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Why are some expats here so toxic?

There are some really smart intellectuals here, but the other 40–50% are bitter people who never made real money, never had a real relationship, or just went through a nasty divorce, and now they bully people who are just starting out in life.

We should stick together and help each other out, not tear others down.

Philippines, your priorities are all wrong?!

The Philippines is a hotbed for child pornography, all sorts of child exploitation, and scam syndicates, and 90% of its children can't even read properly, so what are you actually worried about?

Some Australian guy selling batteries…

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/08/26/aussie-nabbed-in-philippines039-cagayan-de-oro-over-alleged-smuggled-batteries-worth-almost-us26000

Miss Jin is still Miss Jin

I went there because they said remodeling was done, but I guess it was just the kitchen. The dining area looks the same. I only see two weird dolls.

Sometimes the free drinks from Chanel KTV are tasty too.

Even though the radish kimchi wasn't fully fermented, it's still good.

If anything, the cabbage kimchi seems a bit different.

Anyone who knows the condo market in Angeles City/Pampanga?

I'm thinking about buying a studio at Rockwell Nepo Center. It'd mostly be for my own use down the road, but I might rent it out when I'm not there.

How stable is the condo market in Angeles/Clark? Is there decent rental and resale demand, or are you seeing signs of oversupply?

Would you buy there right now, especially at Rockwell? Or would you put the money somewhere else?

I'd love to hear from locals or actual condo owners, not agents. 🙂

Anywhere good in Manila for Chicago-style deep dish pizza?

I know, I know… this isn't exactly the world's number one spot for Chicago pizza. But the craving is real and I can't hold out.

Side note: I'll miss Devilcraft Pizza in Tokyo for the rest of my life. It was seriously amazing.

Woke up and checked the community, and since new posts were up, I was trying to reach the next level, Village Elder. Since liking posts gives 1 point each, I was just spamming likes to farm points, and suddenly this popped up. "Empathy Angel"... What is this? So I checked it out, and apparently they give it to people who like a lot of posts..

Did this even exist?

The required EXP doubles with every level, so I was just liking posts out of desperation, but I feel kind of embarrassed.

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It's amazing you can still find a nanny for ten thousand pesos in rural areas.

When you go to the Philippines, you notice an unusually large number of burger joints. But they are a bit different from what you would think of as a burger place in Korea. First of all, you don't need to mentally prepare yourself when looking at the prices. They are so cheap that at first, you wonder if you misread the price tag. Many places even have "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" signs posted.

They give you two burgers.

But once you open up a burger, you start to understand why.

There is a bun.

There is a patty.

There is sauce.

That's it.

Lettuce? Nope.

Tomato? Obviously not.

Cheese? Hoping for that is a waste of time.

If Korean burgers are a dish where various ingredients harmonize, budget burgers in the Philippines are a bit different. They are closer to food where the bun, patty, and sauce peacefully coexist without fighting each other.

When you take your first bite, it feels a bit anticlimactic. As you bite into the burger, a thought crosses your mind before you even register the taste.

Huh? Is that it?

Then you look at the price again, and your perspective changes.

Ah... at this price, I can't even be mad.

Budget burgers in the Philippines feel less like food and more like an economics textbook. They fill as many people's stomachs as possible with the minimum amount of raw ingredients. There's no complex philosophy. No need for fancy sauces, and no need for two patties. Just put one patty between a bun, add some sauce, and hand it to the customer.

And when a "Buy 1, Get 1" deal is thrown in, the owner suddenly looks like a philanthropist.

Of course, in reality, it's just business to survive fierce competition. Since the income level in the Philippines is lower than in Korea, many people look for cheap meals, and naturally, with that kind of demand, these shops pop up everywhere.

Walking down the streets of Angeles, this kind of scene is quite fascinating. Right next to a huge shopping mall and famous fast-food chains, just a short walk into an alleyway, a tiny shop is selling burgers for a super low price.

