Canadian considering visiting/living in the Philippines

Filipinos are no more racist than other people and I'd argue less so than many other people. However, please note that foreigners in general aren't easily accepted and though you will get a lot of smiles and polite behaviour, you'll always be a foreigner. Whites get more preferential treatment but that's because there's a perception they have more money - maybe it's due to the years of colonialism by Spain and a predominantly white America. Having said that, it means that whites are targeted more often for various scams involving 'business' or 'love' opportunities.

If you plan to migrate, you'll need to make several trips to get used to the culture and assess the lay of the land vis-a-vis making money. Again, as an outsider your chances to make money in the Philippines will be slim - nobody is looking to enrich the foreigner unless you have something pretty compelling to offer and even so there's a general unwillingness to support foreign businesses.

Visit, enjoy yourself, mind the honeytrap, and you'll draw your own conclusions.

Generally, Filipinos are not very racist or the degree is not that predominant as other countries. Do you have somewhere to stay? Because you mentioned family and friends and I assumed that you had living arrangements with them while you are here.

Corum
Very well put and informative

Thanks for following up and your response. Very informative. I think I will make the arrangements to visit first.

MaroBautista wrote:

Generally, Filipinos are not very racist or the degree is not that predominant as other countries. Do you have somewhere to stay? Because you mentioned family and friends and I assumed that you had living arrangements with them while you are here.

No, I don't. I mentioned in my earlier post, that I am aware that family and friendships are valued, based on the people I know here in Canada. Thanks for responding.

Corum wrote:

Filipinos are no more racist than other people and I'd argue less so than many other people. However, please note that foreigners in general aren't easily accepted and though you will get a lot of smiles and polite behaviour, you'll always be a foreigner. Whites get more preferential treatment but that's because there's a perception they have more money - maybe it's due to the years of colonialism by Spain and a predominantly white America. Having said that, it means that whites are targeted more often for various scams involving 'business' or 'love' opportunities.

If you plan to migrate, you'll need to make several trips to get used to the culture and assess the lay of the land vis-a-vis making money. Again, as an outsider your chances to make money in the Philippines will be slim - nobody is looking to enrich the foreigner unless you have something pretty compelling to offer and even so there's a general unwillingness to support foreign businesses.

Visit, enjoy yourself, mind the honeytrap, and you'll draw your own conclusions.

Thanks for responding. I responded to your post, I just forgot to click "quote."

I am black also,been here since 2009 off and on. Was victim to a honey trap cost me about 6 mil php over all,but allowed me to met the woman who has my child. If you looking for love,it is very easy to be blinded since some girls look like us. I am drawn to the morena type of women. But not all are bad, try to get someone who is working and has plans past tomorrow and you should be okay. I wish I had known of this forum before might have saved me a lot of heartache and money. Yes family is important just do not fall into all for the family and no future for yourself. If you plan for and want kids be aware it is for 18 years or longer ,but kids to me have no evil thoughts,grownups do. Just remember smiling faces by the temptations."hold no traces of the evil that lurks within" . I am happy now,but it took a lot of learning/cash to know what was real and what was false. Good Luck my friend.

Mixknight wrote:

I am black also,been here since 2009 off and on. Was victim to a honey trap cost me about 6 mil php over all,but allowed me to met the woman who has my child. If you looking for love,it is very easy to be blinded since some girls look like us. I am drawn to the morena type of women. But not all are bad, try to get someone who is working and has plans past tomorrow and you should be okay. I wish I had known of this forum before might have saved me a lot of heartache and money. Yes family is important just do not fall into all for the family and no future for yourself. If you plan for and want kids be aware it is for 18 years or longer ,but kids to me have no evil thoughts,grownups do. Just remember smiling faces by the temptations."hold no traces of the evil that lurks within" . I am happy now,but it took a lot of learning/cash to know what was real and what was false. Good Luck my friend.

Thanks a lot for your honesty, and sharing your personal experiences. I will definitely keep my eyes open when I visit.

Filipinos are very warm and hospitable.This has a lot to do with our history. We were colonized by the Spaniards, Japanese and Americans so we are used to getting foreign visitors here.

One thing you should be aware.

I know that the word NEGRO is offensive for black people in west. Here in the Philippines,
people have the tendency of calling black prole as NEGRO with out any intent of discrimination. Forgive them, they are not aware that this might be offensive due do lack of education to to western culture and history. They use this word for the lack of better term.

