No Toilet Paper In The Philippines?

Last activity 28 March 2023 by Yoginee

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Timo62Active member18 July 2022 05:35:49

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-toilet-paper-in-philippines-buy-some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?

FredIndonesia Expert18 July 2022 05:55:16

28126

Carry a packet of wet wipes. Job done.

If you ate an especially hot curry for lunch, carry a few packets of wet wipes.

Lotus EaterViP18 July 2022 06:42:03

1559

Just to add to Freds excellent advice; make sure the wet wipes are of industrial strength if you go for the vindaloo..

Of course in Indonesia many toilets come with the hose facility and most hotels have the, ahem, automated 'de-luxe' anal wash facility. Cannot understand why more countries don't adopt this design. Of course out in the boondocks its the tourist class stand up design only

FindlayMacDSerial expat18 July 2022 07:44:37

396

@Lotus Eater I tried to reply to the original post, but somehow this website would not allow me to, it seems that historically both SM and their main competitor Gaisano are both very downmarket establishments and they assume that if they supply toilet paper people will steal it, so they just don't supply it...... simples.

Cherryann01ViP18 July 2022 09:06:42

1073

When I visited the Philippines recently I needed to use the facilities in the Mall in Cebu and could find no toilet paper in the trap. Luckily there was an attendant outside who pointed me to a toilet roll dispenser near the sinks. Seems there the toilet paper is kept outside the traps and you have to remember to grab some before hand. Taking wipes is an excellent idea too.

coach53ViP18 July 2022 09:14:02

1564

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013 … -some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?
- @Timo62

Differences depend of IF they bother about foreigner's toilet habbits and know them.

Filipinos use WATER instead of toilet paper

and a reason to NOT have seats at toilets is Filipinos put FEET there and squat.

As said - Bring own toilet paper.

Timo62Active member18 July 2022 10:24:29

@FindlayMacD Do people steal toilet seats also?

Timo62Active member18 July 2022 10:27:18

@Lotus Eater Well then the USA must be the boondocks. No "ass blaster" in any of the places I have ever seen.

WingfatActive member18 July 2022 10:56:41

@coach53 Haha..It also took me time to figure that one out... no toilet seats wtf? It really never occurred to me people would get on top of these things to poop. It must be a balancing act taught from birth. I was thinking ..ok this is a poor country.. no flush mechanism and no toilet seat. How you would wipe yourself while trying to balance yourself on the rim of one of these small bowels is beyond me. Talk about most accidents happen in the bathroom! Trying to wash a American sized poop down one of these things with a small pale of water is a joke. I don't know what is worse.. driving here or shi*ting here? Don't get me wrong... I will never leave here.

Lotus EaterViP18 July 2022 14:31:31

#10

1559

About 6 years ago I was invited to an old Sea Scout friends stag party in Angeles - yeah right. So took the 5* Victory liner from Manila north accompanied by my GF at the time who was quite happy to hang about and do her own thing on the designated evening of the do.

The night before I'd had some chicken which started acting up half way to Angeles. To be fair it's the only time I have ever had the so called Delhi Belly in the Philippines.

I really did not think I would be able to make it to the Bus station. On arrival I ran off the bus and straight to the station toilets. There I was greeted by WC's without the seats in the most disgusting vile state you could ever imagine. But for me it was akin to coming across an oasis of water in the desert. It was the most welcome sight! Never will I ever complain about public toilets anywhere in the world again.

Referring back to the OP's point about Mall toilets in the Philippines. Some of the Malls have designated payment on entry toilets which are fine. Last time I used one it was about 20 Pesos which is no big deal.

Frankly the Manila Malls (with the exception of the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati) are vastly inferior to comparable emerging market country Malls in SE Asia. For me the city of Jakarta comes out top in this category. Plush, classy, well designed, excellent AC with a good mix of shops, offices, restaurants bars (and nightclubs) and unlike their Manila counterparts never seem overcrowded. Moreover they have a pleasant ambience without the obligatory 'elevator music' playing in the background. Smoothjazz and Bossa are the order of the day taken with my usual Rum Latté at one of the many delightful coffee bars

Timo62Active member19 July 2022 02:52:44

#11

@Wingfat Yea, I guess we figure it out somehow. Carry a roll of toilet paper in your sling bag. Don't shop at SM, only shop at Ayala Malls (where they keep paper in the stalls (classy place Ayala.)

