Updates feed

Dental work

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice. Can anyone recommend a dentist? I need one extraction and 10 cavity fillings under sedation.

An urge I couldn't resist

Sipper bottle

Boarding a flight

Guys, what are your favorite cordless tool brands you can get on Lazada? I've read that the name brands are made differently for different markets and are often lower quality here. I have a bunch of DeWalt at home but I don't mind switching. Anyway, which tools available in the Philippines do you prefer?
1. DeWalt
2. Makita
3. Stanley
4. Milwaukee
5. Other

Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Strikes Off Davao Occidental — General Santos Suspends All Classes and Government Operations

📌 On Thursday, October 8, at 4:07 PM, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Davao Occidental province in Mindanao. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) stated that it was an aftershock of the magnitude 7.8 and 6.5 earthquakes last June. The City of General Santos suspended all grade-level classes and government operations to begin building safety inspections. As of the initial reports, there are no reports of damage.

■ Earthquake Details
· Epicenter: Offshore, 42 km from Balut Island, Sarangani municipality, Davao Occidental province, at a depth of 10 km — direction varies by report (southwest according to GMA, south according to Inquirer)
· Intensity 4: Alabel and Malapatan in Sarangani province; T'Boli and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato province; General Santos City; Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat province
· Intensity 3: Kidapawan City in Cotabato province; Digos City in Davao del Sur province; etc.
· PHIVOLCS stated that no damage is expected, but aftershocks may continue.

■ What Changes
· General Santos City has suspended classes for all grade levels in all public and private schools on the 8th until further notice.
· Government operations have also been halted. The city stated this is to conduct structural inspections and safety assessments of public buildings.
· This body of water has been experiencing ongoing aftershocks following the magnitude 7.8 (off Sarangani) and 6.5 (off Davao Occidental) earthquakes last June.

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· If you are staying in or planning to visit General Santos, Sarangani, or South Cotabato, check city and provincial disaster management office announcements to see if classes and government offices have resumed.
· In preparation for aftershocks, check the building you are staying in for cracks, and if you feel shaking, take cover under a sturdy table.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/8), Inquirer (10/8)

Living in the Philippines as an Indian isn't easy, but it's worth it!

I've been living in the Philippines with my dad for 15 years, and being Indian here has given me experiences I don't think I'd have understood if I'd grown up somewhere else.

One thing I've noticed is that, compared with other parts of Southeast Asia, Indian culture is relatively rarely visible in the mainstream in the Philippines.

The culture here shows much more visible influence from its Spanish and American history and its close ties with East Asian cultures. Indian restaurants, temples, festivals, clothing, languages and other parts of Indian culture aren't nearly as common here as in other Southeast Asian countries.

Because of that, being Indian has sometimes made me feel out of place, and sadly, I've run into racism and stereotypes over the years.

I've heard Indians casually called 'Bombay' or 'Bumbay,' whether or not they're actually from Mumbai. I've run into the stereotype that every Indian is in '5-6' money lending, and the term itself is sometimes used as if it described an entire ethnic group. There are also stereotypes that Indians are dirty, smelly, unhygienic, poor, scammers, or somehow socially beneath them.

Some remarks go even further and turn deliberately humiliating or sexual: crude jokes about Indian bodies, genitals and sex lives, or portraying Indian men as desperate or sexually unattractive. Those aren't harmless cultural misunderstandings. They're personal attacks wrapped up as jokes.

When you hear that kind of thing over and over as a minor, it can't help but get under your skin.

There were moments when I wondered why I had to defend my identity over something I couldn't control. I didn't choose where my ancestors came from. I didn't choose the stereotypes people had heard about Indians. And I certainly didn't deserve to be treated as a racial punchline.

Then in junior high, I met a Filipino boy who stood up for me when classmates were bullying me, and 13 years later, I'm now engaged to him.

I was really lucky to meet someone like that, but it also took me years to convince his family that India is more than the stereotypes we see on social media.

