Southeast Asia has long attracted downshifters of all stripes: people often come to countries where the landscapes are like paradise for a long time - to take a breath, take a break, sit out a crisis, gain inspiration to continue the course or the courage to radically change it. Such a vacation can easily last for months, years, or even a lifetime. Continuing the series of materials about “ours” abroad, Lenta.ru publishes a story about the Philippines by 25-year-old Muscovite Evgeny Medvedev. Taking an indefinite leave, he went to Manila.
I remember as a schoolboy I saw an advertisement for a famous chocolate bar that ended with the slogan “Heavenly Delight.” Then I wanted to see these snow-white tropical beaches with my own eyes. This opportunity presented itself only this year. I closed all my affairs, quit my job and decided to devote myself entirely to writing the story “Pocket Hell” (looking ahead, everything worked out, it will be published in the fall). When the question arose of where to end the book, I didn’t think long and almost immediately chose the Philippines. There were several reasons for this decision: having plunged into someone else’s language environment, you begin to count and weigh words more carefully and carefully; Russian tourists rarely visit the Philippines; finally, the exchange rate of the Philippine peso to the ruble is almost one to one, and prices are three to four times lower. I left Moscow under the whistle of the April blizzard.
I first visited Manila in April 2015, attending the international gastronomic forum Madrid Fusion Manila for work. I immediately realized that I was very comfortable in this country, and by the end of the trip I felt like a fish in water. The only thing I didn’t do was go to the beaches I’d heard so much about. Having arrived for the second time, for a long time and not on duty, I again began my journey from Manila. The once small city today fits into an agglomeration of 16 towns that form the metropolitan region. According to statistics, 1.6 million people live in the capital, but this figure can easily be multiplied by one and a half: the homeless are the scourge of the Philippines, and in the evening, walking along the embankment or finding yourself in the park, you will meet thousands of tramps settling down for the night on the bare ground.
Manila itself is a patchwork quilt, where the Spanish heritage - the Old Town of Intramuros, the churches of St. Augustine and San Sebastian - coexist with high-tech skyscrapers in quite American style.
Poor neighborhoods reminiscent of Brazilian favelas border gated elite neighborhoods where businessmen and government officials jog in the evenings; museums of modern art - next to cabarets and strip bars; street eateries opened on the roofs of rusted cars, not far from expensive restaurants.
Manila never sleeps, especially the first line stretching along the ocean: passing by hotels and nightclubs, you will certainly meet tired dancers, tipsy foreigners and “traveling salesmen” on scooters who will offer you everything - from a cabaret ticket to alcohol and a pack of cigarettes.
Even though the capital is located on the seashore, you can’t swim in Manila: it’s too dirty. There is a serious shortage in the Philippines clean water, and this is the second scourge of the republic.
Manila is always stuck in traffic jams. As in all Asian countries, there are a huge number of scooters, whose drivers brazenly ignore the rules traffic. Another problem is public transport. Here, the role of buses and our minibuses is played by “jeepneys” - extravagant semi-buses. After World War II, Americans imported many German-made cars, in particular lowered buses, which quickly gained popularity. All over the world, jeepneys have long been discontinued, but in the Philippines they continue to be produced. Jeepneys are very slow and do not accelerate more than 80 kilometers per hour, so it is not surprising that a five-kilometer journey can take an hour.
A foreigner has nothing to fear in Manila, assures my friend Noynoy, a casino security guard: tourists here are treated with sincere respect - such is the legacy of the colonial era.
“Filipinos are very shy and modest (this is the basis of our mentality). Seeing a white-skinned foreigner makes locals shy and uncomfortable,” agrees restaurant owner Myrna Dizon-Sigismundo. However, tourists with children should be careful: kidnapping is the third scourge of the Philippines. Thieves will not demand a ransom from you: children are kidnapped here to turn them into beggars who flood the porches of churches and parking lots of business centers.
I got tired of big cities back in Russia, so I decided to settle in “Zamanilla”. Leaving the capital to the south, you will first find yourself in the province of Laguna. The main attraction of the region is the unique underground cemetery in Nagcarlan - a Spanish crypt from the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century, Laguna was a stronghold of liberals; the pride of the Malay nation, Jose Rizal, the leader of the reform movement, was born here, executed for preparing an uprising against Spanish rule. His museum is open in Laguna, which can be visited any day.
