Tourist complaints

To which I love this statement the most :

If you want to improve tourism fix the Tourists' experience, not the airport

I guess I never thought of it that way,but it's the truth.Excellent point ! I did tell everybody back in USA how bad I got cheated just because I happen to be American. The cabbies,Jeepney drivers, market vendors...all overcharged me just because I was a foreigner. That's a REALLY bad thing for the government in PI to tolerate if they want to increase tourism.

Hi there Female Expat

The PH gov planned to increase tourism but has no plan how to rid of the problems that is driving the tourists away.

Agree with you...

PH is a very beautiful tropical country but its tourism industry, despite affordability, is lagging far away behind compared to its neighbours.

Yes, and we all know that...

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/6133/a … -2016-dziq

Check out the very common complaints:

okinawa · 13 hours ago
Some of my American friends told me this:

It is a common notion now in the world communities that the Philippines has the worst crime rate in the ASEAN group, cheaters (speacially cab drivers), gold diggers + social climbers (obviously socializing with you for green card and money), murderers and willing to kill the victims just for a hundred bucks.

really sounds bad about hearing this news...
but pls there are still someone who has good heart in Philippines not all... are in that scene.

One may read this. http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107150330.html

Also one time they (American firends) went in a firing range in Cebu.
They converted the fee based from the posters outside. So they know how much they are going to spend.
They enjoyed some rapid fire of M-16 then when they about to pay of about 150 dollars each, the owner told and forced them to pay 600dollars each. When they asked why?... the owner told them to look at the ceiling for the price lists for foreigners.

@trendytopics · 1 day ago
It might help tourism if the idiots around Basilan would stop kidnapping the foreigners

Tony999Aus 50p ·  1 day ago
I'm a frequent visitor to the Philippines - both on business and vacation. From a visitor's perspective let me tell you my experience:

1. It doesn't matter if the airport is good or bad....I don't go to visit the airport. Invest the money elsewhere.
2. There is no tourist infrastructure in Manila. No tourist buses, tourist brochures, road signs are random etc.
3. There is no tourism culture there. The people I have to deal with in shops, restaurants etc are only interested in getting as much money as possible out of me.
4. The hotels are too expensive for what they offer. The so-called 5-star properties would only be 3-star in other countries.
5. Finally...and this is the big one....you need to fix the taxi drivers. They are the first people a tourist will meet when they get out of the airport and they are the people who drive tourists around all the time. The cabs are dirty, seatbelts don't work, the drivers smell, and they won't use the meter even when you ask. They overcharge tourists and this leaves a very bad impression of the country. Tourists won't go back a second time and they'll go home and tell all their friends about how they got robbed in The Philippines.

If you want to improve tourism fix the Tourists' experience, not the airport.

I want to share you something...
Yeah... Philippines are like that...but haven't you think that somehow if this guys also in other country the Filipinos... have some complaints too in your country...and in some country too.. Im here in Kuwait and same guys in your country are mostly here.. and they have same some complaints living here in Kuwait...  but sadly wherever we are... there are still things we can sense something to complain about.. would you believe in me...?
I guess so...

Thanks for the sentiments.. me to got here..

TheOtherGuy wrote:

I guess I never thought of it that way,but it's the truth.Excellent point ! I did tell everybody back in USA how bad I got cheated just because I happen to be American. The cabbies,Jeepney drivers, market vendors...all overcharged me just because I was a foreigner. That's a REALLY bad thing for the government in PI to tolerate if they want to increase tourism.

I think not all otherguy... there are still who can we considered with good heart... Some things you've told here like cheating and anything somehow are not tolerated by government it just happen that some are not covered by the eyes of the law...It is somehow by their own descretion...


You guys what will I suggested to you.. next time if ever there will be next time for you... Just tell them.

"Hey what is your license number.. got tell this to police officer and I will report this... "

Gets... hope so..

I am german but with filipino background, I made the experience being ripped off by cab drivers in manila. I used a cab for a 8km ride and paid something like 400 pesos. My family told me that i have been ripped off massively? to be honest 400 pesos is something like 6 euros, for a 8 km ride, absolutely okay?!
I do agree that some of the cabdrivers are very cheeky, I have been told once from a cab drive that he couldn't use a certain route because he has code?!?! What is a code? But he was more than happy to use this route for an additional fee. I was tired and didn't want to argue, but i realised if it comes to ripping off passenger, the filipinos are the best in it...

