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The Philippines offers a budget-friendly and culturally rich experience, but understanding the local perspective on paradise and wealth disparity is crucial for genuine immersion.
Tony, an Australian with 25 years of experience in the Philippines, shares his nuanced perspective on the country, highlighting Bacolod as a preferred base due to its manageable size, affordability, and proximity to other cities like Iloilo. He notes the significant economic growth, driven largely by remittances from Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs), but also points out the stark wealth inequality, where many locals struggle with low wages and rely on rice to feel full.
He discusses the unique aspects of Filipino cuisine, acknowledging its blandness compared to Thai or Malaysian food but praising the exceptional quality of seafood and the renowned roast pig (lechon). Tony also touches upon the paradox of paradise, where the beautiful scenery and the generally happy disposition of the people are appealing, but locals often desire to leave for Western countries, while foreigners can sometimes experience 'paradise fatigue' if they stay too long in one place.
The conversation delves into practical aspects of visiting the Philippines, recommending January and February as the best months to travel due to cooler weather. Tony also shares insights on bus travel, describing it as an adventurous yet scenic experience, and emphasizes the importance of respectful interaction with locals, suggesting learning basic phrases to navigate interactions smoothly. He concludes by noting that while the Philippines offers a budget-friendly travel experience, a deeper understanding of its social dynamics and local aspirations is essential for a truly immersive visit.
The Philippines offers a budget-friendly lifestyle with rich cultural experiences and stunning natural beauty. Many expats find the generally happy-go-lucky nature of the Filipino people and the exceptional seafood to be major draws. Bacolod, for instance, provides a balanced city experience with affordable amenities.
A significant con is the stark wealth disparity, with many locals facing low wages and reliance on basic staples. While beautiful, prolonged exposure can lead to 'paradise fatigue' for both locals and foreigners, and the local cuisine can be bland compared to neighboring countries. Understanding these social dynamics is key.
Yes, the Philippines is generally considered affordable for expats, especially when compared to Western countries. Bacolod is highlighted as a base offering manageable costs and easy access to other areas. However, understanding local economic realities and aspirations is crucial for a balanced perspective.
The best time for foreigners to visit the Philippines is during the 'cool months' of January and February. This period avoids the extreme heat and heavy rains, offering more pleasant weather for travel and exploration. It's a practical consideration for experiencing the country comfortably.
Filipino cuisine is noted for its exceptional seafood and world-class dishes like lechon (roast pig). While it might be considered bland compared to Thai or Malaysian food by some, it offers unique flavors and culinary traditions. Experiencing local food is a key part of the cultural immersion.
The Filipino economy is significantly driven by remittances from Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs). This financial support from citizens working abroad is crucial for many families and contributes substantially to the national economy, highlighting a key aspect of the country's financial landscape.
Bacolod is recommended as a good base for exploring the Philippines. It offers a manageable city size, affordability, and proximity to other key locations like Iloilo. The city provides a balanced experience with accessible amenities.
The best time to visit the Philippines is during the cooler months of January and February. This period avoids the extreme heat and rain, offering a more comfortable experience for travelers.
Filipino cuisine is described as potentially bland compared to Thai or Malaysian food. However, the country excels in the quality of its seafood and offers world-class dishes like lechon (roast pig).
Respectful interaction is key when engaging with locals in the Philippines. Learning basic phrases, such as 'Hindi po' (which can mean no money or no thank you), can help navigate interactions smoothly and positively.
0:02 I came, like I said, before social media. I don't want to stay here. Man, what are you doing? I'm holding on with my life here. You're not like in London or Sweden where it's just overcast all day and dull. You can be bored in paradise as well.
0:15 There's a lot of money here now. He goes to me, "Oh, go there. You're nearly 30 now." Hey YouTube, Alex here. And in today's video, we're talking with my new friend Tony.
0:22 Tony is a gentleman from Australia. He has a 25-year history here in the Philippines traveling back and forth. He's got a fascinating perspective. I think that it's very nuanced. Without further ado, let's get into it.
0:39 Tony, once again, thanks so much. You've been so generous with your time today. I learned so much from your experiences. You've talked about your base being Bacolod. Could you share more about your experiences in Bacolod? What made you pick there?
