To (Some) Travelers in the Philippines...

...local and foreign.

There are some important things to have in mind when traveling in the Philippines which I have listed below for the sake of those first time travelers in the country and those who keeps on complaining even if they know it already. Here goes:

1. There is no reliable schedule available for the departure time nor the arrival time. This is true for flights, buses or jeepneys, and even ferries or boats. Jeepneys (especially with long-distance or special routes) would wait until the jeepney is full before they would leave the terminal or stop. Flights, forget about it. Leading carriers like Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are always late. Or "early" in terms of arrival as they would already adjust the travel time to the maximum plus some extra minutes so it is never late in arriving its destination. Boats, the small ones which service non-main routes, can have the same story with the jeepneys. Ferries can have regular schedules but there can be possible delays.
2. When asking directions, expect to be pointed in all possible directions. If you get the right one for the first time, you are one lucky person. It is not that we are poor in terms of direction-giving but sometimes it is just like that. Or some will give you any direction just to give you something - we always "try" to help. If you want to avoid this, orient yourself. However, don't rely too much on our maps.
3. Don't get pissed when the person you are asking seems to be giving you a different answer than what you are expecting - ESPECIALLY when you are not speaking the local language. Not all Filipinos are good in Filipino or English - just letting you know. So be patient.
4. Philippines is an archipelago. Might be the same size of your country (a bit smaller or bigger) when all the islands are puzzled together BUT traveling from Point A to B might require longer time - because it is an archipelago. There is this factor or catching the connections given the unreliable schedules of the transportation. So a seven-day tour of the "Philippines" might not really be possible.
5. Accommodation can be a bit more expensive than that of other Southeast Asian countries. Hostels are not big in the Philippines. You will get pension houses which meant cheaper than the hotels. Ranges can be from 300Php to 800Php depending on the area.
6. Banks can be a problem sometimes as they are mostly are only found in capital or big enough cities.
7. Hitchhiking is possible and generally no guarantee of safety like everywhere. HOWEVER, hitchhiking is not that popular in the country. BUT it is worth a try.
8. Mountain hikes, I recommend, should be with a local guide. You might always want to do it alone but Philippine mountains are somehow different. Or do it your way. Just don't tell me I did not warn you.
9. Always check out some sites for ideas and opinions if you are not sure... like this other blog of mine: http://kakay-everywhere.blogspot.com//.

One last thing:

A big part of traveling is common sense so don't leave it behind.

To (Some) of My Countrymen/women

Why can't we love who we are? Why can't we accept the fact that we are brown skinned, with average height, with brown eyes, and with quite flat noses? We are Filipinos anyways, aren't we? No one (should) expect us to be otherwise.

As proud as others are proud of their skins (and noses and heights), we should also be... as that is who we are.

Why do we look up to the mestizas and mestizos? Or to the Westerners who are whiter, taller, and with more pointy noses than us? Why is it that we consider darker skin uglier and whiter more beautiful???

In one conference I attended abroad, there is a Filipina co-participant who gave me a pin of the Philippine flag. She proudly handed it to me as she was wearing one BUT she is also wearing blue-grey contact lenses. As tactless or forward (whatever suits) as I can be, I asked her why is she wearing blue-grey lenses. Her reply: I DON'T LIKE THE COLOR OF MY EYES. Oh great, another "proud" Filipina we have there. I ended up not wearing the pin she gave JUST BECAUSE IT IS FROM HER.

On the other side is a guy I met in Baguio. He's a blue-eyed bloke who claims to be a true-blood Filipino. He is a mestizo but his heart is so Filipino - I say 100%. I asked him if he speaks the language of his mom, he don't. He speaks Filipino though - fluently... and Ilocano and maybe some other Filipino languages/dialects. He is Filipino... also in first name, last name, and passport.

Some can claim that being mestizo or mestiza is easier. And some would even find it as an advantage. Oh well, it can be... but don't you think that it can be difficult too? Especially for those who try to raise our banner as Filipinos and show the world that there are a number of things that we can and should be proud of? And to those who true-bloods in their hearts but not in appearance?

There are lot of aspects of being a true Filipino which can be argued and disputed in length... or agreed about HOWEVER I am still just talking about the "aesthetic value" (if that is the politically correct term to use) in this post.

To (Some) Foreigners

I am fed up hearing complaints about my country (even though) most of them are valid. That I cannot argue about BUT sometimes it is already hitting below the belt as we are belittled to the height of their waist or their knees. It feels as if that they came here to feel good about themselves.

They would say: "We are the tallest people in the Philippines" or worst "...the tallest people the Filipinos have ever seen". C'mon, my brother is 6'1" and my friend is 6'2"... and my 15 year old nephew is 5'10"... and oh, I'm 5'6" - which is about the height of them, isn't it?

And "I couldn't find any "normal" soap and lotion in the market. All are for whitening." Aren't they crazy about the opposite? They would spend money to go have a tan - like this tanning saloons where they spray chemicals on their skin to be "colored" or lie down on that coffin-like bed. Humans just can't get enough, many would always want what they don't have - white or brown skin, straight or curly hair, brown or blue eyes. It's only the matter of what you are born with and how you developed your liking of it. But going to their "problems" with the products on the market, I say: DON'T BUY! No one is forcing them to be more white.

And "Why are all the shirts they sell won't fit me?" Oh, honey, why would we sell your size when majority of us are petite? My recommendation for you: bring enough clothes when you come here. I do have the same little problem with the petite clothes being sold BUT hey, I buy your second-hands for much much lesser price.

And "The food here is so oily." Well, it's a matter of taste here. Maybe that is the way we want it to be. And some Filipinos from other regions will have it their own way, too. But I guess on most common complaint regarding food is "Filipinos eat a lot of rice". We do have bread if you want to. Oh, are our breads sweet for you? Why not bake your own then? Or just eat what is there or starve.

I am guilty of somehow making some of the foreigners I've met get what they want even if it means going out of the way. And now I am tired of it!

I am a big complainer myself but I try to live with the fact and make it a bit better. And also, I did not plan of being in the Philippines, flying thousand of miles and paying hundreds of USDs or EUROs to get here just to complain. So, if you came here to experience the Philippines, then all of the things you complain about should be considered an exotic experience.

I say, LIVE WITH IT or LEAVE!