Thursday, October 11, 2012

Foods To Avoid Philippines

Avoid these foods and drinks in the Philippines
Foods not to eat in the Philippines


Foods to avoid in the Philippines.

Food not to eat.

You can get typhoid by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water in the Philippines. My sister in law got typhoid. She had a very high fever for a day or two. I insisted she be taken to a doctor. She recovered and the family installed a countertop water filter system.

See this article about don't eat these foods from china

There are many sidewalk vendors selling many types of Filipino food.  Have been cautioned to never eat street vendor foods. The only sidewalk vendor foods I have eaten are roasted peanuts and boiled corn cob on a stick. No problems with either. Filipino corn is very large, bright yellow and totally delicious. Reminds me of upstate New York corn. And, I do not drink any tap water. 

It was suggested that I take "Imodium" to settle my stomach if I ever got a touch of food poisoning. I used it on several occasions and it always worked in a matter of an hour or two. 



Generics

I just asked my wife if she could add to this article and she said, "Warn foreigners not to eat foods prepared at street side "canteens" because they do not keep their foods heated and there are usually flies all over the utensils in the kitchens. Don't buy breads and other items at local bakeries because they very possibly do not keep the kitchen counters and pans and utensils clean." It is not unusual to see flies inside the display counters at local bakeries, donut shops and other street side vendors.

 


  "Even today, the problem of food safety in the Philippines is largely blamed on a lack of enforcement. Tap water is not safe to drink, and food sold by street vendors is still classified as unsafe by the US Center for Disease Control." From an article dated July 11, 2015 at csmonitor.com about the incident where 1,300 school children were sickened eating a Filipino candy.

Canteens do sell packaged products like Filipino and U.S. brand name potato chips, cookies, sodas and much more. I have never gotten sick eating these items. Prices are much lower in the canteens than in convenience stores like 7-11 and Mini Stop.

If you are eating at a Filipino home, I advise precaution. Many dwellings do not have refrigerators. Often foods (are left out of the fridge, sitting on the table for hours, un-refrigerated (like fried chicken.) Apparently, Filipinos are immune to some germs. It will be best if the food is prepared fresh for you. Tell them you have a touchy stomach and need to be very careful about what you eat. I think they will understand. Most likely they have already thought about that.

I even took the precaution of not eating raw vegetables. I ate only cleaned and cooked vegetables.

In restaurants I have been able to eat some lettuce raw. However, once in a "Tokyo Tokyo" (at SM City Clark in Angeles City) and once in a Burger King (at Marquee Mall in Angeles City) I got a stomachache after eating sandwiches with lettuce in them.

There are many American restaurants in Angeles City, Cebu, Manila and in most larger cities in the Philippines.

If you will be staying for an extended length of time, or if you just want to take some food or snacks back to your hotel you may want to visit
grocery stores which sell American and European foods.


Lechon Kawali is like Roast Pork
Lechon Kawal fried pork (looks like roast pork)

In the Philippines it seems that almost everybody eats pork. Many dishes include pork as an ingredient. I once bought hotdogs at a supermarket which were labeled "chicken hot dogs." Upon reading the ingredients list I found that they also contained "pork."

If you do not want to eat pork be sure to ask restaurants if this or that has pork in it.

See this page about the dangers of eating pork; including video and information about deadly trichinosis and other parasites. See worms being removed from a 3 year old's stomach (Click on the link, YouTube would not allow this video to be shown here due to age restrictions.)

Years ago, I read a long article in the Saturday Evening Post. It explained how there is no guarantee that cooking pork will kill the trichinosis spores. And it also stated that trichinosis also masquerades as 50 different ailments. I just found this via Google Books, it tells about the masquerade. See what a brain surgeon found in a woman's brain (Click on the link, YouTube would not allow this video to be shown here due to age restrictions.)

If you have a weak stomach, you may not want to watch these.

Warning for readers in the USA: The "Cracker Barrel" Restaurants corn bread muffins are obviously made with pork fat! When eating we tasted pork. Obviously, they do not care that there are many people who eschew pork. Pork avoiding Christians, Muslims, Jews and vegetarians beware.