Another hour's drive to the south - and you will find yourself in the province of Kawit, where the Spanish Fort San Felipe has been preserved (a strange beast called the Navy of the Republic of the Philippines is stationed here), Catholic churches XVII century and an American base on the island of Corregidor with anti-tank ditches and other fortifications. Kawit is the birthplace of Philippine independence: it was here that General Emilio Aguinaldo read the Declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 (however, independence was short-lived: four years later, having been defeated in the war with the United States, the Philippines received the status of a dependent territory; this yoke was only broken in 1946).
Kawit borders the province of Batangas, which is famous for its diving and windsurfing centers. And on the border of the provinces is the famous Taal Lake, in the center of which is the world's smallest active volcano. At the beginning of the 20th century, an eruption flooded two small towns, after which local residents moved a little further from the water, but even now there are dozens of fishing shacks on the coast. I settled in the town of Taal, a few kilometers from the lake.
The heart of Taal is the market, the building of which was built at the beginning of the twentieth century. The merchants managed to preserve the authentic atmosphere of a century ago, especially the smell. Every morning I went to the market to buy fresh fruit and fish. The sellers, for whom the Slavs are a novelty, treated me and refused to take money. Only on the fourth day, realizing that I was here for a long time, they submitted and began to accept pesos.
Taal is a gourmet city famous for its liverwurst. I’ll tell you more: every year in April a fairly large gastrofestival takes place here, where people are treated to sausages, jamon, and ham made from local pork. At the same time, a carnival is held in Taal, where a beauty queen is chosen, so don’t be surprised to see dozens of brightly colored and ornately designed dresses at the local market (to save money, Filipinas rent dresses and return them the next morning: not many can afford such a luxurious dress ).
The largest Catholic cathedral in the eastern hemisphere of the Earth was recently built in Taal. However, it is quite an old city (by Philippine standards) and there are also buildings from the Spanish colonial era. To save cultural heritage, the Philippine authorities took an extraordinary step: anyone can purchase an old house for next to nothing - provided that he does not destroy it and takes care of its safety. Responsible Filipinos, having bought houses, turn them into full-fledged private museums. During my stay in Taal, I managed to visit the local house-museum Casa Villavicencio (the house of Don Eulalio Villavicencio), where the owner - a businessman who made his fortune in the USA and returned to his homeland - kindly treated me to hot chocolate and bibinga - cakes made from rice, sugar and coconut milk. The owner of the museum recreated the ambience of the estate of the mid-19th century: in the kitchen there are old dishes, a heavy wooden table and a stone stove with grips; in the bedrooms there are heavy chests of drawers, tightly built beds and creaky rocking chairs.
Businessman's friend, buying out cottage, organized an old photo studio. This is not a selfie - each photo is staged according to all the canons of drama: the girls will be asked to wear traditional bright dresses with a veil, and will be given a fan and headdresses. Men will be dressed in brutal caballero costumes or a black cassock of a priest (I tried on the outfit of a monk of the Catholic order).
After working during the day, I took a short break and went to the agricultural farms located in the vicinity of the neighboring town of Tagatay. Filipinos are obsessed with healthy eating, and phytofarms are one of the main trends of the local Agriculture: pineapples, watermelons, jackfruits, mangoes, marangos, chocolate are grown using environmentally friendly fertilizers (the humus is infused with alcohol). Local spas use fruits to make cocktails that cleanse the body and, according to doctors, cure all diseases. Here in a restaurant or cafe you will be offered soup from lake fish, freshly caught crayfish ulang or roasted young pig.
In the Philippines, everything is somehow connected with food; local cuisine has even been declared a national idea. Local residents eat breakfast two or three times, lunch twice and treat themselves to a hearty dinner.
“We decided to rely on gastronomy to promote the tourism brand of the Philippines,” says Verna Kovar-Buensukeso, head of the tourism department. And now the Philippines attracts not only its white beaches or clubs, but also its restaurants.
The Philippines is rich in seafood and river fish, vegetables and fruits, poultry and pork, but the three pillars of local cuisine remain rice, coconut and mango. And if you decide to try national cuisine, I advise you to start with coconut snacks, continue with kinilaw, and finish with halo-halo for dinner. “Every ingredient in coconut—from the shoot and pod to the milk and pulp—can be used as food. So the epitome of Filipino cuisine was and remains the coconut,” instructs Myrna Dizon-Sigismundo.