Timo62Active member19 July 2022 03:02:21

#12

@Lotus Eater I think the "Nomad Capitalist" of YouTube fame, is now living in Indonesia. His motto is "Go where you're treated best." Yea, driving here is shit and pooping here is driving people crazy! But, if one can ignore those two inconveniences it's not a bad place to live.

Timo62Active member19 July 2022 03:31:38

#13

Marquee Mall (an Ayala fully owned subsidiary) in Angeles City, even has an "executive lounge" for expats and Filipino overseas workers (OFWs). The toilets ( CRs) there are super clean. Marble walls and tile floors. As soon as one exits the room a maid goes in and cleans it until it is spotless. The lounge is a good place to relax away from the crowded mall. No booze but you will be offered coffee while there.

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor19 July 2022 04:12:21

#14

950

Tisyu Mega Rolls are my favorite and Prince always has a few of the 8 rolls packs. You can order it from Lazada but costs more. It is the Charmin of he Philippines but says triple ply on the packaging so I would be hesitant to use it if I had a leach field to worry about but no problem here.

A lot of my assignments were in Mexico so I'm used to the absence of toilet seats and bucket flush toilets. Mexicans like to also put the used toilet paper in a trash can beside the toilet, even in the US they don't like to flush the toilet paper. The Walmarts in Texas had trash cans in the stalls for those who don't like to flush paper down the toilet.

Lotus EaterViP19 July 2022 12:36:56

#15

1559

@FindlayMacD Do people steal toilet seats also?
- @Timo62

Indeed they do. Welcome to the Philippines. Rest assured though that they will let you finish having a crap if that's their intention

Lotus EaterViP19 July 2022 12:39:05

#16

1559

@Lotus Eater Well then the USA must be the boondocks. No "ass blaster" in any of the places I have ever seen.
- @Timo62

I was referring to the boondocks in Indonesia where if its the 'number 2' its stand and squat. Ballerina's never have a problem..

Enzyte BobViP19 July 2022 22:38:38

#17

3656

Tisyu Mega Rolls are my favorite and Prince always has a few of the 8 rolls packs. You can order it from Lazada but costs more. It is the Charmin of he Philippines but says triple ply on the packaging so I would be hesitant to use it if I had a leach field to worry about but no problem here.

- @Moon Dog

Thanks for the tip . . . .I'm tired of buying the expensive but good toilet paper from S&R. I'll try a purchase of the Tisyu brand.

Enzyte BobViP20 July 2022 02:30:28

#18

3656

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013 … -some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?
- @Timo62

GuestPoster285 on 04/04/20 posted a Youtube video under the topic: Facial Recognition Toilet Paper Dispenser.

Maybe the mall wants to prevent theft of toilet tissue rolls, beside the theft of toilet seats.

From my experience of toilet tissue in the states, it was so poor quality & so cheap, you better check your fingers after using.

Theft of Toilet Seats: I'll be on the lookout for someone having a toilet seat tucked under their arm or inside their shirt.

If I should report them, How big is the reward if they are arrested and convicted?

Lotus EaterViP20 July 2022 07:02:25

#19

1559

"GuestPoster285 on 04/04/20 posted a Youtube video under the topic: Facial Recognition Toilet Paper Dispenser."

You sure that video was not posted on the 1st April.. ?

Enzyte BobViP20 July 2022 08:43:25

#20

3656

"GuestPoster285 on 04/04/20 posted a Youtube video under the topic: Facial Recognition Toilet Paper Dispenser."

You sure that video was not posted on the 1st April.. ?
- @Lotus Eater

But as silly as it is, 1st of April might be the first thing that would come to mind.

talambanContributor20 July 2022 08:48:39

#21

191

Don't know - When I was young, if I drank too much, I might become Shitfaced, so a Facial Recognition Toilet Paper Dispenser would have worked for me LOL.

