General Safety, Manila

Pick pockets and boy they're good at it too! do not flash your jewelry , if possible dont wear them unless your in a secure area such as hotels. walking around the place can be dangerous too, especially if your are an american.. They tend to think white people has lots of money! try to arrange your visit with the travel agents for safety purposes..always put your wallet in your front pocket.

When driving in an open vehicle (ie. jeepneys, tricycles, pedicabs etc), make sure your valuables are out of sight from potential snatchers. Problem areas are in an around Tondo, Divisoria, etc. Trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, get out of there, and make sure you have everything in your pockets.

Do not attempt to change dollars on the black market (e.g. Santa Cruz) unless you are with another person, preferably someone who speaks Tagalog. It is dangerous because people know you are carrying large amounts of cash. The Shoe Mart department stores offer the best rate of exchange that is legal and safe.

When you are in Manila or anywhere in the Philippines, better to remember these NEVER & NEVER TIPS!

1. NEVER leave your things/valuables unattended, otherwise you will NEVER see it again!

2. NEVER wear gold/diamond accessories in public places because you will be definitely the main target of snatcher and hold-uppers, otherwise you will NEVER get a chance to wear it with glamour!

3. NEVER change your dollars or yen or any other acceptable foreign currencies to the black market, otherwise you will NEVER get a correct number of bills.

4. NEVER go to a crowded or dark places because this is usually the target of global terrorist group; otherwise you will NEVER see again your homeland!

5. NEVER drink water direct from the faucet; otherwise you will NEVER enjoy eating other tropical fruits since your stomach is aching day and night.

6. NEVER ride in a taxi without checking whether the taxi meter is on its flag-down-rate; otherwise you can NEVER pay the taxi driver cheaper since he will charge you higher!

7. NEVER eat street food; otherwise you can NEVER have a good appetite because you might suffer from a severe diarrhea.

8. NEVER let your taxi/car windows & doors open because nowadays, hold-uppers are targeting those who are inside the car/taxi during Stop Signal, otherwise you can NEVER say NO giving your wallet or even your valuables (such as laptop, watches, rings, etc.) to them for they have guns/knife to scare you!

9. NEVER use cell phone outside; otherwise you will NEVER have a chance to text your last message to your friend because cell phone snatchers are everywhere.

10. NEVER visit Philippines without proper guidance or without a Filipino buddy/friend with you on your first week of stay, otherwise you may NEVER enjoy staying here because of bad experiences and most probably you will NEVER visit Philippines again!!!

Beware of the taxis lining up at the 'Waiting Area' just outside the domestic airport. They're cunningly evil. Imagine, I already asked the driver if he's cab is metered and he answered yes. My fault was I didn't bother to check if there really was a meter inside. After awhile, the driver handed over to me a laminated card showing the apparently fixed metered rate of each point within Metro Manila. Too late, I ended up paying P350 for a normally P150 fare (domestic airport to Pasay LRT).

Taxi drivers in Manila are a real pain in the ass! One of the reasons why you will hate travelling to Manila -- whether you're a local or a foreigner.

When entering a taxi, tell the driver where you want to go and insist that he turn on the meter. If he says it is broken or for some other reason he won't turn it on, tell him to stop and get out of the cab. However, cabs hired at major hotels have a set fee schedule by zone, which they should show you upon demand. It is always more expensive to hire a cab from a hotel than a metered cab on the street.

Remember those warnings you give your kids about taking candy from strangers? Tourists in Manila, please heed them. There have been countless cases of Western and Asian tourists waking up somehwere divested of all their possessions with their last memory being of a "friendly" person or group of people offering him/her a piece of candy or a juice box. I guess people come here really expecting Filipino hospitality and expect that someone smiling and bearing food can't be all that bad. Well, they are and it's happened too many times. Please beware of these friendly people who want to get close to you and feed you - chances are they just want your money.

When in Manila, it is advisable that you ditch your carrier's SIM card and buy a local one for your duration in the Philippines. Since most US and European providers overcharge on international roaming, you will be better off using a Philippine-based carrier when making calls or texting. Two big cell phone companies here are GLOBE and SMART. Since most, if not all, of the population here have cell phones, you can buy SIM cards almost anywhere. The amount of minutes or texts remaining in your phone is reffered to here as "load." So when you run out of "load", you can "reload" almost anywhere by buying a card with a bunch of numbers on it and inputting it in your phone for a fresh set of minutes and texts. Loads come in denominations of P100, P300 and P500. and can be bought at even convenience stores (called "sari-sari" stores) all throughout the city.

Filipinos love text messaging and, in fact, is their main form of communication rather than talking on the phone. It's cheaper. So if you do befriend a local and want to communicate with him or her during your trip... better learn how to text!

Attivan scam In Manila.

In Manilla beware of gangs that put something in your drink to pass you out.
They do it even in a bar, and then tell the bar tender that you got drunk, if he cares at all.
And then they drag you in a waiting backup car and strip you and drop you wherever you wake up 10 hours later.

I was befriended by a harmless looking group of 6 middle age women that met me at a shopping mall south west Manilla. They said they were on holliday from baguio.
They took me to a karaoke bar and made me drink.
Next day they took me to Taal volcano and tried to make me rent a room to stay over night, when I did not rent and told them I had to be back in Manila. They rented it anyway, then they made me and my friend drink just one beer. I saw the can’s being opened in front of us, but half-way they beer they poored it into a glass that was prepared with sleeping pills. I dropped unconcious in no-time. And we got robbed by them or by their back-up team that they allways have.

the warning sighns:
- I met three women, suddenly they were six.
- when they are texting they can be planning something.
- They changed plans, all the time.
- Thought I got one of their cell numbers.They made sure not to be photographed.
- They looked well off and know how to make conversations, and know the traffic situation very well.

warnings:
- In Manilla Everybody is a potential robber, even westerners.
- get people’s pictures, and adress before you plan on spending time with someone.
Don’t drink from anyone. Only what you get yourself and watch it.
By the time you decide to leave for the crooks is the time to pull the noose.

I know it spoils the fun, but that is just how wicked it is.

Key words: robbery , theft , Scam , manila , philippines , sleepingpills , drugs , attivan .

We had not any bad experience with those chariots but friends of us had.

Some bad-intentioned conductors may offer you a ride around Intramuros and everything will appear normal until the end of the journey, when another "friends" appear and try to get some extra "dollars" from you, intimidating tourists that way.

Be careful... this is the best advice.