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Special Travel Advisory Issued for Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to adjust the special travel advisory for Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, effective 00:00 on Saturday, October 24.

※ Indonesia travel advisory status after this adjustment
- Special Travel Advisory: Central Kalimantan Province
- Level 2 (Travel Restriction): West Papua Province, Papua Province, Maluku Province, Aceh Province
- Level 1 (Travel Caution): All regions other than those under the Special Travel Advisory and Level 2 travel advisory

Source: Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines Overseas Safety Information · Posted 2026-10-27 · Korea Open Government License Type 1 (Attribution)
https://ph.mofa.go.kr/ph-ko/brd/m_27094/view.do?seq=1346450

Hello everyone,
I've seen posts about buying land in your wife's/girlfriend's name and then setting up a 25+25-year usufruct lease on the land and the building.

Has anyone run into problems doing it this way? Have you ever had legal issues later on?

Also, can a usufruct be passed on to a living relative through a will?

I'm looking to buy part of a piece of land to build a small family home and a few apartments, and I want to leave it as an inheritance for my young daughter (who is not a Philippine citizen).

Thanks for your opinions 🙏

Ralph Calinisan says he will no longer process police applications from "kamote" criminology graduates

About Rica Peralejo leaving the Philippines. If I had the means, I'd leave this country too. There's no hope for our country.

Garfield who ate way too much lasagna

There's a remote job available.
I didn't go after it. And I doubt anyone here would be able to take that opportunity. At my last job, I was an incident response engineer working with 3PAR storage. This time, I was basically contacted to do my old work from the client's side. The money they offered was substantial. It would probably have been a contract position. Insurance was already sorted out, and I probably would have had to move back to the US for a while. I didn't take it because I don't want to sell my time just for money.

The key point is that if you build up the skills people want, you can work anywhere. I've worked remotely for 16 years. And right now I'm working while on the move.

Is the economy in a recession?

When I travel around the Philippines, it's not just BGC. I notice that restaurants are packed everywhere.
The malls are crowded too.

Wages are low, so how can people eat out all the time?

This broke my heart.

I'm not trying to be funny, this really broke my heart. Corrupt government officials steal from their own people. And it's not just about poverty. Vietnam is poor too, but their kids can do math.

The Philippines has some really nice, peaceful places. Even in Manila, you can feel the cool sea breeze and the clean air....🌺

Whenever I walked past, it always looked crowded, so why would it have been put up for sale.. I heard the store got cut in half, did that have an effect?

Hello everyone. I'm a newcomer from Australia, and I came here with my wife of 15 years, who is Filipina. I'm sure there are other Australians in the same situation as me. I retired on the age pension and have a little money in an Australian bank. I've sorted out the pension transfer, but since I'm going to put a small amount into a term deposit, I have a question about the "tax resident" issue.

Is there anyone in the same situation who knows a tax accountant who works with Australian expats? Please contact me and introduce them to me if you can. I'll also need to file my return for this financial year when the time comes.

The bank asked me to confirm my situation. I want to get it sorted out, because otherwise I might end up paying a lot of tax.

Thanks in advance.

Good friends

I'm taking meloxicam and Seroquel. In the Philippines, do I need a doctor with an S2 license? If anyone knows, please let me know. Thank you.

Why are Filipinos all so obsessed with drama?

The whole culture is nothing but drama, drama-like situations, and gossip about foreigners and their drama.

Every time I watch a drama or a video, I feel like I'm throwing away a ton of money I could have earned by working during that time. But the people who actually watch dramas are about to sink into debt or just complain all the time. I've met a lot of foreigners too, and all they talk about is drama, like who got deported and whatever.

Is the Philippines really that boring for most people?

Do your girlfriends clean and cook for you too?

I invited a foreign guy over to my place, and he looked completely shocked when he told me the women he's seeing don't cook or clean for him.

For context, he's a chubby guy in his 40s who dates women in their 20s. My girlfriend and I both work out a lot. The guys around here all brag in similar ways, and one of them told me the woman he was seeing didn't brush her teeth, so she'd lost a few teeth.

We eat healthy and live healthy, and he was genuinely surprised at how clean my place was. Then he started complaining that he doesn't have a woman who cooks and cleans for him. I asked another foreigner, and he said if you want a clean house you can just hire a cook or a housekeeper, but then he complained that his girlfriend mostly just scrolls Instagram.

Is that just the type of woman they date, or are they low-value men themselves?

Yesterday's Top Philippine News (10/26)

📌 We've picked 8 important stories from the Philippines on October 26 and gathered them in one place. Click a title to go to the full article.

1. 8-Month-Old Twins Sold Twice Rescued in Candaba, Pampanga — Buyer Arrested
On the 25th, 8-month-old twins who were sold by their biological mother and then resold were rescued in Candaba, Pampanga, and the buyers who bought and sold the babies were arrested.

2. Angeles Police Arrest 3 Wanted Suspects — Warrants Served for Fraud and Drug Law Violations
Angeles police said they arrested 3 people, including a suspect wanted on a fraud warrant, in operations on the 25th and 26th.

3. Drug Sting on Oaks Street in Balibago, Angeles — 46-Year-Old Man Arrested
On the afternoon of the 25th, a 46-year-old man was arrested in a drug sting in Balibago, Angeles, and ecstasy and shabu worth 62,900 pesos were seized.

4. Drug Den Raid in Dapdap, Mabalacat — 4 Arrested, About 10g of Shabu Seized
On the 25th, a drug den in Dapdap, Mabalacat was raided, 4 people were arrested, and about 10g of shabu (worth 68,000 pesos) was seized.