0:53 When I first came here in '99, I used to stay in Manila, you know. I did a little bit of a deal there when I first got married. But, Bacolod was like the best, you know. It was an island where my wife came from and that was why I went there.
1:06 It's the island called Negros Occidental, part of that place. And it was the best size city. Hotels are cheap. Everything was cheap, especially in those days. It's a best size city. It's not big and it's not small.
1:24 So, you don't have the small town where you get bored after a few nights sitting there. You got all the good things, the big malls, the big SM, big Ayala, big Robinson.
1:35 It's a nice, you know, it's pretty good. It's Iloilo is the other advantage is you can just hop on a ferry, 1 hour and 10 minutes, you're into another big city called Iloilo. And up there and that that's called the island of Panay. Iloilo is the capital city.
1:53 And for all you newbies, if you want to relax in a place, get away from the big cities, you go to Roxas City, which is northern Panay. They call it the seafood capital of the Philippines. I don't know why, but it's a beautiful place. It's the size of Dumaguete.
2:10 But, it's not overrun by foreigners. So, you can really have your, you know, that type without bumping into 20 foreigners every 10 meters you walk. Like Dumaguete is right here, you know.
2:23 That's why I rarely go to Dumaguete. It's my second time in 25 years going to the Philippines. Why would you want to unless you're an old expat and you want to hang around and you want to retire? You want to hang around with the other retirees or Americans.
2:42 But, most of the Philippines, most foreigners, they don't want to, you know. They don't want to meet the locals, hang around with the locals, meet a girlfriend or whatever, a wife and do that type of thing.
2:53 Get away from what where you normally come from, you know. That's super helpful. I think it's so important for people that want to get what I call immersion. Here in Dumaguete, it's not a fully immersive experience. You've got so many foreigners here.
3:09 It's wonderful in many ways. I love Dumaguete. But, it's not. You're not going to get the same sense that you would here that you would in a Bacolod or you would in a Cagayan de Oro. So, yeah, very helpful.
3:21 Did you experience any culture shock when you first arrived here? You mean back in 1999? Yeah, you do in a certain way because suddenly, and back then, the poverty was probably worse, you know. Now, the country's they call it a tiger economy now because prosperity's going up slowly.
3:43 When I first went to Manila, you can count probably no more than 20 high-rise buildings. Now, there's probably 150. I mean, Manila's like a 20 million population metropolis. It's one of the biggest cities in the world, really.
4:01 That 18 to 20 million is what I heard. So, I've noticed that. And wealth is more more, you know, all the international chains in the malls are there. That's how you know there's got to be a bit of money when you get fashion chains like Bulgari jewelry are there and all this.
4:19 Third world countries don't usually attract those type of luxury brands. So, there's a lot of money here now. But, there's a lot of poverty. And when I first came, like your question said, I noticed a lot of, you know, it's an unfair society.
4:33 There's 150 million population. 50 million are living very well, like first-world conditions. But, you got the other 90 million that are, you know, working hand to mouth. They might work all day for $10. And what does that do? Just buys you your food, your rice, your piece of chicken or fish, the cheap part of the meat.
4:57 You know, the locals don't eat steak here. So, yeah. Um so, poverty stands out when you first get here. Yeah. These are all fair points. A person coming from Australia, your home country, or the United States, my home country, they may be surprised by just not what they're accustomed to.
5:19 But, you're right about the growth. I mean, the economy this year, I think it's expected to grow 6% year over year. So, that's intense economic growth. You know, you're a successful man.
5:29 One of the things that come I've seen your car collection. Oh, no. Yeah, I've got a nice place. But, he's got some beautiful cars on the cheap, so I was lucky. Yeah.
5:40 Yeah, so yeah, the country's grown. But, don't forget, most of the way is because of the 15 to 20 million, I heard, OFWs, which is called overseas foreign workers.
5:54 These are the Filipinos, usually from poor families or the average Joe and average Sally that goes to work in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong. They're maids or they're seamen, you know. Or they're working on a cruise ship.
6:08 And they're bringing billions of dollars in. That's what saved this country. Most mainly because of the English language. This country had the advantage compared to Cambodia, Vietnam, or Thailand. They don't have those millions and millions of overseas foreign workers because I know they're not good in English language.
