Anybody here from the Philippines?

Well, we are going to the Philippines in March next year.

Never been there before and looking forwards to some great diving, beers and fun.

Having spent hours of fun and excitement doing some research, we have decided to visit Cebu district. We have realised how huge and scattered the country is, and how long it takes to travel around internally.

We are going to Bactan first, get over the jet lag etc and do some easy scuba diving.

Next, one of my bucket list places, Malapascua. Famous for its Thresher shark diving. No cage, and 20 feet and 500 kilos of sharks gathering around you. The dive is at a cleaning station, where the sharks go to get small fish to eat the parasites off their body, so they are not in hunting mode and even seem somewhat hypnotised and trancelike ( a bit like when we go to the barbers ;D)

http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4534&stc=1

Then a ferry over to Panglan, to Alona beach. More world class scuba diving on pristine reefs but with a bit more civilisation thrown in.

Now, we have met many Filipinos. Great people, lovely. Never on their home ground though.

Is anyone on here Filipino, who has been to these places, or has anybody else visited the Philippines?

Apart from Manny Pacman and Efren Reyes, I don't know too much about the country, its customs and any 'Do's and Don'ts'. What's the food like?

Any useful advice from somebody in the know??

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Originally Posted by X

Well, we are going to the Philippines in March next year.

Never been there before and looking forwards to some great diving, beers and fun.

Having spent hours of fun and excitement doing some research, we have decided to visit Cebu district. We have realised how huge and scattered the country is, and how long it takes to travel around internally.

We are going to Bactan first, get over the jet lag etc and do some easy scuba diving.

Next, one of my bucket list places, Malapascua. Famous for its Thresher shark diving. No cage, and 20 feet and 500 kilos of sharks gathering around you. The dive is at a cleaning station, where the sharks go to get small fish to eat the parasites off their body, so they are not in hunting mode and even seem somewhat hypnotised and trancelike ( a bit like when we go to the barbers ;D)

http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4534&stc=1

Then a ferry over to Panglan, to Alona beach. More world class scuba diving on pristine reefs but with a bit more civilisation thrown in.

Now, we have met many Filipinos. Great people, lovely. Never on their home ground though.

Is anyone on here Filipino, who has been to these places, or has anybody else visited the Philippines?

Apart from Manny Pacman and Efren Reyes, I don't know too much about the country, its customs and any 'Do's and Don'ts'. What's the food like?

Any useful advice from somebody in the know??

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@pacfan

Dude trust me, phillipines is bad right now, be careful

Surely not as bad as, say Flatbush or Moss Side? ;D

I got Filipinos telling me that Manila is rather dangerous

About a year ago I was talking to @pacfan. He stated he was having problems with the government and now he is MIA even during manny fights

Make sure to engage in plenty of public drug deals, then you’ll be fine.

My friend is married to a Filipino and goes there every two years. She has a lot of family out there and what have you. If you have any questions you would like me to ask just shoot me a pm. I don't know a great deal having only been to Manila, but in a big city like that you can do, see, or eat anything you like. On my holiday suggestion list too actually, but would avoid the shark thing.

More than 7,000 people were killed in the brutal ‘war on drugs’ in the Philippines between July 2016 and January 2017, under instruction from the country’s president, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte ordered Philippines’ police forces to kill anyone they believe to be connected to the drugs trade when he assumed office in June 2016. State forces and vigilante groups have followed through these orders ruthlessly.

According to police counts in the Philippines, 7,025 people were killed by the police or unknown armed attackers in the ‘war on drugs’ between 1 July 2016 and 30 January 2017. An average of 34 people a day died during the first six months of Duterte’s presidency, thanks to his hardline policy.

Duterte is denying his citizens the right to life, as well as the right to equality before the law and a fair trial. We are calling for an urgent end to the state-sponsored killings, and for authorities in the Philippines to pursue fair means of bringing those who are alleged to have broken the law to justice.

This is from amnesty international. Under Dutertes rule the place is crazy but I imagine the resort areas are ok. There have been kidnappings at the resorts by some of the Muslim extremist groups but if u got ransom money u should be ok

The Muslim insurrection is in the south, around the Mindanao area, and we are going to be very far from that.

Anyway, I lived in the Middle East for over a decade, speak Arabic and also understand all the rules tenets and quotes of Islam, so I would be able to persuade any jihadi that I am actually a Muslim too. I have no worries about that.

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Originally Posted by X

The Muslim insurrection is in the south, around the Mindanao area, and we are going to be very far from that.

Anyway, I lived in the Middle East for over a decade, speak Arabic and also understand all the rules tenets and quotes of Islam, so I would be able to persuade any jihadi that I am actually a Muslim too. I have no worries about that.

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Oh shit u said u have no worries ur definitely screwed

X you sound a bit like Brock!

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Originally Posted by Gandalf

X you sound a bit like Brock!

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How dare you insult X like that. Take that back now!

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Originally Posted by walrus

About a year ago I was talking to @pacfan. He stated he was having problems with the government and now he is MIA even during manny fights

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I hope he is OK. I was such an obnoxious twat to him when i first joined. I misread him as being patronising when in reality he could not have been less judgemental. Miss a lot of the old school Saddo veterans like him and Andre.

#BeanzDrovePacfanAway

X is right on the money.

Abu Sayyaf would need some authentic convincing big time or your head is coming off boys

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

#BeanzDrovePacfanAway

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No that was many years ago and I apologised. We are all good.

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Originally Posted by Beanz

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

#BeanzDrovePacfanAway

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No that was many years ago and I apologised. We are all good.

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Come on man where's your sense of humor

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Originally Posted by X

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My old man went last year X and he manged to get thrown out of The Solomon Islands, Israel, The USA etc but was fine :-X ;D

Ha! I fear I may have shot myself in the foot :-\

​We are going to Bohol, Mactan and Malapsacua ..... I don't suppose he went to any of those places did he?

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Originally Posted by X

​We are going to Bohol, Mactan and Malapsacua ..... I don't suppose he went to any of those places did he?

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I will ask. He is in Malta right now but I usually speak to him on a Friday.

Probably worth asking @brucelee and getting it straight from a man on the ground though.

I was looking at Boracay island it looks nice , however 2 friends who have been to most of Asia , said the food in the Philippines was the worst of any country in Asia.
Bland and not very interesting.

I've heard that Al.

Mind you, everything is bland compared to real Thai, Lao or Vietnamese. Or less sophisticated that Japanese, or less varied than real Chinese.

There is s big Spanish influence on Filipino cooking, and Spanish cuisine is up there with anybody's.

I will give it a go, I'm looking forward to the adabo stuff ......

Beautiful places there


http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4710&stc=1

http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4712&stc=1

http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4713&stc=1

http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tid=4714&stc=1

Crystal clear water. Beautiful. Appreciate it.