Does anyone know anything about Manila real estate? I remember Mark (mnlgrind) was telling me to consider buying in the Fort area, Bonifacio Global City (BGC). I didn't give it much thought, but now I'm on the fence between buying a place and just renting.

I have done a little research regarding this and a lot of online resources and news articles seem to indicate that the real estate market in BGC has been booming. I have to do a bit more research but would appreciate any insight in the meantime.

dont think you can buy property in philippines unless youre filipino citizen or married to one!

A huge condo in the fort cost about 120kus$

I don't put Filipinos down, ever. That's a very unfair and inaccurate accusation. In my blog, I make fun of stupid and lazy people. If you read my dumb blog before I moved to Manila, you would see dozens of posts where I'm "putting Australians down".

Making generalisations about races makes you racist. I will never do this. Some of the smartest people I've met in my life are Filipino. Some of the best live poker players I've ever played against are young Filipino pros - they crush me when we play. I have met Filipinos here so insanely intelligent and competent (probably the most brilliant medical specialist I've ever come into contact with is this amazing Filipino eye surgeon who saved my eyes in Rockwell), in some ways it's a shame they're earning only 1/10th what they would earn in Australia or the US (a large part of the 'brain-drain' problem 3rd world countries experience).

I tried to learn Tagalog but I was too stupid / lazy. It's a pretty hard language imo.

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In response to Paul B's question, you can legally buy condos (apartments, units) if you are a foreigner. Someone recently told me that either the law was changed regarding foreigners being able to buy actual physical land or that the law was about to be changed, but I'm not 100% on this (just hearsay).

Nevermind the condo idea. Just ran the numbers and it doesn't make sense for me to buy.

Anyway, I got this computer program called "Before You Know It" to learn some Tagalog before I head out there. The very first phrase in the Taking a Taxi lesson is "Bakit ganitong mahal?" which means "Why is it so much?" LOL.

So, how are you guys enjoying your time in the Philippines? Having a great time? We need some quick TR's.

(I might be living in the Philippines full time starting in 2009)

maybe i missed it, but: blog link please

dude..... Ill coach you personally about speaking tagalog and all the ins and out thru msn in exchange for micro staking or PLO coaching.

average taxi fare is about 100-200 peso so you shouldnt pay anywhere over 6 dollars.

Anyways PM Ill give you life coaching about philippines lifestyle etcetc.

Has anyone tried to rent/buy a used motorcycle in Philippines? I think the bikes the pizza delivery fellows ride would be great for beating traffic and not always having to rely on Taxis.

Teddy, you got PM

You sure you want to ride around in Manila traffic? I would be pretty concerned about my safety given how crazy and unpredictable the drivers are, not to mention the exhaust smoke and smog you'd be breathing in. Anyway, if I were to buy a bike, I'd prob start by checking the Motorcycles/Scooters section on Sulit, and craigslist.

dude I would never ever ride a motorcycle in the philippines(CITY) unless youre in the provinces of cebu and the southern area.

Its too dangerous to ride a motorcyle in metro manila/makati area.

After giving it some thought(actually it didn't take a whole heck of a lot of thinking), I'll pass on the motorcycle idea.

I guess i'll rely on taxis. I wish I could somehow float my Toyota Tacoma here, be sooo balla haha

I have lived in the Philippines most of my life and it is much safer than media reports, just stay away from Mindanao, the southern most island that is where the terrorist cell is based. As for poker, if you know how to game select a lot of money can be made. So many bad players. In fact it is much easier to win at the higher stakes games cause the low stakes games are so loose variance can be crazy. Imagine a .50-.50 Nl game where the opening raise is $20 and 5 people see the Flop! Higher stakes are much better especially if you are good at selecting the game. I play mostly 50-100 and 100-200, here you will spot a lot of young players who think poker is all about making gus hansen moves and soul reading, these are the guys you want to play with, patient ABC poker will crush them. Also, many senior players who are new to Holdem. They are usually calling stations along with most korean players. Lots of loose players and the games play bigger than they are. There are some good young players to but they are easy to avoid. softest games by far are at the casino in Tagaytay 1hour out of manila but usually smaller stakes. Metro is the most popular card room and it is only 15 mins away from the Makati area, good tournament on Wednesday night (I hear). There are also several casinos in the manila and malate area that have poker rooms. Softer games than metro in my opinion.

hope this helps

PS. The guy who wanted to buy a motorcycle, not a good idea bro Manila has the craziest drivers in the world and a newbie on a bike would be instant death you may not even want to drive a car

50-100 and 100-200.....this is 1-2usd and 2-4usd?are these games running dayly?

how about higher stakes?how often are running?