6:28 Some of them are, but not enough to communicate so they can be nurses and seamen and cruise ship because you've got to have that. You've got to have that perfect. Filipinos have got that. Or the Filipinas, they've got that. And that's why they're in demand.
6:44 Whether it's just a simple, you know, they're taking care of as nannies or like I said, all these different. And that's what's bringing a lot of billions of dollars into this country. And that's why the economy's growing. Plus, you know, other countries are investing.
6:59 Like Japan's, you know, bringing car manufacturing or something like that here. Yeah, I think it's incredible the investment that's taking place here. You could pick any country in Southeast Asia to spend your time.
7:10 What are some of the things that you really enjoy about the Philippines over some of the alternative choices in the region? Uh because I got married. I came here in '99 just out of chance.
7:22 I worked in the '80s when I was in my early '20s or 20 with a bloke called Bob who was married to a Filipino lady back from the early '80s. So, he was one of the pioneers. Some of the early ones came in the '60s, the '70s, mainly the Americans.
7:39 And he told me he was telling me, you know, this that. And 10 years later in '98, I bumped into him. And I said, he goes to me, "Oh, go there. You're nearly 30 now. You're getting on. Why don't you go for a little?"
7:53 I thought I was just going to go once and never see the place again. And that's how I met the people. They're genuine. They're happy-go-lucky. They're friendly compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
8:07 And then slowly, the next time I went, I met my wife. I got married. And that's why I keep coming here mainly because unlike what you said, I'm successful. No, I'm just, you know, average Joe.
8:17 But, so my money's not top of money that can afford to go to Europe. No way. I mean, I probably won't when I retire. But, it's the type of budget where it's like I can afford in this part of the world.
8:27 You know, you can stay a month, cheap hotels, $20 a day at the most if I want. I mean, they've got expensive hotels as well, but I don't go to those. I just like a clean room with air conditioning, a clean shower, and that's it.
8:43 And you can get them from $15 to $20, depends. It's especially in the island cities, not the main city in Manila. You need at least $50 a day for that. I go to, I stay at places at $18 a day.
8:56 You know, some people talk about the increased costs here, and certainly they are going up. But, I think it still maintains being a budget-friendly destination for a lot of people. I know we're getting closer to dinner time.
9:08 And you mentioned the cuisine in Roxas. What are some of the dishes that you've particularly enjoyed here in the Philippines? Yeah, as a lot of people would know watching this.
9:22 Local cuisine, lucky Philippines is famous for all cuisines of the world. You say you got everything. But, the local cuisine compared to Thailand and Malaysia is bland, a lot of people say.
9:35 Some things because they don't have spicy, don't have those nice flavors like in Malaysia or Thailand, especially. The Philippines cuisine's a bit bland, like the lumpia, the same thing, the pancit.
9:50 But, the standout that they do lead in is called the lechon baboy or roast pig. They're famous for that. They're top for that, but everything else there's not much flavor. They don't have that nice spicy different, you know, the lemongrass in every dish or a little bit of curry powder.
10:09 Southeast Asian curry powder or that makes, you know, that flavor there or
10:14 makes that flavor there or some good sauces like you see in Thailand or Malaysia, because I've eaten there. So, it is a bit bland, the local cuisine. Usually it's the same thing: pancit, lumpia, caldereta, and sinigang soup. But they don't put olive oil or those types of flavors which I reckon should be in a soup. But they're good for seafood because this country is full of seafood, especially Roxas City or anywhere you go, actually. They've got all the best fish in the world here; they're lucky for that.
10:49 Geography, blue marlin. Where do you get blue marlin? The big mackerel. When you grill it, there's no bones. I'm a type of bloke who likes fish where you don't have to pick out bones. Even though the locals who can't afford the big fish, that's why they're famous for eating those little fish where they have to pick a million bones out of it. You know, because that's their budget.
11:12 The rice, they'll eat a mountain of rice with one little fish mostly here, and that's what's unfair with the poor people here. They work for tiny wages compared. And what does that do? They can only afford cheap top meals. That's why they fill it up with a lot of extra rice to make sure they become full.
