Explore feed

I'm arriving in Cebu in a few weeks and plan to stay in Lapu-Lapu for 3–4 nights. It's my first time in the Philippines before I head on to Mindanao, so I'm hoping to rest up, eat well, get some spa time and maybe do a little shopping.

I really love high-floor balconies with stunning views, and I don't mind paying a bit more for the right place. My budget is about $150 a night.

The Airbnbs I had my eye on at Tambuli are all taken, so now I'm looking for good alternatives. Ideally I'd like a one-bedroom place with a kitchen, but the overall experience, great views, nice amenities and location matter more to me than a kitchen.

I'd also love restaurant recommendations. Where should I absolutely eat in Lapu-Lapu or Cebu?

The only place I'm definitely going so far is Spiaggia. I'm torn between staying there and the Mövenpick Hotel, and I also really like some of the suites at Costabella Tropical Hotel.

Normally I'm very focused on healthy living and do a carnivore/keto diet, but I'm planning to cheat completely on this trip. So the food had better be worth it!

One very important thing: almost everywhere I travel I order New England clam chowder, mac & cheese, or both. I'm on a quest to find the best in the world.

So hit me with your recommendations:
Places to stay with amazing views around $150 a night
Best resorts, hotels or one-bedroom places
Must-visit restaurants
Best New England clam chowder
Best mac & cheese
Best spas
Anything else I shouldn't miss while I'm there

Thanks in advance! I'd really love to hear from people who know the area well or have recently stayed or eaten there.

What's the most memorable, sweetest thing your girlfriend or wife has done for you? (No sexual or rude comments, please)

Anyone care to list theirs? Or maybe something you wish she'd do more often, or do again.

No regrets, full demo complete.

Exit Clearance – Manila

So here's my question: for those who've stayed in the Philippines for 2 to 3 years, what did you pay in total, not counting the 2x2 photos and copies? And how was your experience?

I haven't actually done an exit clearance yet, so I have no firsthand experience. But my 3-year mark is coming up soon.

What they expect and require may differ from office to office. The paperwork in the photos is from the immigration office on the 5th floor of Ayala Circuit Mall. I did my last eligible 2-month extension before I have to do a visa run.

Overall it was a decent experience.

I arrived in the Philippines in December 2023 and have to leave before the end of December, my 3-year mark.

I'd rather just show up early before my flight and do it at the 24-hour Manila airport immigration office, but I hear that's only available to foreigners who've been here 6 months to a year.

I did 2-month extensions my whole time here. Most were just receipt printouts, and some were receipt printouts plus stickers inside the passport. Four stickers fill one passport page. I went through 3 tourist visa ACR cards, each issued after the 6-month point every year and valid for a year.

I always pay the express fee for convenience. I don't want to make several trips to the immigration office to pick my passport back up.

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a trip to Manila and Talisay. Is there any kind of platform where I can rent a car or a motorcycle in Manila or Talisay?

Night run 🤣

Hi everyone, I arrived in Manila last week, thinking about retiring in the Philippines. I spent my first 5 months of retirement in Thailand, heard lots of good things about the Philippines, so I packed up and moved to Manila last week. I'm planning to base myself around BGC when I get back from a 10-day break in Boracay. I'm British, ex-military and ex-police, and it would be great to meet up with people for a coffee or a beer. Best wishes to everyone.
Richard.

Hi everyone!
I arrived in Dumaguete a week ago, and at least for a foreigner, it's hard to find events or ways to socialize here. People are nice, but it's not easy to connect.
I'm not the type who can just walk into a bar alone and make friends on the spot.
Is there anyone around 25 to 45 (roughly my age) who has lived here as an expat and can share their experience? :D
Thanks so much for your help

Thai ad writers are geniuses.

How AI will affect the BPO industry and condo market in the Philippines

I'm curious what you all think about how artificial intelligence will affect the BPO (business process outsourcing), back office, call center, and virtual assistant industries in the Philippines.

More specifically, if AI replaces all of those jobs and the newly emerging middle class collapses, what happens to the condo market and retirement prospects for foreigners?

At the extremes, I think it could range from condo prices getting cut in half and the dollar getting even stronger, all the way to total chaos where foreigners live under constant threat of robbery or kidnapping.

What do you think?

I'm in Cebu right now - what's the best way to get from Cebu to Dumaguete?

This person deserves an Oscar for their acting.

