r/Philippines_Expats

Excerpt: The Philippine economy grew at its slowest pace in five years, expanding just 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2026, as the country grapples with the persistent government spending slump and mounting inflation shocks.

The country’s economy, as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP), decelerated from the 3.0 percent expansion recorded in the final three months of 2025.

It also significantly missed the 3.4 percent median growth projected by economists in a survey, and marked the weakest quarterly output for the country since the first quarter of 2021, when the economy contracted 3.8 percent during pandemic-era lockdowns.

What's wrong with so many Filipino women on the dating apps? I find that so many are flaky, stop answering, ask zero questions, even when they initiate the chatting and tell about themselves. Some are also fine and interesting, but for at least half, it's like talking to a door. Why even be on a dating app if you're acting like that, they aren't even asking for money. What are your experiences with it and explanations for this happening?

You ever wonder how you stacked up against Filipino families? This data is for a Filipino family of five, in monthly income (about ₱62.90 to the dollar).

**Poor:** under ₱14,634 ($233). 6.4% of families.

**Low income, not poor:** ₱14,634 to ₱29,268 ($233 to $465). About 38%.

**Lower middle:** ₱29,268 to ₱58,536 ($465 to $931). About 34%.

**Middle:** ₱58,536 to ₱102,438 ($931 to $1,629). About 19% for middle and upper middle combined.

**Upper middle:** ₱102,438 to ₱175,608 ($1,629 to $2,792). Included above.

**Upper, not rich:** ₱175,608 to ₱292,680 ($2,792 to $4,653). About 1.6%.

**Rich:** ₱292,680 and up ($4,653 and up). About 0.6%.

The brackets are multiples (1x, 2x, 4x, 7x, 12x, 20x) of the 2025 poverty line of ₱14,634 for a family of five. The poor share is the 2025 PSA figure. The other shares are estimates, since a 2025 breakdown by bracket hasn't been published. The exchange rate is the October 8 close.

So, I have 4 kids (3 by my first wife and 1 by my second and current wife). 2 of my older kids are doing well in life. They are both in their 20’s, have great jobs and are financially secure (with savings and investments that they’ve both accumulated themselves). Most importantly, they are rock-solid young men. I’d trust them with my life. Also, my youngest daughter (the one that I have with my second wife is 13 yrs old and an intelligent, high achiever with a great heart-warm, empathetic, family-centered. My oldest daughter (the final child I had with my first wife) was born with NF-1, had a traumatic injury to her right lower leg as a child, had 17 surgeries on that leg as a child, has to wear a leg brace for the rest of her life, only finished a year of college, has had 2 bad car accidents, has been thru at least 8 jobs over the past 3 years, and was raped at age 18. To top it off, her mom (my first wife) treats my eldest daughter horribly….narcissistic, accusatory, and hyper-critical and always makes herself the victim when she interacts with my older daughter. In short, my older daughter needs someone in her corner-and I’ve been there for her because she’s my blood and it’s my obligation to help her. Fast forward to last night..my older daughter just started a new job and her first paycheck is 2 weeks out. She’s out of food and gas, so I gave her $100.00 USD to help her along. Keep in mind that I own a lucrative business here in the US, live in a large house in a gated community and will have no worries when I retire. My second wife lit into me like I’d given my eldest daughter a million dollars. It was a full-on attack about the money I gave to my older daughter…and about how she hates my older daughter, about how my giving my eldest daughter money won’t ever stop..,and that she can’t trust me..and on and on. So, now, she’s not speaking to me…when she does this, I just immerse myself in my work and other things and keep my distance. We were supposed to go visit one of her friend this weekend, but I’m not going to go. The last thing I want is to be trapped in the car with her for 3 hours
while she’s giving me the silent treatment.

WTF kind of Dad would I be to let my daughter go hungry while I sit over here in comfort?

Hi everyone, I'm a 30-year-old European (I know saying European is a generalization, but I just want to provide some context), male, and married to a Filipina of the same age. We dated for six years, and now we've been married for one. I just want to make it clear that we met organically while traveling, and we genuinely fell in love. It had nothing to do with the typical "old white dude meets young Filipina" stereotype. I don't want this to be interpreted as any kind of moral superiority. I just think it's relevant to the overall message I want to convey. Furthermore, this is an edited version of a post I made months ago. I'm reposting it to add more depth and because one of the mods removed it. When I asked why, I never heard back from him, so I hope this time the post is allowed to stay up.