FilAmericanMomPhilippines Expert20 July 2022 09:38:38

#22

877

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013 … -some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?
- @Timo62

Reasons why toilet papers are missing from SM Malls CRs:

1. Toilet paper rolls get stolen.

2. The toilet papers are so thin and of low quality that you need lots of it to do your business. But maintenance people are not quick to replenish it.

3. There are often large crowds at SM, especially during the weekends and sales events. CRs can get crowded too. And can quickly run out of toilet paper.

4. Some use toilet paper to cover the toilet seat because there are no toilet seat covers.

5. So you will buy from the tissue / toiletries vending machine. (Good news is they carry better quality tissues.)

6. Dry wiping is not popular among Filipinos. Most prefer to use water. (We have a sprayer next to our toilet at home.)

Sometimes, there are paper towels / paper towel dispenser near the sink. But they're rough. If you have no other option but these, dampen them before using.

Ayala Mall wants to portray the image of being a high-end mall. High-end mall = good reliable bathroom facilities. which is probably why they usually have toilet paper in their CRs.

When I'm at SM and I really need to use the CR, I go to a retailer store (Starbucks, Tim Horton's, Krispy Kreme, etc.) and use their CR, which often has toilet paper. Or I go to the department store's Prestige Lounge, if the mall has one. But you need an SM Prestige Card so that you and a guest can get in and use the lounge's very nice CR.

FilAmericanMomPhilippines Expert20 July 2022 09:58:14

#23

877

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013 … -some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?
- @Timo62

Why there are no toilet seats is some SM Mall CRs:

1. There used to be one, but over time, they got dirty and cracked because some people step on them instead of sitting on them, such that SM management / admin just got tired of replacing them.

2. SM admin decided not to put a toilet seat from the very beginning because they will get broken anyways because some do not use them for what they were intended for.

The reason why some people step on the toilet seat instead of sitting on is they believe that the toilet seat is dirty and that one can get all sorts of diseases from sitting on it.

kristopherryanwatsonPhilippines Advisor20 July 2022 18:34:48

#24

421

pinoys tend to hot-hand the toilet paper in the standard SM malls and other large-capacity entertainment or leisure venues of that class level.

independent Malls which one would consider aimed for those of discerning taste (or for those who don't like the large crowd malls, such as myself), will find these malls being much more accommodating and managed by the staff by the hour (constantly cleaned, with toilet paper restocked in the stalls and hand wipes available for use at the sinks.).

As for advice:
As others have mentioned, Always carry a pack of wet wipes with you, but also hand cloth in case you need it.

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor21 July 2022 00:19:15

#25

950

My 14 year old niece stayed with us for a while. She grew up in a nipa hut with a pail flush toilet, the tiny ones that don't even have bolt holes for a seat. She used the CR on the 2nd floor next to her bedroom. We began noticing that each time she used it the seat was up? I believe she either preferred sitting on the rim or didn't know what the seat was for. The things we take for granted. Encouraging her to keep the floor dry after a shower is another story. There would be water splashed all over the mirror, walls and sink so I have no idea what went on in there.

Most Filipinos I know have no use for toilet paper but when I was in the US Army serving in S. Korea we had to lock up our toilet paper. When the roll ran out we had to requisition a fresh roll from the supply room. The Korean workers on base would steal any TP left unattended. The Korean byeonso was just a hole in the floor with some strips of newspaper, no water. I posted my one photo of a Korean byeonso. The communal byeonso in the hooch area was on the alley side so it could be dipped out and transported to a rice patty in a 3 wheeled honey wagon. I had a one year assignment in Korea in 2014-15. Now they have bidet toilets with lots of push buttons and it must have some sort of electric eye because they were very accurate. You can select male or female, pulsation or steady spray among other settings and some even have an air dryer. I fell in love with those wonderful toilets.

Funny story, soon after I was discharged I was in the Timberwick bar with a couple of my friends which is not far from Dover Airforce Base. We met 3 Korean ladies and bought them a couple drinks. I was trying to impress my buddies with a couple of the Korean phrases I had learned. The ladies went to the restroom and when they returned the one nearest me set her hand bag on the stool between us. I could see a roll of toilet paper tucked down in her pocketbook. I don't know if she always carried a roll but knowing what I know I suspected she had just taken it from the ladies room. Some old habits die hard.