On one side, people are eating set meals in blasting air conditioning, while on the other side, someone on a motorcycle picks up a BOGO burger right by the roadside.

Watching scenes like that, it feels like the country of Philippines shows multiple faces at the same time in a single frame.

And honestly, from a traveler's point of view, places like this are fun. Expensive, high-end food isn't the only thing that makes travel memories. In fact, the moment you order a BOGO deal at some nameless burger shop you stumbled upon while walking, and walk away holding two burgers in a paper bag, often stays in your memory much longer.

Of course, if you were told to eat them every day, that would be a different story.

The first time is a local food experience, the second time is a budget-friendly meal, but by the third time, you slowly start asking yourself philosophical questions like, "Why am I doing this to myself?"

Still, looking at that burger helps you understand a bit of the reality in the Philippines. It's not a meaningless food just because it's cheap; it's a very realistic dish born between what people can afford and the local cost of living.

Bun, patty, sauce.

It's so simple.

Yet, wrapped up inside that one simple burger are the daily lives of Filipinos, the cost of living, income levels, and the survival methods of small business owners.

And most importantly:

If it's a Buy 1, Get 1 Free, it puts you in a good mood anyway.

Taste comes second, after all.

Official safety guidelines officially distributed by the Angeles Police in the Philippines

I translated the one that was posted yesterday into English.

I've been there twice since they opened, and the gukbap is good, except that the portion leaves you a bit wanting.

It's not as rich and heavy with meat as Miss Jin Sundaegukbap, but it has a clear broth base, kind of like the style of gukbap you find in the Jeolla-do region in Korea.

Holiday special meal.

Today is Chuseok day.

As humble as I am, since it's the actual holiday, I prepared a special brunch/meal to go with a drink.

First, I eat a whole cup of Sesame Ramen.

After finishing the noodles and leaving the broth, I crack 3 eggs to make an egg mixture and pour it into the broth.

Then I mix it well and microwave it for 6 minutes.

Sesame egg steamed dish finished. I enjoy it with a Heineken.

The steamed egg is tender, and the savory MSG-rich flavor delights the mouth. The crisp beer is refreshing!

Very nice. Happiness isn't far away.

After returning from the Philippines, I went to Homeplus, but it was closed. When I asked a staff member, they told me it had gone out of business. I was saddened and hadn't been back since, but as I was passing by earlier today, I saw the lights on and went in, feeling hopeful. The parking lot was completely empty, so I thought it really had shut down, but then I heard the Homeplus jingle—"Homeplus, Homeplus, the one that takes care of our dinner table"🎷🎷—playing over the speakers. I went inside, and sure enough, they were open! I was so glad, so I asked a cashier, and they said they managed to borrow some money and were back in business. I looked around the store, but there weren't any other customers yet.

I bought some gochujang pork belly because it was cheap, and a two-serving pack of jajangmyeon for 2,990 won. I also considered the size 12 jumbo chicken for 6,900 won, but it was so huge that I knew I wouldn't even be able to finish half of it, so I passed.

They had a deal where you could get 15 bags of snacks for 10,000 won, but I knew I couldn't eat them all, so I skipped that too.

I wanted to buy a convenience store-style lunch box, but they were all sold out... Such a shame.

Starting tomorrow, Korea has the Thursday-to-Sunday Chuseok holiday.

It'll probably just be a regular weekday in the Philippines, but... Koreans living there will likely still miss their homeland.

I don't really go out of my way to see relatives for the holidays. I usually just rest alone at home. This time is no exception.

From morning till afternoon, I worked hard to prep two large batches of food to take care of me over this Thursday-to-Sunday break.

Namely, spicy beef and radish soup (얼큰소고기무국) and Japanese curry.

Neither is anything special—for the soup, I just boiled beef and radishes, then added chili powder and minced garlic. For the curry, I just used the big three (potatoes, onions, carrots) plus beef and Japanese curry blocks. Add a cold beer in the evening, and I'm all set.