Again, this post is totally based on my experience. It has nothing to do with absolute opinions or generalizations about the group commonly referred to as "expats." These are some truths I wish I had known before coming to Manila and living here as a foreigner. Maybe you won't agree, but this is what I've concluded after spending years in real contact with Filipino society.

Manila Is Not Living-Friendly

I don't want to be harsh on the city that adopted me, but Manila/Metro Manila (a lot of expats/foreigners don't know the difference) is a chaotic concrete jungle where nothing seems to work properly. Services are bad, public transportation is awful, pollution levels are crazy, temperatures are high year-round, traffic is insane, and the healthcare system has many shortcomings, just to name a few basics. Basically, Manila is just a machine that somehow keeps pushing forward despite everything else.

International Filipino and Local Filipino

I always make a distinction between what I call the international Filipino and the local Filipino. The international Filipino has normally traveled, experienced the world, and often studied at one of the four main universities in Manila. I think this makes them more open to meeting and connecting with foreigners. That said, truly becoming part of international Filipino circles takes time and effort, as they're normally closed groups coming from the same socioeconomic level. However, if you can overcome the initial barrier, they can open new doors for you in the business and leisure worlds.

The local Filipino, on the other hand, has normally never traveled abroad, so the only reality they know is the Filipino way. Not wanting to be harsh here, but I think the Filipino way has lost a lot of its identity over the last few decades and has clung more to its negative aspects. And that's not me saying it. Multiple lolos, lolas, ninongs, and ninangs I've met in different environments, gatherings, and events have come to the same conclusion.

Both groups have good and bad qualities, but as a foreigner, you'll generally have much more success with the first group if you're looking for genuine friendships.

The Difference Between Classes

I know some people will disagree with this, but the difference between social classes is massive, especially in Manila, and the gaps are getting bigger with the recession the country is facing in 2026 and will probably continue facing until at least the first trimester of 2027.

Many Filipinos claim that there's an established middle class in Manila, but I don't think they really understand what a middle class actually is. Having a car and a phone doesn't automatically make you middle class. If you finish the month barely surviving and saving nothing, you're not middle class. If you look at the government's data, it claims that only around 30% of the population in Manila can be considered poor. I strongly disagree with this classification, and when I researched the studies more deeply, I couldn't find anything confirming that the data was independently verified by multiple non-governmental institutions.

From my perspective, the classes in Manila are roughly: millionaires (1%), rich (4%), middle class and slowly disappearing (20%), working poor (45%), and people living below the poverty line (30%). These aren't official numbers, just my personal observations.

Security and Fearmongering

This will generate a lot of controversy, and I know I'm exposing myself to backlash, but Manila is a fairly secure city. Let me explain. If you know where you are, where you're going, and what time it is, you should be fine. It's crazy how you see headlines like "Two American citizens robbed and stabbed at 5 AM in the middle of Poblacion," and my reaction is always, "No waaay,". Trust me, if you were in Makati at 8 PM having dinner, this would be much less likely to happen to you.

You live in the real world. You know you're a target, so don't be so dumb as to make yourself an easy target. Be aware of your surroundings, research places before going, be mindful of your belongings, and ask your local connections for advice. In fact, what's crazy to me is how these basics aren't applied by foreigners who are thousands of kilometers away from home. Get into dirty business, and you'll get stained. Easy as that.

Scams and Corruption

Again, welcome to the real world. A big percentage of Pinoys struggle month to month to make ends meet, and trying to earn a bit of extra money by increasing prices based on how you look or making fake "buy one, get two" offers is part of everyday life. Wake up and be aware of where you buy things and what you find on the internet. But trust me, with a quick double-check or by asking a mate, 95% of scams can be very easily avoided.

But let me be clear: this is not condoning scams at all. In fact, scams are a big part of why Filipinos' quality of life is declining. If you're Filipino and reading this (I know there are a lot of Pinoys here), you should be the first one to be mad about scams.

And finally, yes, an underdeveloped economy facing a recession and an increasing population is the perfect breeding ground for corruption. I know you'll think this is deeply pessimistic, but my dear expat, there's not much you can do about it, and it seems that most Pinoys have given up on the cause.