FilAmericanMomPhilippines Expert25 July 2022 04:12:03

#26

877

My 14 year old niece stayed with us for a while. . . .Encouraging her to keep the floor dry after a shower is another story. There would be water splashed all over the mirror, walls and sink so I have no idea what went on in there.

- @Moon Dog

I have a young daughter. Sometimes, after she uses the shower, the floor would become very wet. It's because after taking a shower, she would go to the sink and stand in front of the mirror to use her acne soap and apply acne treatments. She would be soaking wet because she would not dry off with a towel first before going to the sink, making the floor so wet. I bought her a bathrobe and always have a towel and her bathrobe hung on the shower door's towel bar. And I also placed a bath mat in front of the sink. That solved the wet floor issue.

Try buying your niece a bathrobe, and have the bath towels and bathrobes easily accessible.

Lotus EaterViP25 July 2022 05:38:20

#27

1559

Whenever I check into a hotel with my GF the first thing I do is hide the bathrobes

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor25 July 2022 05:54:46

#28

950

@FilAmericanMom Our solution was to show the 14 year old niece and her 10 year old cousin how to dry off in the shower down to their feet and then dry one foot at a time when stepping out of the shower. She was also instructed to take a look around before leaving the CR and make sure everything was as she found it. If my wife (their aunt) had to clean up after them one more time the CR would be locked and they would have to use the traditional facilities behind my mother in laws house which is a bucket and dipper. That worked OK and the best part is they no longer live with us so that CR is now unused and stays spotless.

kristopherryanwatsonPhilippines Advisor25 July 2022 16:17:31

#29

421

@Lotus Eater

Haha, why would that be ?

BezphMember29 July 2022 13:08:39

#30

@Timo62 Hi Tim- Im a newby to the chat but have watched from the side lines for a while.

I couldn't help but reply to your message. Yes wet wipes are the way to go in case of emergency situations, however one thing I have learned after 25 years in Asia is by far the more more hygienic cleaner way is the tabo or bidet.

Takes a bit of getting used to, however by far the cleanest way to go for cleaning your arse when at home rather than sticking to Western style dry toilet paper, which, let's face it, need innumerable wipes, and still I doubt does the job! :-)

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor29 July 2022 22:24:48

#31

950

@Matthew Berryman76 I've used bidet sprayers for many years. I replaced the toilets and added the sprayers to the house I bought in Houston, TX and when I moved to Georgia I replaced the toilets and added sprayers. I always installed new toilets when I bought a house. The sprayers were a little difficult to find 20 years ago but the online Islamic stores carried them. Later on I could order them from Amazon.

I was working in S. Korea for a little over a year where bidet toilets are popular. You can buy toilet seats with the bidet feature and control panel attached to the seat but the best one was in the Lotte hotel. The control panel is built into the wall and does everything, even has a dryer. I wouldn't expect less from a hotel that charged $450 per night and $99 for the evening meal.

Enzyte BobViP29 July 2022 22:52:54

#32

3656

From Moon Dog . . .I've used bidet sprayers for many years.

Brings back memory from my first marriage.

For years my first wife cut out and save articles for ideas in a dream house. We finally built it and it had a stand alone bidet. It shot water up from below.

My wife and I at the time were heavy into show dogs, Harlequin Great Danes. When we had guests over they asked about the bidet and with a straight face we would tell them it's a drinking fountain for the dogs.

It seemed to make sense to them.

Timo62Active member30 July 2022 04:00:31

#33

@Moon Dog Sounds like the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore.

talambanContributor30 July 2022 08:20:53

#34

191

@Moon Dog I stayed in the Lotte Hotel - Seoul in the early 80's while doing business with Korean Contractors who had massive construction contracts in the Middle East. I recall that they discouraged/prohibited anyone who had been recently eating Kimchi from using the elevators cuz they could not get the heavy Garlic smell out. Before Lotte was completed, I used to stay at the Chosun Hotel right after President Park was assassinated. During martial Law, those dudes were very serious about curfews and the military had loaded machine guns on their jeeps. 9 PM and everyone was inside.