Kinilaw soup is made from raw fish with vinegar, spicy vegetables and coconut milk. “Kinilau is a dish as white as the sand of Philippine beaches, as refreshing as our sea, and as spicy as the fruits for which our islands are famous. Kinilau is a reflection of the ocean, and Filipinos have always valued seafood. Kinilau can be quickly and easily prepared right on the boat, which is why it is so popular among the locals,” explains Margarita Fores.
Halo-halo is a dessert made of rice and fruit, similar to ice cream. “Halo-halo is a reflection of the Philippines, our country as a whole,” says G Gamboa, co-owner of the Circulo restaurant.
On weekends, locals usually go to the south of Batangas province, where there are snow-white beaches and emerald seas. More affluent Filipinos prefer other resorts, and there are plenty to choose from: the “Filipino Bali” - Boracay, which is famous for its nightly parties, noisy bars and White Beach; windsurfing and diving Palawan, where one of the Bond films, Tomorrow Never Comes, was filmed; Davao's eternal summer beach, which is avoided by typhoons.
I preferred to relax on Laiya Beach in the south of Luzon. And, looking at the sun hiding behind the mountain on the neighboring island, I knew: in this vast ocean of time there is the possibility of an island, the possibility of happiness. But everything comes to an end, this heavenly pleasure will also end - and, as Houellebecq wrote, “we will meet with you again, my wasted life, my mirages of hope, my unrestrained word.” Heaven is just a heaven to touch it from time to time.
Yuri Nesterov
visited all countries of Southeast Asia
Why do Filipino girls excite the minds of Europeans so much? Is there some secret here?
The Philippines is a delightful country, attracting with the beauty of natural beaches, paradisiacal vegetation, many attractions and recreation for every taste. But the real pride is the Filipino girls, whose exotic beauty you can admire tirelessly.
The girls of this country are endowed with such a natural and delightful appearance, given to them by nature, that they do not need additional “embellishments”. Filipinas hardly use makeup, and their clothes are simple (most often a T-shirt and shorts). Naturally dark-skinned, they do not chase a tan. You won't see a Filipino girl on the beach smoking like a dying cigarette butt.
They rarely go swimming in the sea, and if they appear on the shore, it is at sunset. When Filipino women learn from European women that the latter strive to get a tan and visit solariums for this purpose, their surprise is difficult to describe. In pursuit of “aristocratic pallor,” the islanders make themselves masks from lime and papaya, and their body care cosmetics contain whitening ingredients.
Like most Asian women, Filipino women and girls are short in stature. An elegant and fragile figure is their pride. The slender legs of Filipinas disarm men. The facial features are so good that tourists from all over the world come to admire them: Asian eyes, a small and neat nose, tar-black shiny hair, a magnificent smile and snow-white teeth.
The peculiarity of the appearance lies in the successful “mix” of races. Looking at Filipino beauties, you will see girls who are one hundred percent similar to fiery Spanish women. You will also meet those who are difficult to distinguish from Chinese women, and you may also see a passionate “African woman”.
If you want to plunge headlong into this pool of impeccable beauty, then visit the Philippines in May, when colorful and fun festivals are held there. This is an unforgettable spectacle where you can see thousands of beauties in bright national costumes at the same time.
Many Europeans dream of having a Filipina wife. It is also interesting that girls are also not averse to marrying a white-skinned foreigner, and they are not afraid of the groom’s financial problems or his age. There are many couples in the Philippines where you will see an older European man next to the young beauty.
What is the secret of these women that makes them so desirable to most men?
Obedient and non-conflicting Filipinas are a real treasure for family relationships. Many of the girls don't have complete education, and this does not allow them to get ahead of their man in any matters, much less argue. Such a woman will become ideal wife who will admire her husband and obey him unquestioningly.
Now for the fun part! A Filipino woman is always ready for love. She will not tell “fairy tales” about how she has a headache and the child has snot. No! The Filipina always has everything in order and craves passion. Nothing bothers her: neither pregnancy, nor illness, nor lack of mood.
Asian beauties, having become wives, are categorically against divorce and try to avoid it with all their might. In their desire to save their family, they are most afraid of shame and gossip. In fear of remaining “useless”, the Filipina will fight for her marriage. What causes this concern, you ask? The fact is that according to national traditions, which are very strong in the Philippines, a girl must walk down the aisle “untouched.” And after a divorce, you can’t count on her virginity.