Filipinos Are Why You'll Stay in Manila

Despite Manila not being an ideal place to live, Filipinos are amazing people. They're incredibly fun to be around and very kind. But like everywhere else, don't mistake someone being kind for someone being a real friend. For me, it's shocking how people say things like, "Yes, when I arrived here, everyone was so kind to me, but now that I'm past this stage, I've discovered the real Filipinos." Come on, dude, you're a foreigner, and if you truly want to call a Filipino your friend, you need to put in the effort. Real effort.

Never forget that you'll always be a foreigner, so it's your responsibility to do your best to become part of their lives, not the other way around. Please let me emphasize this: if you don't make a real effort, you'll never build genuine Filipino friendships, as Filipinos are very group-oriented. If you're not interested or not in the right place mentally to invest in that, it's much easier to socialize with other foreigners.

But then the question I always ask is: Why would you live in Manila if you don't want to make Filipino friends?

Love

Oh... where do I start? Most foreigner-Filipina couples you see in Manila are usually an older, wealthier foreigner and a young Filipina from a poor background. And let me tell you, in most of the cases, it's simply a transaction.

But if you're a young foreigner like me and you're looking for genuine love, I think the only way you'll find it is by having real things in common with the other person.

This may sound harsh, but I think you need similar educational backgrounds, a similar social class within Manila rather than in your home country, and similar interests and ambitions, such as being career-oriented, loving to travel, or sharing the same curiosity about the world. If your salary makes you rich in Manila, then you're rich in Manila, regardless of whether you'd be middle class in Europe or the US.

Party

Partying in Manila is incredibly fun, and even if this sounds harsh, as a European, you're playing on easy mode.

Simply being white will attract a lot of attention from girls. If you dress well, even more girls will approach you. If you're fit or good-looking, even more.

I've been living in the Philippines for quite a while, and every time one of my friends visits me, it doesn't matter whether they're considered attractive back in Europe or not. They have no problem attracting very beautiful Filipinas here.

Making Foreigner Money

If you're earning euros or dollars while living in Manila, and it's considered a decent salary back home, you can live like a king here, as long as you're responsible with your money. Go wherever you want, eat wherever you want, enjoy any activity you like, party, play sports, you name it. At the same time, this isn't for everyone, as life here can become boring very fast.

But let me emphasize the importance of being financially smart. For example, I met a guy from the US who was making good money remotely while living in Manila. When he lost his job, he decided to continue living his "king lifestyle" because he had savings.

Five months later, he was packing his bags because once he started looking for work locally, the salaries were nowhere near what he had been earning before.

Be Respectful

It's very easy as a foreigner to lose touch with real Filipino society. Most of us earn significantly more than the average Filipino and, as a result, enjoy a much better lifestyle. That doesn't mean you should lose your connection with the country you're living in or start treating people poorly just because you're in a higher economic class.

You're a foreigner, and Filipinos are welcoming you into their country, so it's your responsibility to treat them with the utmost respect. I always make a special effort to treat everyone who's providing me with a service well: security guards in buildings and malls, bartenders, coaches, restaurant workers, waiters, everyone. These people are serving you, and you should be grateful.

If you show Filipinos genuine kindness and respect, you'll be surprised by how much love they'll give back in return.

Thank you for reading my post! If you want to discuss any of these points or have any questions, I'm totally open to answering them. Again, this is based on my personal experience, so if you disagree with me, I'd appreciate it if you shared your perspective respectfully, and we can have a good discussion about it.

The amount of sighs and deeeeeeeep exhales.

Edit: The condo was in One Serendra

1 bedroom = 100k, 2 bedroom in the same building= 200k (BGC btw), and both are some mediocre builds. So 1 more bedroom equals double the rent?? oh boy.

Then the "buy one get one". Its just buying two that are taped together fir the price of TWO, Id rather just buy ONE not two.

😭😂 I must be off my rockers or the air here is something other than polluted.

I have understood that what the philippines actually offers(to those interested) over America and hcol countries in Europe is a bigger bottom for lower end rentals. Although tge u.s. offers cheaper places to live, nobody wants to live in poor white rurals places or these poverished areas in the cities in the ghettos.

BUT hey, lets get a condo surrounded by slums. its only $200 a month and we get to eat out everyday🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

This started as a reply to a recent post but I have to ask if others feel like I do.

