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Just for your information. My Lazada order was just cancelled and the item returned. Reason given: customer could not be reached (by Flash Delivery). They told me they'd deliver on Sunday, but I texted them that we wouldn't be home because it's family day. I asked for Monday delivery and they acknowledged it. No delivery. I had doctor's appointments on Tuesday, so I asked for Wednesday. No acknowledgment. Today I got notified that they returned the item, and they said they didn't deliver because it was raining. Hmm…

Photos, Photos, and More Photos

Share some photos.

Share your experiences too.

The Philippines 🇵🇭 is a bit of a different place (as we all know).

Share away.

Boracay.

Have you ever dated a foreigner?

Mods, please approve this one.

To the expats living in the Philippines, and anyone thinking of dating a Filipina, there's one thing I've been curious about. I can't really say I've dated a foreigner, but I've matched and chatted with a few on dating apps.

This might sound like a shallow question, but I'm genuinely curious. Why do you so often ask whether someone has dated a foreigner before? Is there something you're trying to find out from the answer?

Hi, can I use Remitly to send 2.5 million pesos to BDO? What's the best option for an amount like this? I'll be sending from Germany to the Philippines

GTA Manila

"Way better than pagpag (leftover food salvaged from the trash), CJ"

Playing the oldest golf course in the Philippines

[Video]

Christmas tree cannon: a cannon made for shooting Christmas trees

The family's reaction to discovering Dad's old rap music video

As a Filipino-Canadian who came back to the Philippines and has a lot of expat friends, here's some advice for foreign guys who are talking to a Filipina online and thinking of flying over to meet her.
As a Filipino-Canadian who came back to the Philippines a decade ago and has a lot of expat friends, here's some advice for foreign guys who are talking to a Filipina online and thinking of flying over to meet her.

Note: 99% of Filipinas are not scammers. But watch out for the 1%.

Look for these red flags before you even buy the ticket:

🚩 'I love you' and marriage talk ridiculously fast.

🚩 She's already calling you her husband before you've met.

🚩 Constant emergencies: rent, hospital bills, sick relatives, tuition, broken phones.

🚩 She drops hints about money: 'I don't know how I'll pay my electric bill…'

🚩 She needs a new phone/laptop so you can 'communicate better.'

🚩 She avoids spontaneous video calls.

🚩 Her stories about work, family, relationships or where she lives keep changing.

🚩 Her social media doesn't match what she tells you.

🚩 She gets jealous or controlling even though you've never met.

🚩 She pressures you to send money, 'help the family' or invest in something.

🚩 You say 'I don't send money to people I haven't met' and suddenly her attitude changes.

My golden rule: you're flying to the Philippines to meet her, not to marry her, rescue her, support her family or fund her life.

99% of Filipinas aren't scammers. Judge the behavior, not the nationality.

A wave I rode in Siargao

The Philippines is so underrated as a surf destination. Which I'm pretty happy about.

The best place to live in BGC

I'm looking into renting an apartment in BGC. Where would you live? My budget is 2,000 to 5,000 euros a month. I've looked at Serendra, but I'm curious where you all would stay.

Boeing's smallest jet ever

Hamster massage

A legendary wipeout

My wife and I are heading over for our vacation in November. We each get two checked suitcases. She's already filled 3 of the 4 right up to the 50 lb limit with gifts and goodies for family and friends. Today I asked if she could find it in her heart to leave me room for a few sets of clothes. I guess I'd better pack my carry-on myself, lol. It's worth it in the end, though. The family is always grateful for pasalubong (gifts).

Cheap ticket to the Philippines

Has anyone ever bought a cheap ticket to the Philippines and sold it? I have a flight from Seattle to Cebu on January 15. It's one way. It was dirt cheap at 353.00, but unfortunately I have to stay here a while longer for family stuff, so I won't be able to go back for quite some time. If anyone has done this before or knows what to do or how to do it safely, I'd appreciate it.

Four days into our long-distance relationship, my girlfriend wanted to tattoo my initial on her ring finger

Good morning. Has anyone had similar experiences at hardware stores?
I've been coming to the Philippines 🇵🇭 on and off since 2013, and there's one thing about hardware stores that hasn't improved at all in all that time.. I won't name names.. you know who they are.

We went to buy tiles for our place and found ones we liked. We needed about eight, but were told we had to buy a box of twenty-five. The company won't sell eight. I had ideas for the leftover tiles, so we agreed to take a box.

Then the salesman tells me there's none in stock? So I asked when they'd get more / whether another branch had any.. you'd think I'd asked for a gold bar! Everyone panics, and nobody can tell me when I can get some.

Are they so popular they sold out? Or are those six on display just sitting there for no reason?

Yep, not one straight answer.

We moved on.. we needed another type of tile too.. picked one… we need a few boxes.. none in stock and no help finding an alternative.. lucky I don't have much hair left to pull out.

We walked out with no tiles and the money still in my pocket.. they're clueless.

We went to another hardware store to buy one stair tread.. we actually found one that fit, but there was no price tag, so we carried it to the checkout.. enter the chaotic system.. there are two barcodes.. praying one of them works! We paid and left.

I keep asking myself.. there are several people standing around doing nothing.. yet lots of items have no price tag, and when you ask.. it's like you've posed some great dilemma. I guess we interrupted their gossip lol.

I've raised these problems many times, and they're still there.

If I hear one more 'oh, nosebleed' I'm going to lose it. I wonder how these people are trained, or whether they just hire a few warm bodies to fill headcount and put them on the sales floor.

The staff don't know much, and as a tradesman I find it really frustrating when they don't even know nut and bolt sizes!

Before I wrap up.. one more thing I find unacceptable is the constant searching of staff every time they come in and out of work.. they even make them take off their socks and shoes! Utterly degrading and Stone Age.. it shows how little they think of their staff.

… searching our tiny sling bags is a joke too, but.. hey, it's company policy.

It seems some policies are strictly enforced, while the policy of training is forgotten.

Driving ninety minutes into the city only to be let down every time is exhausting, and the companies don't seem to listen to customers at all… we're definitely not the only ones with complaints.

Advice, please

What do you need for the affirmation/affidavit to get married at the US Embassy in the Philippines?

Hi everyone! American citizen here. I have an appointment at the US Embassy in the Philippines to get the Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry (Affirmation), but apart from the appointment, I can't find a complete list of what's required.

I'm divorced, and right now I have a scanned copy of my divorce decree/certificate.

For those who've gone through this recently, what documents did you bring, especially if you're divorced? Did you need the original divorce decree, or was a copy enough?
Any recent experiences or advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

This is an expat community

This is a place for expats to share helpful tips and advice. We share experiences, opinions, excitement and observations among ourselves. We have no intention of offending the Filipino people, whose country we are guests in. This is about sharing opinions, advice and observations. We might vent our gripes to help each other have a better experience in a country that may be very different from the culture we came from. All without outside judgment and condemnation, and without offending Filipinos. We're not looking for arguments or hostility with the people of our host country. This is where we hash out anything and everything and share laughter, sadness and bewilderment among ourselves. We don't welcome toxic comments from non-members eavesdropping and snooping on our conversations. Our free-ranging, unfiltered conversations aren't meant for other people's ears, and we have no intention of engaging with the offended people listening in.