Feed

Hi everyone,
Are there any salsa classes or salsa events in Dumaguete?

Also, does anyone know of a volleyball or badminton club in Dumaguete? (I'm more in the northern part of Dumaguete)

Thank you 😁

The Philippines has changed! Traditional girls are almost extinct!

I've got a single mate who, like me, can throw money around, and he meets 1–2 girls a day and can't even get to all of them!

Now he's got a new car too and drives out to the girls, and they're thrilled to get in and hope it turns into something serious!

I think the economy and inflation are pushing traditional Filipinos out of society

90% or more of girls are now just practical and trying to land a foreigner

Filipino men need to protect their women from white men

I love Filipinos. But come on, bros. Filipino men need to get it together and be 'providers' for their women.

Otherwise more and more white men like us will keep coming into the country and taking away the pretty, educated Filipinas.

Then only lower-class Filipinas will be left.

I hope Filipino men can take this criticism, step up and be real men. Stop complaining and start a business. Stop being a mama's boy. Step up and 'defend' your social status.

I'm truly praying for my Filipino brothers.

Keeping it safe

The laziest fight ever

Hi everyone! Are there any foreigners here who've managed to verify or upgrade their Maya account recently?

I keep getting these errors: 'ID/document is invalid' + 'the information you submitted is incomplete.' I'm trying with my passport and a bank certificate.

Any tips, or ways to push this through customer support?

Makati condo rent prices as of September 2026

Hi everyone,

I hope this is useful information for the community.

Last time I shared median prices, and this time I've put together the 25th–75th percentile range using the same criteria. Think of it as the low end and high end of rents. Below the low end is a good deal, and above the high end is pricier than the market.

We went through more than 2,150 condo rental listings in Makati City from the last three months, broken down by unit type and split into unfurnished and fully furnished condos. It should give you a feel for typical asking prices before you start looking.

This data is based on asking prices from publicly available social media listings and is for reference only.

If this helped, and you'd like the latest updates or want to support us, please follow our socials. And let me know which neighborhood you'd like to see next.

Don't be afraid to speak bluntly in the Philippines.

Filipinos generally seem to avoid confrontation. When they have a problem with someone, a lot of them seem to deal with it by sulking and dropping hints instead of saying it outright, or by badmouthing that person to someone else.

That's not my style at all. If I have a problem with someone, I'd rather tell them to their face what the problem is. My Filipino friends warned me it wouldn't go over well, but I kept doing it anyway, and the results have actually been pretty good.

From calling out crappy service to pointing out friends' bad manners, it does rub some people the wrong way. But when I tell them, "I'm not trying to be aggressive, I just want to be honest and open. I'd rather say it to your face than behind your back," people understand, and some even seem to appreciate it. And if you're a foreigner, locals will probably cut you more slack for being blunt than they would a fellow Filipino, since they'll assume that's just how people talk in your culture.

Behold, video game logic:

A spinning weasel

Thanks to whoever suggested contacting 'Troy Casquejo (Cebu Luthier)' when I was looking for guitar builders. We chatted, and I'm going to visit his home and try one of his 'Martin copies.' I asked if he could make a Selmer guitar and he said he could. But it sounds like he mainly makes these 'Martin copies.' Hopefully he copies them right down to where every brace sits 'under the hood,' not just how they look. Anyway, if I like his guitars, I'm going to negotiate a price for a custom-made Selmer-Maccaferri style guitar, but maybe with nylon strings! His 'Martin' guitars aren't standard size, though, and they're only 7,200 pesos (I think). So I'm not sure what to expect, since he works from home (no workshop or showroom). Still, he's very humble and courteous, apparently not desperate for work, and you have to make an appointment with him to play his guitars.

Filipinos should be more grateful to foreigners

There are so many angry, bitter Filipinos on here, and honestly it's kind of embarrassing. Foreigners bring in tons of money and keep whole industries like tourism, and whole cities, afloat. Where would the Philippines be without all the Western retirees and the Korean guys cheating on their wives? Places like Dumaguete and Clark are nice because of all the foreign money pouring in.

