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Hi everyone, I arrived in Manila last week, thinking about retiring in the Philippines. I spent my first 5 months of retirement in Thailand, heard lots of good things about the Philippines, so I packed up and moved to Manila last week. I'm planning to base myself around BGC when I get back from a 10-day break in Boracay. I'm British, ex-military and ex-police, and it would be great to meet up with people for a coffee or a beer. Best wishes to everyone.
Richard.

35-Year-Old Man Arrested After Scaling NAIA Perimeter Fence and Entering Runway — Claimed He Was "Welcoming Returning Wife"

📌 On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 7, a 35-year-old man was apprehended by airport security after scaling the outer perimeter fence of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and entering Runway 06. The man stated that he went to meet his wife returning from work in Austria, and the airport operator reported that flight operations were not disrupted.

■ Incident Details
· The man scaled the airport's outer perimeter fence near Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque City to enter the restricted area, and was pursued and caught by security personnel.
· According to airport security, he entered Runway 06 at around 4:09 PM and walked without authorization in the aircraft movement area of the Link Road.
· Hailing from San Luis, Aurora, he claimed that while walking near the mall, he felt scared because someone seemed to be following him, which led him to climb the fence.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· He was arrested by the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP Avsegroup), and a background check revealed no prior criminal record. He was briefly allowed to meet his wife following his arrest.
· The airport operator, New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC), stated it plans to file criminal charges for trespassing, and Philstar reported that he will face security violation charges.
· NNIC stated there was no threat to aircraft or disruption to operations.

■ Note for Residents and Travelers
· Scaling airport fences or entering restricted areas will result in arrest and criminal prosecution under any circumstances.
· When picking up passengers, use the designated waiting areas inside the terminals, and if you feel you are being followed, immediately notify the nearest security guard or police officer.

■ Sources
The Manila Times (10/9), Philstar (10/9 — runway entry time and one place of origin verified)

Angeles Police Station arrests 3 fugitives including a 2014 rape suspect, and 1 drug peddling suspect

📌 The Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) announced that it arrested three fugitives and one drug peddling suspect in a series of operations conducted in Angeles City on October 8 (Thursday) and 9 (Friday). Among them is a resident of Barangay Pampang who had been wanted under arrest warrants for four counts of rape issued in 2014.

■ Case Details
· According to the Angeles Police Station, a joint team centered around Police Station 2 arrested a male resident of Barangay Pampang at around 2:30 PM on October 8 (Thursday). The arrest was based on warrants for four counts of rape issued by Branch 61 of the Angeles Regional Trial Court (RTC) on September 12, 2014, with no bail recommended.
· At around 3:40 PM on the same day, Police Station 2 conducted a sting operation next to a water refilling station on Reyes Street, Rd., Barangay Lourdes Northwest, arresting a resident of the same barangay. Police stated that he sold one sachet of suspected shabu (methamphetamine) to an undercover buyer and was found in possession of an additional sachet.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· All allegations are based on police announcements, and guilt or innocence will be determined in court.
· The specific charges and locations regarding the arrests of the remaining two fugitives were not disclosed in the scope of this police announcement.

■ Notice for Residents and Travelers
· The Philippines enforces extremely severe penalties for drug crimes, and sting operations are frequent. Never engage in drug transactions under any circumstances, regardless of who offers them.
· If you experience a crime or witness something suspicious, immediately report it to the nearest police station or call the emergency hotline 911.

■ Source
Angeles Police Station (Official Facebook, 10/9)

Angeles Road closures around Heritage District for Fiestang Kuliat Festival from October 9–12

📌 From 5:00 PM on Friday, October 9 to Monday, October 12, some roads around the Angeles Heritage District and Santo Entierro Street will be closed. This is due to the multi-day 'Fiestang Kuliat' festival and street events. The Angeles City Information Office has advised that the Holy Rosary Parish and downtown area will experience heavier traffic than usual.

■ What's Changing
· Period: Friday, October 9, 5:00 PM – Monday, October 12
· Affected Areas: Some roads around the Heritage District and Santo Entierro Street (specific road names were not provided in the announcement)
· Detours: McArthur Highway, Miranda Street, Henson Street

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· The downtown area around Holy Rosary Parish may experience heavier traffic than usual, so plan your route in advance and allow extra travel time.
· Follow traffic enforcers and guide signs around the closed sections.
· The exact time the roads will reopen on Monday, the 12th, was not specified in the announcement.

