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I'm going to be away for 4 months. Singapore for 1.5 months, the US for 2.5 months…

Is it a contradiction that I say I love the Philippines but I'm insanely excited to be leaving for a while?

This might sound dumb… but I genuinely love this place and the people here… and yet I also feel relieved to be getting away for a bit. Just curious what you all think.

I leave Friday morning.

Does the visa waiver lead to LSVVE? And BI website errors?

I just arrived in the Philippines on September 29 and I'm trying to figure out the visa extension process.

As I understand it:

30-day visa-free → 29-day visa waiver → regular extensions / possibly LSVVE

But the LSVVE part confuses me. I can't find an LSVVE option anywhere on the current BI eServices site.

I'm also trying to apply for the visa waiver online, but I keep getting "We couldn't locate your travel record" even though I entered all my info correctly.

I've emailed BI support, but has anyone here dealt with this recently?

A few questions:

a) Is the sequence above right? Do I have to do the waiver and then LSVVE?

b) Can LSVVE be done online, or is it in person?

c) Where exactly is the BI office? The internet said it's in the MOA complex. I went there today and a government staffer told me there's no such office (there used to be one)

d) And a last, partly related question. If I extend to the maximum of 6 months, can I study for a driver's license on a tourist visa? As I understand the rules, you need a valid 6-month visa, so LSVVE should qualify, right?

I'm sure people have been through all of this before, so I've come here to learn from the wisest!

A question for Filipinos 🇵🇭
I'm curious how 'po' is used in different regions.

In Manila and Luzon, I often hear 'po' used as a sign of respect.

But I've heard mixed things about Cebu, the Visayas and Mindanao.

If you're Filipino, please tell me:

Where are you from, and do you use 'po' in everyday conversation?

I'm curious how it differs by region. There's no right answer — I just want to hear real experiences.

Salamat po! 😊

What's the most you've ever made in a single month?

No need for details, I'm just trying to find out if there are entrepreneurs here with big ambitions like me

Most people I've met didn't even know you can make money online or in finance

What shocked you most when you first started living in the Philippines? And what's one tip you'd give a newcomer?

A local parade

Delicious down to the very last lick

Has anyone been able to buy Italian sausage? I live near Legazpi. I'd love to make homemade spaghetti sauce.

Update: His supposedly dead Philippine number rang 💔

Honestly, the only reason I tried calling his Philippine number was because it was supposed to be disconnected and I knew the call wouldn't go through. It was basically like calling a dead person's number. I really didn't expect it to ring. I just missed him so much that I tried anyway. 😭

Then it rang for about two seconds. I tried again, and it rang for about two seconds again. At this point I'm taking it as a sign that he's still here and that there's another Filipina involved.

Going back through our messages, I've also noticed things I didn't think much of at the time. His original plan was to spend about two days with me. As the date got closer, he said his boss wanted him back by Monday so he could only stay one day instead of two. Later he said he'd try to find someone to cover for him so he could stay the whole weekend, and in the end he stayed until Monday morning. At the time I honestly thought he was making an effort because he wanted more time with me.

He also booked a hotel near the airport instead of near me. Our original plan was to book near my apartment. I never questioned it because I figured he just wanted to be close to the airport. He booked an ugly Airbnb for the two of us too, lol 😝 I never complained once. My ex would never. And I would never 😂 At the time I didn't think much of it because I assumed it was just convenient for his flight. Looking back now, it feels like something I might have read differently if I'd known what was coming.

And my poor pasalubong (gifts). 😂 I spent thousands of pesos on Filipino snacks for him and his kids, because I thought I was sending something home with their dad. Now I have no idea what happened to any of it. 😭 He probably threw it all in the trash so his girlfriend wouldn't see it lol. That was a whole day's pay for me.

Putting it all together, the airport hotel, the fact that he never took pictures of us, his Philippine number still being active, and how suddenly he vanished after he left, I can't help concluding this was his plan from the start. I just can't believe he's that kind of person. 🥺

I still don't know the whole truth, but I'm relieved about one thing: I don't think I did anything that weekend that suddenly made him leave. Whatever happened, I believe it was a decision he made, not a sign that something was wrong with me.

I'm still heartbroken because I truly loved him. But at least I'm finally getting to the point where I can stop asking myself, "What did I do wrong?"

Anyway, enough detective work for now. 😂 Any recommendations for fun things to do this weekend? I don't drink, so ideally something that isn't centered on alcohol. I need to get out of the house. 😭

"Hehe, up to you, sir po"

When Filipinos sell cars or condos without putting up a price and list them for 1 peso, does that mean I can buy it for 1 peso?

My neighbor has a plastic goose they dress up every now and then

My 8-year-old's creation

What do I need to do to transfer a 13A visa from my old passport to a new one?

Anyone living in Boracay? Looking for a good long-term rental

I'm looking for a nice, modern place with a big living room and kitchen. Budget is 70k.

It needs a generator. I work online, so I can't have the power going out on me.

Renting a place in BGC

I'm planning to rent a condo or apartment in BGC.
Which buildings would you recommend that are well maintained? I'm thinking of the Forbes or BGC High Street area. Any advice would be really appreciated.

Why Wise is so cheap

I asked before how you all send money to your fiancées. I'm an autistic nerd, so I tend to dig deep into things most people don't care about. Anyway, I've always wondered how Wise manages to be so cheap. Other companies pretend to be cheap by advertising “no fees,” but they get you on the exchange rate. They give terrible rates and sometimes skim 10% or more in markup.

Here's how they actually do it.

Your money never actually leaves your home country! I was surprised by this too, but Wise uses a 1:1 peer-to-peer system. Say you send money to your girlfriend: the money goes into a domestic US bank account. Wise has a local bank account in Manila, and it uses that local balance to send her the money. That's why when you receive money it says ‘You received money from Wise Pilipinas.’ They fill the gap with money someone else sent from Manila to the US. If a particular corridor gets out of balance, they lower the transfer fee to encourage more people to send money the other way.

For rare currencies, they buy wholesale. If it's a less common currency like the Ghanaian cedi, where 1:1 matching is harder, they buy the currency in bulk at wholesale. That lets them skip the expensive SWIFT banking network entirely.

That said, Wise isn't perfect. They're notorious for being slow sometimes, especially if your account history or balance isn't much bigger than the amount you're sending (it triggers a manual compliance review). They also got busted by the CFPB (the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) for misleading fee disclosures (like hidden costs when using Apple Pay or Google Pay with credit cards), improper exchange rate rounding, and failing to properly handle error investigations and refunds when transfers were delayed.

Living in the Philippines, Wise is an essential part of my daily life. I don't trust local banks, so I use Wise to fund my GCash account and Schwab when I need cash. That real exchange rate makes a real difference.

Which is the best condo in the Cebu City area?

Can anyone tell me the absolute top 2-3 condos that do NOT have broken, slow elevators, roaches, poor drainage in sinks and showers, sound/noise issues, sewer smells, badly designed or too-small spaces, pools under maintenance, very slow internet, water supply problems... what am I missing? I don’t care about rules on bringing people in, but efficient building staff and guards are preferred for deliveries, coming and going, etc. And what price range should I expect for a 1 or 2 BR in these? I have some experience with Manila condos, so I know the issues, but I don’t know Cebu that well.

AMA: Left the Philippines, bought a house, and moved back home

Hi everyone,

I’m doing an AMA before I leave this sub for good. I retired early, moved to the Philippines, and lived there for about 5 years. But now I’ve moved back home, bought a house, and settled down.

Ask me anything you want before I leave this sub for good.

Beni Oh Oh

I don't care how childish it is. That's the whole point!