Hi everybody,

I'm not sure if this should be posted in the "off topic" forum but since I'm dating a woman who lives in the Philippines I thought this forum is appropriate.

1- After reading posts of filipina women having problems with their medical exam I have thought that it would be best to pay for a medical exam before I visit her next month to see if there are any problems?

2- Should I convert the dollar into pesos before I get to the Philippines? Also how much money did you take to the Philippines with you when visiting your boy/girlfriend excluding hotel costs?

3- My sweety has a bachelors degree in computer science but has a very difficult time finding a job. Is it that difficult finding a job in Davao?

4- Realize I'm talking from the view of the American culture. Is it common for filipina women to have never been with a man even in their 30's?

I'm sure I will have many more questions as time goes on and I thank everyone for their warm welcomes and advice

Jeff

i find this thread cute..

imma try to answer..

answers:

1. no comment..
2. no, it's better to have ur money changed here, im not sure abt the pocket money tho.
3. uhm.. it is hard to find a job anywhere here cos most company have discriminations when it comes to school u graduated from, like they want peeps who came from very reputable and famous schools. with ur girl.. she lives in davao, i think the prob there is limited opportunity.
4. i like this question.. , it is possible. common? depends on where a filipina grew up, so u know we got a conservative upbringing here. girls can't just accept or entertain suitors.

1. Personal choice. Any scars in the lungs will require sputum testing, so a recent chest xrayset your mind at ease.

2. I used my ATM card to convert money. Banks and ATMS give the best exchange rates. Except, my wife-to-be new of an exchange business in Paranaque that gave a better rate than the banks. So I took extra cash on my second trip and went to the exchange.

3. Jobs are tough to find in the Phils. Even a bank teller must have a Bachelors degree. And the pay scale is normally low.

4. The Philippines has more of a traditional family values so it is very possible or common.

Thanks for trying to answer my questions.

1. It came as quite a bummer to find that my fiancee has a scar on her left lung from her chest x-ray during her medical exam. We'd expected to be together at the end of this month, instead, she had to go to the medical center 4 days in a row for a sputum test and pulmonary review. We now have to wait until June 4 for the results The fact is that there is only 1 medical center used by the U.S. Embassy, so no matter what, she will have to go there and have a chest x-ray. The only thing is that you may get the same shock as me and get a 2-month delay. If you go in with the idea that you will have a 2-month delay, you won't be disappointed and most likely, very happy if there are no scars

2. Yes, just exchange your cash in the Philippines. I used my credit card for most purchases but if you're eating or paying a taxi, you'll need pesos for sure. FYI, the worst rate I received while I was there was from the National Bank of China (or something like that). They were about 2 pesos lower than everywhere else. And on another note, they would take ONLY the most crisp $100 bills, they were very strict and annoying about it, but I'm sure they have their reasons.

3. That's just how it is in the Philippines in general, it's difficult to find work even if you have experience and a college degree. They're allowed to be discriminatory. For example, I visited a clothing store in one of the rural areas of the Zambales province. They had an advertisement on the outside of the store looking for saleswomen. The 2 requirements I remembered were 18-24 years of age, and "single." As you know, we'd never see that in the U.S.

4. Virtually all Filipinas wait until marriage before having sex. Losing virginity for a Filipina to the wrong person, or rather, to a person she isn't married to or didn't marry, could result in her being shunned or disrespected by Filipino men for the rest of her life. So yes, it is fairly common.

If you're interested, I could recommend a couple of books that will teach you a lot regarding customs and family life of a Filipino.

I agree to all the above answers. I would like to add, please read about Philippine Culture or better still, ask Filipinos there, so as to avoid culture shock.

Good luck

It's probably a lot easier to convert dollars into pesos in Philippines. The money part is also hard to answer. There's a lot of factors involved but the last tine I went to Philippines was January 2008. I was there for around 3 weeks. I spent around $2,000 including hotels. Keep in mind I was on vacation and was spending like a tourist. :-)




In general, it is much harder to find a job anywhere in the Philippines than here in the US.



I dont know if its "normal" but I certainly would not be surprise if I meet a filipina that is still a virgin in their 30s.

So True. you forgot to add the height requirements. And the skin color requirements. The fairer skinned ones has a better chance of getting hired.

Haha, yeah that's true! That was one of the things I noticed about most of the women who worked in the city versus the country. Being from an area (originally) that is 99% white, I'm attracted to tan skin. For me, the women in the country were more physically attractive than those who worked in the malls and indoors in the city. But, that's understandable. In the U.S., the desire is to be tan, but in a place that is mostly tan, the desire would be white. Too bad, I love being tan (Sioux Indian is one of my most dominant traits), but my fiancee is attracted to light skin so I get just enough sun to stay healthy

A nice website that has some information useful for anyone contemplating a relationship with a filipina; http://www.asawa.org/ .

I didn't see it when I came into Manila's int'l airport but there is supposed to be a exchange counter (just past customs?) to pickup some local currency. If possible it would be good to have some local currency available if you are taking a taxi to your hotel. I arrived around midnight and expected an almost empty airport; I was grossly wrong, it was a madhouse. You have to jockey for a place next to the baggage claim areas; don't be shy. Funny this was similar to how it was in the stores where you check your bags and pickup later when finished shopping.

Unemployment is definitely higher than in the US (for now). As the other posters here have said, there is a definite bias for younger workers but the stores hire lots more saleswomen than stores in the US. In one SM store there were at least 6 or 8 people (all young light-skined women) working in just the shoe department.

I'm not sure how to comment about the possibility of your girlfriend being a virgin. If you love her I don't really see it as an issue whether she is or not.

Read and learn as much as you can about your girlfriends country before traveling there. It will make your trip much more enjoyable.

[b]
1. no comment

2. yes, it's better for you to convert your money here in the Phil. My husband bring along $2000 every time he come to visit me here for a 3 week vacation. In that kind of amount we were able to go to Boracay to have some few days there, buy jewelry as his "pasalubong" to my parents and sisters, pay household bills, dine-out, cinema and shopping . We didn't book for a hotel , instead we stayed in my parents house so we could save money . If you want to bring more cash but you are afraid to carry a huge amount i suggest that just bring your ATM with you and withdraw your money in any ATM machine here in Phil. (we used BPI bank and they only deducted P7.00 per P10,000 of withdrawal )

3. Yes, it's hard to find a job here. Even food chain stores requires at least 2 years in college.

4. It's hard to believe but its true. But i don't think that virginity matters if you love the person