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I didn't expect Koreans to be the number one tourist group in the Philippines.

I was thinking about offering Japanese and Chinese support too, but hmm.

Koreans clearly dominate. So that's why Walking Street, aka Red Street, has so many Koreans!

Hello, could anyone recommend a travel agency that can help extend a tourist visa? I arrived from the US on Wednesday, 10/14. Right now I'm staying with relatives in Cuenca, Batangas, and I'd like to get things prepared in advance instead of going all the way to Manila.

Update/Correction:

Thank you to everyone who left helpful comments. I have a friend at the BI (Bureau of Immigration) who can help.

Yes, I know there is a visa-free extension after 30 days. What I meant was the first extension after the visa-free period, and I also know about the BI office on the 3rd floor of the airport. I was talking about the BI in Cuenca, Batangas, and I'm sorry my explanation was unclear. At first I heard that our area doesn't process tourist visas. I don't know where the misunderstanding came from, and it's my fault. Let's move on 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Don't let anyone find out about this move.

I'm flying into Manila in November with my 70-pound (#70) dog, and I'm looking for a decent hotel near the airport that allows dogs to stay with me. I'll need to book a separate flight to Davao the next morning... Do you have any places you'd recommend?

Mother's Search for Missing Daughter Leads Police to Raid Cebu Trafficking Den

American Faces Trafficking and Rape Charges

BREAKING: A 59-year-old American national, a retired investor, faces multiple criminal charges including human trafficking, rape, illegal detention, and possession of illegal drugs.

The charges follow a police operation on Wednesday, October 14, at the man's rented condominium in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City, where authorities rescued a 15-year-old girl and eight other women suspected of having been sexually exploited.

Police said they will file the case against the American today, October 15.

Hello, is there consumer protection law here? I bought a new car six months ago and have had a lot of problems since then.
Now it won't start at all, and when I turn it on, a warning alarm goes off. The dealer keeps sending technicians, and they say the problem is different every time. Now they're saying I need to order new parts.
I'm fed up with all of it and want to return the car.
It's still under warranty, but every time a technician comes out, I'm charged for gas, tolls, and meals.
What rights do I have, if any?

My wife and I will probably go to Leyte in February to buy a house we've had our eye on for a long time. I can't own land in the Philippines, so the house will be in my wife's name. We've been married for almost 42 years, so we're not worried about being scammed. If my wife were planning to scam me, she'd better hurry. 😆 My question is how to send a large amount of money when I don't have a bank account in the Philippines. I live in Florida now, and we'll move in a few years. I don't have an SRRV yet, so I can't open an account, and my wife is now a U.S. citizen and not a dual citizen, so she probably can't open one either. I've looked into Western Union, Wise, and Remitly, but the amount is over 3 million pesos. Any advice or information would be really appreciated. P.S. The actual move is a few years away, and we'll only be in the Philippines for about 5 weeks, like we were earlier this year. There's a lot to do in Florida before then. We need to get rid of most of our belongings and sell our house. I should have mentioned this first.

Raid on Illegal Gold Mining Site in Surigao — 18 Arrested, Including 8 Chinese Nationals

📌 On October 14 (Wednesday), a joint task force of police, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and others raided an illegal gold mining site in Mabini, Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, Mindanao, and arrested 18 people, including 8 Chinese nationals and 10 Filipinos. Equipment worth about 153 million pesos, including dump trucks and excavators, was seized.

■ Background
· The operation was carried out together by the Caraga Regional Police Office (PRO-13), the DENR, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (including the Air Force).
· The 8 arrested Chinese nationals come from Hunan (5), Gansu (2), and Guangzhou (1), and are aged 33 to 58. The 10 Filipinos come from several areas, including Surigao City, Davao City, and Zamboanga City.
· Seized items include 8 dump trucks, 5 payloaders, 16 excavators, 8 generators, 4 modified ore-processing machines, 1 Toyota Hilux pickup, 1 shotgun with 12 rounds of ammunition, and 2 modified air guns. The DENR valued the seized items at 153.34 million pesos.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· The 18 people are being held at the Surigao City Police Station. According to GMA News, an inquest proceeding is underway at the Surigao City Prosecutor's Office on charges of illegal exploration and mineral theft under the Mining Act (RA 7942).
· The MGB Regional Office 13 will carry out administrative forfeiture proceedings for the seized equipment.
· Regional Police Director Rolindo Suguilon said all legal measures would be taken against those responsible, and the DENR explained that this crackdown is part of efforts against illegal gold mining across Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· Foreigners can also be arrested and prosecuted for involvement in unlicensed mineral exploration or mining sites in the Philippines.
· If you receive an offer to invest in or work for a mining or heavy equipment business, first check whether it has a permit from the MGB.