11:33 Absolutely, that's a fair point. You know, these really big fish that people from Australia or the US are fond of. Exactly. You get the middle-class Filipinos who can afford that, but it should be available to everyone. They have the big giant prawns that the foreigners or the well-to-do Filipinos have. But what's the well-to-do Filipinos out of 150 million? Say 20 million, 10 million are super rich, 10 million are middle-class, then you've got 80 million who are just, you know, they might go once a week and have that type of restaurant meal.
12:09 That's why most of them can only afford the Jollibees or the McDonald's because they used to think that's a triple star rating meal is a Jollibee. They don't know anything else. They're used to living on small, just rice with a sardine can, or if it's a fresh fish, it's just a grilled little fish called a tuloy, or what they call a sardine, freshly grilled.
12:37 And yeah, so when they get a bit of money from maybe, you know, they go to Jollibee. They rush to Jollibee. That's just junk fast food, mate. You know, even though I eat it now and then, but, you know, only the well-to-do go to the top, you know, grilled blue marlin and that, and big prawns to eat, or good squid, you know, big squid, whatever.
12:57 You're one of those guys that's fortunate to bounce back and forth between Australia and the Philippines. When you are back in Australia, what are some of the things that you miss about the times that you spend here in the Philippines?
13:11 My finance can only afford, you know, like I say, two months of the year here. I'm not retired or nothing yet, like the expats here or the retired foreigners. The things I miss, well, like I said, the good seafood, the ones I can afford. I'm lucky enough to afford a good blue marlin steak for no more than $10, which would cost you $25 for the same thing back home. Or big prawns that are still expensive for the locals, but for us it's, you know, $10, you can eat three or four giant prawns. In Australia, you'd need bloody $30 for that same price, you know, at least three times more the price.
13:50 And what else? And the scenery, it's beautiful, you know, with all the, you know, like the postcard, the coconut tree scenery, the beautiful mango trees. You miss that. And you miss how people with very little are happy. They've got a good lesson to teach the rest of the world.
14:12 These people smile, and you think, what the hell are they smiling for? They're just working 10 hours a day and what do they do? Just to have a feed. But they're all happy-go-lucky people, I suppose. And that's what I miss. And just, you know, you get out of the normal mundane thing, you know?
14:31 I suppose if you live here full-time like some foreigners, this would be mundane, you know? The heat gets to you, it wears you down. So, probably it's when people get bored, it's not because you can be bored in paradise as well. It's just what you see every day.
14:47 If you see us as foreigners, when we go to our resort, let's say in the background there, the back of it, you see the locals how they're living there in a bamboo hut and you think, 'Oh, look how lucky they've got the water's only 10 meters away. They're swimming in there every day. They're living amongst the beautiful trees. There's mango, there's fruit.' But, you know what? If you've got that every day, that'll bore you to death, mate.
15:10 I mean, I've sort of experienced a lot of that. So, it's wherever you are long-term is where you get bored. So, but it's good to sometimes go back to a first-world country where, you know, where you can really unwind. It's, you know, you wouldn't want to have too much paradise; it gets boring. It does.
15:29 I don't know how some people living here full-time in Dumaguete do it. You can live somewhere close to the beach, but if you see that same. It's good if you go to different countries and different beaches. All right, that's a different kettle of fish. But if you're in the same locality and you can have a beautiful coconut trees next to you, you've got the beach. But if you see that every day for like two or three years or five years, you get sick of it, wouldn't you?
15:54 You know? Yeah. And that's why the locals, they want to get out of here. When we say, 'Oh, mate, you live next to paradise. You've got the beach.' 'Oh, no, I want to go live in America. I want to go live in Australia. I want to go live in Canada. I want to go live in Germany. I don't want to stay here.'
16:11 And you think, 'Why?' You scratch your head, 'Why?' You look at that, you've got fruits here, you've got durian, you've got all these beautiful fruits, beautiful fish to eat. You've got the beach here, you've got nice sunny weather. You're not like in London or Sweden where it's just overcast all day and dull and depressing and all that. But, no, they want to go and live there.
16:34 The Filipinos. They want to see snow. They love it. They've got this thing about, 'I want to go somewhere to see snow.' See, for them, it's all relative. What is fantastic to you and me who come from different places is boring to them. And same for us, it's boring to us to be living where we come from, but they don't want to. They want to live there, you know?