What should a Filipino “divorcee” do or that beauty who lost her virginity but never got married? There is only one thing - to go to another city and seek your happiness among tourists. European men know how to “turn a blind eye” to such piquant things, and a pretty Filipina has a chance. And, believe me, her chosen one will be in perfect order, since in this country there is a belief that a man should become the most important thing in a woman’s life. Looking into her husband's eyes, a helpful Filipino wife will dutifully love him and guard the family hearth with special reverence.
Advantages of Filipino women:
They are incredibly good-looking and keep their figure perfectly.
For them, family values are the most important thing in life.
A Filipina woman won't leave her husband hungry because she cooks food every day
Beautiful wives know how to take household chores for granted and never grumble about it
They love their children very much and enjoy raising them.
A married woman very rarely seeks male companionship outside the family
Agree that a Filipino wife is a real treasure! This beauty will never go “left”, will not “rummage through her husband’s pockets” in search of money or check SMS on his phone. It’s hard to imagine her with a rolling pin in her hands, waiting on the threshold of her husband’s house, who was staying late at a corporate party.
But still, think carefully when going to the Philippines for this “treasure”. I remember the popular saying: “Russian wives are the best in the world.” In what way do dark-skinned beauties lose to our Natashas and Dashas?
If you travel in those parts, then pay attention to married couples where the Filipina has a European husband. You will be surprised, but their faces will not shine with happiness. And do you know why? Asian wives are very loving, but they want to receive love, but not very much to give. Yes, at first a hot girl will love her husband whenever and wherever, but over time the passions subside. But this cannot be said about a Russian wife, who is ready to constantly do something to refresh and shake up the relationship.
Beauties who conquered the world
If you make observations and look at the results of the largest beauty contests, then the most beautiful girls on the planet are residents of the Philippines. They hold the crowns of Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss Supranational.
Take a look at the photos of these charming beauties, and you will no longer have the desire to argue with the results of the competition jury.
Megan Young
The beauty is “mixed” with the blood of an American and a Filipina. Megan is known as a model, actress and TV presenter.
Maja Salvador
This charming girl works at modeling business. Also, Maya is a dancer.
Valerie "Bangs" Garcia
Valerie is a famous actress.
Nicole Scherzinger
American singer, actress and model. Nicole also has Russian blood in her veins: her father is Filipino, and her mother has Russian and Hawaiian roots.
Pia Wurtzbach
The girl was born from a popular union in the Philippines: a German father and a Filipino mother.
Isabel Preysler
Now many will be surprised! This beautiful girl- a famous TV presenter and model, as well as the first wife of Julio Iglesias. Isabel is the mother of Enrique and Julio Iglesias Jr.
Czarina Gatbonton
She was the Philippines' competitor in the 2010 Miss World pageant.
Valerie Weigmann
The beauty was born in Germany (her father is German, and her mother Valerie is a resident of the Philippines).
Do you want to admire this beauty live? Go for bright impressions and emotions to this amazing place!
17,149 ViewsThere is a city in the Philippines that is very popular among Western retirees. Despite the fact that there are no beautiful beaches, interesting architecture or world-famous monuments, Australian, European and American grandfathers flock there in droves. There are no natural hospitals or sanatoriums where you can improve your health. Maybe there is some special atmosphere there? No, everything is much simpler. Angeles is the Philippine Pattaya, the capital of prostitution, where retirees come to remember their youth and party with local girls.
As it should be, everything is rooted in history. Angeles is a former US military base. When the Philippines became an American colony, the military decided to locate a naval base called Clark in Angeles and a naval base in Subic Bay, which is several hours away.
Of course, where military personnel appear in peacetime, prostitutes immediately appear there. Filipino beauties realized in time that many lonely foreigners with money suddenly appeared in their area. There is even a legend that in those years the US government began issuing a two-dollar bill to make it easier for the soldiers from Clark to pay Filipino girls. That's how much their services cost.
As time went. Over time, the Philippines became an independent state and decided that the military bases of another country on its territory were somehow too much and withdrew all foreign troops. Clark Air Force Base became a successful civilian airport, and the area around it began to be developed with shopping complexes and highways.
But you can’t take your reputation anywhere! Angeles remained that legendary city where a two-dollar bill determined your mood. By this time, the “junior lieutenants—young boys” already had gray hair and a good American pension. And their civilian friends listened to brave stories about Clarke for several decades and also understood how to spend their old age.