VPN help, please..
I just installed NordVPN and now I'm stuck on how to use it. Back home (USA), I watch a lot of different news (FOX, NewsNation, CNN, etc., all on YouTubeTV). But in the Philippines I can't get it. In "simple" terms, I want to open YouTubeTV on my iPhone and watch my shows. I've set my location (Denver), so do I just open the YouTubeTV app on my phone now, or what? Old dog here trying to learn a new trick.

At what age did you get rich?

I mean rich by US standards, not rich by Filipino standards

Is it more common in your 50s?

"Fight or flee?" — they picked both.

Does anyone here get their SSA (US Social Security) benefits through American Bank and have problems? We haven't received our benefits, and I think it's because it has now merged with Prosperity Bank. My husband passed away last year, and I had no trouble getting survivor benefits until the merger. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to reply. I called the bank, and they said there's no need to change the routing number because they kept all the American Bank records. I called Social Security customer service, and they said the check has already been sent but they don't know why it isn't showing in my account yet. I called using the Viber app, so it was free from the Philippines to the US.
Thanks again, and may both sides of your pillow always be cool.

Fiesta! Fiesta! Fiesta!

Whenever the flags go up, I know a fiesta is coming.

The fiestas I need to keep track of are:

The citywide fiesta on June 24.
In honor of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista).
This is the 'water one.'

The barangay fiesta on March 19.
In honor of St. Joseph.

The fiesta at the Bundok property on December 13.
In honor of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia).

The San Fernando (P) fiesta on May 30.
In honor of St. Ferdinand III.

And that doesn't even include all the invitations we'll get from nephews, nieces, family... to other barangay fiestas.

Nor does it include the self-flagellation that happens in front of our house on Good Friday.

Someone who casually hops across rocky terrain without a second thought

Heads up to anyone getting Starlink!
If you're going to use Starlink, you'd better stick with it and not use it as a backup. I assumed I could put it on standby and turn it back on when I needed it. Nope. They say my area got "congested," so there's a 30k fee. That's basically the price of the dish. On top of that, they told me that if I stopped paying for standby, I'd have to buy the dish again. Absolutely insane. They really want to punish people who use it as a backup. I thought being in a congested area would just keep you off the best plans, but no. So basically, if you cancel in a congested area, they want a fat 60k on top of the monthly fees. I had no idea, so I'm warning everyone now. They use words like "maybe" and "might," so I'm not even sure if they just pick who to rip off. Really disappointed in the company. I expected better.

Edit: I looked into it more, and it's based on demand. The fee can go as high as 1500 dollars. Don't get Starlink in Manila, period. You'll pay around 1000 dollars just to activate it, plus 65 a month.

To those who think this is a lie: it isn't, and I've replied to a few comments with what they tried to charge me. In the end the fee was dropped, because they weren't charging new customers in my area this fee. I don't know what happened, but I think the company's leadership here needs to go. The woman who first helped me admitted there was no surcharge, then tried to argue that I'd been on roam so the surcharge still applied. I wasn't on roam before standby. It shouldn't have happened, and apparently it will happen, so keep that in mind.

Well. Looks like I've been scammed for the first time since coming to the Philippines.

I'm looking for a referral to a lawyer in the Bacolod City or Silay City area who can help me work through this.

Here's what happened.

I agreed to buy a motorcycle for ₱15,000 total: ₱7,000 down, with the remaining ₱8,000 to be paid a week later.

Since the motorcycle was in Kabankalan City, about two and a half hours away, I also agreed to cover the rental truck (₱2,500) plus another ₱1,000 for fuel and food.

The motorcycle was delivered as promised. But as soon as the seller left, the pressure started. He kept demanding another ₱3,000. In the end I gave in and sent the extra ₱3,000.

It's also worth mentioning that the seller told me he'd bought the engine separately and put the motorcycle together himself. I'll come back to that.

Right now I'm checking that the engine and frame numbers haven't been reported stolen. Looking back, I should have done that before handing over any money. That's on me.

The seller is now demanding full payment and says he won't hand over the OR/CR (registration papers), the Deed of Sale, or the Affidavit of Engine Swap until I pay the balance.

I'm not going to blame anyone until I've confirmed the facts and know my legal rights. That's why I'm looking for a lawyer.

If you know a reliable lawyer in the Bacolod City or Silay City area who handles motorcycle or vehicle transactions, fraud, or related civil or criminal cases, please send me their details.

And anyone buying a vehicle here, or anywhere, take this as a warning.

Check the paperwork. Check the frame number. Check the engine number. Check the ownership. Do your homework before handing over money.

Lesson learned.