I arrived here last June with the intention of getting married to my Filipina fiance and staying long enough to see if I wanted to retire here. My wife and I met in a different country and fell in love. She returned to the Philippines in 2023 and I followed last year. I had been here a couple of times before but only for short periods to visit with her while I continued to work and save in the other country. My job ended suddenly last year. I had planned to stay for a couple more years to save more, but life is like a box of chocolates, no?

Anyway, for me, I have a decent income post retirement. Enough to live like 2 kings here. But in Arizona where I hope to live eventually, it's probably lower middle class. I have my own property there and will put up a modular home when I get there. It won't be a luxury life but it will be on my terms and in a place where I already know the lay of the land. We are just now starting the CR-1 visa process. I really hope that it will be approved. I know it's gonna take some time and I'm prepared for that. What I'm not prepared for is to live here forever. I thought I might like retiring here but, alas, I can't stomach the thought of permanent residency here. The crumbling infrastructure, lack of decent quality food and dairy, the absolute horror show that is traffic here and the glaring fact that most Filipinos are satisfied with mediocre is more than I can take. I spent 35 minutes the other day in an appliance store just to buy a $25.00 coffee maker. In the beginning, I thought that the business owners didn't care about customer satisfaction. Now I realize that maybe they do and maybe they don't. What they care more about though, is preventing employee theft. And making everything difficult is a way of preventing theft so screw the consumer and their feelings. Employees aren't incentivized in any way to make the customer happy so consequentally there is no such thing as customer service.

I'm doing my best to stay busy in the meantime. I enrolled with my wife in a certification course so I could occupy my time and mind and we have met some great people. But at the end of the day, I'm just spinning my wheels waiting for the day that I can see this place in my rear view mirror.

It's delicious to deny the naysayers the opportunity to tell me that "If you don't like it here, then just leave!" I've read that so many times that I want to retch. But the joke's on you, I do plan to leave just as soon as I can. And if it takes too long for the visa process, we're thinking of relocating to somewhere else in SEA to bide our time. If at the end of the process, she is denied the visa, we'll deal with it and find a permanent home. But not in the Philippines.

Those of you who are saying that I won't find a better country where both my Filipina wife & I can live are too narrowminded to debate with.

I normally trust Google reviews in other countries, but not sure about ph.

Yesterday I ended in an area I'm not familiar with so open Google maps and saw an Indian restaurant nearby rated 4.5 from over 700 reviews. The starter & main were bland, expensive, vegetables were overcooked, they were mushy (I had a vegetarian dish). Maybe I was just unlucky in the dishes ordered.

A Steakhouse nearby is rated 4.7 with 550 reviews, an American guy told me it wasn't very good when he visited

I see adverts on here paying people for Google reviews.

How much trust do people have with Google reviews or could it just be the restaurants cater for the Filipino palette and I have a Western one.

Hey everyone, I’m a Muslim guy living in the US, and I recently met a Filipina Christian girl who lives near me.

We’ve only known each other for a short time, but we connected really well and both admitted to having feelings for each other.

The issue is religion. She believes she should marry someone who shares her Christian faith, while in Islam, Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian women. I respect her beliefs and would never expect her to convert. In the Christian faith does it disallow her from marrying a Muslim?

She decided we shouldn’t pursue anything romantic, but we still talk and spend time together. I genuinely like her, and it’s hard to completely let go when the feelings are mutual.

I wanted to ask Filipino Christians or anyone who’s been in a similar situation: what should I do. My current plan is to wait for her to open up even tho there is a possibility of me being hurt but I think that’s what it means to be in love.

I’d appreciate any advice or personal experiences. I’m just trying to understand her perspective better.

I would like to build a dual-use pickleball/basketball court on a lot near my house. The area is ~150m2 and the following building requirements apply:

Concrete strength: ~3500 PSI

Slab thickness: ~5 inches

Reinforcement: Welded wire mesh, rebar grid, or post-tensioned cables

Finish: Medium broom or fine float, no steel trowel (surface must accept acrylic bond)

Does anyone have experience with this and how much this should cost here in PH? The reason I ask here before going to the local builders is that I want to avoid being "foreigner-priced"...

So I narrowed it down to this where would you want to live and in which residences? I’m looking at 6 month to one year stay fully furnished. Budget is broad, thanks alot!