■ Sources
Angeles City Information Office (Official Facebook, 10/9), The Voice Newsweekly (10/9)

A man in trouble

Hi everyone!
I arrived in Dumaguete a week ago, and at least for a foreigner, it's hard to find events or ways to socialize here. People are nice, but it's not easy to connect.
I'm not the type who can just walk into a bar alone and make friends on the spot.
Is there anyone around 25 to 45 (roughly my age) who has lived here as an expat and can share their experience? :D
Thanks so much for your help

How AI will affect the BPO industry and condo market in the Philippines

I'm curious what you all think about how artificial intelligence will affect the BPO (business process outsourcing), back office, call center, and virtual assistant industries in the Philippines.

More specifically, if AI replaces all of those jobs and the newly emerging middle class collapses, what happens to the condo market and retirement prospects for foreigners?

At the extremes, I think it could range from condo prices getting cut in half and the dollar getting even stronger, all the way to total chaos where foreigners live under constant threat of robbery or kidnapping.

What do you think?

I'm in Cebu right now - what's the best way to get from Cebu to Dumaguete?

VPN help, please..
I just installed NordVPN and now I'm stuck on how to use it. Back home (USA), I watch a lot of different news (FOX, NewsNation, CNN, etc., all on YouTubeTV). But in the Philippines I can't get it. In "simple" terms, I want to open YouTubeTV on my iPhone and watch my shows. I've set my location (Denver), so do I just open the YouTubeTV app on my phone now, or what? Old dog here trying to learn a new trick.

At what age did you get rich?

I mean rich by US standards, not rich by Filipino standards

Is it more common in your 50s?

The little one stepped up to protect, but mom knows better

She gave it a try

Does anyone here get their SSA (US Social Security) benefits through American Bank and have problems? We haven't received our benefits, and I think it's because it has now merged with Prosperity Bank. My husband passed away last year, and I had no trouble getting survivor benefits until the merger. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to reply. I called the bank, and they said there's no need to change the routing number because they kept all the American Bank records. I called Social Security customer service, and they said the check has already been sent but they don't know why it isn't showing in my account yet. I called using the Viber app, so it was free from the Philippines to the US.
Thanks again, and may both sides of your pillow always be cool.

Fiesta! Fiesta! Fiesta!

Whenever the flags go up, I know a fiesta is coming.

The fiestas I need to keep track of are:

The citywide fiesta on June 24.
In honor of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista).
This is the 'water one.'

The barangay fiesta on March 19.
In honor of St. Joseph.

The fiesta at the Bundok property on December 13.
In honor of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia).

The San Fernando (P) fiesta on May 30.
In honor of St. Ferdinand III.

And that doesn't even include all the invitations we'll get from nephews, nieces, family... to other barangay fiestas.

Nor does it include the self-flagellation that happens in front of our house on Good Friday.

Westerners Who Were Killed in the Philippines

I saw a thread about crimes against foreigners. It was a good one, but the problem is that most of the people in it weren't the kind of foreigners most of us care about — Indian moneylenders, Nigerian and Korean 'businessmen,' that sort of thing. So I put together a list of unfortunate victims of Filipino 'hospitality.'

Number 6 is the most disturbing, because his own wife did him in, working together with her actual boyfriend.

1. Mark Duell & Elisea Duell (American)

Date: September 2, 2026
Location: Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Incident: American retiree Mark Duell (72) and his wife Elisea (71) were shot and killed when robbers broke into their rented home late at night. The armed attackers held their household helper at gunpoint, demanded money, and fled with cash, jewelry, and electronics.

2. Kent Carpenter (American)

Date: July 12, 2026
Location: Sibulan, Negros Oriental
Incident: Kent Carpenter (73), a prominent American marine biologist and university professor who did extensive conservation research in the Philippines, was shot dead by masked intruders who entered his home during an armed robbery.

3. Elliot Eastman (American)

Date: October 17, 2024 (abducted; presumed dead December 2024)
Location: Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte
Incident: Elliot Eastman (26), an American vlogger living in Zamboanga del Norte with his Filipina wife, was shot in the leg while being abducted by four armed men, who dragged him onto a motorboat and disappeared into the Sulu Sea. After arrests and investigations in late 2024, Philippine authorities concluded he died from injuries sustained during the abduction.

4. David Fisk (Australian)

Date: July 10, 2024
Location: Tagaytay City, Cavite
Incident: David Fisk (57), a visitor from Sydney, Australia, was murdered along with his Australian-Filipina partner Lucita Cortez and her daughter-in-law in their hotel room in Tagaytay City. The victims were found bound and suffocated in a targeted robbery-homicide. A suspect, a former hotel employee, later surrendered to police.

