- Avoid thinking of it like it is the same as your country - it isn’t. There is a whole new, wonderful set of places to discover, with a massive range of diversity.
- Avoid thinking the locals are in any way inferior to you because they do not have the same privileges you enjoy, and may not have the same money you’ve got. They are a proud people and deserve to be treated respectfully.
- Avoid thinking everyone is honest there. They are not - and you’ll be scammed at some point, somewhere. But that’s not unique to the Philippines is it… it happens in your country too… so avoid condemning the people for it, and learn how to spot and deal with it as it happens.
- Avoid getting the overpriced taxis from Manila airport. Ask for the fixed price cars… or better still, don’t exit the airport on the ground floor. Before you go out, turn right and go up one level to ‘departures’ and go out there… catch a cab that’s just dropped people off - you’ll save a huge amount.
- Avoid waving lots of money around and thinking you can solve the problems you see there by throwing money at it. You can’t and your money is not as powerful as you think it is.
- Avoid pretending the poverty doesn’t exist. Acknowledge it, do something about it, and don’t criticise the many honest street vendors trying their hardest to make a living. One of the best ways to give to the street beggars is to buy some food for them. Money isn’t always the answer.
- Avoid being aloof. It’s easy to think all children will be beggars, but many times they will approach you to talk to you and find out who you are. You are a foreigner in their country, and if you’re white, and go into a ‘province’ then you can expect to become an object of some curiosity. This is all normal, never a problem… unless you make it one. Play soccer or even better, basketball, for a few minutes with them and you’ll make their day.
- Avoid thinking everything there will work the same as everything at home. It won’t. You’ll almost certainly be incredibly frustrated with ‘Filipino Time’, and the traffic, and the heat, the internet access, the speed of bureaucracy, and the fact there are so many people running the cash tills in a shop, the cost of cheeses, wines and other things you think are not luxuries at home, and the fact you can’t even get everything there that you have got at home… but it is worth remembering that it has so many other things to experience, so don’t try to make it the same as being at home. Eat local foods, shop in the markets. The food isn’t presented in the same way as at home, but don’t let that put you off. Food is a big thing and some excellent dishes are cooked to perfection in even the most modest of kitchens.
- Avoid staying in your room/hotel/condo and not stepping outside. There is much to see and do, and it’s not at all scary.
- Avoid drugs. Seriously - it shouldn’t need saying, but it’s just not worth it.
- Avoid thinking you are god’s gift to the ladies. You’re not, even if they say you are.
- Avoid thinking all people dressed as ladies were actually born female. And don’t disrespect them either - you’ll get a lot of people shouting at you if you do, as they are a lot more integrated into the society than may be found in some other countries. You generally find ladyboys in the red light districts of cities, but you may come across them in other places too.
- Avoid drinking beer from a bottle. Always, always ask for a glass. The bottles are stored in areas that may well have rats running around, and the rats don’t care where they pee. Do not swig from a bottle, no matter how cool you think you look… you’ll not be so cool the next day as your insides fall out of your backside.
- Avoid drinking the tap water unless you know it is fed from a clean source. You’ll likely pick up a stomach bug sooner or later. Bottles of water are very cheap, 7/11 stores are ubiquitous and sell water. Drinks with ice are generally ok if the bar is relatively good (esp. in cities). You shouldn’t have a problem, but just be careful with it if you are in a bar in a province somewhere.
- Avoid dressing in loud colours, or wearing shorts and flip flops everywhere you go, making yourself look like a tourist. Dress appropriately and respectfully. If you leave a beach to go into a shop, cover up. It’s not cool to wander around in bathing suits.
- Avoid the sun. Use sunscreen. It is seriously stronger than you think.
- Avoid the rain - you can get ill if you walk around in it.
- Avoid thinking there is only one place to see. There are thousands of beautiful beaches, mountains to explore, cities to experience, foods to sample, people to meet, waterfalls to swim in, activities to try out. There are three main ‘regions’ (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) and each is unique in its own way. Explore them all… they all have their own ‘personalities’.
- Avoid carrying large sums of cash. There are ATMs almost everywhere, you’re never far away from one. You won’t need as much as you think, but it is definitely not a cheap place. Whilst you can survive on just a few pesos a day, you won’t want to.
- Avoid the temptation to think you are somehow better, more important than anyone you meet there. Be humble, be polite, be respectful, be mindful of how others see you. Do not go around shouting about how good your country is or how the US ‘saved’ the Philippines during WWII. It isn’t cool, and in fact won’t be welcomed (be mindful of the pain and suffering these people endured during the war). Go to visit Intramuros in Manila, and go on a guided tour - you’ll learn loads about this.
- Avoid any urges to disrespect religion, or that Catholicism is somehow not good and your brand of religion is better - whether you think that to be true or not, this is a country that will not welcome you for saying so. There is a strong religious culture - more so than many other places I’ve ever been - and regardless of your own beliefs, just be respectful and say nothing about it. Or if you are Catholic yourself, go to church, sample the way it is done there. Apart from Catholics, there are also muslims and other religions too. Catholicism is predominant.
- Avoid wearing expensive jewellery, or carrying expensive items if you get on a jeepney, or holding your smartphone in plain view to track the journey, etc.. It’s asking for trouble, and yes, trouble *will* find you eventually if you do this.
- Avoid trying to make fun of the armed guards outside just about every store, including Macdonalds. They are there for a reason, and let’s hope you never see why that is. They take their role seriously, and so should you.
- Avoid trying to be a hero if you do get into a scrape. You’ll end up worse off, and it’s simply not worth it. Gun crime, and knife crime is a problem in some city areas, but no more so than in any US city.
- Avoid thinking you do not need to learn any of the language. Yes, English is spoken pretty much everywhere, but learning how to say good morning, please, thank you and similar is not hard, and goes a long way in making people think of you in a good way. You’ll instantly see a brilliant smile if you greet the barista in the coffee shop with a cheery ‘magandang umaga’ (good morning) as you order your morning brew. You might also learn how to point with your lips, and use your eyebrows to say ‘yes’, but you don’t have to!
Above all, avoid being miserable! The people you meet are one of the friendliest, easiest to make laugh and most welcoming people on the planet. Life is simpler, so try to get into that mode. No matter what the frustration is, a smile will go a long way indeed to keeping things right.
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