mati_steve
American looking for information about Philippines
Forum posts
82
About me
American
Speaks English, some Spanish, very little Basayan
Registration: 17 October 2024
Activity
Philippines .. Love, Tell, Defend and Correct by PalawOne
By Joel Valdez, Philippines Citizen, via Philippines Expat Facebook GroupLove the country. Tell the truth about it. Defend it from enemies. Correct it from within.That should not be controversial. But apparently, in 2026, basic citizenship now needs ...
@PalawOneIt's not just table manners but manners in general.聽 Traffic behavior is probably 100x worse.聽 Just this week I was in Davao getting my tourist visa extended (along with ACR application).聽 My GF and I decided to go to a nice ... Read More
Philippines .. Love, Tell, Defend and Correct by PalawOne
By Joel Valdez, Philippines Citizen, via Philippines Expat Facebook GroupLove the country. Tell the truth about it. Defend it from enemies. Correct it from within.That should not be controversial. But apparently, in 2026, basic citizenship now needs ...
I just attended a friend's wedding in Mati and it reminded me of how many people here have no concept of manners. They had an outside buffet with plates/utensils at the head of the table and the food items laid out as you go down the table. When ... Read More
Philippine Airlines going up in the world? by Lotus Eater
Philippine Airlines has now been invited to join the One World Alliance and will become fully integrated into the airline grouping by 2027. What does this mean for international travellers flying into and within the Philippines. If you fly on any of ...
I flew on Philippine Airlines (PAL)聽 two months ago from Los Angeles to Manila to Davao.聽 I had previously flew PAL going from Manila to Davao and Davao to Cebu (economy seats).聽 Nice airline, but in my latest flight I booked business ... Read More
"The major problems facing Phils Expats in next 2 years?" by PalawOne
For interest .. "What will be the major problems facing Philippine Expats within the next 2 years?" Asked of https://gemini.google.com & Gemini response:"The challenges facing expats in the Philippines over the next two years center around a ...
@Cherryann01Good points. One thing I've noticed is that crime doesn't seem to be that rampant here - at least not in Mati City. People routinely leave their motorbikes, vehicles, personal items, etc. out in the open seemingly without a care that ... Read More
USA SS Proof of life by vehicross100
Seen this topic before but couldn鈥檛 locate it, so inquiring if anyone has any experience in receiving this notice. I am 1 month out from my first year on SS and just wondering what to look for when it鈥檚 time for this form to be sent to ...
@Enzyte BobI tried to do that (online) but each of them would only prefill with the street address that they obviously looked up from a database somewhere.聽 If I tried to enter any additional info, like PMB, etc, it would not accept it.聽 ... Read More
USA SS Proof of life by vehicross100
Seen this topic before but couldn鈥檛 locate it, so inquiring if anyone has any experience in receiving this notice. I am 1 month out from my first year on SS and just wondering what to look for when it鈥檚 time for this form to be sent to ...
@Enzyte BobI'm curious if anyone has sold their US home before moving to the Philippines and still use it as a physical address for financial institutions only?聽 I know this is technically not legal, but I'm not sure how they will find out as ... Read More
My First Philippine Funeral by Moon Dog
This is my first experience with a Philippine funeral and I wouldn鈥檛 wish it on my worst enemy. Tatay passed on 3/27 so today is the 9th day but since the priest doesn鈥檛 work on Sunday it turned into a 10 day ordeal. Tatay鈥檚 ...
@Moon DogThat's nuts, but during my limited time in the Philippines I shouldn't be too surprised. We have 1-2 family events at our place in Mati every month and people come out of the woodwork to enjoy the food. It usually lasts long enough that ... Read More
Onward Ticket by Lat61
If you're not a Filipino Citizen, you can't just fly one way into the Philippines. You need to purchase a roundtrip or onward ticket before flying or you will be left at the gate. Exception to this rule is any children 15 years or younger with their ...