5. Nicholas Peter 'Nick' Stacey (New Zealander)

Date: February 19, 2023
Location: Barangay Palanan, Makati City (near the BGC / Makati CBD border)
Incident: Nick Stacey (34), a New Zealander visiting the Philippines, was walking to a laundry shop with his girlfriend around midnight when two men on a motorcycle pulled up and robbed them at gunpoint. When the robber pointed a pistol at his girlfriend and Stacey tried to stop him, he was shot once in the chest and died on the spot.

6. Roxan / Roxanne's Husband – American / Japanese-American (American)

Date: December 2023
Location: Liloan, Northern Cebu
Incident: A 72-year-old American retiree was struck on the head with a bottle and beaten inside his home in a gated subdivision. An investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found that his 30-year-old local wife and her former live-in partner planned the attack over money disputes, and murder/parricide charges were filed.

Korean Community Association Central Luzon — Notice on Mobile Consular Services for October 19–20

▶Date & Time : October 19 (Mon) 2:00 PM ~ 4:30 PM
October 20 (Tue) 9:30 AM ~ 12:00 PM
▶Venue : Korean Community Association Central Luzon
※Please bring your passport (or resident registration card, or Korean driver's license if you do not have a passport).
▶Available Services◀
Passport / Notarization / Overseas Korean Registration / Joint Certificate/
Driver's License Related :
*Class 1 cannot be renewed, but reissuance is available in case of loss.
Class 2 can be renewed if it is the renewal period, and reissuance is also available in case of loss.
*Required Documents: 3.5cm x 4.5cm photo, passport, driver's license (for renewal)
▶Visa, family relations registration (birth, marriage, divorce, etc.), and nationality services are not available as they require individual consultations and a significant amount of time.◀
*For detailed information such as required documents and issuance fees, please check the Embassy website.
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-ko/index.do
#중부루손한인회

Source: Korean Community Association Central Luzon Band · Posted on 2026-10-08
https://band.us/band/68401773/post/4420

Submarine Cable Fault Causes Internet Outage in Parts of the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — On Friday evening, October 2, multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the Philippines experienced network issues and internet connectivity disruptions.
According to the University of the Philippines Diliman Network Helpdesk, one of the submarine cable segments connecting the Philippines and Singapore was reportedly severed.
As a result, because most major ISPs route their connections through this primary information pipeline, some platforms experienced disconnections or slowed internet speeds.
In an advisory, the helpdesk stated, "Since most major ISPs connect through this primary information pipeline, you may experience increased latency and degraded performance, especially when accessing sites hosted abroad."
Downdetector.com, an internet outage tracking website, also reported an increase in outage complaints due to internet connectivity issues across multiple ISPs.
Meanwhile, internet service provider Padecoinc stated that the connection between the Philippines and Hong Kong was also disrupted, which "affects overall capacity and global internet connectivity."
Globe Telecom also announced that it is working to restore normal internet services due to a technical issue.
Globe Telecom stated, "Due to a technical issue, Globe customers may experience slower internet speeds across both mobile and broadband services."
Broadband Service Coverage also announced that it is working with the technical support team to restore internet access.

So the unstable internet and KakaoTalk photos not sending since yesterday were because of the damaged submarine cable
#News
#Philippines_News_Updates

Source: Korean Community Association Central Luzon Band · Posted on 2026-10-03
https://band.us/band/68401773/post/4419

Heads up to anyone getting Starlink!
If you're going to use Starlink, you'd better stick with it and not use it as a backup. I assumed I could put it on standby and turn it back on when I needed it. Nope. They say my area got "congested," so there's a 30k fee. That's basically the price of the dish. On top of that, they told me that if I stopped paying for standby, I'd have to buy the dish again. Absolutely insane. They really want to punish people who use it as a backup. I thought being in a congested area would just keep you off the best plans, but no. So basically, if you cancel in a congested area, they want a fat 60k on top of the monthly fees. I had no idea, so I'm warning everyone now. They use words like "maybe" and "might," so I'm not even sure if they just pick who to rip off. Really disappointed in the company. I expected better.

Edit: I looked into it more, and it's based on demand. The fee can go as high as 1500 dollars. Don't get Starlink in Manila, period. You'll pay around 1000 dollars just to activate it, plus 65 a month.

To those who think this is a lie: it isn't, and I've replied to a few comments with what they tried to charge me. In the end the fee was dropped, because they weren't charging new customers in my area this fee. I don't know what happened, but I think the company's leadership here needs to go. The woman who first helped me admitted there was no surcharge, then tried to argue that I'd been on roam so the surcharge still applied. I wasn't on roam before standby. It shouldn't have happened, and apparently it will happen, so keep that in mind.

Someday... someday

Frying pasta