Okay, loud noise is a pretty common thing here. I assume there is a ton of aural damage here and I wonder if Filipinos get hearing aids or do they just live with it?

Also, what brought this up was noticing the Trike Divers with the large sound systems playing the exact same music at unheard of decibels. I would imagine driving around all day with that would do serious damage.

Business opportunity? Perhaps.

I think the Philippines needs to put this into effect. If you're "vlogging" and making money, you are working. You should be required to have a work visa. Start getting rid of these "influencers"!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1D2mWP2gVU/

I'm leaving the country in 16 days, my visa expired March 28th and I tried to renew it twice but both times I went to the BI office it was a holiday so I gave up, planned to deal with it all now before I leave.

I've been here since March 2025, can I just deal with it all at the airport? Or do I have to deal with it before I get to the airport?

I'd go to the BI at SM Aura in BGC, but kinda wondering if I can just do it at the airport instead.

Anyone have experience with this?

I come across this occasionally and wondered if others see the same.

Most recent was a big line up for Ferry tickets and a scowl faced (they all seem to have this) Filipina jist pushed in in front of everyone and nobody stopped her.

Yesterday in line at a supermarket (Not SM with elderly/disable dedicated checkout) and after waiting a while this again sour faced 60 something Filipina had pushed her way past 2 young Pinoys who of course said nothing and was about to try and overtake me.

I stopped her and said "hey, there is a line here and I'm next" she gave me a filthy look and I just soaked it up with my own version of a stinkface look.

The locals seem to allow them to do this, but unless they have an impairment, disability or other obvious ailment, not on my watch.

Not on my watch...

my friend’s phone got stolen from his FRONT pocket. clubhouse is one of our go-to clubs and it was so unfortunate for my friend to experience this since he usually keeps all of our devices safe.

when we were able to track it, same night, the phone was at glorietta tapos GH the next day (we knew it was over lol)

this, of course, is a reminder for all to take care of their belongings, especially when clubbing.

I'm not sure how to make this short, but 2 years ago I met a Filipina through her family member at work. She pursued me first, and there were green flags at least at the beginning: 6 years age gap, we're both college educated, have successful jobs, etc. I've been with her in Philippines but we also met up in nearby countries. However, looking back it just didn't seem like a good fit, and can't help but feeling like a travel ATM. I guess what I'm looking for here is reassurance that I made the right choice?

What truly compelled me to break things off was the last few months. For context, she has always asked me to send her money. Less than a month after meeting in person, she called me crying stating that her mother needed $400 for hospitalization. I suppose this should have set up red flags from the beginning. Money requests were small and spread out over time as first, but became much more frequent. She's a single mother of 1, but also the breadwinner to her provincial parents who cannot work due to health conditions. She changed her role to a sales rep during our LDR, and so money requests were usually related to travel costs for training, food, etc. This also escalated as she told me her first job stopped paying her, and last summer I was paying her rent/ utilities, etc. while she found a new job. After her new job, this continued into other problems as she constantly needed to travel (for sales) but her company wouldn't pay her for it. Keep it mind, I always tried asking her why her company wouldn't pay her for travel, for food, transport, and setting boundaries, but she would tell me she didn't know and would get angry, stating that I should "naturally know and feel" when she needs support, needs me to send money.

During the last few months, her requests were extremely frequent and large, also for work but mostly related to her child. Within a month, her child had apparently sustained an outdoor injury, but later on also had to have surgery and hospitalization for something else. She did send me photos of account statements, but a few details didn't seem right. For example, the "Phil health" discount wasn't really applied towards the total, or the account number was "0-123456." At this point, I put my boundaries into action and refused to send anything. Small requests continued. Yearly work conferences in Manila, where she posts FB photos of herself with other men in professional attire. One evening, we started exchanging long paragraphed WhatsApp messages which she initiated, and decided to end things over video chat. The basic summary of her texts boiled down to the same argument she told before, that I should "naturally" be able to provide for her, read her mind or whatever thoughts she had in her own head, stating I wasn't there for her or her child even though she rarely, if ever shared her child's life with me.

Thanks for your input

I think I'm finally at a point where I am ready to share something I've been working on to get some feedback. So any feedback would be greatly appreciated. This is not a 'finished' product by any means. It is still very much a work in progress with a good To-Do list. But some feedback and/or ideas would help me out.

First let me give you the premise for this whole thing. Before February I had done nothing with diffusion models. I started to get into it, downloaded ComfyUI, Z-image-turbo, and got hooked. In march I used my bonus from work to purchase a new laptop with a 5090 24GB VRAM / 64 GB system memory so I could start also playing around with learning video models.

(Why I'm doing this:) - All for fun.
I thought it would be fun to create 3D animated versions of my fiancée and our families, and then use them as the characters in a fantasy adventure story that is based on a fantasy version of her home country. So I set out going through the process of developing a story, the characters, world building, etc. My goal was to make something that is entertaining and also family friendly. I think to back to when my own kids were young and how we would enjoy watching things together.