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but thought I'd add my own experience on this recently.聽 After learning about needing an onward/"throw away" ticket I decided to get one for my recent flight to the Philippines.聽 I am traveling from ... Read More
Canadian Living In Cagayan De Oro by Cyberfool
Hi, I am a Canadian born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Here in Cagayan De Oro Uptown I noticed a few foreigners but we seldom make eye contact. Strange , I know. Anyway, I was wondering if there any other Canucks in the Uptown.
From what I've heard from my Filipina GF, a few members of her family, and a bank manager in Mati City, many foreigners can be very rude individuals - especially to the native people.聽 I suppose a major reason is they feel they are "above" them ... Read More
Philippine Imports & Exports by PalawOne
"Manila asks Iran to ensure safe passage for Philippine-flagged ships, oil shipments"By Bea Cupin April 1st, 2026 7:17 PM https://www.rappler.com/philippines/request-iran-designate-non-hostile-country-passage-strait-hormuz/ Manila asks Iran to ...
You must be joking P1, you are talking about the drill baby drill king and probably how he helps to line his pockets and his buddies.To be fair, I'd say that 90-95% of politicians across all continents do the same. The running joke in the states ... Read More
Planning to visit Philippines next month by Gregory Koch
Hi guysI am planning to visit Philippines next month, any recommendations, suggestions, advises are welcomeI am based in Kansas聽 planning to travel soloWhat could I do and which are the best spots for 7-8 days?So if you have tips or anything ...
Great advise above. I'll just say for a 7-8 day trip skip the Mindanao region (i.e., southern region of the Philippines). That's not to say there aren't good places, like Davao, but 7-8 days isn't really a lot of time and Cebu, Manila, and all the ... Read More
What do You Expats do for FUN 馃ぉ by KenUSA
Hi! I鈥檓 Ken from USA & I鈥檓 planning to move to and settle down in Bonifacio Global City, TAGUIG. I鈥檇 love to get in touch with many of you and get involved in meetings or activities or anything that keeps me busy! I鈥檓 57 ...
@mati_steveWelcome aboard Ken. I'm Steve from the USA as well. I'm on the other side of Mindanao from you (Mati City). The OP is planning on moving to BGC. Last time I looked it was in the NCR region of Luzon 馃 - @Lotus EaterHmmm.聽 ... Read More
What do You Expats do for FUN 馃ぉ by KenUSA
Hi! I鈥檓 Ken from USA & I鈥檓 planning to move to and settle down in Bonifacio Global City, TAGUIG. I鈥檇 love to get in touch with many of you and get involved in meetings or activities or anything that keeps me busy! I鈥檓 57 ...
Welcome aboard Ken. I'm Steve from the USA as well. I'm on the other side of Mindanao from you (Mati City). I'm not too familiar with your area, although, there is a British expat that lives outside of Dipilog who vlogs a lot (his channel is ... Read More
My First Philippine Funeral by Moon Dog
This is my first experience with a Philippine funeral and I wouldn鈥檛 wish it on my worst enemy. Tatay passed on 3/27 so today is the 9th day but since the priest doesn鈥檛 work on Sunday it turned into a 10 day ordeal. Tatay鈥檚 ...
@Moon DogSorry to hear about your loss (and your ordeal).聽 I didn't realize you were back in the Philippines, but it sounds like things have started off rather rocky.聽 I'm still trying to get used to a lot of the culture here as it can be ... Read More
Philippines and the ME War by PalawOne
ME war may jolt electricity bills: Bombing of refineries causes jittersBy Maria Romero,聽Lisa Marie Apacible 05 Mar 2026The Middle East (ME) crisis could trigger a domino effect, driving up not only fuel prices but also electricity ...
The Philippines is now buying Russian oil in an attempt to mitigate the Trump war mess.Trump keeps declaring victory and, if his goal is to bust his own sanctions, he's a winner.The Philippines is also begging the US to allow it to buy Iranian and ... Read More