Of course we come for the women. You think we put up with all the nonsense here for nothing? Constant brownouts, some of the worst traffic in the world, scams, and violence targeting foreigners. The neighboring countries beat you on everything from infrastructure to safety. You should be grateful that young Filipinas can attract men from all over the world, because otherwise nobody would come to the Philippines except maybe a handful of surfers and snorkelers.

How respected is a McDonald's manager job?

So, will Filipinos do backflips and applaud when they hear I manage a bunch of people and get paid 100,000 pesos a month plus social security? That's about three times their top salaries.

And managing people at a restaurant is now a pretty respected job, so some Filipinos even ask me how much I make. They're shocked when I say 100,000 pesos.

So I'm literally in the top 10%, working as a manager, which not just anyone can do, running my own squad that serves customers from every walk of life.

Is this contract normal? Would you sign it?

Is there anything here I should ask them to change, or is this pretty much a typical contract?

Are destinations in Mindanao safe to visit?

I've seen the US State Department's warnings against traveling to Mindanao, but I've also seen YouTubers saying the State Department is way behind the times and paints the area badly because of past events. The places I'm particularly worried about are

Cagayan de Oro
Davao City
General Santos City

How dangerous would these places be for a 70-year-old white tourist from the US?

He got into my pants while I was in the shower...

Here are the results from last night's MIMO + with the Lancaster New City Darters and Manunudla Anabu Darts Club. Jomel Castro hit the only Ton80, and nobody hit the MYSTERY OUT, so it carries over to next week starting at 400 pesos!
Thanks to everyone who came, and I hope to see you all again next week!

Big Mike and Joy Head Back to the USA

After three years of enjoying the best expat life in the Philippines, Big Mike announced that he and Joy were heading to Cleveland for a two-week vacation.

He packed just three things.
One Hawaiian shirt.
One bottle of Tanduay.
And 180,000 pesos in cash, because he'd forgotten that America doesn't really do pesos.

The moment the plane touched down in Cleveland, Big Mike stood up before the seatbelt sign was off and shouted:

“Welcome home, baby!”
Nobody knew who he was.

Day 1
Big Mike drove straight to his old neighborhood.
He spent 45 minutes explaining to the bartender that he lived in the Philippines now.
The bartender said:
“I know, Mike. This is the fourth time I've heard it.”
Mike ordered a Bud Light.
Took a sip.
Looked at Joy.
“Honey, San Miguel is better.”
Joy realized these two weeks were going to be very long.

Day 3
Big Mike went to Walmart.
Catastrophe.
After three years of Philippine prices, Mike froze in the meat aisle holding a pack of ribeyes.

“Joy! These steaks are 42 dollars!”
“Yes, Mike.”
“FORTY-TWO US DOLLARS?!”
“Yes.”
Mike quietly put them back.
That night they ate at Jollibee.

Day 5
Mike invited 14 old Cleveland friends to a “traditional Filipino boodle fight.”
No one knew what that was.
Mike dumped rice, lumpia, pancit, shrimp and grilled pork all over the kitchen table.
His friend Gary asked:
“Where are the plates?”
Mike slapped the table.
“No plates, Gary. We're Filipino now.”
Joy whispered:
“You're from Ohio.”

Day 7
Something shifted.
Big Mike started to miss the Philippines.
He missed the tricycles.
He missed the roosters crowing at 4:17 in the morning.
He missed someone calling him “Sir Mike” every twelve minutes.
Worst of all…
Nobody in Cleveland cared that he was an American living abroad.
He tried telling a cashier:
“I actually live in Pampanga.”
The cashier said:
“Would you like a receipt?”
Mike was crushed.

Day 9
Mike went to a Filipino grocery store in Cleveland.
In eleven minutes he'd bought:
18 packs of Lucky Me noodles
6 cans of Spam
3 bottles of banana ketchup
a 25-pound sack of rice
two frozen bangus
and a karaoke machine.
Joy stared at the cart.
“Mike. We're flying BACK to the Philippines.”
Mike quietly took the rice out.