Food poisoning downs over 300 people who ate Pancit Palabok at a mall in the Philippines. Pork is an ingredient in Pancit Palabok.

Another food to avoid in the Philippines is Cassava.

Food poisoning kills 27 at Philippine school. 
Excerpt from this link:
"it (cassava) is poisonous without proper preparation. Eaten raw, the human digestive system will convert part of it into cyanide."

Due to the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster it is a good idea to avoid foods imported from Japan. In fact I won't eat any fish from the Pacific ocean.

We try to avoid foods and baby formula from China.

"Spiked food and drink

Some criminals have drugged and robbed tourists travelling alone after an invitation to visit a tourist attraction.

Never leave your food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances. These items may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery." excerpt from travel.gc.ca

I just found out that we should tell people do not eat wheat crackers!


Check out my article about Is it safe to drink tap water in the Philippines?

CDC article and advice about Travelers Diarrhea.

Check this link: How to prevent food poisoning at home.


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This article will be expanded upon. Please check back for more information about foods to avoid or food not to eat in the Philippines. This page last updated March 8, 2024.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Filipina Ladies Philippines

Meet Filipina Ladies
Filipina Ladies

Filipina Young Ladies of the Philippines

Visit the Philippines to meet ladies. 


A good way to avoid being scammed is to come to the Philippines and meet young ladies in shopping malls, stores, churches and restaurants. Most Filipinas are approachable and easy to talk with. Most you meet will speak English; it is taught in schools all over the Philippines. There are rich young ladies and middle-class young ladies. But there are many more poor young ladies. Search online to find your potential Filipina matches. Many American men have done so and a lot of them have found and married some amazing ladies.


I honestly believe that no matter what age you are, what you look like or how much or how little money you have, you will be able to find Miss Right. There are about 300,000 Americans living in the Philippines full time, in cities all over the country. In Angeles City alone there are about 30,000 Americans. Some are single but many are married to beautiful and loving Filipinas. Americans can be seen walking, riding in trikes, eating in fast food restaurants, dining in fine restaurants and shopping in malls in the Philippines with their girlfriends, wives and many with their families. Especially in the SM Clark mall in Angeles City.

Take a break and spend a holiday in the Philippines. You may very well meet a lovely Filipina and fall in love. Or plan to go there to meet a few of your favorite Filipina chat mates, like I did. I wound up married to a Filipina. We married in the Philippines.


If your goal is marriage you are required to go meet with her in the Philippines. You cannot marry any foreigner and bring her to the USA unless you can document meeting her in her country. Keep copies of emails, photos of the two of you together and with her family (with time and date stamp), times and dates of meeting, brief diary of places you have been together, airline tickets if you travel in country with her. I have gone through the process and will write about it soon. It is complicated but we did it without an attorney and saved a lot of money. If you are employed, you will be limited by the length of your vacation. If you are retired, you can stay in the Philippines until you have both made the requisite visits to the US Embassy in Manila and the process is completed. It will be well worth it. Bring her back to the USA with you or rent an apartment, buy a condo, or buy a house with her and stay and live in the Philippines.

Warning, do some research to avoid being scammed


The "Christian Filipina" site has some advice about avoiding scammers and some sad stories about some who have been scammed (in the comments section). 

Another word of caution, never send money to anyone you meet online and have not met in person.
A respectable Filipina or Filipino will not ask for money online. Beware, there are always a few "bad apples." Some of the most effective scams are, requests for money to help pay medical expenses for self or a relative, financial help because "my purse was stolen" (or lost), "need help to pay my school tuition," and the list goes on.

Beware of scammers from other countries. There are scammers online from a lot of countries. Search "online dating scams." Read more about how scammers using Russia and African countries top the list of countries with the most scammers.

Here are some more articles about scammers.

Connecting Singles : Anti-Scam

Are you an older guy? Check out this advice.

An introduction to love or dating scams.

Before you leave this page be sure to check out some investigation firms:

Wymoo International -- See Wymoo videos.

Zele Investigations

Philippine PI

I have not checked out these firms, so use due diligence if you plan to hire one of them.

WARNING: There are a lot of transgender Filipinos! Beware, they look like young ladies, and sometimes they even appear to be the prettiest ladies around. Get proof!

