Paradise ?

[brock]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

[Jollygoodfellow]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Well in my view paradise has a different meaning to every one,it could also depend on where you live in the Philippines.Honestly I thought Cebu was much cleaner on my last trip compared to others. I believe you are referring to Cebu city as that's where you live?Davao seems to be quite clean and when I was there a few years back you could see people out sweeping the streets.The rubbish on the beaches up north Cebu washed in from other islands needs attention. You are correct that better rubbish management would be better for the country and for tourism.

[Mr Lee]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth.                  Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more  rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Hi Brock, it would seem to me that everyone has their own opinion of what paradise is and IMO many of them base it on different things. I feel that a forum should be open and allow the truth as we each see it in our own opinions while IMO we should not be lambasting the place we have chosen to be guests in or the people who are nice enough to make us feel welcome, unless we do that as our opinions as you have done and not try to state it as facts. So I thank you for that.As you probably also know, my wife and I live in Cebu City part of the year and travel around the Philippines while we are there and then in Florida USA the rest of the year and sometimes travel around the US while we are there, so I get to see how the US is deteriorating IMO and how the Philippines has improved each year upon our return, and Cebu and many parts of the Philippines are growing in leaps and bounds and getting cleaner with each passing year. While I surely do not think the Philippines is perfect by any means, there is many wonderful qualities that I often consider it to be a paradise of sorts. Now you state that you see garbage everywhere and I rarely see garbage around the streets of Cebu City and I see perfectly clean streets in Cagayan de Oro as well as in Makati but while out in some of the provinces I did see garbage around at times but even some of those areas seems to be getting better yearly as more people become educated and more garbage cans seem to be showing up at times. As for rats, I have seen them even in the city and part of the problem is irregular garbage pickup and that surely needs improvement as well as needing an eradication program of some sort to deal with their growing population because I have even seen one in an upscale restaurant in Banilad, yet have never seen one in SM Mall or in Ayala Mall because they have their own pest control workers doing preventative work weekly and most likely have better garbage storage. I would suggest a bounty on rats with a local place to bring them and that might help the situation. Possibly some of us foreigners could start such a program and fund it while specifying only adult rats and not making the bounty too high in order to prevent someone from breading them to make a living at it. It might even be a good idea to make the bounty for alive only and bring them all to some sort of zoo to feed the snakes but then we might have to think about rabies. Just thinking out loud here. Now back to paradise, I think many of us, myself included, are very spoiled by where we come from and sometimes we pick the wrong places to settle down, and for many of us the Philippines or parts thereof may not be paradise in all ways but IMO the positives outweigh the negatives thus making it a paradise of sorts for me.  I know that the friendly positive attitudes of the locals makes me feel much happier while we are there, and the friendly smiles of the many women who seem to be interested in me makes me feel wanted, and while I am happily married and would never think of straying, the fact of knowing that I might be wanted by many young ladies is refreshing, even though I know that most would have ulterior motives. In other words it is just good to be wanted or appreciated for whatever reason and in the US I find just indifference.Next, not having to drive and being able to take taxis and jeepneys all year for less than the cost of just my auto insurance in the US is another great plus for us and I have often dreamed of living in a place where I did not need a car, but at the same time I feel that if we lived there full time, then I would want to have one to use once in a while but not everyday and I would still probably use the taxis and jeepneys on most days for the visits to the malls but possibly use a car to visit friends and family and especially those that live outside the city proper. I believe that there are many more things and maybe we could start another thread on the good and the bad, but paradise means different things to different people and the lower costs of transportation, labor, cable, phones, property taxes if we own, and rents if we rent, eating out at many restaurants if we know where to look, water, lack of need for some insurances, etc. make parts of the Philippines a paradise for us along with the above things I mentioned while the power outages are annoying but not so intolerable to us to take away from the other positives which outweigh the negatives of life there for us.Life is what we make it and IMO it really does not matter where we live if we are happy with ourselves and our lives. All just IMHO. Edited May 17, 2010 by Mr. Lee
repair phrasing and intended meaning

[UZI]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Brock,Paradise is being where you want to be & being happy there. I am on both counts. I am also English & there are plenty of places in the UK that are like you describe with rubbish everywhere, not here in Laguna where I now live. I didn't live in the city in the UK & I don't here either. It is about location. You seem to have chosen one that you don't like. Look around more (it's a big country) & you will find some amazing places but yes just like in the UK there are areas that need a LOT of work & money. This is true of all countries.Uzi.