Bottom line, you do not have to be afraid of any hostile/racial concerns. We are friendly and very welcoming.

Hey Juan, I don't believe the history books have recorded Filipinos welcoming the Spanish, Japanese or Americans in a warm and friendly matter. What I know is that each one of those colonial powers had to subdue the population by force. So if you're saying you're warm and welcoming due to that, then I completely understand that your idea of warm and welcoming is much different than the rest of the world.

Thanks for sharing.......I migrated when still young from one of the poorest countries in South America to Canada. That was a huge benefit as once I overcame the initial 'plight of the Filipino' nonsense I realized just how much alike the Philippines was to my native land. Things changed quick after that! I've listened to a few stories from older white Americans and few had positive things to say because I think they arrived in Phils with a Colonial mindset rather than as an immigrant who has to bend to the local ways. My first coupe trips I had the same idea but like I said, once I saw the light things are easier to handle.

I think you have misunderstood my statement there. I said  "we are used to getting foreign visitors" I never said we welcome colonizers welcome them here.

Juan Pedro,
We know your used to foreigners, but most Filipinos  treat them as a walking dollar bill

Juan_Pedro wrote:

I think you have misunderstood my statement there. I said  "we are used to getting foreign visitors" I never said we welcome colonizers welcome them here.

Yes, clearly I did. But it is curious you would juxtapose two non-related statements in such a manner if you did not mean to imply a relation between the two. Can you explain why Filipinos appear to be welcoming to foreigners when, as history has it, Filipinos have been fighting foreigners for centuries?

dinky2408 wrote:

Juan Pedro,
We know your used to foreigners, but most Filipinos  treat them as a walking dollar bill

You are incorrect sir! We are treated as walking, bottomless WALLETS not as a solitary dollar bill.

Juan_Pedro wrote:

Filipinos are very warm and hospitable.This has a lot to do with our history. We were colonized by the Spaniards, Japanese and Americans so we are used to getting foreign visitors here.

One thing you should be aware.

I know that the word NEGRO is offensive for black people in west. Here in the Philippines,
people have the tendency of calling black prole as NEGRO with out any intent of discrimination. Forgive them, they are not aware that this might be offensive due do lack of education to to western culture and history. They use this word for the lack of better term.

Bottom line, you do not have to be afraid of any hostile/racial concerns. We are friendly and very welcoming.

Thanks for your response! I believe the word "negro" has different meanings based on the context it is used. Someone, using it innocently versus in a derogatory manner, same word, different meanings. With that being said, the general tone from the posts are the Philippines is a welcoming place, and I am looking forward to visit myself.

Traveller61 wrote:

Thanks for following up and your response. Very informative. I think I will make the arrangements to visit first.

I concur that the vast majority of Filipinos are extremely welcoming, tolerant and respect the values you have listed as being important to you. Well, they are basic human needs and should be important to everyone!

Unfortunately racism rears its ugly head everywhere (globally) but it is fair to say that it is much less prevalent in the Philippines, and certainly less so than many other "developed" countries.

I have seen a few bar girls refuse to 'entertain' Black men - but as with life - everyone is entitled to their opinions, views and preferences. Personally I do not condone this type of behaviour if based purely on race, and it is not the norm here for filipinos to actively discriminate.

Based on the values listed - I think you will find the Philippines to be an extremely good choice. My wife is Filipino and my little boy 50/50. Filipinos adhere to family values, which of course is great most of the time, but family loyalties can be a tad frustrating too....

At the very least - come visit and see for yourself. I am sure you will be glad you did.

Expat IFA wrote:

Traveller61 wrote:

Thanks for following up and your response. Very informative. I think I will make the arrangements to visit first.

I concur that the vast majority of Filipinos are extremely welcoming, tolerant and respect the values you have listed as being important to you. Well, they are basic human needs and should be important to everyone!

Unfortunately racism rears its ugly head everywhere (globally) but it is fair to say that it is much less prevalent in the Philippines, and certainly less so than many other "developed" countries.

I have seen a few bar girls refuse to 'entertain' Black men - but as with life - everyone is entitled to their opinions, views and preferences. Personally I do not condone this type of behaviour if based purely on race, and it is not the norm here for filipinos to actively discriminate.