5. Murder of 20-Year-Old Architecture Student in Lipasy — 2 Arrested on Suspicion of Contract Killing
In connection with the case of a 20-year-old female college student who was killed with a sharp weapon in Lipasy on the 14th, a 30-year-old man who confessed to the crime and a man suspected of ordering it for 10,000 pesos were arrested on the 25th.

6. Police Fired On at Western Bicutan Checkpoint in Taguig — 2 Armed Suspects Killed
On the 22nd, 2 armed suspects who fired on police at a checkpoint in Western Bicutan, Taguig were killed in return fire, while 2 others escaped.

7. SUV and Motorcycle Collide on Antero Soriano Highway in Tanza, Cavite — 2 Dead
In the early morning of the 25th, an SUV and a motorcycle collided on the highway in Tanza, Cavite, killing the motorcycle driver and a passenger, and the SUV driver was detained.

8. Diesel Up 1.20 Pesos per Liter, Gasoline Down 0.30 Pesos from October 27
From the 27th, diesel will go up by 1.20 pesos per liter and kerosene by 0.50 pesos, while gasoline will go down by 0.30 pesos. The changes apply until November 2.

3 men stopped from leaving Davao Airport, citing a "Muay Thai tournament" — recruited for military jobs in Eastern Europe

📌 In an announcement on Monday, October 26, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it stopped three Filipino men, who appeared to have been recruited for soldier and border guard jobs in Eastern Europe, from leaving Davao International Airport on Saturday, October 17. They said they were going to take part in or coach at a Muay Thai tournament in Thailand, but the investigation revealed plans to travel to Eastern Europe.

■ What happened
· The men who were stopped from leaving are aged 25, 51, and 50.
· They had been promised 200,000 pesos a month to work as soldiers or border guards in Eastern Europe.
· The investigation found that recruiters called "Alexander" and "Oleg," whom they met on Facebook and Telegram, paid for their travel expenses and arranged the recruitment.
· They were told they would get a European e-visa in Thailand, and on October 13 they were instructed to leave through a "backdoor" route via Zamboanga, but the plan was changed to a flight out of Davao.

■ Investigation and current status
· The BI's Border Protection and Anti-Trafficking Section (I-PROBES) turned the three over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation.

■ Advice for residents and travelers
· BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado urged the public to be wary of recruiters who promise high salaries.
· If you receive an overseas job offer, first check with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) whether the employer and recruitment agency are properly registered. Being asked to pose as a tourist is a red flag.

■ Sources
Bureau of Immigration (10/26), Philstar (10/26)

■ Photo
· Departing passengers (seen from behind) being questioned by BI officers at the airport — Philstar

I'm planning to retire to the Philippines within the next 12 months, and I'm looking at Iloilo City. If you live there, could you tell me what it's like? Also, I don't want a condo — I want to rent a house. Would 250,000 pesos a month be enough to live comfortably? I'm 57 and don't have any major health problems. If you have any recommendations for hospitals or medical services, I'd appreciate those too.

Email bomb threat at De La Salle University Manila — afternoon classes suspended, campus evacuated

📌 On Monday, October 26, a bomb threat email sent to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila campus in Malate, Manila, led to the suspension of afternoon classes and office work, and students and staff left the campus. The Manila Police District (MPD) began searching for explosives and tracing the source of the email.

■ What happened
· The email was sent to faculty of the College of Education (BAGCED), and the associate dean who received it forwarded it to the school's security office.
· School security officials reported it to the Malate police station at around 12:40 p.m.
· At around 1 p.m., the university's vice chancellor asked all students and staff to leave the campus as soon as possible.
· Classes from 1 to 6 p.m. were suspended, classes after 6 p.m. were moved online, and office work also stopped from 1 p.m. Access to the campus was restricted.

■ Investigation and current status
· At around 2 p.m., the MPD bomb disposal unit and K-9 team began searching the campus and assessing the threat as a precaution.
· Police are working with the cybercrime response team to investigate where the email came from. As of the time of reporting, the search was still ongoing and no findings had been reported.

■ Notes for residents and travelers
· If you receive evacuation instructions at a school or building, follow them immediately without delaying to gather your belongings.
· The Taft Avenue area may be congested during evacuations and traffic controls, so allow extra travel time.

■ Sources
The Manila Times (10/26), Daily Tribune (10/26)

■ Photos
· 1. Manila police searching the De La Salle University campus — The Manila Times
· 2. Police entering the campus with a K-9 dog — Daily Tribune

Pampanga Police Warn of Robbery and Theft Amid Undas Cemetery Crowds — 5 Prevention Tips

📌 On Monday, October 26, the Pampanga Police Provincial Office (Pampanga PPO) used its official Facebook page to urge the public to be careful about robbery and theft when cemeteries and memorial parks fill with crowds during Undas (All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2). Saying thieves may target crowded places, the police issued 5 prevention tips.

■ Prevention Tips from the Police
· Guard your belongings: Keep valuables such as bags, mobile phones, and wallets close to your body.
· Hide valuables: Do not show off cash, jewelry, mobile phones, or expensive items.
· Secure your home: Before leaving, close and lock the doors, windows, and gate.
· Don't carry large amounts of cash: Carry only what you need in a secure wallet or bag.
· Be careful in crowded places: Stay alert, and if you see suspicious behavior, report it to the police right away.

■ Current Status
· Pampanga Provincial Police Director Col. Ricardo M. David stressed that public vigilance and cooperation are important to keeping everyone safe during Undas.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· If you will be away from home for several days to visit graves or travel, let your neighbors or building administrator know in advance.
· In crowded places such as cemeteries and terminals, do not keep your mobile phone in your back pocket or carry it openly in your hand.

■ Source
Pampanga Police Provincial Office (official Facebook, 10/26)

■ Photo
· Pampanga PPO Undas robbery and theft prevention tips notice — Pampanga Police Provincial Office (official Facebook)