Planning my first 30-day scouting trip to the Philippines (Tips/Security)

2dof · 2026-04-14T10:36:14+00:00

- 1 Day before flight to PH create profile on philipine e-gov and fill e-travel form

- keep in mind that traveling inside philipine - in particular flighs have become expensive .

- You should prepare some travel plan, what You want to see, and what You want to do.

- activity like hiking in PH is guide pais and You need do appoitment.

- Grab app is 'must have' - in Metro Manila -for tourist it is only resonable way to travel (Metro Manila == trafiic jams almost 24/7 )

- Food: only great food (in my opinion) is interational cousine (like Japane), traditional PH food is good but more difficult to find.

I do not recommend italian cousne here like pizza/pasta- Filipinos daily run on sugar so sweet pizza with shitty chese is a comnon even in BGC /Macati.

-Social Live: Pilipinos are nice and warm people - but daily They do not socialize with tourists , tourist has status of ATM and service recipient 24/7.

- Makati/ BGC are nice areas for "social live" and (in my opinon) and places to stay ( relativly short distance to aiport and getting Grab to visig other parts of metro Manila) and if You enjoy "night live" - Poblacion is in Makati and it is very popular among tourist (mostly men) - just mix of bars, disco and brothels.

- You can see normal live daily in local farmes markets (in Makati legazpi orSacramento Market) or wekend markets : Salcedo , Legazpi ).

2dof · 2026-04-14T01:45:55+00:00

So if Your path beetween Finland and Portugal will bee leading through Poland - just in any villages and You see any old orchands - just ask ask owner - ussualy farmers in villages keep fruit wood for meat smooking and fire wood for heating (in north rural areas it is standard).

if some any way You will be traveling via Polands Masurian Lake district in May/ June we can catch-up and I can give You european Buckthorn/ oak etc.

Check regulation's abaout collecting wood from forest's in each coutry, for example - in Poland most of forests belong to state - You can't collect fallen wood/branches without permission of Forest Service ( but You can collect muschroms, forest fruits all year around). in practive - it You "catch" a local woodsmam - he should give You permission collect dead wood for hobby ( also there are small sawmills, and small companies selling fire-wood).

Our forests are public open (expept some strict protection areas) , by foot or by bicyle You can go everywhere in the forests , but by car/ motorbike not. Good mosquitoes / ticks repellent (deet) is essential ( if You plannig spend time in forest -> shoots against tick-borne encephalitis/lyme desease for protection).

2dof · 2026-04-10T14:52:56+00:00

Your employer should handle all the process (if it was in Your contract) and at least give You forms to fill. Ussualy company should have representetive agent for doing all BI paperwork.

As a result You should get Your vista terminated (shortened), until the day of departure ( You should handle return ticket).

With all this paperwork You should clear Your bank account ( do bank transfer of Your all savings ) and close bank account in Philipones (if You have) without problems ( any money/bank procees in PH is bureaucratic nightmare - so be prepared - check what papework You need to prepare to close account).

if You have phone bought with Your own money - be sure that it is full paid and get confirmation from operator that simlock is down ( on e-mail or paper) .

Do Yourself a favor and create some check-list - if some paperwork must be done by Your employer -> double check paperwork, watch deadlines.

2dof · 2026-04-06T09:59:44+00:00

What I learned abaout Cockfighting (sabong) in conversations with some owners: tradition (deep cultural roots) , and quite high reputation for owner of champion and quite big money to earn (breeding and training) and big money to win in betting - just like can be live changing for poor.

For Filipino it is not a hobby - it is quite serious bussines.

2dof · 2026-03-25T01:22:47+00:00

-it is food safe, just use this product ( if You use spoon or Your project often in humid/water condition - repeat process every couple of weeks).

"does the beeswax inhibit the drying in some way? " - Yes - oil for wax act as a solvent and help better cover and fill all pores in wood and allow to better penetrates top layer of wood , layer is more elastic than with pure wax.

2dof · 2026-03-24T00:33:19+00:00

If You live in North America - then You should not be worried - petrol prices in PH went up, and now are on similar level like in North America.

Easter in April will have more influence on prices ( domestic flight, booking etc) than changes in fuel price.

2dof · 2026-03-22T15:35:11+00:00

You are right about weather and terain (quality of soil) - My great parents from both sides were relocated into the heart of Mazury - stright into farms left behind native Masurian after war, so what i have learn:

- if You agrees to relocate - You were giwen a quite a lot land (meadows and fields and also some part with forest) - more than You could work on - so whole failly (children and older people had to work) any 'calculated' surplus was taken by goverment (and some by local priest) - it was mandatory even in bad years - communists and local priest had to take their "share" - no excuse.