There's still one problem left, though: my fiancé's relatives still make fun of me when I pray. I'm Hindu and they're Catholic, so I guess Indian religious practice looks taboo and strange to them. I respect that they may have had bad experiences with other Indians, but being accused of 'worshipping devils' crossed a line, and honestly, it hurt.

I still acknowledge what happened. I'm not going to pretend racism doesn't exist just because I've learned to cope with it. And I don't think people who face discrimination should just be told to 'grow up' or 'adapt.'

But I have learned to separate other people's ignorance from my identity. Their prejudice belongs to them. It doesn't belong to me.

After 15 years, the Philippines has become a complicated part of my life. It has problems like racism and ignorance toward minorities, but it has also given me memories, experiences, and above all the love of my life, my fiancé.

I don't want to erase the bad experiences.

I just hope they don't become the whole story.

I've learned to be proud of who I am, even in a place where my culture isn't always welcome.

To me, overcoming discrimination doesn't mean pretending it never happened. It means not letting someone else's ignorance decide how I see myself.

And if there's another thing I'm grateful to this country for, it's that I got to make friends with Africans and other Middle Easterners here in Manila! They respect and like my culture too, so I stick with them! As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Thanks to that, even while living in this country, I finally came to love my own culture and my roots. 🙂

Habagat's over. Hello, Amihan.

PAGASA (the Philippine weather and astronomy agency) has officially announced that Habagat is over.

The Philippines has two seasons 🇵🇭
Now we move on to Amihan.

I'm also attaching a handy image that sums up the differences between the seasons.

Looking for hobby and social groups around MOA/Pasay

I just got to Manila and I'll be staying around MOA/Pasay for a while. Rather than just doing things on my own, I really want to plug into the local community :)

Ideally somewhere within walking distance (MOA is great) or one jeepney ride away. I don't want to go all the way to Alabang!

My interests:

a) Anime

b) Gaming

c) Singing

d) Dance (a little)

e) Other geeky stuff like board games or Japanese (I speak it fluently)

- or just anything fun

I'd love ongoing groups like Facebook groups, Messenger/Discord group chats, regular meetups, or classes where you get to meet people. One-off events are fine too, but I'm really looking for a way to become part of a community.

I've searched Meetup/Reddit/FB quite a bit, but Manila seems to have lots of small groups that are hard to find from the outside. 😅

MOA/Pasay is best, but I don't mind traveling a bit (just not to the other side of the city if possible)

Does anyone know where I can buy mahi-mahi (dorado) in Bacolod?

How strict is customs about pasalubong over the 10,000 peso limit? Is it safer to declare it and pay the fees on arrival?

Supreme Court Eases Foreign Divorce Recognition Process — Only Proof of Divorce Fact Needed Without Proving Foreign Divorce Law

📌 On Wednesday, October 7, the Philippine Supreme Court En Banc approved amendments to the court rules to simplify the process of having a foreign divorce recognized in Philippine courts, and announced it on Thursday, October 8. Moving forward, Filipino spouses only need to prove that a divorce decree was issued, without having to separately prove the divorce law of the respective country. This applies to cases where a Filipino and a foreign spouse divorced abroad.

■ What is Changing
· Target: Article 26, Paragraph 2 of the Family Code — Filipino spouses seeking recognition in Philippine courts of a foreign divorce between a Filipino and a foreign spouse.
· Previously, the court required separate proof of the foreign country's divorce law allowing the foreign spouse to remarry, but now only proof that a divorce decree was issued is needed.
· By adding a new Section 48-A to Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, a foreign divorce is presumed to be an "absolute divorce" allowing remarriage, provided the judgment does not state otherwise. The party contesting this must present evidence.
· English translations sworn and certified by a translator are presumed to be accurate. Both presumptions can be rebutted with contrary evidence.