I come in peace, lol even though that won’t matter anyway… I’m currently living in Davao. Just wanted to see what it was all about. I’ve noticed there’s a country wide phenomenon with foreigners, ignoring each other completely not even acknowledging each other’s existence in the Philippines, but I’ve lived in Vietnam and Cambodia before, and the vibe was completely different. Obviously, if you’ve only lived in the Philippines, hard to comment on this, lol those who have lived in other countries, do you know the difference and why could this be?

We should all be holding hands and singing Kumbaya, we cheated the system and got ourselves fine women, where’s the hand holding and song singing? ☹️

Passion Fruit Matcha Fizz (only in Yardstick Aguirre) x Choco Almond Donut (I invented the name, Green Bar)

I started this list in 2024 when colleagues were visiting Makati for work. I sent them then a shorter version of this so they could enjoy the city in their free time. The list keeps growing as we unveil more of the enigmatic Makati.

This is a living list of my personal favorites. I‘ll update it whenever I find something new, so check back. If you have a favorite spot that I missed, drop it in the comments.

Coffee, cafes

• Yardstick Coffee, Aguirre / Esteban Street
• Habitual Coffee, Leviste Street
• Omotesando Koffee, Villar Street
• Good Sh*t Coffee, Enriquez Street Poblacion
• Annex House, Don Pedro Street Poblacion
• Assembly Hall, J.P. Rizal Street
• Satori Specialty Coffee, Yakal Street
• Convenience Coffeehouse, The Atrium of Makati
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati
• The Good Store, HV dela Costa Street
• The Curator Coffee & Cocktails, Legazpi Street
• Majikasa Cafe, Chino Roces Avenue

Coffee and food, breakfast

• Coffee Man Coffee Roasters, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, Legazpi Street / Leviste Street
• The Black Bean, Salcedo Street
• Three Squares Cafe + Bar, Karrivin Plaza Chino Roces Avenue
• Wildflour, Rada Street
• Your Local, Esteban Street
• Spotted Pig Cafe, Esteban Street
• Fifty Nine Flower Cafe, Paseo de Roxas
• Deuces Coffee, Perea Street
• Bad Cafe, Legazpi Street
• One World Deli, Jupiter Street
• Ani Cafe, Comuna

Filipino food

• Via Mare, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala North Exchange
• Mesa, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Sarsa Kitchen + Bar, Rada Street
• Manam, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Milky Way Cafe, Arnaiz Avenue
• Rabbit Room, Sampaloc Street
• Bombvinos Bodega, Malugay Street
• Sisigsarada, Rada Street

Sinigang is life

• George & Onnie’s, Ayala Triangle Gardens / Valero Street
• Kuya’s, Assembly Grounds The Rise
• Fely J’s Kitchen, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5

Donuts

• Green Bar, Aguirre Street
• Cello’s Donuts in Tyler's Cafe, Tordesillas Street
• Baker on East, San Agustin Street

Cakes

• Heavenly Desserts by Chef Jeng, Ayala Avenue
• Pasteleria Costa Brava, Makati Avenue
• Golden Whisk PH, Rockwell pick-up
• Cuerva Bakeshop, Petron EDSA-Arnaiz Avenue
• Big Al's, Jupiter Street

Halal food

• Mister Kebab, Emilia-Bautista Streets
• Mantra Indian Kitchen & Bar, Bolanos Street
• Sultan Mediterranean Grill, San Agustin Street
• Persia Grill, Ayala North Exchange / Valero Street
• New Bombay, HV dela Costa Street
• Hossein's Persian Kebab, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 3
• Swagat, Rada Street
• Restoran Garuda, Salcedo Street

Vegan, vegetarian

• Corner Tree Cafe, Felipe Street Poblacion
• Wabi Sabi Noodle House, Makati Cinema Square
• Green Bar, Aguirre Street
• Cosmic, P. Guanzon Street Poblacion

Japanese food

• Tsumura, Ayala Triangle Gardens
• Kenjitei, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Ganso Shabuway, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Seryna, Fernando Street / Chino Roces Avenue
• Edoya, Fernando Street
• Wabi Sabi Noodle House, Makati Cinema Square
• Jipan, Glorietta by Ayala Malls
• Tsukiji, Arnaiz Street
• Ooma, Leviste Street / Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 3
• Nihonbashitei, Arnaiz Avenue
• Mendokoro Ramenba, Soliman Street
• The Underbelly, Karrivin Plaza Chino Roces Avenue
• Kodawari, Leviste Street / Rockwell Power Plant