Yes those games run daily as well as 200-400. There are higher games but i have not played above 200-400 so I am not sure if they run daily. Metro probably has higher stakes daily but I dont play there often

an expat living in the philippines sent that to me. what do you think?

When I travel, people often ask me why I live in the Philippines? Well here it is...

It is the only place on earth where......

1. Every street has a basketball court.
2. Even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.
3. Doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.
4. Students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.
5. School is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.
6. Call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.
7. Everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition.
8. Mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.
9. Everything can be forged.
10. All kinds of animals are edible.
11. Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.
12. Driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.
13. Flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.
14. Crossing the street involves running for your dear life.
15. The personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster.
16. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!
17. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.
18. People can pay to defy the law.
19. Everything and everyone is spoofed.
20. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger (peke)!
21. The honking of car horns is a way of life.
22. Being called a bum is never offensive.
23. Floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.
24. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.
25. Where wearing your national colors make you baduy.
26. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones. (GSM-galing sa magnanakaw)
27. Where insurance does not work.
28. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty.
29. Clean water is for sale (35 pesos per gallon).
30. Where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (Amen to that!)
31. Where University of the Philippines where all the weird people go.
32. Ateneo is where all the nerds go.
33. La Salle is where all the Chinese go.
34. College of Saint Benilde is where all the ********** go and;
35. University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.
36. Fast food is a diet meal.
37. Traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.
38. Where being mugged is normal and It happens to everyone.
39. Rodents are normal house pets.
40. The definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.
41. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements and;
42. The new fighter planes are displayed in museums.
43. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.
44. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.
45. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.
46. People can get away with stealing trillions of pesos but not a thousand.
47. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual (Grabe talaga 'to!)
48. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax) - than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.
49. And where everyone wants to leave the country!

LOL. i find this really funny cos it's true...

Some stuff I've seen in the past few days:

-a guy riding a bike with an army helmet
-a Jollibee neon sign "NEXT COUNTER PLS." (they really can't spell it out?)
-a bum girl giving gangsta pounds to black guys
-a gay guy with a "DRIVE THRU" tshirt with an arrow pointing to his ass

The list in slimbob's post is slightly harsh, but whoever wrote it has obviously lived in the Philippines for a long time.

I'm moving to Bangkok or Buenos Aires next year.

Brag: had 3 girls in my bed the other night.



Beat: only got to make out with one of them.

Variance: I bought breakfast at Jollibee for all 4 of us. It cost $7 USD.

Where's your place Paul

Its Makati city in Metro Manila

I live in Makati. To be specific, Rockwell Joya. I love it. I walked through Power Plant Mall today (right across the street) and I couldn't stop smiling. Moving here, I think, was the best decision of my life.

need more details on pulling 3 girls to your place?
if one's a gf and the other 2 are her friends it doesn't count in my opinion...lol

charlie

How much do you pay for rent? I assume it's ridiculous since it's Makati.

Is Rockwell Joya safe or is there a lot of crime, especially to non-natives?

I want to move there but I can't help but think of the stories of kidnappings, conning people with money, etc.

I was at a girlie bar on Burgos talking/drinking with one, then the two others (cousins) joined in on the conversation. They told me to wait outside since the bar was closing soon, and then we went back to my hotel down the street.

Rockwell Center is like a city within a city. It consists of a bunch of high-end luxury buildings and doesn't look anything like the rest of Metro Manila. There are security guards everywhere and I feel extremely safe.

I pay P25,000 (about $500 USD) for a 33 square meter studio in Joya. I saw some bigger and less expensive places outside of Rockwell (Oriental Gardens, Paseo Parkview) but I didn't like them.

In regards to getting scammed/conned, it's inevitable. The kidnapping stories are probably from the Mindanao region so don't go there obv.