■ Sources
PNA (10/15), Daily Tribune (10/16), GMA News (10/17) (applicable charges confirmed in one source only)

Truck loaded with sand crashes into jeepney and other vehicles in Rizal's Taytay, injuring 16 to 20 people

📌 On October 17 (Saturday), a large truck loaded with sand veered into the opposing lane on Ortigas Avenue Extension in Taytay, Rizal, and struck several vehicles, including a jeepney. News reports differ on the number of injured: GMA News reported 16, while Manila Bulletin reported 20. No deaths were reported.

■ How the accident happened
· The truck was coming down from the Antipolo direction when, on a sharp downhill stretch in Barangay Dolores, it crossed into the opposing lane and collided with oncoming vehicles.
· The truck driver told GMA News that he turned the steering wheel to avoid an oncoming van, but the brakes did not respond in time.
· Citing the Rizal Police Provincial Office, Manila Bulletin reported that the accident occurred at around 7:10 a.m. and involved four vehicles: a passenger car (Mitsubishi Xpander), a tricycle, a motorcycle, and a jeepney.

■ Casualties and current status
· The number of injured varies by report. GMA News reported 16 injured, including one driver of another vehicle and one female jeepney passenger who were seriously hurt (per Taytay police). Manila Bulletin reported 20 people with minor injuries, including five drivers and 15 jeepney passengers.
· According to GMA News, the truck owner agreed to pay the medical expenses of all the injured, and police are investigating the cause of the accident.
· The accident caused traffic congestion in the area, and the road reopened in the afternoon (the reopening time varies by report: 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.).

■ Notes for residents and travelers
· On steep downhill roads, it is safer not to drive directly behind or beside large trucks carrying sand or gravel.
· Roads like Ortigas Avenue Extension, which connect Antipolo and Rizal with Metro Manila, can see long traffic delays from a single accident, so check local government and police traffic advisories before departing.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/17), Manila Bulletin (10/17) (accident time and vehicle types confirmed by one source only)

This book cover

Are there any other companies besides Starlink that can be used in the Philippines?

I've read about Kacific, WIT/Philsat, and Amazon Kuiper (coming soon).

Does anyone here have experience with these companies, or know of any local providers in Central Luzon offering satellite services other than Starlink?

I'm using Starlink and it works well, but I want to switch.

I want to start a business, expand, and try new things too. But sometimes my head says "Let's go!" while my heart says "Girl, calm down! We're not billionaires!"

Maybe it's not that I'm afraid of risk. My husband and I just can't afford to lose everything we've worked so hard to save.

Does anyone else feel like this? 🙋‍♀️

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to answer this. I visited the Philippines twice briefly in 1983, and I believe I entered through Clark. But when I went back recently, Angeles was completely different from what I remembered. As I recall, I walked out of the base and within a few hundred feet crossed a river called something ….. Do you remember the women standing on the boats? Right after that there was Walking Street, or Magsaysay [I know that's misspelled] Avenue. Walking Street looked somewhat familiar to me, but apart from a few bar entrances, it didn't quite match my memory. I asked someone in Angeles who had been drinking, but I couldn't understand them properly. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I heard ManChoo Friendship has been good for about 10 years, and this time I went there after visiting Robinson Mart next door. I had the stone pot bibimbap and it was pretty good. The side dishes were not bad either.

I think we should hold a bibimbap showdown.

Where should I live if I like weight training?

I'd like to live somewhere within walking distance of a gym with a proper weight room. Where would you recommend?