I have been to Philippines so many times but have never felt so discriminated against until now. Yesterday I was in Mnaila (yes it's during the ECQ) and was treated so terribly that I feel like never returning to the country ever again.

I was in Davao and wanted to go back to Canada because of the situation here regarding the virus. I managed to get a flight to Manila through the Canadian embassy. I arrived in the Manila airport on April 18th. I found out that my hotel reservation which was prepaid was cancelled due to the lockdown in Manila. I also found out that my flight back home was cancelled. I was in Manila alone with no place to stay and no idea if or when I can leave. The terminal that I arrived at had no taxi service and the entire city has no Grab service. I walked to the next terminal and found that there are taxis available there. I got in a taxi and asked the driver to find me a place to stay. We went to an area near the airport and everything was closed or filled. One hotel had some rooms available but the owner was asking for about 5 times the going rate because of the situation. I declined to accept this offer. I asked to go back to the terminal where I started off. I tried to ask someone working for the airlines if they knew of a hotel that was open and had some rooms available but the security guards just prevented me from speaking to anyone even though  I could see there were still people in the office. I then realized that I was being forced to sleep outside the airport on the benches where there are mosquitoes and bright lights on all night. The next morning I met a friend of my wife who promised that he had a place for me to stay for a few nights until I find a flight out. After he asked several people I found out that there were no places to stay as everyone was afraid that I was going to bring them the virus (although I carry a health certificate that says I am not showing any signs of having the virus). I needed to charge my phone because I was awake all night and had  no place to plug the phone in. I went to a Seven - 11 store where they have a phone charging machine. It was out of service so I had no way to communicate with anyone. I was supposed to meet someone in the Seven - 11 who was going to take me back to the airport. I bought some water in the store and waited. A few minutes later an employee came up to me and asked me to leave the store because she was afraid that I was carrying the virus. There were many Filipinos in the store and nobody said anything to any of them, only the foreigner was asked to leave. It was very hot outside and I didn't want to wait outside. I decided to go outside anyways because it was obvious that I was being discriminated against. I walked to the checkpoint to ask if they knew of a way to get back to the airport. The police and military people there told me that there were no taxis or any other way to get back and they said that I have to walk. I was carrying my bags and it was very hot so walking was out of the question. I didn't even know how to get there. They were not helpful at all. Finally the guy who promised to take me back to the airport showed up and did take me to the airport. I went to the ticket office and finally got booked on a flight out but it was 2 days later. I asked the employees at the ticket office if there were any open hotels. They said they did not know of any. It looked like I needed to spend 2 more nights sleeping outside the airport. The booking was confirmed so I decided to return to the ticket office to get the itinerary. I tried to enter the ticket office again but the security guard tried to stop me from going in because I told him I just had a question and didn't want to make another booking. He tried to stop me from going in so I told him I did want to buy a ticket and he did let me pass. I then asked for the itinerary and asked once again if there was a hotel open in the area. They told me that they didn't know. I asked if they would allow me to recharge my phone and computer because I was sleeping outside the airport and had no way to charge them. They agreed to allow me to plug my devices in the outlet and wait for them to charge. I waited until everything was charged and then went out to try and find a hotel that I could stay at. I checked my email messages and found a message from the Canadian embassy in Manila and it had a list of hotels and phone numbers of the hotels that were supposed to be open during the lockdown. I reached one of the numbers and they had a room available.  I booked the room for the last 2 nights.

Should have stayed on Mindanao.  You were lucky to get to Manila.

Welcome to Expat.com.  Wonder if you will ever return to the Philippines.

So sorry to hear about your traumatic experience!...I too had to my cancel my flight around the same time, as I did not want to risk getting quarantined for (2 weeks/mandatory) in my destination country.
Its been very tough especially during Mid March to End March. I guess the airport support system was not well co-ordinated/planned & people there would have been in 'panic' mode...NO excuse for what happened to you, but not "unexpected" either!
When/If things get back to normal ..Philippines would still be *my preferred destination!

Thanks

You did come to PI at a wrong time. Corruption has always been there and will be there
if you ever return. Lots of expats has adjusted and dealt successfully with that aspect, so
it´s really up to you. Be safe and I hope you´ll come back...

Good luck!

robal

Everyone is panicked and confused.  It is bad for you but it is to be expected.  In an emergency situation you always need to keep in contact with your embassy.  Leave your phone on only for emergencies. The police and the military are not trained in the art of interpreting frequently changing rules.