As a result, the people's path was not overgrown, and Angeles turned into a city of dreams. Grandfathers dream of a young girl. And the girls are talking about a rich grandfather. Everyone is satisfied and happy.
When I arrived there to buy a motorcycle, I did not know about this feature of the city. In Manila, I met several older foreigners who all came from Angeles and said that this is a very cool city. This didn't bother me. Upon arrival, I immediately went to the motorcycle office, which was located next to a street called Walking street. It consisted entirely of bars with tightly closed doors. Then I already began to guess about something. When I went in for a haircut and the hairdresser said that they usually call Walking street Night pussy market, I finally understood everything. And when a merchant approached me on the street and said: “Psst... Hey guy, do you need Viagra?”, I was convinced that Angeles was not an ordinary city.
I checked into the Swagman Hotel. This was facilitated by the fact that in Manila it was recommended to me by an elderly American. He said, "If you're going to Angeles, Swagman is the best place and for only 800 pesos. Here, take a business card." The hotel turned out to be of two kinds. On the one hand, it is located in a quiet, pleasant place, next to it there is a good restaurant with wi-fi and a waitress who sang “From Russia with love” to me when she brought me food.
On the other hand, everything in “Swagman” is imbued with the spirit of an old man whore trip. It's twilight there old furniture, huge beds for vast Americans, large handles built into the walls in the bathroom so that people with sciatica could sit down and wash themselves. One day, when I was sitting in the hall, from next room someone shouted in a terrible voice that he was dying and needed help. The guards ran towards him at that very second, and the girl at the reception calmly smiled at me: “Don’t pay attention. This happens to us often.”
In the evening I went to Walking street for research purposes, to learn more about what was going on there, and of course to get drunk on rum. I decided that I would first walk along the street, then I would go into every bar, drink one rum and coke and leave. My plan was almost a success.
Walking street is very boring during the day and fun at night. During the day everyone sleeps and cures hangovers, and at night they go out to have fun. At first glance, this is an ordinary tourist street, which is a little more than completely filled with girls. Usually they stand still and shout something inviting to the white man.
Next to each door there are female administrators who also invite you to come and open the door with a special rope. So as not to get up again.
The most popular product on the streets is cigarettes. For some reason everyone sells them. Most likely they are not sold in bars and smoking is not allowed there. And so he went outside, bought a pack and smoked.
The street is 80% bars, which are not much different from each other. There are indeed several “elite” establishments, which differ only in their large free space and a large number of girls. Under no circumstances should you take pictures inside. Heh, “shoot” in the literal sense, but figuratively, you can)
Inside, as a rule, there is a podium on which girls in swimsuits stand and dance to the beat of the music. Around the podium there are tables where visitors sit, drink alcohol and look at the beauties. Each girl has about 5-6 different laminated cards with stamps and stamp paper hanging on her swimsuit. These are work permits, some kind of registration, possibly medical certificates. Each girl also has a number or name. Some write their name with a marker on their body.
Inside there is no feeling that you are in a brothel. Everything is very unobtrusive. No one offers or hints at dubious services. You just sit, sip rum and cola and watch the girls make eyes at you. This is perhaps the only action to attract your attention. Once every 10-15 minutes someone rings the bell and the girls change. New ones stand on the podium, and the rest go to rest.
The girls don't look like prostitutes at all. These are ordinary girls who talk to themselves about something, laugh and make fun of themselves. There is no selection appearance. There are beautiful ones, there are ugly ones. Some are slim, some are fat. But everyone looks equally good and well-groomed.
I talked with the administrator of one bar and she told me how everything worked. Girls come there from different Philippine cities. Many are from Davao City. In Russian it’s funny, of course, “Prostitute from Davao”) This is considered a very cool job if you dance in a bar on Walking street. Firstly, girls earn good money by local standards, and secondly, there is always a chance to pick up an elderly foreigner, marry him and leave the islands for a new life.
The removal technology is as follows. A foreigner comes to a bar, looks at the girls, chooses the one he likes and tells the waitress her number or name. Then he pays 3,000 pesos (2,300 rubles) at the bar and can do whatever he wants with the girl for 24 hours. This is called go outside in the local language. Moreover, the girl receives only 50% of the amount (1,150 rubles), the rest goes to the bar’s cash register.