Weekend markets

• Salcedo Saturday Market, Salcedo Village 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM
• Legazpi Sunday Market, Legazpi Village 07:30 AM to 02:00 PM

Parks

• Legazpi Active Park, Legazpi Village
• Washington Sycip Park, Legazpi Village
• Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village
• Ayala Triangle Gardens

Our parks are good for walks and short runs. For long-distance runs, you can run on the streets of Legazpi and Salcedo Villages. These are not gated villages, just a bunch of blocks with corporate and residential buildings. 

You can also run around Ayala Triangle (1km) or along Ayala Avenue end-to-end (2km) but you have to pass through 4-5 underground passageways. Run along Buendia (3km) early weekend/holiday mornings when there are not a lot of cars (to avoid the fumes).

Ayala Avenue is car-free on Sundays, 6AM to 10AM. Run or walk or run-walk. Bike and skateboarding allowed, starting later at 830AM-ish when there are fun runs. Makati Avenue (also closed at these hours) is the go-to spot for in-line skaters and skateboarders.

Malls

• Ayala Malls Greenbelt (Greenbelt 2 & 4 are luxury brands, Greenbelt 3 food and cinemas, Greenbelt 5 food and retail)
• SM Makati (department store and supermarket)
• Rockwell Power Plant  (food, cinemas, retail)

Souvenirs, shop local

• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati / Rockwell Power Plant
• Craft Central, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Frankie & Friends General Store, Rockwell Power Plant / Glorietta / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• The Good Store, HV dela Costa Street
• Purveyr Plaza, The Atrium of Makati
• Suez & Zapote Store, Suez-Zapote Streets
• Tesoro’s Philippine Handicrafts, Arnaiz Avenue
• Balikbayan Handicrafts, Arnaiz Avenue

Books, new and used, free and public libraries, library cafes

• Biblio, One Ayala
• Book Sale, Makati Cinema Square / HV dela Costa Street
• Union Church Manila Public Library, Rada Street
• Union Church Manila Free Library, Rada Street (look for the TARDIS booth along the street)
• Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Museum
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati
• Fully Booked, Rockwell Power Plant / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5
• Everything's Fine PH, Tordesillas Street (local publishers)
• Tahanan Books, Esteban Street (local publisher)
• Open Book Pop-Up Library, Ayala Triangle Gardens

Vinyls

• Plaka Planet, Makati Cinema Square
• Bebop Records, Makati Cinema Square
• Hodgepodge, San Agustin Street

Museums

• Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza
• Ayala Museum, Makati Avenue

Everything else

• SaGuijo Cafe and Bar, Guijo Street (gigs)
• Sunshine Place, Jupiter Street (arts)
• Common Room PH, The Atrium of Makati (crafts)
• Craft MNL, Arnaiz Avenue (crafts)
• The Maya Kitchen, Arnaiz Avenue (cooking)
• Bumi and Ashe, Malugay Street (pottery)
• The Brickyard, Glorietta (mini 4wd)
• Gaming Library, Ayala Malls Greenbelt 5 (board and card games)
• The Bouldering Hive, Ayala Malls Circuit (wall climbing)
• The Practice Room, Chino Roces Avenue (jiu jitsu)
• Makati CBD Brutalist buildings (photo walks)

Events

• Art Fair Philippines in February
• Art in the Park in March
• Mabrewhay Craft Beer Fest in May
• Fête dela Musique in June
• Maarte Fair In August
• Spanish Film Festival in October
• Ayala Ave NYE Countdown in December

Third spaces, favorite places

• Makati Cinema Square (vinyls and vinyl fairs, crystals, ukay-ukay, Aida’s)
• Little Tokyo (Japanese restaurants)
• The Atrium of Makati (retail, crafts, bawal magpicture)
• Comuna (cafes, art spaces)
• La Fuerza Plaza (art galleries)
• Karrivin Plaza (food, art galleries, furniture stores)
• LRI Design Plaza (furniture stores)
• Evangelista Street (thrift shops)
• The Collective (jk iykyk)

For health emergencies, the nearest hospitals are Makati Medical Center or St. Luke's Medical Center - Global City.