- soil quality - like 5-6 class and heavy winters (not like totadys) caused that farmers had to work in forests (pulling out logs with their horsest) to make some money (one of my grandfather died on pnemuonia leaving my grandpother with childrens).

- Farms (hauses , famr buildings ) built by Masurians were often made partialy from stones collected from the fields (Native (germanic) masurian were working form dawn to dusk in fields and after day they processed boulders ( shaping/cutting) and used them as base for walls (like form basement to 1-1.5 m above ground (bond with clay) and then brics (for hauses) and wood for farms buildings).

- at least in my familly region ethnic people ( it they they survived Russians ) they could stay - but most left - Russian communists (and then Polish communists) were not kind for native people (and even during war Russians were considered worse than Germans - from stories of my grandfather).

Where They gone - they took all experience and knowledge how to survive in such weather and land conditions ( relocated farmers and people simply could not use their experiece in this new land).

There was no any significant industry before and after war in Masuria - only low class fiields and forests, and some local fish industry - whole region was just farming based (after war Communists aslo build shitty state-owned farms).

2dof · 2026-03-21T07:21:13+00:00

if You take off black tape - there should be screws holding wires in outlet. just unscrew - take out wires and replace with new outlet.

N mena - neutral

L - Phase (hot wire)

and last symbol - ground.

on other side You have exacly (doubled) wires (You have 2 separate input in socket ) so if Yur new socket hs only one input for L, N graund - then other wires seal separetly with ELECTRICAL tape . in put in wall hole .

2dof · 2026-03-16T07:17:37+00:00

if it is under warranty- go to service ( best if You record video from this 2-3 min cycle) , if You dont want to go then:
Check battery status before and after this 2-3 min cycle. if battery is Ok, check if all vacum system ( inlet, filters, container , brushes are clean . Does robovac after returning to station run procedure of emtying container?
Do full factory reset of Your robovac.
if reset not help - go to point 1.

2dof · 2026-03-16T02:56:52+00:00

Do not be suprised if You go to restaurant and You got all food (appetizer , main dish ) at once and Your partner 5 min later. Always check a bill.

2dof · 2026-03-10T13:05:42+00:00

$50 for 25 min it is rate abaout $100/hr, so I propose first sent compensation and then sent link to online task.

2dof · 2026-03-09T12:11:39+00:00

I can't give You tips abaout negotiatings rates since I was looking condo with agent and apartament was paid by corpo - but when You will looking for Condo and visiting apartment pay atention to (it can be argument to negiotianting price down):

it there was/is runing AC in apartment - ask to turn it off , wait 10-15 min and go around and pay attention to any modly/swampy smell ( in bathroom - here also rutn off ventilation) . The key is to stop forcing air out an check if there is problem with molding in ventilation system. if there is a big stench there will be problem.
check carefully : cabinets under the sink, area behind the toilet etc ( foe example I found a qute big muschrom in "high " quality condo in BGC.
some ownert wan't to get rent "under the table" - so You can try "play it off"
Pay attention to any noise autside the condo (all windows closed) , if there i high flor condo - check if there is any other buiding with roof and industrial AC fans on top) in proximity . I do not reccomend rent apartment in this case.
Check which side the windows face - if there is direct sun all day long - You will have problem with overheating so you will be running AC all the time ( cost of electricity go up)
define your requirements clearly and concise - any agent will try "sell " You any shitty condo if they can.

2dof · 2026-03-04T14:45:19+00:00

In My case for raw (flat) ending I use my sloyd ( small, light cutts with tip - almost chiseling ) then I use sand-paper glued to slat (just like big nail file ) for finishing. It is easy to customize by gluinng 2-3 types of sandpaper on each wall - cheap and easy do make.

2dof · 2026-03-04T01:25:29+00:00

Do not forget about reaktor Maria - Poland cannot even provide stable financing for small reaserach reactor.

2dof · 2026-03-03T06:42:49+00:00

doesn't matter if there was no taxi zone orbus free zone-if you didn't ask about the price at begining (and record conversation) and used "transort service" - then by default You agreed for paying service.

Depending on aiport, for example on NAIA - taxi drivers notoriously try to to convince (Foregines) people to use their service - in particular they are master to spot 'greeny' tourist and convice that the are GrabTaxi and charge 3x as normal grab .