The McDonald's in the Philippines doesn't have sweet and sour sauce anymore.

I'll be heading back to the US once this is done.

13(a) Visa Requirements:
Hi everyone! I just want to check two things about the 13(a) visa requirements.

1. Is proof of financial ability required?

2. Is proof that the foreign husband and the Filipino wife live together required?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has applied recently. Thanks! 😊

Can anyone recommend a way to get a US phone number while I'm in the Philippines? Either an eSIM or an unlocked phone, anything works. Thanks in advance.

Visayas Grid Yellow Alert, 5–8 PM on Saturday, October 17 — 2 Coal Plants Go Offline

📌 On Saturday, October 17, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a yellow alert for the Visayas grid from 5 PM to 8 PM. Two large coal-fired power plants are shut down, and scheduled maintenance on the Mindanao–Visayas interconnection is overlapping, leaving reserve power short. Visayas areas including Cebu and Boracay should be mindful of the power situation during evening hours.

■ What's Changing
· Alert time: Saturday, October 17, 5 PM–8 PM, Visayas grid
· Available power supply is 2,511 MW against an expected peak demand of 2,362 MW. Supply exceeds demand, but it falls short of the reserve level required for emergencies.
· Causes: Shutdown of coal plant units PEDC Unit 3 and KSPC Unit 1, and the 2nd scheduled maintenance of the Mindanao–Visayas interconnection

■ What a Yellow Alert Means
· Current demand can be met, but the emergency reserve power is below the required level. This raises the likelihood of rotational brownouts.
· No specific brownout schedule has been announced for this alert.

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· If you are staying in the Visayas, reduce electricity use during the alert hours (5–8 PM), and charge your phone and power bank in advance.
· For information on whether outages will occur, check announcements from your local distribution utility or city hall.
· This alert applies to the Visayas grid only. The Luzon grid, which includes Angeles and Clark, is not affected.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/17), Inquirer (10/17)

■ Photos
· Stock photo · Substation equipment behind barbed wire — GMA News

The most shocking thing from my trip to the Philippines.

I have been to the Philippines nine times in total: in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2025, and twice in 2026.

This story is from 2018.

I first visited Angeles in 2017, and during that trip I spent a night with a bar girl.

After returning home, I kept fond memories of it, and a year later I got another chance to go back. I tried to recall the bar I had gone to, and I asked the manager for the name of the woman I had forgotten, wondering if she might still be there. She was still working there.

Oh, I immediately bar-fined her, and after leaving I thought about what to do next, and decided on visiting her house. Looking back now, I wonder why, of all things, I wanted to take the bar girl I had simply liked and go see her house.

Was it because I wanted to feel a sense of superiority while looking around her house, which was practically 100% a derelict house?

Was it an instinctive curiosity about a strange landscape that you can't see in Korea?

Was it an intellectual quest toward a wider world?

It's none of those, but if I had to pick one, it would be the second, and the most important thing is that I think I was simply born to crave things like that.

When I said let's go to your house, she readily agreed.

I thought nobody must be home, so I bought a few Jollibee Super Meals and rode a tricycle to her house.

After getting off near her house and seeing it, it was the biggest shock of my Philippine trips so far. First, her whole family was there. And her family greeted me with bright expressions.

I was shocked to a great degree, thinking, "Wait, I'm the man who's going to spend the night with your daughter... how can they welcome me like that?" The second was the condition of her house.

I had expected it to be near derelict, but it went far beyond that expectation.

A house is just bricks stacked up, cemented, and covered with a sheet of metal on top.

Can this even be called a house...?

The TV was an old bulky cathode-ray tube TV.

The kitchen was like a kitchen from the North Korean "Arduous March" famine era.

As soon as I saw it, I said goodbye right away and hurried back out.

The bar girl looked puzzled, and since it seemed like I had unintentionally fled, I felt sorry and emphasized that I hadn't left with that intention.

Then I told her to go to a hotel. Because I remember being incredibly scared just from seeing the house. The place I stayed at back then was a Euro Hotel.

Then I slept just like that without any extra business, and I remember that in the morning I sent her off and never looked for her again.