Engagement Ring

    hey guys, IF I was to purchase an engagement ring for my Filipina, and for context, she is from the provinces, quite poor.....what are the expectations?. That is, what sort of money should I be spending?
I get the feeling a full on gold and diamond ring would be way over the top?
And if anyone knows any good, decent priced, non scamming jewellery shops in CEBU, please share.
   

    -@AussieLUVPhillipines

Welcome to the forum mate. Engagement rings aside? 1/ Have you met your to be betrothed? 2/ Have you ever been to the Philippines? 3/ If the answer to these two questions is no then I can only suggest the cart before the horse.

If the answer is yes to my first 2 questions you already know the answer so why ask a bunch of expats that have been there?

Sorry to be blunt and OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

In my opinion... that question can only be answered by you and your feeling/situation... and gut instincts... as far as jewelry stores..  sorry cannot help with that.  I purchased my Filipinas engagement ring in the U.S. .. she was also from a very poor area in ipil up in the Mountains(province)... but for me personally... I purchase what I thought was classy, and nice, but not over the top, and would not make her any kind of target.  We now live in Dapitan near Dakak Beach resort .. and have our beach house, and I am planning our beach wedding next year, and I plan to add a nice maybe 1 carat solitaire to the engagement ring... but that's just my situation... Yours is for sure different... like are you full time with her in the province, or moving somewhere else... and what is your financial status, and budget for a ring... anyways... rambling over... cheers and good luck!!

I'm having relatives send me a case of Cracker Jacks in a balikbayan box. Hope I find a ring!

@Larry Fisher. 😆 🤣

Hey Steve,

Yep, been about 6 times, Been all up and down the country, some of my favorites were MATI, Zamboanga and IloIlo.

Had a few filipina interactions, and finally found one that ticks most of the boxes, great family, religiousness, doesnt ask for money, etc etc etc.

I was simply hoping that some folk in the forum might know what is a reasonable expectation on type and value of engagement ring.

I just dont want to come across as a tight arse, nor do i want to spend ridiculous amount on a ring.

To tell you the truth i dont even know if they see an engagement ring as a MUST HAVE in the phillipines.

@Wellsfry

Thanks Man.

All the best to you Sir.

We are slightly LDR at the moment, but that will change in the next year or so.

    @Larry Fisher. 😆 🤣
   

    -@Wellsfry

I couldn't resist the opportunity. I swear I shoulda been in sitcoms.

Thanks for your honest answer ALP,,,,,, reminds me of a political party in Oz. Jokes aside my first and only wife in Oz, golly some 40 years ago and lasted 22 years and 2 great kids the engagement ring cost me some AU5K, 20 years later I found out she sold it but no need to go through the nitty gritty. Years of playing around finally met my now current partner 13 years ago and 12 years ago purchased 2 S/S friendship rings, a whole hundred odd bucks, (the inscription (Forever and always) OMO but the ring value has nothing to do with commitment/love, the old saying? "it's the thought that counts" and little more. 12 years on and we both still wear those rings as our love for each other not the money/value but the giving in our lives to each other.

If you are the traditional type of guy then lash out, Better for both to put those funds into property/investments instead of a fancy bauble.

Good luck ALP.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Thanks Steve, so you never actually married the Filipina?

Thats not a bad idea, but yeah, i am a bit of a traditionalist.

I reckon 3-500 AUD in a CEBU jewellery shop should be sufficient?

Are you in CEBU?

AussieLUVPhillipines said . . . .    hey guys, IF I was to purchase an engagement ring for my Filipina, and for context, she is from the provinces, quite poor.....what are the expectations?.

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What is your purpose of buying her an engagement ring? 

Expectations? . . . . . . Hers or Yours?

If she has expectations being a poor girl from the provinces you're in trouble.

You double down on my opinion if you met her on line. You can double double down on my opinion if you have never met her in person.

There are no engagements in the Philippines, it's Wam Bam thank you Mam.

If you're only looking for a good time the girls across the street only charge P1,150, or so I've been told.

I paid for 2 nice wedding rings in Manila 24k.

    I paid for 2 nice wedding rings in Manila 24k.
   

    -@Andy_1963

Slow down sport. What's the hurry?

You ask about an engagement ring and how much to spend but you already purchased the wedding rings? Hope you sized her finger. As said it's the person.

Cheers, Steve.

Andy_1963 said . . . . .  I paid for 2 nice wedding rings in Manila 24k.

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I got a good deal on two 24K wedding rings and a his & hers Rolex watches with a certificate authenticity for only P2000 at the Green Hills Mall.