I have no idea if Koreans in the Philippines observe Korean holidays, just keep them in mind, or completely forget about them... but as a Korean back in Korea, I still hope everyone has a bountiful Chuseok.

Have a wonderful Chuseok, everyone.

Visited in 2023. I bought a glass of juice, but didn't find anything particularly special about it. It was just average.

I've been thinking about the differences between Yankee bars and Walking Street bars.

Yankee bars don't have many bars to choose from. I don't think there are even five or six of them.

Walking Street bars seem to have at least 20 or more.

In short, there are fewer Yankee bars.

Walking Street has a much larger number.

The look of the girls in Yankee bars is also different from what East Asians usually prefer. They're very petite, and to the eyes of Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese, they look a bit monkey-like.

The girls in Walking Street bars have looks that are more tailored to East Asian tastes.

As for the price, Yankee bars are about 1,000 pesos cheaper.

Walking Street bars are at least 1,000 pesos more expensive.

There are also way more tourists at Walking Street bars.

The accessibility is much better at Walking Street, too.

However, I go to Yankee bars more often. It's because there are almost no Koreans there. It feels more "foreign." It has more of a local vibe. I don't really go there for bar fines anyway; I just go to look around, have a beer or two, and head out.

Gasoline price is going up by another 5 pesos at 6 tomorrow.

That's 3 weeks in a row.

It feels like it's been about half a year since Sarangbang opened..

Already, over 20 people have passed through this place.

With 23 people going through the shelter in less than six months, is life really that harsh out there? Why has it come to this... why are so many people flocking here? What's the plan? Aren't there any other welfare facilities run by public institutions besides this place? I know I'm being a nosy busybody, but I can't help having all these random thoughts.

Ah, seriously, I've been meaning to say this: because of predictive text, my typing keeps getting messed up, and when I read the posts after posting them, there are so many things written completely differently from what I intended..

Bureau of Corrections in the Philippines dismisses drone prison break rumors... "No escape attempt by Korean drug lord"

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in the Philippines has dismissed the possibility of inmates escaping using drones.

Responding to media inquiries, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. stated that reports by Korean media regarding an alleged drone escape plan by Korean drug lord Park Wang-yeol are untrue.

Correctional Facilities as Strict No-Fly Zones

Director General Catapang emphasized that all correctional facilities under the bureau are strictly designated no-fly zones.

“All of our operating prisons and penal farms are no-fly zones, equipped with guard towers on 24-hour alert that will immediately alert guards to any attempted escape using a drone. Furthermore, drones are loud and the facilities are equipped with CCTVs for immediate detection,” he said.

He added that the noise from drone motors can be detected even at low altitudes, and an extensive CCTV network enables real-time tracking and interception of any suspicious aerial activity.

Korean Drug Lord Already Repatriated

Meanwhile, Department of Justice Undersecretary Atty. Jesse Hermogenes Andres (referred to as a typo in original text context or standard name, keeping translation natural: Department of Justice Undersecretary) stated that the Korean inmate had already been handed over to South Korean authorities last March.

Undersecretary Dato said, “According to DG Catapang's statement, no such attempt was ever detected or made while the Korean national was in custody. There were zero reported or detected attempts.”

According to local and international media reports, Park Wang-yeol, the 47-year-old notorious Korean drug lord convicted of three counts of murder in the Philippines, did not actually escape. He had reportedly planned a daring prison break using a drone from a Philippine detention facility in early 2026, but the plan was foiled after test footage leaked to local media.

Undersecretary Dato added, “We honestly don't know where that information came from.”

While acknowledging global concerns that commercial drones could be used for illegal surveillance or dropping contraband near correctional facilities, Catapang maintained that any physical escape attempt using drones has no chance of success.

“Any drone spotted in or near our facilities can be recorded and tracked, allowing authorities to respond swiftly,” Catapang said.

Hey lady, hey lady~ Time to go home, lady~