Seven common myths about the Philippines that might not be true.

 

Seven common myths about the Philippines that might not be true.

 

1)      The Philippines is a dangerous place. This is not true. Let me explain.

The Philippines is a safe and welcoming destination for tourists and new immigrants alike. With its stunning beaches, lush parks, vibrant shopping malls, and exciting adventure activities like hiking, the country offers something for everyone.

The government has taken steps to ensure the safety of visitors by increasing security in public places such as parks and beaches. There are also plenty of resources available to help newcomers adjust to their new home. So, if you're looking for a safe place to explore or settle down, the Philippines is definitely worth considering!

 

2)      All the cities in the Philippines are the same. Also not true, and here’s why:

The Philippines is a beautiful country with a diverse landscape and unique cities. From the bustling metropolis of Manila and Makati to the slow-paced provinces of Mindanao, each city has its own unique flavor and way of life. Whether you're looking for a fast-paced city life or something more laid back, there's something for everyone in the Philippines.

Manila, Makati, Cebu, and Davao are all vastly different from one another in terms of size, population density, cost of living, and pace of life. While Manila is known for its hustle and bustle, Makati is seen as more upscale with higher costs. Cebu is known for its slower pace while Davao offers something in between the two extremes.

Meanwhile, province life offers an entirely different experience from that found in the cities; it's generally much slower paced and less expensive than city living. The culture also tends to be more traditional than what one would find.

3)      The food is all tropical. Also far from the truth, here’s the explanation.

You will find fruits everywhere that’s for sure, also pork and fish are very abundant. When in doubt you can order rice with some meat, as rice is the food that you will find everywhere in the Philippines you won’t have problems trying to find it. This latter is mostly common everywhere in the province, but you will find a very broad variety of foods such as Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese and so on when you dine in any of the big cities.

4)       Filipinas are gold diggers. Again, not true. 

The reasons are obvious for any country in the world. We all have men and women with an agenda. You don’t have to go as far as the Philippines to realize that everywhere exists people like this, who are interested either in your money, fame, social status or visa sponsoring. The Philippines is not different that USA or Canada or Australia or the UK in that regard. As a matter of fact, you will find more caring and sympathetic women in the Philippines than anywhere in the world, and the reason is simple, the are raise to put family values ahead of everything else in life. But then why is the myth alive? My guess is that many men come to the Philippines because they heard stories about beautiful young women interested in older men. So, they think that all women in the Philippines are like that and they are all perfect in their minds. I think it’s a fantasy they construct in their heads, and for that reason they come and they lower their guard and fall for every scheme that cross their paths.

 

5)       Everybody speaks English. Not quite I must say.

Most of the Filipinos speak English, but some don’t speak English at all. The far you get from the big cities the more non-English-speaking-Filipinos you will find. So if you plan to adventure yourself far deep into remote areas be prepared or at least bring a local who can act as a translator.

Also please note that in some regions such as Mindanao, Leyte and others speak Visaya, which is a dialect different from Tagalog. Other regions also speak Chavacano and Cebuano to name a few.

 

6)      The Philippines is a hot place. Well, this one I have to agree with!. Although a couple of month of the year is rainy season and hurricane season most of the time is really hot. Temperatures are rarely below 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer time, and stays above 80 the rest of the year. So yes, this one is very true. The good things is they are plenty of activities you can do too, such as going to the beach, to parks and the shopping mall where you’ll find the air conditioning very pleasant.

 

7)      The last one is everything is cheap here. Well, not quite. You see food and services are cheaper than in the west, but electronics, machinery, vehicles and things that are not made in the Philippines will be more expensive than in the west or their countries of origin. So for that reason you will see a lot of old cars on the roads or alternatives ways of transportation not commonly seen in the west such as Jeepneys.

 Thanks for reading! I hope this helps in your journey to retiring in the Philippines.

 

Here's a video regarding this blog post:

 https://youtu.be/pOrw1hmMCo4