The guy wanted to sell me Viagra but I thought it was fake, you can't be too careful.

@Moon Dog

Awesome comment man...a little off topic though.....RUOK?

@Enzyte Bob

Thanks Bob!

@bigpearl

No Steve, thats someone elses comment....I dont have any rings......not even a burning ring of fire! HAHHAA

@Larry Fisher

" I swear I shoulda been in sitcoms."

Never too late Larry. The US network NBC is relaunching Frasier

You have told us that you have visited the Philippines and had interactions with several women and told us you have now found a decent girl with the right attributes but you could have made this assumption online and chatted to her family by video call so you did not exactly answer the question - Have you met her in person and if so how many times have you been there to see her? Also, have you actually asked this woman to marry you because if not I would slow down and take your time?

In my opinion spending 3500 AUD is way way too much. Andy above said he only paid 24K for 2 wedding rings in Manila so I think you should be looking at about the same and not much more than that.

Regarding where to find a good jewellery shop - Try the Mall, I imagine you will find one in there. When I did a quick Google search for jewellery shops in Cebu it said there was one in the SM Mall. It also came up with a list of Pawn shops and listed other services I may be interested in including Divorce Attorneys. Guess they are all linked and many a man has blown a wad of cash buying an expensive engagement or wedding ring only for his Filipino to blow him out (Not just blow him). Then she pawns the ring and if married goes to see the Divorce Attorney.

So to sum up - Do not rush into getting engaged and certainly not married, spend way less on any ring and put the money you save to better use.

@Cherryann01

Thanks for the advice.

Yes, have met the family twice now, in person.

I think Ill take one of the other expats advice. Just buy some nice friendship/romance rings for a bit less.

Another guy says they skip the formalities of an en engagement in PHIL, so I'll just worry about the main game (marriage) at some point in the future.

Ill check out those malls in JAN when next there.

I do about 3 longish trips to PHIL every year. JAN is for 6 weeks.

Eventually Ill leave this place for good.

The "pull" is strong, and its not just the filipina.

@AussieLUVPhillipines

Not qualified to answer this question as I'm a confirmed bachelor guy. Still have my sanity. But I would like to chip in with a couple of observations over the years with my interactions with the female sex.

My mother had a great saying 'less is more' . To me the amount of jewelry the fairer sex wear is in inverse proportion to their personalities. I have found this pertinent especially in the Philippines. I have walked into classy hotel bars with an attractive Filipina from a humble background subtly dressed with no bling apart from a simple chain around her neck and sat next to a ‘power' married couple where the woman is draped in diamonds. The analogy smothering a rare scotch sirloin steak in ketchup springs to mind. One detracts from the other. Too much of a good thing?

Why not take your betrothed to a jewelry shop and get her to choose? The Vlogger ‘Old Dog New Tricks' in Dumaguete did this and his now wife spurned a very expensive ring, that he suggested, for something much more modest. Perhaps if she selects a very expensive ring you may wish to call off your engagement

While writing this in my study in Bath I have been listening to one of my favourite jazz stations in Italy streaming from the Amalfi Coast. Frank Sinatra sings with Tom Jobim the track “Baubles Bangles & Beads” deliciously ironic.

    @Cherryann01
Thanks for the advice.
Yes, have met the family twice now, in person.
I think Ill take one of the other expats advice. Just buy some nice friendship/romance rings for a bit less.
Another guy says they skip the formalities of an en engagement in PHIL, so I'll just worry about the main game (marriage) at some point in the future.
Ill check out those malls in JAN when next there.
I do about 3 longish trips to PHIL every year. JAN is for 6 weeks.
Eventually Ill leave this place for good.
The "pull" is strong, and its not just the filipina.
   

    -@AussieLUVPhillipines

Good idea and since you will be over there in January and probably be there for Valentine's Day, maybe take her away for a romantic break for a couple of days.

AussieLUVPhillipines said. . . .  And if anyone knows any good, decent priced, non scamming jewellery shops in CEBU, please share.

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Filipinas are materialistic and spend their money on counterfeit Bling.

You can spend big $$$ on a diamond ring while Filipinas spend their money on Cubic Zirconia rings. Everything here is counterfeit. . . . . . handbags, watches, jewelry, sports apparel, Nike, sun glasses and even Expats.

AussieLUVPhillipines

You are the biggest brightest shiny new thing in your girl's life. Cubic zirconia and that 0.0001 carat SI2 diamond ring are for brownie points.

@AussieLUVPhillipines

As big a plain gold band as looks right on her.