I try to make every scene have a purpose whether it is revealing something about the story, the world, or a character. But….. Do I have a kitchen scene that exists so my 5 year old nephew can say "Hey! That's me!"? Yes. Yes I do.

 

I have a character that is a daydreamer and longs for some adventure in life. So I thought it would be fun to have a scene with one of those typical Disney "I want" songs. (Imagine Belle at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast) so I worked that in to help show her some of her personality and motivation.

(Quality of the work:)
I am a noob to all of this but I'm having an absolute blast. I don't have money coming out of my ears so I try to use local models as much as I can unless the scene calls for more than I can produce locally. I am not blaming models for my lack of experience for bad edits or if a scene does not flow well.  

(Character Voices:)
I know that voice consistency could be achieved if I took the time to do the voice acting / convert voice using a model / etc. but I do this in my spare time and I just don't have that much time. I have found that I can get between 80%-90% voice consistency by giving LTX consistent voice anchors for each character. For example, for the wizard Hazel, every time she speaks I use "the teenage girl in the blue wizard robes, says in teen girl's voice with a mid-range pitch, clear smooth texture, measured and articulate delivery, and a calm, thoughtful tone: "Nice to meet you, my name is Hazel."" Each character gets an anchor of (gender & age / pitch / texture / delivery / and tone. And tone is one you play with. Depending upon the conversation I might change her from "thoughtful tone:" to "playful tone:". And before anyone tries to argue that this technique does not work, just watch the video for yourself. Like I said it's not 100%, but I'll take it. BTW I also find that using the same voice anchors if I need a shot from Seedance seems to keep it within that 80%-90% range too.

(My To-Do list:)

1. Still several shots to remove the extra 'music' from. Way too many shots left (Thank you LTX. LOL)
2. Re-work the knight sparring scene to something that flows better
3. 2 scenes to complete and inject before the shift of setting to Seabreeze to make the transition flow.
4. Re-balance the dialogue to background music in some spots.

 

Looking for LTX suggestions:

I would love some suggestions on how to get better results from LTX in certain situations. Places like the dialogue shots (ex: 15:09 in the video) are where LTX really shines. BUT places like the 15:00 mark where the two people are simply walking forward and her face is melting into goo is where LTX drives me nuts. Maybe it's something I'm not doing correctly. I've seen people post some amazing things they've made with LTX but any time I attempt any real motion things turn nasty quick.

 

Should I open a Mexican street stlyle food cart with el pastor tacos?

(Trompas what we call it)

Would totally just teach the fam how to cook it and let them keep the profit tbh - I miss the tacos

I'm hoping someone with more legal experience in the Philippines can help shed some light on the following case:

Story:

My gf grew up without her biological mother and father. She was legally adopted by her aunt and her aunt's husband when she was just a baby. Her adoptive father owned two properties in Manila while he was alive (a house and an apartment), and he passed away without a will about 12 years ago.

According to filipino law, if you pass away without a will, all of your assets are divided equally between your wife and your remaining heirs. Her adoptive father had one wife (my gf's aunt), and two adopted children besides my gf (three children total). Therefore, the law is very clear and simple on this: his assets should be divided between his living wife and his three children (25% each).

However, despite all rent moneys from both properties being divided equally for the first several years, his eldest daughter took over both properties during the pandemic and stopped sending rent payments. For the last five years, she has taken all rent moneys to herself and herself alone. Her rationale is that she renovated the units, and therefore, she deserves all the rent money now. However, no one asked her to renovate the units, and whatever she spent on renovations, has already been returned to her 5X or more. Finally, the eldest daughter is lucky she's even entitled to anything at all because in most countries the assets would just pass to the wife and not the children. Instead, she took EVERYTHING for herself.

Anyways, the law is very clear on this. She can't do this, and the only reason she was able to get away with it for five years is because my gf and her aunt (adoptive mother) didn't have the financial resources to hire a lawyer. But ... I do.

I tried reaching out to the eldest daughter, but she blocked me on FB and refused to answer my texts. My next step is to pay a lawyer to send her demand letters. If she neglects to answer those, I'll take her to court for all rent moneys from the last five years in addition to damages for emotional distress. I will also sue for my attorney fees to be reimbursed. My gf was in college when all of this this happened, but she had to leave school to support her family because a big part of her income at the time was that rent money.

I have no doubt that we'll win the case, but what I'm not sure of is how long it will take and how effective the court systems are here at getting things like this resolved. The eldest daughter is pretty terrible, and I'm pretty sure some of her assets will have to be seized in order my gf to finally get compensated ...

I've been looking in Indonesia for a year, and so many of the things that irk and annoy you guys in the Philippines are the same things that piss on my fire here in Indonesia.

Have any of you lived in both countries for a year+, and if so how do they generally compare in the irritation factor stakes?

I'm at month 26 now, I'm planning to fly out to Japan for a day around month 34-35 then return to the Philippines again on a tourist visa to reset the 36 month clock(First time resetting). Is it really as simple as that? I was sold on moving to the Philippines because that's what most people seem to do until they get married.