Based on the values listed - I think you will find the Philippines to be an extremely good choice. My wife is Filipino and my little boy 50/50. Filipinos adhere to family values, which of course is great most of the time, but family loyalties can be a tad frustrating too....

At the very least - come visit and see for yourself. I am sure you will be glad you did.

Awesome, I can tell from you're response, that you have had a positive experience in the Philippines. Thanks for being honest about the racial climate in the Philippines. You're right, racism whether overt, or covert shows up all over the world. It comes across to me that they are inclusive, which is great. I hope to visit there within the next year. Cheers.

Life's not perfect. Nowhere is perfect.
As the Philippines is the pourer cousin to other neighbouring countries - your average Filipino  remains charmingly humble. They are also realistic, hard working and (outside of the 'jet-set') a friendly bunch indeed. In a way, the lack of infrastructure keeps Filipinos 'honest' and they certainly haven't been corrupted to the same extent as other parts of the ASEAN.

Testament to Filipinos is the fact that they are by far the most successful 'export' with overseas foreign workers (OFW's) from the Philippines easily finding gainful employment abroad. Why? Because they make great employees across the whole spectrum of professions. Second most widely spoken language in the state of California? TAGALOG!!! That says it all.

Shouting, being disrespectful or behaving like an a***** is not welcomed here irrespective of colour/creed. The colour of your money is more important than the colour of your skin (haha).

You will be absolutely fine my friend. (Don't blame me if you never want to leave once you've come) 

Expat IFA wrote:

Life's not perfect. Nowhere is perfect.
As the Philippines is the pourer cousin to other neighbouring countries - your average Filipino  remains charmingly humble. They are also realistic, hard working and (outside of the 'jet-set') a friendly bunch indeed. In a way, the lack of infrastructure keeps Filipinos 'honest' and they certainly haven't been corrupted to the same extent as other parts of the ASEAN.

Testament to Filipinos is the fact that they are by far the most successful 'export' with overseas foreign workers (OFW's) from the Philippines easily finding gainful employment abroad. Why? Because they make great employees across the whole spectrum of professions. Second most widely spoken language in the state of California? TAGALOG!!! That says it all.

Shouting, being disrespectful or behaving like an a***** is not welcomed here irrespective of colour/creed. The colour of your money is more important than the colour of your skin (haha).

You will be absolutely fine my friend. (Don't blame me if you never want to leave once you've come) 

Yup, you're right, life is not perfect, it's what we make of it I'm sure when I visit, I won't want to leave. From what you have said about Filipinos, is very much true here. When I get set to visit, I'll need to a pick a particular province (I'll do some research into that).  Thanks again to you, and the others who have posted on here providing answers to my questions. Cheers.

Coming from Canada you are likely going to fly into Manila, so whilst in this manic metropolis you may as well see a bit of it (allow 3 days) - there are some historical sights, but in the main, dependent upon your length of stay I would suggest visiting the main islands FIRST - just to get a feel and then take it from there. Although you can cheaply get a boat (many hours) between islands, most chose the more efficient route and fly.

Some places worthy of note, (some with numerous popular ancillary islands close by are):

Manila: Makati, Greenbelt, Fort Bonifacio - all "expat central" (as is Alabang, South of Manila)

Cebu: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu/Mactan

Negros: Bacolod, Silay (North) - Dumaguete/Bacong/Dauin (South)

Bohol: The 'chocolate hills' island + some nice beaches

Palawan: Excellent beaches

Boracay: Excellent beaches, but it is a small island and sometimes crowded.

Although you are free to do your own itinerary, it is easy to Fly Manila - Cebu, then Bus+Short Ferry to Dumaguete (Negros). Then Boat to Bohol or fly to Palawan/Boracay from Cebu.

Most of the smaller islands are serviced by Cebu Pacific out of Cebu.

TIP: If at all possible, if flying to Boracay, get the flight to Catalan NOT Kalibo as the later involves a long mini-bus ride of several hours to get to the small jetty servicing the island.

Negros: Both Bacolod (North) and Dumaguete (South) have regular flights to Manila, with Bacolod airport (North) having a few more options - but not always daily.

Amazing, thanks a lot for the info! This is extremely helpful. I have places that I can check out and a basis on where I can start. When I was looking into flights in the Philippines, it's true that they fly into Manila. I am definitely looking forward to visiting. I hope good karma comes your way for being so helpful. I don't need a travel agent (haha).