[ObscuredBeyond]

I consider it the oceanic Michigan. South Mindanao is like southeast Michigan. Know your neighborhoods, and stay out of the bad ones.

[LawrenceKen]

Mindanao is full of muslim rebels who kidnap foreign tourists for ransom.

[ObscuredBeyond]

@LawrenceKen : So, like Dearborn, but with extra hot sauce?

[AlexBlack007]

Philippines has been on my bucket list since the moment I read about Filipino urban legends. Started reading about the white lady of Balete Drive and ended up reading about plenty more about Aswang, Manananggal, Sigbin, etc. I'd love to hear more folktales about these creatures and their origins. Supernatural things are so interesting to me that everything else about a place is like a bonus.

[AlexBlack007]

Oh wait, I JUST saw that picture of the night sky. Now THAT'S the most important reason for me to visit Philippines! I guess that makes those urban legends bonuses too. Sky comes first!

[Ordinarygurl_]

I'm sorry I had to 😂

https://youtu.be/3eM-_-lSJWk

[Ordinarygurl_]

Great mistake by the way

[Ordinarygurl_]

Mytake not mistake wth

[vald9inches]

You beat me to it lol

[Pinay_ako]

lol no worries

[SteveSmith1985]

I enjoy these longform informative posts. I've never been, but I've always been a fan of the Philippines--especially the awesome martial arts--but you certainly make me want to go. 🙂

[Pinay_ako]

Aww thank you :)

[elissa23Trans]

As a trans woman, I would love to visit the Phillipines , I wouldn’t be the only ladyboy in town anymore hehe :)

[Pinay_ako]

lol. Yes some lady boys look better than some girls

[vald9inches]

https://youtu.be/3eM-_-lSJWk

[Ordinarygurl_]

Loll

[Pinay_ako]

LMAO :P

[FatherJack]

It's certainly on mine , have done / have an interest in Filipino combat arts , Eskrima / Panantukan / Pananjakman & Sikaran , and want to visit the Phillipines anyway. Want to do a SE Asia tour from Myanmar - Vietnam , with Malaysia , poss Indonesia and of course , Phillipines too.

[Saville_Row]

Just met a person from Philippines and he's intelligent and super interesting. Also, all your reasons convinced me. I have to go.

[Pinay_ako]

you got to! Lemme know how it went :)

[Thatsamazing]

This is awesome! Maybe I will go to the Philippines. But what about Dueterte? He's a killer. Has he not negatively affected the country? And what are the girls like in the Philippines?

[Pinay_ako]

PRRD is a good leader. I have witnessed him first hand when he was still a mayor for Davao City - now one of the most progressed cities in the Philippines. Yes he might seem to be a ruthless leader but he has his soft side. He has changed the Philippines for the better. The women in the Philippines... Well it's for you to find out :)

[Thatsamazing]

... He's indirectly murdering people. It has been documented. Thousands of people have been killed in extrajudicial killings on his watch. How is he a good leader? That's not what good leaders do.

[Thatsamazing]

And yes maybe I will find out about Philippine girls.

[ZeussLightningBolt]

Historic sites too and indigenous tribes
But there are also many reasons NOT to go

How's Duterte's War on Drugs and Terrorism going?

[N192K001]

Ⅰ
It wasn't as magical as Pres. Duterte expected and the cartels' infiltration of the law-enforcement & the courts frustrated him to the point of mentioning in a speech how he felt like a failure since he could cleanse the streets of crime in Davao city, but not the entire nation. But, Manila's efforts have dropped crime rates, cleared the streets of shirtless drunkards who generally harassed and 'invited' women to drink with them, and survey after survey have shown the citizenry feeling safer. This was confirmed by the results of the recent election, where his party's bloc & allied parties won by a landslide 7 the opposition won 0 seats in the Senate (when the historical average was 3 minimum).

On terrorism, the 1st-2nd largest Islamic insurrectionist militias (who only wanted better presentation in a Catholic-dominated nation) have ceased their hostilities, given the new special administrative region with more local autonomy. In fact, 1 even helped defeat Islamic State in Marawi and is now disarming and disbanding its forces. The other is waiting for the President's campaign promise of Federalism which may take a while due to the public's utter unfamiliarity (& interest), given our centuries' use of a more top-down Unitary government with an 'imperial' Manila ordering its provincial arms under occupation (by Madrid, London, Washington, Tokyo) and while finally independent. The rest who wanted an Islamic caliphate have joined Islamic State, which has been largely vanquished (as far as we civilians are told). The Maoist militia, the New People's Army, killed their own golden opportunity during negotiations. With many historic documents signed, only 1 more needed singing to finally solve this decades' long civil war. Meanwhile, they continued extorting 'revolutionary taxes' from the citizenry, machine-gunned the President's limo (which was luckily a double), and demanded to be a co-equal/coalition government, unauthorized in the Constitution.

[N192K001]

Ⅱ
The while organization-wide negotiations with the N. P. A. have failed, local negotiations have proven far more successful with surrenderees coming in droves. Even anti-Duterte A. B. S.-C. B. N News reported 8k surrendering and accepting the President's offer of amnesty, fnaicial-support, and social-reintegration in 2018.
news.abs-cbn.com/.../8000-reds-have-surrendered-under-localized-peace-talks-lorenzana
Government news reports 11k.
www.ptvnews.ph/.../
Reports of more surrenderees are still being reported every so often.

On the drugs: About 1.4mil drug-users have availed of the President's instant-amnesty for info & rehab offer.
globalnation.inquirer.net/.../locsin-1-4-million-filipino-drug-users-surrendered-for-rehab-in-war-vs-drugs
And given the emerging science & practices worldwide, legalization of medicinal cannabis was seriously considered. The House even passed a bill for it.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060435
But the Pres. Duterte himself has been wavering for/against every few months.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1064199
In corporate news, his last stance was against. He may switch again soon, after the next (18th) Congress starts in 22 June 2019. Who knows?

[Dargil]

@N192K001 Du30 is just the (can be) ruthless SOB they need. He is no threat to the orderly and law abiding but of you are involved with corruption, drug dealing or are part of the Muslim and Communist street gangs, be really afraid.

[someginger]

Yeah it's definitely a beautiful country, I would also like to go to japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, thailand.

[ariadneR]

I hate you rn lol

I've been to the phillipines about 4 times last year ( if you count the embassy)
One day soon
Good take

[Poormanscomedian]

I thought about renting a house there , to spend winter

[Pinay_ako]

That sounds like a good idea.

[Passinggas]

It is on my list believe me it is. If I can get a job there someday, I will.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Welp I actually wanna get out of that place. I mean vacationing is cool but living there sucks.

[Pinay_ako]

Are you living there now?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Cebu and I always have lived there since birth. Still stuck in the filthy city.

[Pinay_ako]

I thought you were Japanese lol. I am going to Cebu in September. Why haven't you move out of Cebu if it was filthy?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

The job's limited and we're not that rich. I would need another 4 years to get the degree since I graduated from a course I didn't even use. Not my passion. But right now I'm selling stuff and keep expanding. Cebu is not that filthy but it's just inconvenient, hot and corrupt specially if you're a self employed that soon become a business that requires C. O. R. from the B. I. R. and 2 valid I. Ds for future use.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Well thanks that's kinda flattering if you think I'm a Japanese lol. I'm actually Chinese/Spanish/Pinoy

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Doing everything so I can migrate as a retired person. Not a worker.

[Pinay_ako]

Same here lol Where in Cebu do you live?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Talisay. It's at the south.

[agamo]

Yeah I thought you were japanese too haha

[Aiko_E_Lara]

We're Asians after all. Just like Northeast Indians.