Grandpas often rent not one, but 2-3 girls and spend their entire vacation with them. For girls, this is considered a superpower. But the grandfather does not pay every day for their services, but simply takes them to restaurants and buys gifts. Many people go to the sea with their girls and give them teddy bears, iPhones and clothes. The girl is happy.
I walked into the biggest bar and saw a picture that I will remember forever. Inside there was a second floor that looked like a semicircular balcony overlooking the stage with the girls. There were the same tables, but probably the view was better. I was sitting downstairs and noticed that there was a Korean guy sitting on the second floor wearing a Playboy cap. He was talking about something with the waitress, and then took out a wad of money and began throwing them down. All the courtesans forgot about dancing and rushed with a squeal to catch them and jump in order to grab the bill in the air before others.
The Korean looked incredibly cool. He literally threw money around, and sometimes pointed his finger at the chosen girl and threw the bill to her. The girls stuffed money into their panties and bras. I didn’t see what denomination he was throwing, but from a distance it looked like 500 pesos, that is, about 400 rubles. I thought he was somehow very rich. I became interested and asked the administrator what kind of money he was throwing away. She replied that it was 20 pesos (15 rubles)! And before throwing, he asked the waitress to change the money for twenty! Nightmare! Before my eyes, a Korean beggar with a cool look was throwing change to Filipino prostitutes, and they almost fought for it!
Moreover, Koreans love such pseudo-wastefulness. A friend of mine said that a couple of years ago he also saw people of the same nationality throwing away money.
Another situation that struck me was with Frank. Frank is a retired Catholic pastor who worked in the church in the Philippines for over 15 years. He himself is from Ireland, and I accidentally met him near the island of Potipot. Then he blessed me for the journey. Said: “God bless you!” and I was delighted that I had received a blessing from the priest.
But then, when I arrived in Angeles, I saw Frank accompanied by a Filipino woman who took him arm in arm to bars. There is a very important note here. I don't blame Frank at all, it's just surprising to me to see a Catholic pastor in a strip bar. I was amazed then!
In general, as far as I understand, foreign pensioners do not primarily need sex. They need company and care, which for some reason they do not receive at home. I have seen many such couples in different regions of the Philippines and their relationships are valued more psychologically than physically. Filipinas have a mentality that respects men as gods, so they never make trouble and always take care and do household chores. This is exactly what Western men lack, who come to Angeles to live in normal family relationships and, probably, feel like they are in charge. Apparently, the reasons for Angeles' popularity lie in Western feminism.
I stayed on Walking street until 3 am and visited almost all the bars. There was a lot of rum and cola, and by the end of the evening I was already in a deranged state. I left the last bar, where a girl from Davao was talking about how nice it was here, and got into a tricycle that took me to the hotel. I remember the road vaguely. I liked the fact that no one tried to deceive the completely drunk Russian, although the place is considered a hot spot.
In the next post I will start from Angeles on a motorcycle and go to the province of Bataan to the city of Mariveles to finally see the sea and rocks, take a look cock-fights and meet the Filipino aborigines of Aita! Don't switch!
2018-01-25The secret of the success of Filipinas is the versatility of their appearance, combining the characteristics of the Mongoloid, Caucasoid and Australoid races. Many Americans, Canadians or Europeans will prefer a Filipina for marriage out of all Asian women, not only because of beauty, but also because of the absence of a language barrier (in the Philippines, almost everyone speaks English, since the country is a former American colony), and also religious: 90% of Filipinos are Christians.
Filipinos are not a single people, but a group of peoples. This is the name given to the entire 100 million population of the Philippine Islands, as well as descendants of immigrants from the Philippines living in other countries, for example, 3.5 million Filipinos live in the USA.
23rd place. Catherine Zoe / Catherine Zoe- Filipino model, has Dutch roots.
22nd place. Iya Villania- Australian actress. She was born on June 29, 1986 in Australia to Filipino parents.
21st place. Marie-Ann Umali / Marie-Ann Umali- representative of the Philippines at Miss World 2009. Has Lebanese roots.
20th place. Shamcey Supsup(born May 16, 1986) - 3rd Vice-Miss Universe 2011.
19th place. Patricia Fernandez / Patricia Fernandez(born November 5, 1985, Pasig, Philippines) is the Philippines' representative at Miss International 2008, where she placed in the top 12.
18th place. Patricia Tumulak / Patricia Tumulak(born March 3, 1988, Quezon City, Philippines) - representative of the Philippines at the Miss Multiverse International 2014 pageant.