- US passport valid until 2031
- Renewed all my extensions so far either early or on time
- No criminal record/troubles either here in PH or the US, not working either
- I've retained all of my extension's documentation, so I'll be sure to have my ECC setup properly before departing

I keep stressing out about a nightmare scenario where I return the next day at PH immigration and they say something like "Oh really, you were here for 34-35 months before on TOURISM?! I doubt that's why you're returning again after just one day later for just tourism" and they deny me. But from all the research I've gathered, I can't find a single public record or feedback where someone has claimed being denied at PH immigration for resetting the 36 month clock after leaving and returning for one day, unless they had some other issues like they were consistently late on renewing their visa or overstayed or had some issues with the law or something like that.

My plan is to get a hotel reservation for about 5-7 days where I already rent a condo in PH and an onward airplane ticket for that 6th/7th day, a real one-way ticket(Not those onward ticket services) to like Hong Kong or Japan, so then I have proof of accommodation in PH + onward plane ticket, and I'll avoid wording like I live here, just stick to my tourism wording

Another concern I have is if the immigration officer asks me "How long do you plan to stay here for", well the truthful and obvious answer to both myself and the immigration officer is likely 1-3 years, but on paper I have proof of hotel stay for 5-7 days and onward ticket for that 7th day.

Looking for feedback from all, but also primarily from those who've done this exactly like leaving at month 34-35 then returning within 12-24 hours to reset the 36 month clock. Thank you all

Hi everyone:) I would like to ask those who have extended their stay beyond the initial 30 days, are you allowed to apply for the extension before your 1st day of arrival? If not then can i do it at the airport upon arrival or must i wait for a few days after arrival?

I would like to also ask if i am allowed to book my return flight on a date that is past the initial 30 days because i've heard different things so i'm not really sure how it works 🥲. Ideally i want to book my return flight before i arrive there but i don't know if i'll be denied entry or smth..

Also if it helps i am from Singapore 🙏 Thank you all:)

I am living in a Serviced Apartment in Cebu City. I am being charged a minimum electricity rate of ₱20/kWh, plus a 10% service charge. The going rate from the electric company was ₱13.74/kWh last month. When I asked about the bill for last month I was told that the ₱20/kWh was in the lease contract. I was under the impression that the law stated a tenant could only be charged a reasonable handling fee above the rate from the electrical company. Am I wrong in my assumption? Can they really charge me 60% over the going rate from the provider? If I am correct, what steps should I take to correct this? Thank you for any help you can give!

Hi everyone, I'm a 30-year-old European M married to a Filipina of the same age. First, we dated for 6 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.

Based on my experience here, there are some truths that I wish I had known before coming to Manila and living here as a foreign expat. Maybe you won't agree, but this is what I've concluded after spending years in real contact with Filipino society.

Manila is not a good place to live

I don't want to be harsh on the city that adopted me, but Manila 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 the 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.

The local Filipino, on the other hand, has normally never traveled abroad, so the only reality they know is the Filipino way.

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.

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 surviving but saving nothing, you're not middle class.

From my perspective, the classes in Manila are roughly:

Millionaires: 1%

Rich: 4%

Middle class (and slowly disappearing): 5%

Working poor: 60%

People living below the poverty line: 30%

These aren't official numbers, just my personal observation.

Filipinos are why you'll stay in Manila

Despite Manila not being a great 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.

You're a foreigner, and if you truly want to call a Filipino your friend, you need to put in the 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.

Please let me emphasize this: if you don't make a real effort, you'll never build genuine Filipino friendships.

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 many 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, not in your home country. (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.)

• Similar interests and ambitions, such as being career-oriented, loving to travel, or sharing the same curiosity about the world.

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.

Learn where you are

Manila is massive, but certain areas are well known for specific things.

For example, Poblacion is the red-light district combined with the main bar and club area. It's affordable, lively, and can get pretty crazy.

BGC, on the other hand, is the modern, upscale, and fancy part of the city.

Know where you are, know what time it is, and always understand the risks that come with your decisions.

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 is not 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 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 well everyone who's providing me with a service, security guards in buildings and malls, bartenders, karaoke staff, 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 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.

If you would have a spendable income of about 25.000 euro per month (approx 1.7 mio peso).
Where would you live in Manila where would you go and what would you do? Think restaurants activities etc

PS: not looking for financial/investment advice

They have a phrase for it which I won't put here coz the mods like to delete any tagalog words.

"Whatever happens, happens"; "things will turn out ok"; "I'll manage it".

I don't get it; my lady friend had a really high electric bill for May. Couldn't pay it in full. Ok, I helped her. She has her younger sister living with her now, the sister just had a baby 2 months ago; of course the guy that knocked her up nowhere to be found. So. Two adults, two teenagers and a 2-month old. The sister's cell phone broke. So what does she do, she buys her sister a new phone; a cheapie like 6000 peso. Still, the 6000 could have been used for food, water, essentials. Yeah, I don't get it...