Dating Filipina girls and Dating Filipina ladies


The best online site I have seen is Filipino Cupid. I believe this was previously called Filipina Heart. Many great search parameters. There you will be able to find Filipino ladies and men. I met my wife through Filipina Heart.

Some other web sites of note are "Filipina Match" and "Cebuanas."

If you are inclined to sex or hooking up it is advisable to take U.S. condoms with you because they are not available all over in the Philippines. But they may be available at major drug stores and 7-11 stores.


Watson's Drug stores



Map Mercury Drugs

Search the Web to find out about the "Underage Girl Scam" and the "bar check padding scam."



If you get in trouble in the Philippines check out my article about Attorneys in the Philippines.



Manners while riding in jeepneys.

Manners when riding in tricycles.


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This article will be expanded upon. Please check back for more information about meeting Filipina girls and ladies in the Philippines. This page last updated June 17, 2022.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Private Schools Philippines

Private K-12 Schools Philippines
Private schools in the Philippines.

Private schools in the Philippines


Private K-12 schools near Angeles City


One of these is Hillcrest Heights Institute in San Francisco, Magalang, Pampanga on the island of Luzon. It is a good example of a lower cost private K-12 school. Located about 40 km North of Manila. Tuition is very reasonable and the education students receive is very good. Classrooms are air conditioned. The school is conveniently located and students come from far and near. English is the official language used on campus. The school is non-denominational however it is primarily a Catholic school. They accept students of different religious backgrounds.

The official policy is that English will be the language used by all students while on campus. However, we discovered, for pre-kindergarten students that is almost impossible; most have been raised by families which speak mainly Tagalog or Kapampangan. We asked our daughter what the other kids said when she tried to talk to them and she said "sometimes English and sometimes bleh, bleh, bleh". She enjoyed the school. The teachers teach the classes in Tagalog. But, they teach English speaking children separately during the same class sessions. So, all in all, it was a good experience for our daughter.

The school is located in a rural area far from the more polluted areas. About 1/2 hour by car from Angeles City proper. Take Angeles-Magalang Road headed to Magalang and turn right at the Seaoil gas station, the school is on the left side of the road.

Many students go to and from school by tricycle or jeepney.
School bus service is available.

The cost of one year for pre-kindergarten was about $300 US or Pesos 12,190 (as of exchange rate Feb. 18, 2013). Included were 4 quarters of schooling, books and one uniform. Each additional uniform cost about $3.00 US or Pesos 122.

Some other private schools of note:


In 2011 the cost of a year of schooling at St. Paul American Christian School in the Clark Freeport Zone. At the time the cost would have been about $8,000 US or Pesos 325,087 for the four quarters.

Another highly regarded international school is Brent International School. See tuition and fee schedule for the Subic campus. Visit the site for the Manila branch. Visit the site for the Baguio branch.

Another private school I checked out was Westfield International School which is located on Friendship Highway in Angeles City. The annual cost there would have been $2,000 US or Pesos 81,271 and did not include uniforms or books (as of the year 2011).

See some International Schools in the Philippines.

To find other private K-12 schools do an online search for "private elementary schools in "name of city" you are interested in. I believe you will find several in most large cities. I have not been able to find a list of all private schools in the Philippines.

Find Protestant Christian schools in the Philippines and other countries This search is provided by Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

A list of Protestant and Catholic schools in the Philippines, including links to some.

An advantage of living in the Philippines is that your child is not 'held back'. A 2 year old child can enter pre-kindergarten and enter kindergarten at 3 and 1/2 at a private school and may very well excel. Even the youngest children may earn honors and graduate with honors. By comparison, because of state law in Florida, USA a child must be 5 years of age to be permitted to attend kindergarten! If a child has not attained the age of 5 by September 1 the child will be prevented or 'held back" from attending school. If the child's birthday is even only one day after the first day of September.

Because children are not arbitrarily 'held back' they are able to graduate high school and college a couple of years before their counterparts in the USA. Filipino students graduate high school at 16 and college at 20.

If you are interested in educating your children at home check out my article about Homeschooling in the Philippines.


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This article will be expanded upon. Please check back for more information about Private K-12 schools in the Philippines. This page last updated June 4, 2022.