17th place. Anne Curtis / Anne Curtis- Filipino actress and television presenter. She was born on February 17, 1985 in Australia to an Australian father and a Filipino mother. When Ann was a child, the family moved to the Philippines.
16th place. Kristine Hermosa(born September 9, 1983) is a Filipino actress.
15th place. Michelle Madrigal(born September 4, 1988, Quezon City) is a Filipino actress.
14th place. Samuel "Sam" Pinto(born December 11, 1989) is a Filipino actress and model.
13th place. Kristina Cassandra Concepcion(born April 7, 1985, Manila), better known as K.C. Conception, is a Filipino actress and singer.
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12th place. Marian Rivera- Filipino model and actress. Born on August 12, 1984 in Madrid (Spain) to a Filipina family. Her parents divorced 2 years after her birth, and her mother took her daughter to the Philippines.
11th place. Ruffa Gutierrez / Ruffa Gutierrez(born June 24, 1974, Manila) - Filipino model, actress, 2nd Vice-Miss World 1993.
10th place. Alodia Gosiengfiao(born March 9, 1988, Quezon City) is a Filipino cosplayer, as well as a model, actress, and singer. Her father is Filipino Chinese and her mother is of Spanish descent.
9th place. Valerie Weigmann / Valerie Weigmann(born November 22, 1989, Wiesbaden, Germany) is a Filipino television presenter and model. She represented the Philippines at Miss World 2014. Her father is German and her mother is Filipino.
8th place. Zarina Gatbonton / Czarina Gatbonton- Philippines representative at Miss World 2010.
7th place. Lauren Young(born November 8, 1993, Alexandria, USA) is a Filipino actress and model, the younger sister of Miss World 2013 Megan Young.
6th place. Isabel Preysler / Isabel Preysler(born February 18, 1951, Manila) is a Spanish-Filipino model and TV presenter, the first wife of the famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, mother of singers Enrique Iglesias and Julio Iglesias Jr.
The Filipinos are an amazing people. Everyone who has visited these hospitable islands will remember the good-natured, smiling faces of the local residents. Filipinos will definitely say hello when they meet you; you will constantly hear a friendly “hello” around you. Their curiosity knows no bounds, they often ask standard questions: “Do you like it here?”, “How long have you been here?”, “Who are you traveling with?”, “How are you?”, but they ask all the questions so nicely, that this does not cause irritation at all.
“Well, how do ordinary people live in the Philippines?” – I would also like to ask a question. The Philippines can be called a country of contrasts. In just a few hours you can visit both picturesque paradises and very poor areas that are horrifying with their appearance. Many Filipinos live in squalid shacks, but some wealthy ones live in luxurious mansions.
Generally, the locals make a positive impression. They all lead a measured lifestyle. Most can even be called “sloths”, like the Thais, they follow their own rhythm of life. Of course, some of them are very responsible and hardworking. Sunday is always considered a holiday here. Often on this day, Filipinos can be seen drunk, they do not work and do not clean.
All Filipino families have many children. In general, there are a lot of people on the island, the country is simply overpopulated, this is especially noticeable in the cities. I would like to say a special word about children. The children here are very intrusive. They have no concept of the line between adults and children, however, in Russia this has also become a common occurrence. It happens that children get in the way of calmly soaking in the sea, sunbathing, and finally being left alone with themselves. All local kids are excellent swimmers. WITH early years They spend a lot of time in the sea; you can’t drive them out of the water for hours. Often, even not poor children ask for money, force something on them, it’s even surprising where they got these habits from.
As for kitchen preferences. All Filipinos in large quantities They eat rice, this is the main dish, and meat, fish, and vegetables go in addition. If you don’t order rice while in a restaurant or cafe, the surprised waiter will clarify your choice several times. Filipinos prefer boiled peanuts; they are sold everywhere; roasted peanuts are much less common. Ordinary locals are proud of the local fruits, especially durians and mangoes.
Filipinos go to bed early, at 9-10 o'clock, and get up at 6 am, and a new hectic day begins.
In local villages, residents raise livestock. Right on the streets, among the palm trees, you can see cows, pigs, geese and chickens.
We have told only a small part about how ordinary people live in the Philippines; much more can be said about their lives: about culture, faith, traditions. This country is amazing, and its good-natured hosts surprise every tourist with their spontaneity and hospitality.
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