I'm in my 40s, and I've been in a long-distance relationship with my American boyfriend (60s) for two years. We met in person more than 2 years ago.

He's now talking about coming back to the Philippines for at least a year, but I honestly don't know how he'll make that happen since he's still working in the US. There's no definite timeline.

What's frustrating is that he seems busier now than when he was working two jobs. We still communicate regularly, but lately I feel emotionally disconnected. I don't feel like I'm getting the emotional support I need from this relationship.

Whenever I ask when he's coming back, he asks me, "Why can't you wait?"

I'm getting fed up, but I also don't want to give up easily. I was single for a long time before this relationship, and I genuinely hoped this would be the one.

I'm in my 40s, and while I still look young for my age, I don't want to spend the rest of my good years waiting for a future that may or may not happen.

For those who've been in a similar situation, how long would you wait? At what point would you stop waiting and start choosing yourself?

Hey everyone, any recommendations for bars in Manila where younger expats and foreigners tend to hang out, ideally people in their 20s and 30s?

I’m looking for somewhere sociable to have a few drinks, chat and meet people. Not interested in girly bars or strip clubs, just a decent bar where you can turn up on your own without feeling awkward.

Doesn’t need to be exclusively an expat crowd either, a mix of locals and foreigners would be great. Any particular spots or regular nights you’d recommend?

​

My mom's dream retirement is a resort. We already have land, and we were supposed to start construction last month. But because of these damn squatters, it's been delayed again. They're causing trouble because it's too noisy, blah blah blah. The last one got mad because of the dump truck noise. His kid can't sleep.

What? We can't build on our own land?

The funny part is they're squatters there. They have no title. And that area isn't even residential. It's right by the highway.

Construction has been delayed multiple times because of these damn squatters. We have all the permits. We're in the right zone. We have a title. Everything is complete. But because of these entitled squatters, it feels like we have to adjust. They have no rights

Welcome to the Philippines.

May i know how can i have permanent u.s number? (Not the one with expiry)

Edit: im in ph, my grandfther needs it for his us pension acct

Edit: Thank you so much to all of you. Ps. Its not fraud haha. Just a grandchild that wants to help his grandpa get access to his accounts. Since my college days, he always ask me to help him in his finances here in ph. But this one is very hard. Its hard to help them when they (both grandparents) are here in ph and their account is in the u.s… ive got 0 knowledge but asking help from you and chatgpt really helped. (Sorry for my basic to bad english)… also if you can see all of my posts, its all regarding to my grandparents (us ss, us bank accounts)

Thank you all! Very helpful community.

I’ve noticed that a lot of the grab drivers have runny noses and are sniffling quite a bit. Are they sick or on meth?

The Philippine Supreme Court has made it easier for a Filipino spouse to get a foreign divorce recognized in Philippine courts. It is a rule change on evidence and procedure, not a change in who qualifies.

Note this is not a national divorce law. Domestic divorces are only allowed for Muslim Filipinos at this time.

What it means for a foreigner who divorced a Filipina

• Your divorce was already valid. Nothing here changes your status abroad. The rule is about her capacity to remarry under Philippine law and about getting her PSA records annotated.
• It matters mostly to her. Before this, the recognition case could stall or get dismissed because the petitioner could not produce proper proof of foreign law. That was the main obstacle, and it is now much lighter. This is the same hurdle the Court flagged in earlier cases, where the Court remanded for reception of evidence on Japanese divorce law.
• If you are the ex-spouse, expect that the case may be easier to win. You can still oppose it, but you would carry the burden of rebutting the presumption with certified foreign law.
• Limited divorces and legal separations do not qualify. The presumption fails if the decree says it is limited.
• Nothing is automatic. She still has to file in a Philippine court. The article does not say anything about property, support, or custody, so I would not assume those are affected.

For your K-1 and CR-1 cases
A Filipina previously married to a foreigner who now wants to marry your client, or a client whose fiancée has a prior foreign spouse, will find the Philippine side easier to clean up. A recognized divorce and an annotated PSA marriage certificate give her capacity to marry in the Philippines. For USCIS, the question is still whether the prior marriage was legally terminated where the divorce was obtained, so keep documenting the decree itself. I’m not a lawyer, so confirm the details of the Philippine court process with Philippine counsel.