Manila Local Customs

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the Multinational beer, brewed by the San Miguel Brewing Group and is being gulped by 90% of Beer Drinkers in the Philippines. also popular in Hong Kong and China and is sold in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia. A Regional Competitor of Tiger beer!

A Bottle costs 20 pesos (330 ml) amd aluminum can is 23 pesos (330 ml), the alcohol content is 3.5%, available everywhere!

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The Flores de Mayo celebrates the beauty of youth... in flowers and in beautiful young people. barangay or local neighborhood has its own version of the celebration with a large presence of 33 major districts converging on the Greenbelt/Glorietta Mall on May (this year).

The parade of young women and their male escorts also can double as a beauty contest or have other competitions. In Barangay Bel-Air , there was a beauty contest and a dance contest from the local clubs.

But regardless of the content, the dress trends towards the formal and ornate, which means long gowns for the ladies and high end barong tagalog for the men

You can see more beauties by clicking here

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The police presence was very heavy – I stopped counting at about 200 officers and there were plenty more from the National Police, City, SWAT, army and other venues. A multi-strand barbed wire barrier ensured that the protesters couldn’t take the bridge without significant injury – instead, they massed in at the corner of Lagarda Street and Recto Avenue, their thousands clogging the street.

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May 1st is Labor Day – a time to rest from labor, celebrate the honor of work and an annual ritual to rally for worker’s right. In 2008, the focus is on an increase in pay “nationwide, across-the-board” of 125 pesos. This is in direct response to the large spike in two key commodities: rice and gas. Everything in the Philippines runs off these two basic inputs and the poorest in society are feeling the pinch. It has become so acute that there is talk that the President will be ousted from power and she’s taking an active, visible role in trying to address the problem

At the Mendiola Bridge in a run-down section of Manila the Kilusang May Uno (KMU) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) groups staged a large, peaceful protest. As a tourist, I was interested in seeing direct democracy in action and the protests reminded me a lot of similar ones I’ve witnessed in San Francisco. Noticeably, the crowd was very age-diverse. Kids, parents and grandparents all marched, carried signs and chanted slogans.

processing is generally cumbersome and time-consuming so take it in ur stride and plan ahead so ur not in a rush

getting around is not too easy either by just asking around for directions. solution = keep on asking!! and keep your questions simple and thorough. anticipate every possible contingency that could've been avoided by someone telling/answering you what you hadn't specifically asked for

eg. international phone cards are only for certain landline networks and certain countries. make sure you check if your country is included and that the card you will be using is for the landline you will be calling from.

Hi, I'm a local so I know about this.

Generally, don't expect to find toilet paper in public toilets unless you're in a 4 or 5-star establishment like a hotel or a fancy restaurant. Most malls and public areas will NOT have toilet paper. The background behind this is that due to poverty, *some* Filipinos will take the entire roll of toilet paper and bring it home for their own use so public toilets simply stopped supplying toilet paper. Another reason is that *some* Filipinos prefer to use a plastic can filled with water (known as the 'tabo' in the native language) rather than toilet paper to simulate the way a bidet works.

So, always always bring a travel pack of tissues or Kleenex with you wherever you go along with wet towelettes and anti-bacterial hand gel. And always make sure that you've done the deed in your hotel/restaurant before you leave so that you won't have any problems. :)

Lately, some malls and establishments (Glorietta, Greenhills Promenade etc.) have begun charging customers P10 for toilet fees. This is actually GOOD because you'll be assured of a cleaner, fresher and better toilet with toilet paper!

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When riding a jeepney in Manila or anywhere in the Philipines: It is customary and is expected of you by other jeepney passengers seating far away from the driver to reach out for their fare/payment. This is a Filipino term for "paki-abot" which is a simple act of kindness that can be seen among Filipinos in the streets.

When you hear the word "bayad po"(my fare please) and/or says "paki abot po"(please help); all you have to do is to extend your hand, accept & forward the payment/jeepney fare to the driver or to the next person who is much closer to the driver's seat.

Expect to see a disgusted face when you fail and ignore to assist this local custom.

The belief that "white is beautiful" is held by Filipino women, regardless of age or social status and is practised by staying out of the sun to keep one from getting dark. Even at a young age, children are taught and practice this belief. Furthermore, many of Filipino women use bleaching or whitening skin products to keep skin white, and they also use anti pimple or anti blackhead products (That is why skin whitening soaps or creams like papaya soap or glutatione soap and cream are really popular here!).

The bias towards favoring white skin came from influential occupations of the Spanish ( and the hybrid "mestizas" born out of spanish friars and filipinas) and Americans which many Filipinos still continue to believe today. This is Ironic in the sense that Caucasians like their skin to be darker hence they go throughout southeast asia to beaches for sun tanning)