It will never happen. The Philippines is going in the wrong direction and has been for decades. Overpopulation and fraud are killing the country. The Philippines has an over-population, which is why millions are leaving the country to find work, mostly low-paying jobs in the Middle East, where girls are exploited by Arabs. And so too many parents in the Philippines tell their daughters: "Find an older, white man and milk him for money, then he can finance the whole family". The most important things in the Philippines are: Karaoke, alcohol, cell phones and producing more children.
The Philippines has a relatively high crime rate and occurs in various forms, including gang activity, drugs, and violent crime. Human trafficking and corruption are also a concern. Crime is especially prevalent in the cities like Manila.
- Overpopulation
- Less job opportunities
- It's been Filipino policy to send their citizens abroad for work
- Corruption
- Drug use
- No famous and high quality products to export
- Much fraud and scammers
- Low effiency
Tourists and foreigners can find themselves targeted for robberies and scams across the Philippines and are advised to take extra safety precautions and security measures at home.
Here is the warning from the embassy of New Zealand in Manila, and many other embassies have the similar warnings:
There are a variety of ways to relieve unsuspecting or naïve foreigners of their money.
Relationship fraud
This is a persistent problem in the Philippines, and it is not uncommon for Filipinos to enter into marriages with foreign citizens solely for financial or immigration purposes. Relationships developed through correspondence, especially those begun on the internet, are particularly susceptible to manipulation.
Marriage to a New Zealand citizen doesn’t confer New Zealand citizenship, nor does it make the new spouse automatically eligible for entry to New Zealand. A foreign spouse requires a temporary entry visa to enter and visit New Zealand. Please ensure that if you intend for your partner to travel to New Zealand with you or to visit you, you are aware of the visa requirements that must be met as defined by Immigration New Zealand.
Spiked drinks
Some criminals add knockout or ‘date rape’ drugs (known locally as Ativan) to drinks or food to subdue and rob their victims. It is best not to accept food, drink or rides in private vehicles from strangers, even if they appear legitimate.
Phone scams
The perpetrator makes a telephone call usually to a the victim’s home and tells the person answering (usually a member of the domestic staff) that the resident or resident’s guest has been involved in an accident. The caller says the resident or guest is in distress and that money is immediately needed for the urgent medical treatment. (Sometimes the reasons for the immediate need of money vary, e.g. to pay off somebody so the media doesn’t get involved.)
The caller advises the staff member to leave the telephone off the hook, search the house for money or valuables such as jewellery, and take it to a rendezvous point.
Domestic staff should be warned about this type of scam. They should be trained not to comply with such demands and given advice about what to do if called.
Card scams
These can involve being befriended by a local and asked to join in a friendly game of cards. Once you have won a few times, the stake increases and your winning streak disappears. These scams can have serious consequences — local gangs have been known to force victims into withdrawing large sums from ATM machines. Avoid getting involved in card games.
Taxi scams
Taxis are the recommended form of public transportation in the Philippines, but you need to take some precautions:
- Don’t enter a taxi if there is anyone other than the driver in it.
- Before getting in a taxi check that the doors can be locked from the inside, otherwise you’re vulnerable when stopped in traffic.
- Check the back seat to make sure that no-one is hiding on the floor.
- Ensure the doors can be opened from the inside.
- Request that the meter is used (sometimes a taxi driver might request a cash payment instead of using the meter).
- Take a mental note of the licence plate number.
- Once in the taxi conspicuously text the number of the taxi to someone, or at least pretend to do so. Remember to text the contact when you have arrived safely.
- When driving in the city, make sure that the doors are locked and the windows rolled up.
- If the driver is unwilling to comply with your requests, it is best to wait for another cab.
Credit card fraud
You should be vigilant when using credit cards. One common form of credit card fraud uses an electronic device to retrieve and record information, including the PIN, from the card’s magnetic strip. The information is then used to make unauthorised purchases. To limit your exposure to this scam, never let you card out of your sight.
When using cards in ATMs choose a machine that is attended by guards or in a busy place. Look to see that the ATM has not been tampered with. Cover your hand when entering your PIN.
Other scams and frauds
Inheritance scam letters and pyramid game scams are also frequently received via email.
New themes and variations for conducting scams are constantly appearing. Visitors and residents should be alert to being targeted by even the friendliest of people, whether locals or foreign nationals.
The Philippines has never been anything close to what can be called success.
Poverty
In the Philippines 6.1% of the population live on less than $1.90 per day, 26% live on less than $3.20 per day and 55.1% live on less than $5.50 per day (World Bank Data). Widespread corruption in both Filipino politics and business prevents any opportunities for social mobility and growth. Power is concentrated among influential families and connected individuals, offering the poor truly little chance of bettering themselves.
The Rural Poverty Portal reports that half of the poor in the Philippines live in rural areas. The poorest of the poor are the indigenous, landless laborers, fishermen, small farmers, mountain folk and women. Deforestation, depleted fisheries, and unproductive farmland are major problems for these people.
As a result, there is a never-ending cycle of poverty that leads to parents having to give up their children in hopes they will have a better life somewhere else. There is little doubt that poverty creates a culture for the creation of orphans. Many parents living in poverty are unable to care for their children as they cannot afford food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education. They are not able to adequately provide for their children, which leaves some to resort to placing their children in orphanages in the hopes that they will have better lives.
DRUGS
The Philippines has arrested 56,495 drug-related suspects and confiscated 10.41 billion pesos (over 187 million U.S. dollars) worth of illegal drugs in 2023, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Thursday.
OVERPOPULATION
In the last half-century, the Philippines has faced a daunting challenge: a population explosion unmatched in Southeast Asia. Starting at 36 million in 1968, the population has surged to a staggering 118 million in 2023, straining the country's resources to their limits.
LACK OF EDUCATION
Based on the PSA's Annual Poverty Indicators Survey for the school year 2022 to 2023, it was found that 18.6 percent of children aged five to 24 years were not enrolled in school.
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