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor30 July 2022 22:12:45

#35

950

The photo of the bidet control panel was at the Ulsan Lotte. I was overseeing the assembly of two 10,000 hp compressors on a module at the Hyundai Heavy Industry ship building facility. After assembly the module was loaded on a barge and floated to the northern coast of Alaska with the help of ocean going tugs. I finished the assembly and commissioned the machines and that was my final act as a Dresser-Rand employee. The 2 year project took me to my early retirement date. I stayed at the Lotte for the few days it took to find an apartment.

I spent a lot of time in Seoul in 1972-73 during my 13 month tour of duty courtesy of the US Army. There were no bidet toilets at that time. I remember a night club in Seoul called OB's Cabin. They had a fairly good Beatles band and the most modern toilet of the day. There was a trough for the and guys facing the trough was open toilets for the girls. Guys and girls would use the facilities at the same time. Lots of giggling from the girls.

Photos of the made in Korea module being walked into place by SPMTs (Self Propelled Module Transporters) at Point Thomson, Alaska.

talambanContributor31 July 2022 03:03:31

#36

191

@Moon Dog Interesting on many fronts. I worked for GE and was involved with many large motor installations and repairs for Compressor Applications. Up to 30,000+ Horsepower. I remember working with an engineer from Dresser Rand Houston whose unforgettable name was Tom Collins - like the cocktail. Their shop in Houston was one of the very first Airconditioned facilities for equipment repair. That helped them recruit and retain good employees. Your pic shows a portable light tower. I owned a company that built those in mid 70s, and supplied many units on Defense Department contracts. Amazing how the older we get, how we can remember things from long ago; but I can't remember why I went in the kitchen now.

talambanContributor31 July 2022 03:08:27

#37

191

@Moon Dog I also supplied lighting equipment for the North Slope of Alaska and all of the pipeline stations. I made one trip to Prudhoe Bay, but many trips to Anchorage and Fairbanks, once when 42 Below F.

Enzyte BobViP31 July 2022 05:13:54

#38

3656

Where does the toilet paper go? At SM Malls there is often no toilet paper https://timotraveling.blogspot.com/2013 … -some.html in the stalls. At Ayala Malls there is usually toilet paper in the bathrooms (CRs or Comfort Rooms). And why are there no toilet seats in SM Mall CRs?
- @Timo62

One thing that appalled me was watch Filipinos eating with their hands.

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor31 July 2022 09:26:53

#39

950

@talamban Small world. I worked out of the Houston facility and lived not far from the shop. I usually rode my bicycle to the office. Tom Collins doesn't ring a bell, I signed on in 2005, maybe he was gone. I had a few jobs in Kenai but this was my first assignment north of the Brooks Range. The 52 acre pad had an airstrip but during low visibility we landed at Dead Horse (Prudhoe Bay) and rode a bus on the ice road to the site. It's an ExxonMobil leased site sitting on 8.3 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas. The well pressure is almost 10,000 psi and they don't really want the gas, just the liquid that condenses out of the gas when de-pressured. They were hoping for 100,000 barrels per day of the condensate. The 4 cylinder, 2 stage recip compressors pump the dry gas back into the well which is better than flaring it. Future plans are to build a pipeline to Kenai and liquify the gas. When Siemens acquired D-R they wanted to get rid of the old guys who worked their way up the salary scale. They paid me a handsome sum to retire 5 months early. Good thing, I was ready to quit. I hated the 2 day trip from Georgia to the site every 3 weeks.

talambanContributor01 August 2022 01:55:18

#40

191

@Moon Dog I recall when Siemens acquired Dresser-Rand. I was working for a Sulzer Electro-Mechanical Service Center in Pasadena, when Siemens bested them in the 2014 offer. I was also a victim of Age/Salary discrimination cuz I was earning more than the Sulzer appointed General Manager of our newly acquired group. When I worked for GE, they made subtle moves to eliminate any employees over 55 years old. They Self-insured for both Health and Life Insurance. They paid the younger replacements the same; but had far less risks for paying out insurance claims with the kids. I am sure they had a Six Sigma Spreadsheet analyzing the costs differences.

Closed

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