Day 11
Big Mike threw a neighborhood karaoke party.
At 10:42 PM he sang “My Way.”
At 10:49 he sang it again.
At 11:03 the neighbors called the police.
An officer showed up.
Mike explained:
“Officer, where I live this is culturally normal.”
The officer replied:
“Sir, this is Parma.”

Day 13
Mike had completely lost it.
It was 48°F outside.
He stood on the porch in shorts, Crocs and a barangay basketball jersey.
He gazed up at the gray Cleveland sky.
“Joy…”
“What?”
“I miss the carabao.”
“You don't own a carabao.”
“I know. But I miss him.”

Day 14 — The Escape
Big Mike got to Cleveland Hopkins Airport six hours early.
His luggage:
Four suitcases.
Two balikbayan boxes.
One Browns cap.
37 Slim Jims.
A Costco-size jar of peanut butter.
And one air fryer whose presence nobody could explain.
When the gate agent called boarding for the flight back toward Manila, Mike nearly cried.
Twenty-four hours later, they stepped out into the Philippine heat.
Mike took a deep breath.
Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed.
A tricycle blared its horn.
Someone yelled:
“Hey Joe!”

Big Mike smiled.
“Joy… we're home.”
Joy nodded.
Then she looked at the mountain of luggage.
“Mike, where's the other balikbayan box?”

Big Mike froze.
It was still in Cleveland.

Inside were his passport photocopies, six jars of Skippy…
…and the ashes of his beloved imaginary carabao.

“Carl!!”
Mike howled at the heavens.

Somewhere in Cleveland, an unattended balikbayan box sat quietly on Gary's porch.
And so ended Big Mike's Great American Vacation of 2026.

…or so everyone thought.
Because three days later…

GARY OPENED THE BOX……

American pensioner arrested over racist rant at supermarket

« American pensioner arrested over racist rant at supermarket
An American pensioner has been arrested after unleashing a racist tirade at a supermarket in Angeles City, Philippines.
Patrick Ndukwuegbulam Obison, 67, was caught on video yelling at a female customer at the checkout.
The furious foreigner repeatedly told the woman to shut up before calling her an animal and a monkey.
Immigration officers promptly detained Obison for disturbing public order, harassment, and failing to report a change of address.
He is now being held at a detention facility in Manila and faces immediate deportation proceedings for undesirable conduct.”

Two South Koreans arrested in Clark Freeport — 1 million pesos worth of ketamine seized in PDEA sting operation

📌 On Tuesday, October 6, two South Korean men, aged 31 and 38, were arrested in Clark Freeport, Pampanga during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). About 1 million pesos worth of ketamine was seized from the two suspects, and the PDEA stated that they had been working for an offshore gaming operator (POGO).

■ Case Details
· The PDEA Central Luzon (Region 3) office launched a buy-bust operation after receiving a tip that a foreigner was distributing drugs.
· On Tuesday, October 6, the two South Koreans were caught red-handed inside Clark Freeport while attempting to hand over ketamine.
· The seized items include approximately 200 grams of ketamine (with an estimated street value of 1 million pesos), one mobile phone, and marked money used in the sting operation.
· The operation was conducted jointly by the PDEA Region 3 Special Enforcement Team, the PDEA Pampanga Provincial Office, and the Mabalacat City Police Station.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· The two suspects face charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 26(b) (Conspiracy to Sell) of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (RA 9165).
· The confiscated drugs have been sent to the PDEA Region 3 laboratory for chemical analysis.

■ Notice for Residents and Travelers
· In the Philippines, ketamine is classified as a dangerous drug, and both its sale and possession carry severe penalties.
· This crackdown originated from a tip-off. If a stranger asks you to deliver or store items, refuse.
· If offered drugs in entertainment venues or similar places, it is safest to leave immediately.

■ Sources
Inquirer (10/6), SunStar Pampanga (10/6) — The 200g seizure amount and charge provisions were verified by SunStar (one source)