16:56 The Filipinos all want to see snow. But if they lived there, if they did a year, they'll get bored. I think that's a great point. And on that note, I do want to ask you, foreigners, you know, they get two weeks off of work a year, maybe four weeks in Australia. If there's one holiday that a foreigner could come here to the Philippines to enjoy, which holiday would you recommend a foreigner to come here to experience?
17:22 Best time of the year if you want to come, if you avoid the hot heat and the wet, you know, where is January and February is what they call the locals and everyone knows it, the cool months. There's no such thing as winter here, so there's no very cold weather where you can relax and you're not going to sweat if you walk out for half an hour. But they call it January and February the cool months. It's cool. At nighttime, you won't even need an aircon.
17:50 But the rest of the year, you're talking 35 to 38 degrees. In American terms, that's like 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what we'd call 35 degrees in Australian or British terms. But, yeah, so and but if you've got an aircon in your room and you're sleeping, you know, on low aircon, you don't need high. You're comfortable. And daytime, I don't know, you just put a hat on and yeah, you can do it.
18:17 A few more questions. You know, what comes to mind when we were talking earlier is that in Bacolod, you really enjoyed the historical districts and you also showed me a gentleman who's a friend of yours. Can you discuss a bit on your opportunity to meet with members of the community and how a foreigner can kind of engage people or build those relationships?
18:46 Yeah, you can. A lot of the unless it's your family members, avoid meeting the locals because, you know, they think you know. And plus, the locals are a little bit shy to meet you, you know? You'll get the average, you know, the street, you know, they want to help, you know, get a bit of money. Obviously, I'll be friendly, 'Hey, Joe,' or that. But to meet a real normal Filipino bloke, yeah, you do come across them, but most of them, they don't.
19:13 The locals, I don't know. Yeah, outside Talisay or Silay City is the famous historical old mansions. They call them mansions. They're not in European terms, a mansion built out of castle or anything. These are wooden, or some are built out of brick and mortar. But they're what we call the sugar baron mansions, and it's a place called Silay, Talisay. They've got maps; it's heritage-listed there.
19:37 And there's, they're all within like one square kilometer, I think. Yeah, you've got like 25 of these big mansions. They're all nice to look at. Some of them are open to the public, not all, because they still belong to, you know, old money still rules here.
19:59 You've got to, of course, a lot of new money. It's hard to get in if you're just average, even if you've got a PhD and you've been a lawyer. Can you speak on the bus travel in the Philippines?
20:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I came from Bacolod City to Dumaguete. Not that I go out of my way to come to Dumaguete because I want to avoid where...
20:22 I came to Dumaguete because I wanted to avoid places with 10,000 foreigners. I came here to meet a couple of Aussie mates: one was called Big Ron from Australia, and another was Ray. There was also a Frenchman I know who used to be in Bacolod but has now come here. I just wanted to change my scenery, and I had a beautiful bus ride. It's a 5-6 hour ride, which I know is a bit long, but the scenery is worth it. You cross over nice small towns where it's still common to see water buffaloes walking with kids running and happy, and bamboo huts next to nice houses with four-wheel drive Raptors inside.
21:06 Then you get the highlight: climbing up the mountain and then coming down the other side to enter the lowlands where Dumaguete is located on the coast. You pass places like Cabangkalan and Mabinay. Once you get over the other side of the mountain, there's a coastal town called Bais, which is beautiful. Then you slowly get closer to Dumaguete. It's worth the bus ride; you enjoy that just as much. Just keep your eyes open, look out the window, and enjoy the ride.
21:42 If you get modern air-conditioned buses, they're comfortable. The seats go back, and they're pretty good, even better than an airplane seat because you can really lie them down. You just enjoy the ride. Sometimes it can be a bit hairy because the bus drivers are a bit like cowboys. The Filipino bus drivers want to overtake anything they see. It's like, 'Man, what are you doing? I'm holding on with my life here. I don't mind getting into town an hour late; I want to be alive when I get there.'
22:13 They love to speed and whatever. Not all of them, I'm not generalizing, but yeah, it's funny, mate. But they're pretty good drivers. Filipinos, I noticed back in 1999, for the amount of cars, motorbikes, and buses on the road, especially in Manila, you hardly see an accident compared to where I come from. We don't have a population like that, and still, every day there are two or three accidents.
