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Tourist Visa Extension Issue for Months 5–6

Sorry, another visa question... I'm trying to extend my tourist visa for months 5 and 6 right now. Has anyone been getting a tough review on their extension? I'm in Iloilo and I'm at 4 months. If needed, I could leave the country, but would that make the review easier? I also think that if the rules are about to change, it might look better on my record. I'm planning to stay indefinitely without marriage or an SRRV.

Hello, everyone! Could I ask for some advice on a Philippines travel itinerary? 🇵🇭

Hi there! 😊

My boyfriend and I are planning to travel in the Philippines from December 19 to January 8, and we'll arrive in Manila on the night of December 19. We're hoping to put together the best possible itinerary.

We'd like a mix of beautiful beaches and good diving spots. We want to split our time between a bit of social activity and quieter places with fewer tourists, where we can enjoy nature and rest away from crowds, so we're thinking of dividing up the trip :)

Here's the plan we have in mind so far:

* El Nido + Coron
* Malapascua
* Siquijor

We're also open to swapping in other islands or considering alternatives.

If possible, we'd also love to stay a few nights in a pretty, affordable beachside bungalow or a traditional stilt house built over the water.

We both love adventure, snorkeling, and diving, but for at least one stop we'd also like to enjoy a decent restaurant, a drink, and a good atmosphere.

Our goal is to find a balance between amazing diving, paradise-like beaches, local experiences, and a bit of social life, without spending half the trip traveling between islands.

Any advice from those who know the Philippines well would be a huge help! 🙏💙 Thank you so much!

Walmart clearance item.. It's opened, taped shut, and 9 condoms are missing.

Has anyone here had their Wise account closed? I had money in it, and I've been trying to contact them but I can't get any help.

I'm retiring and moving to the Philippines. I'll keep my Fidelity brokerage account and IRA in the U.S., and I plan to appoint my brother as my agent under a Power of Attorney to help manage them.

I'm also thinking about having my Social Security (SSA) payments deposited directly into that brokerage account, since they'd earn over 3% interest if I keep them in the money market. And while I'm in the Philippines, I'd have the brokerage account write checks to me.

Has anyone tried this? What do you think of this approach?

That's why insurance companies don't sell life insurance to car detailers, I guess.

Hello, everyone! I'm a foreigner in my late 30s, and I'm still looking for the best way to spend my free time here. What's your favorite activity in the Philippines? Whether it's diving, hiking, golf, a food tour, or something completely unexpected, I'd love to hear what keeps you busy and happy.

I'm staying at a client's house in Colorado right now. They have six chickens and a vegetable garden, and it got me thinking about how economical it would be to raise chickens in the Philippines.

Here in the US, eggs can cost up to $7 a dozen, so raising chickens could actually make money.

But in the Philippines, egg prices are roughly half that or less. Is chicken feed that much cheaper too?

Six chickens would probably produce around 30 eggs a week, but you still have feed, a coop, and upkeep costs.

I have a question for foreigners who raise chickens in the Philippines. Do you actually save money, or are you just producing very expensive eggs?

I'm curious how much it really costs per week to feed six chickens in the Philippines, compared to just buying eggs at the market.

Meanwhile, at the farm

Asking for advice here. It's about currency exchange: when coming from Australia to the Philippines, is it better to exchange Australian dollars to pesos in Australia and bring the cash, or should I just withdraw the maximum amount from an ATM a few times? I usually bring 50,000 pesos in cash at a time.

I use about half cash and half credit card.

The Philippines, summed up in a single photo

My wife still thinks there are 90 Halloween chocolates left.

Will inflation change where people travel to in Southeast Asia?

I'm looking for a hobby to take up after moving to the Philippines. Has anyone here tried metal detecting on the beach?

My spaghetti spoon sounds like a level 1 weapon from an old game.

Is the Philippines a low-trust society in some ways? Is it really the case that habitual lying, zero sense of responsibility, fraud, and the dishonest ways of many Filipinos have led to the situation we see now?

We can't put all the blame on the government. I feel like Filipinos' pride, a harsh culture that takes other people's money for granted, a strong culture of gossip, and a belief that if you haven't deceived the other party in any deal or promise, you've lost (even when you're being treated fairly), have made people forget what it means to work honestly.

When the friendliness on the surface is stripped away, it feels like something rotten is underneath. This country has stayed stuck in the 1950s because of the harsh ways of its citizens. If you're a foreigner, you shouldn't trust anyone here. Am I overgeneralizing? I've seen a lot of very dishonest things firsthand.

US Residents: Changes to Social Security in 2027
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA):

Based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026, Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive a 3.6% COLA in 2027.

Found your mom's underwear lying around.

Here's the situation. I'm a Filipino woman in a long-distance relationship with a foreign man. We've been dating for a few months, and we talk every day by message and video call.

Before ending a call that day, he asked what time I would be home from church. I said around 7 PM my time, which was 6 AM for him. Since I knew it was his day off, I told him it was fine to rest, because he usually wakes up at 4 or 5 AM.

That afternoon I was going to have dinner at my brother's house, and I sent him a message saying I would text him when I got home. I got home around 8 PM, but there was no reply. By 9 PM I was really worried that something had happened. I sent several messages and waited for an answer, and I fell asleep while waiting.

When I woke up, his reply was there: "Hey babe, just woke up. Currently taking a crap."

I know he was sleeping, and I know he had no obligation to stay awake and wait for me. That isn't what upset me. Before the call ended he said he would do something and didn't, and after that I was worried for hours with no contact. Seeing that reply made my worry feel unimportant.

We argued about it, and for the last two days I've been trying to explain. I wasn't angry that he was sleeping, and I didn't want him to sacrifice his rest for me. I was hurt because I felt he didn't care how worried I had been. He kept saying I was making a big deal out of nothing.

In the end we broke up. He was supposed to visit me next month, but he has since said he got a refund on the plane ticket.

So I genuinely want to ask: if you had said you would do something for your girlfriend on the other side of the world, didn't do it, and she worried because she couldn't reach you, how would you respond to her? Do you think his reaction was reasonable, or can you understand why I was hurt?

Is anyone planning a Thanksgiving gathering near Dipolog (Buug, Zamboanga del Norte)?