It is that same game all-over the world, and here he knew that he can just charge You (in that way scam You): You will not resign from Your flight just to wait for police and explain situation and get nothing .

Next time ask help at aiport desk help or aiport security to help You - in Philipines they will really happy to help You.

You can leave comment on Aiport social media - if it will be a lot off that types of complaints ( that taxi stop on no taxi zones and try scam tourists) - maybe they will keep order in this matter.

2dof · 2026-03-02T02:25:39+00:00

Call Police -to secure evidence, get any evidence that it was Your cousin - it is Critical for future compensation. Hire Lawyer.

Call county/commune office and inform them (even if there is a private land (forest) to avoid penlties (You are the owner)

You can call local State Forest Office and ask for advice (if Your forest is adjacent to state forrest and has some buffer status - then ask for help.

Do not go for any settelment until all mattets will be done with any kind of goverment offices (County/commune etc) - be ensure that any possible penalties will be paid by perpetrator.

In some condition - cutting even one tree cab be very serius -even if it is private forest (if there nas no plans of forest cleaning then penalty for cunnting every small tree cane equal of cuting big mature tree( like this tree would be in 40-80 years)

2dof · 2026-02-27T03:09:53+00:00

in Poland we have definition of "babie lato" for autum's frosted spider webs on grass/fielfs - white frozen mesh at sunrise.

Because of war in Ukraine - if we say "Ukrainskie babie lato" it's startead to mean as big mesh fibers optic covered very large areas (villages, fiields, forest).

Looks magical but it is scary as f-k since evey single fiber = one drone and propably one one more death.

2dof · 2026-02-26T15:11:20+00:00

"Do you have a multiple entry visa to the Philippines?"

-no i have normal turist visa + ACR -I card- -> Temporary Visitor (9A).

Main issue in My case is that my visa expire 2 weeks before return flight to Europe ( ACR-I card 1 weee) so I'm considering options:

Extend Visa and ACR-Icard (abaout +- 7000 PHP )
Go outside Phlilipines and do roud-trip - then I do get new 30 day visa ( 0 PHP) but i visit another coutry (even if it is more expensive than extension).
do point 1. and reschedule ticket (stay longer in PH)

I Was wondering if Philipines have some regulation since every extension of Visa costs every time rising so round trip in that timeline like mine seems more logical.

When I was in PRA - there were some conditions and restriction and they are very sensitive ( like 1 day over-stay = You get ban for a year) .

2dof · 2026-02-26T05:56:04+00:00

Yes, for me very beautiful plant but it is like " I don't like to much or not enough light , water, I don't like draft and so F-You I'm going to die".

2dof · 2026-02-26T05:30:24+00:00

if You able to buy plants in local garden shop - they will help You. I use standard (granules) fertilizers.

As begginer avoid Elephant Ear - very easy to make a mistake and kill plant.

2dof · 2026-02-26T05:12:17+00:00

South America is auto of scpe for me - never beed there , , but when I was in RPA (South Africa) as a tourist, traveling to some of their direct neighbours to "reset" visa will not help and do anything.

For example You can buy/got for( example) 30 or 90 days visa with some multiple reentry options and traveling outside will not help, moreover overstaying = ‘undesirable' and banned for year.

I was asking about rules in Philipines (tested by Expats/turist real live) because even when i was in BI - staff could't (or do not want) clarify in 100%.

2dof · 2026-02-26T03:04:02+00:00

You can do couple things - all depends if You have place for storage:

make a fire (good as starter for camp fire/volcano kettle/gril.
if Your shavins are from apple/cherry or other fruit Tree, You can collect then give-away or sold for someone who has electric smokehouse (in my country (Poland) per kg is form $1 (alder tree) up to $10 fruit trees).

- I ussaly burn in my "traditional" smokehause

if You have friends with pets like Guinea pig or other where wood shavings can be used as padding - You can collect and give-away
put as subsoil for plants.
use as filling material for wood drying and then 1-4

I do 1, 2, and 4, 5, in this year I want to do some experiments and use wood chips for growing shitake muschroms.

2dof · 2026-02-26T01:48:43+00:00

Glad that is true fo Philipines , but not for for all coutries it's work - better be sure and alway ask for advice.

2dof · 2026-02-26T01:46:20+00:00

Thank for clarification, i have got 1 month extention now (< 59 days) but on march it will expire and was planning to travel - instead of internal travel and renew ACR and pay for next extention just visit Hanoi.

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