[Singers]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth.     Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Yes Brock,I have seen all of the above in PI and in many other places. Sometimes all at once and sometimes only a few at a time --

Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise

No but it takes me a whole lot closer than any place I have been in Europe... "Smiles per mile" is my joy and non existant IMExperience in this modern PC UK which IS a S'hole to-day IMO. Corruption, Greed, seffishness and a huge "dollop" of "could not care less about anything except ME ME ME" !!! ---In Asia "Paradise" is reckoned to be Singapore if one is Chinese!!! I am not.I can agree with that and it is a BEAUTIFULLY kept place and Pretty women who are generous and ... great cheap food 24/7 cooked fresh in front of the customer... cheap Taxis..Etc Etc but having lived there 6 years I left for PI ?? My little slice of Heaven IMHO !!!:cheersty:Rushing out to get my Jabs (inoculations) for my PI trip so I may add to this later... UK Tom Edited May 17, 2010 by Mr. Lee
repair quote

[UZI]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth.     Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Yes Brock,I have seen all of the above in PI and in many other places. Sometimes all at once and sometimes only a few at a time --

Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise

No but it takes me a whole lot closer than any place I have been in Europe... "Smiles per mile" is my joy and non existant IMExperience in this modern PC UK which IS a S'hole to-day IMO. Corruption, Greed, seffishness and a huge "dollop" of "could not care less about anything except ME ME ME" !!! ---In Asia "Paradise" is reckoned to be Singapore if one is Chinese!!! I am not.I can agree with that and it is a BEAUTIFULLY kept place and Pretty women who are generous and ... great cheap food 24/7 cooked fresh in front of the customer... cheap Taxis..Etc Etc but having lived there 6 years I left for PI ?? My little slice of Heaven IMHO !!!:cheersty:Rushing out to get my Jabs (inoculations) for my PI trip so I may add to this later... UK Tom

If you've seen the original series of 'The Prisoner', the Village is what Singapore was to me. Artificially perfect. Edited May 17, 2010 by Mr. Lee
repair quotes

[Singers]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Yes Brock,I have seen all of the above in PI and in many other places. Sometimes all at once and sometimes only a few at a time --

Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise

No but it takes me a whole lot closer than any place I have been in Europe... "Smiles per mile" is my joy and non existant IMExperience in this modern PC UK which IS a S'hole to-day IMO. Corruption, Greed, seffishness and a huge "dollop" of "could not care less about anything except ME ME ME" !!! ---In Asia "Paradise" is reckoned to be Singapore if one is Chinese!!! I am not.I can agree with that and it is a BEAUTIFULLY kept place and Pretty women who are generous and ... great cheap food 24/7 cooked fresh in front of the customer... cheap Taxis..Etc Etc but having lived there 6 years I left for PI ?? My little slice of Heaven IMHO !!!:cheersty:Rushing out to get my Jabs (inoculations) for my PI trip so I may add to this later... UK Tom

If you've seen the original series of 'The Prisoner', the Village is what Singapore was to me. Artificially perfect.

EXACTLY Uzi -- S'Pore -- One man's design - Lee Kuan Yew. As Portmeirion was one man's idea -- Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. --- "Plastic Places"? Like "Irish Theme" Pub's.and designer t1ts -- I prefer the real thing! Small IS Beautiful. IMO :SugarwareZ-037: :1 (103): They can keep "Bay Watch". !!!Give me the random "higgle-de-piggledy" of life, towns and people anytime. The delight of walking about back street S'Hai where an "obvious" dead-end narrow Street "magically" reveals an of-set 18 inch gap allowing passage to the next path ... no cars ... showing Homes where the stairs / woodwork had net been painted for decades AND spotlessly clean to boot.!A turn on a PI country road to see a glorious Vista and a host of smiles and flirting eyes... o0oPss getting sentimental...:17403::1 (103): UK Tom Edited May 17, 2010 by Singers

[UZI]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

Yes Brock,I have seen all of the above in PI and in many other places. Sometimes all at once and sometimes only a few at a time --

Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise

No but it takes me a whole lot closer than any place I have been in Europe... "Smiles per mile" is my joy and non existant IMExperience in this modern PC UK which IS a S'hole to-day IMO. Corruption, Greed, seffishness and a huge "dollop" of "could not care less about anything except ME ME ME" !!! ---In Asia "Paradise" is reckoned to be Singapore if one is Chinese!!! I am not.I can agree with that and it is a BEAUTIFULLY kept place and Pretty women who are generous and ... great cheap food 24/7 cooked fresh in front of the customer... cheap Taxis..Etc Etc but having lived there 6 years I left for PI ?? My little slice of Heaven IMHO !!!:cheersty:Rushing out to get my Jabs (inoculations) for my PI trip so I may add to this later... UK Tom

If you've seen the original series of 'The Prisoner', the Village is what Singapore was to me. Artificially perfect.

EXACTLY Uzi -- S'Pore -- One man's design - Lee Kuan Yew. As Portmeirion was one man's idea -- Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. --- "Plastic Places"? Like "Irish Theme" Pub's.and designer t1ts -- I prefer the real thing! Small IS Beautiful. IMO :1 (103): :17403: They can keep "Bay Watch". !!!Give me the random "higgle-de-piggledy" of life, towns and people anytime. The delight of walking about back street S'Hai where an "obvious" dead-end narrow Street "magically" reveals an of-set 18 inch gap allowing passage to the next path ... no cars ... showing Homes where the stairs / woodwork had net been painted for decades AND spotlessly clean to boot.!A turn on a PI country road to see a glorious Vista and a host of smiles and flirting eyes... o0oPss getting sentimental...:17403::1 (103): UK Tom

:SugarwareZ-037: That so sums it up nicely. My experience of living in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait etc is the same. All sorts of magic can be found by people who look with eyes open.As I have said before, some people are glass half empty and some wake up to smiles everyday in their own piece of paradise. Those may find this interesting:Scientists refer to the 7,100 islands that make up the Philippines as the “center of the center” of global marine biodiversity. Conservation International.Uzi

[mike]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

I think its also a question of timing and location.After dark, some places just get rubbish dumped on the streets for dogs,cats, rats and kids to break open and rummage through. So if you around at that time say after 9pm some places can be really bad. Cagayan de Oro city center has to be one of the filthiest dirtiest cities anywhere after 10pm and before 5am. Rubbish just thrown in the streets bagged or not and split open. Place looks and smells real bad. By 5 am the street sweepers have collected what the garbage trucks do not take, which is a lot. That way people in the day light hours think CDO is relatively clean.Did suggest to local barangay captain that part of clearance should be that any business selling food or drink should have large wheely bins as part of permits and that all garbage gos into bins bagged etc. My place operated that policy and we were identified as an example to others. Did not count for much as the cry went up its 'too expensive!!' yeah right!!:17403:) Difference between knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing Edited May 18, 2010 by mike

[Singers]

Some people say the Philippines is Paradise, I really cant see that, With so much corruption, Squalor, Poverty, Poor infrastructure, Crime, Filth. Pretty women and cheap living does not make it Paradise, Say anything negative about the Philippines and some people will jump down your throat.I say it as I see it, My opinion only, The Philippines is filthy, garbage everywhere you look, You have got rubbish, No problem, Just throw it in the street, I saw more rats here in 1 week than I have seen my entire live in the UK, People just dont seem to bother.If the Philippines want more tourists, I suggest they start by cleaning up the country, Whats your thought ?

I think its also a question of timing and location.After dark, some places just get rubbish dumped on the streets for dogs,cats, rats and kids to break open and rummage through. So if you around at that time say after 9pm some places can be really bad. Cagayan de Oro city center has to be one of the filthiest dirtiest cities anywhere after 10pm and before 5am. Rubbish just thrown in the streets bagged or not and split open. Place looks and smells real bad. By 5 am the street sweepers have collected what the garbage trucks do not take, which is a lot. That way people in the day light hours think CDO is relatively clean.Did suggest to local barangay captain that part of clearance should be that any business selling food or drink should have large wheely bins as part of permits and that all garbage gos into bins bagged etc. My place operated that policy and we were identified as an example to others. Did not count for much as the cry went up its 'too expensive!!' yeah right!!:17403:) Difference between knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing

Yes Mike, The person you are asking/advising is also also the one to have to "undertake" the project/work so the mix of laziness AND having to spend his own money kicks in and apathy wins.. Manana -- Always a pity...UK Tom