22:47 How the hell do you find that? They're stupid drivers. In the Philippines, they're scared to hit another car because most people don't have insurance, and it means big trouble with their life. So, they make sure they don't hit each other. And when it does happen, very rarely, I've only seen one accident in 25 years. And when it does happen, it's on. They come out with one bloke chasing the other bloke with a steel rod.
23:18 The other bloke, if he's well-to-do, usually has a pistol in his handbag. So, it can be pretty hairy, but on the whole, they're very good drivers. Everyone, taxi drivers, bus drivers, they know they can become like spaghetti. They don't follow lanes on roads. Even sometimes it doesn't happen now, but before, red lights meant nothing; they would just go right through it, saying, 'Oh yeah, it's all right, didn't see anyone on that side.'
23:45 So, it's a red light, but that's all right. Well, you know, she's right, mate. Yeah, so overall, they're very good drivers. That's a wonderful compliment. Oh, no, no, it's wonderful.
23:58 Speaking of adventure, what are some of the adventurous activities or sports that you've tried here that maybe you wouldn't try back in Australia or that are less accessible? I did that, what do you call that, zip lining? Man, that's a... I did one where it was near San Carlos. It was a big long one, and right in the middle of it, it went on for like five minutes. Five minutes in a zip line is a long time when you're counting it.
24:31 Mine don't seem like that. And in the middle was, like I kid you not, probably a hundred-meter drop. All you see is forest. I thought, 'I've got this harness, guys, mate, I'm gone.' In the beginning, you can still see it's only 20 meters under your feet, but then it reaches certain sections where it was a hundred-meter drop, nothing in between your feet dangling and the bottom there.
24:56 What is the wildest experience you've had here in the Philippines? I'm sure there's plenty, but maybe one that you're interested to share. Well, off the top of my head, man, I'd have to think about that. We haven't got the time. But I just want to let everyone know, I'm not an expert on Filipino life, but I'm just giving my opinion. There are probably people who know more about it than me, but I've been coming here for 25 years.
25:18 I came, like I said, before social media. Facebook was invented around 2004-5. The first iPhone was 2007. There was no YouTube when I first came. All of that came like 7-8 years after I got here, and I was a young lad then.
25:37 The first thing, yeah. Well, off the top of my head, Alex, I'd have to think about that. We haven't got the time. But overall, the people are good. They're beautiful people. You know, of course, you get one or two idiots that will spoil you, but you hardly bump into them. If you're respectful to them, you'll be all right.
26:02 Even if someone's annoying you, following you, wanting to sell you a trinket or a leather belt, don't swear at them or give them the finger. Respectfully just say 'no,' which means no. They'll drop off sooner or later. They might follow you for 20 meters or 10 meters, but they'll drop off. But do it respectfully; you don't have to abuse them. Just keep calm and say, or learn the lingo to say 'no, thank you.' 'Hindi po' means no money, or 'salamat po,' which means thank you, sir or ma'am. And they usually take that and reply, 'Okay, okay,' like that. It means respectfully, 'no, thank you.'
27:20 That's really good advice. I rarely say that, by the way, but in this case, I will say that is great advice. Show respect to the Filipino people. We're here based on their goodwill and their kindness. So, I can't thank you enough, Tony.
27:40 Any final words before we wrap up? No, Alex, thank you. Watch your channel; you're a humble bloke. I don't think I've ever done this before. The only reason I agreed to do this is because I thought, 'Oh well, let me have a go, it's a bit of fun.' I've never been into the social media stuff, but you look very smart, you're a humble bloke, you're trying your best, and I hope you good luck, mate. And I thought, yeah, why not? I'm in Dumaguete, letting my hair down a bit.
28:08 When I go home, I don't watch too many of these channels, but I will watch yours. And one or two others that I watch now and then. But no, watch his channel; he's got some good stuff, and he's only starting out, aren't you?
28:23 Thanks so much. And we'll call it there. Really, if you haven't already... I just want to protect my privacy. If anyone's asking why I've got the sunglasses on, like I said, it's my choice, but yeah.
28:36 Absolutely, totally respect that. And I, yeah, thank you so much again, Tony. I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead, and we'll talk to you soon.
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