■ What Remains Unchanged and Implementation Timeline
· Petitions for recognition of divorce must still be separately filed in Philippine courts, and grounds for opposition such as lack of jurisdiction, lack of notice, or fraud remain the same.
· The amended rules will take effect 15 days after publication on the Supreme Court website.
· The Supreme Court also plans to establish a central repository of foreign divorce laws, citing as a reason for the amendment that proving foreign laws was particularly difficult for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· Filipino spouses who divorced abroad still need the Philippine court recognition process if they wish to remarry or update their civil status records in the Philippines.
· Since the effectivity date depends on the publication date on the Supreme Court website, those preparing a petition are advised to check the implementation date with a lawyer.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/8), Philstar (10/8), The Manila Times (10/8)

Hi everyone, it's been a while since I posted anything, and today I'm here to ask for some help and advice.
I've lived in Puerto Galera, Mindoro for the past 9 months, and I think it's time to move somewhere else. I'm thinking of Palawan, because it's far from earthquake faults, out of the typhoon paths, and fairly cheap compared to other major areas. What I'm looking for is a place that isn't a big city but is close to one — about an hour away — not overcrowded with tourists, and still close to decent hospitals and an immigration office for visa extensions. I also need to be very close to the beach. My current apartment is a one-minute walk from beautiful Aninuan Beach, so somewhere comparable in both proximity and price would be awesome. I'm coming with my two cats and a dog, plus the little I've accumulated so far, and all of it has to fit in my small SUV. So I'd appreciate any help and suggestions, and if anyone knows of a two-bedroom place for rent, please send me a message.

Thanks in advance, everyone.

Hi everyone, it's been a while since I posted anything, and today I'm here to ask for some help and advice.

I'm planning to buy a secondhand bicycle soon. The prices I keep seeing on Marketplace look way too low for high-end bikes. I haven't actually made any inquiries yet. Any other cyclists who've seen the same thing?

Put in a new pump today

After renewing my license I had to go buy a new pump for my well's pressure tank system. There'd been no water all night: the pump had overheated and the capacitor died, so it was time for a new one.

Then I came home, plumbed it in, tested it with water and finished the hookup.

What I wanted to say is that I've tried a bunch of stainless pressure tanks over the years, and Tom's are by far the best: all hand-welded and pressure-tested.

The pump is an Italian 1 HP with 1-inch in/out, and it was about 3.5k. I've used them before with no complaints, and my little 3500 generator can run it.

Just sharing some hands-on experience in case you're interested.

Is the Philippines becoming less welcoming and more dangerous for foreigners?

For context, I'm 26, and my Filipina fiancée and I are getting married in January. We've been together four years, and in a week we're heading there for six months.

I've traveled to a lot of places, from Thailand to South Korea to Taiwan to Mexico (I'm currently staying with friends in Puebla for two weeks). But lately I keep seeing on social media, subreddits, Facebook and the news, stories about foreigners being attacked, beaten up, robbed and even killed. Is there some kind of anti-foreigner mood going on there lately? How do things look from the perspective of the foreigners living there in this group?

In my experience, too, the Philippines has felt less welcoming and less friendly than Mexico, Thailand and so on. And trust me, I've been all over these countries in non-touristy areas, staying with local friends for long stretches. I'm just worried about rising violence and anti-foreigner sentiment ahead of my upcoming trip, because the vibe I've seen online over the past few months has definitely been off.

Why do you think this is? Or is it simply that rare acts of violence against foreigners get more exposure online?

A silly little hat

Overseas Koreans Registration Guide

📎 Attachment: (Attachment 1) Overseas Koreans Registration Guide (3-fold leaflet).pdf — Available for download from the original text below.

Source: Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines Notices · Posted on 2026-10-08 · Korea Open Government License Type 1 (Source Indication)
https://ph.mofa.go.kr/ph-ko/brd/m_3640/view.do?seq=1346557

Has anyone brought their dog over? What's the culture around pets like in the Manila/Quezon City area? Thanks for the info!

If you could live anywhere in the Philippines without worrying about budget, safety, natural disasters or nosy neighbors, where would you go?