Compared to Thailand

1happkamper
Greetings and welcome.  I can really only speak for Cebu.  Air is better than Manila but Cebu City and possibly every large city in Ph. has a fair amount of pollution, same with any beach in populated areas. It is taxi drivers job worldwide to rip anybody and everybody off. Since Grab have taken over Uber, prices are ridiculous.  This week Grab quoted P389 for trip. Trike ride (3) to taxi stand P24,  taxi to destination P267, total P291.
regards  Bruce

How is it compared in terms of visa policy?

On the positive side, Filipinos are very friendly - I have noticed the difference compared with Thailand. They really seem happy most of the time and love to sing and laugh. They love children and most are happy to talk and joke with a foreigner, even young women who wouldn't give you the time of day in a western country. Of course most Filipinos speak some English, especially in the cities, which is better than in Thailand. Other than the major cities, the air quality is better than it is in the north of Thailand in Springtime, when they are burning. The beaches are less developed in a good way, and many are stunning. I haven't had any problem with metered taxis at all, except in Manila.

On the negative side, the country is way overpopulated - it quadrupled in 50 years, which has strained resources and 20% of the population lives below the poverty line, especially in the south. Infrastructure is not well developed, so there is bad congestion in major cities, along with air pollution. There is a significant litter and trash problem, as people often just toss it.. There are high coliform levels at some of the popular resort areas from sewage being dumped into the ocean. There is a lot of noise - drunk karaoke, motorbikes with loud exhaust, and barking dogs for example.

Of course no place is perfect so you have to know what's important to you. One can also pay more for a quieter place, live outside the city for better air, and own a car to get around. It's all a matter of your own personal priorities and financial situation.

Yes....hugely overpopulated here in the PI, largely due to the Catholic church's policies on contraception; in addition to Filipinos living for the present as they often times have no future.

The population increases here by 5000 every day !! ... and has done so for about 30 years now ....no body seems to care ...

The rate of population growth creates a cycle of poverty that the people can't break out of, unfortunately. The GDP increased 6.7% since the 2008 recession, but due to the population increase, GDP per capita actually dropped. They can't create enough jobs, infrastructure is strained, and cities are congested and polluted. The families can't afford to educate all these kids so the cycle continues. Sad.