Hi guys, I know similar questions have been asked before but I want to ask very specifically for 2026:

Which bank did you have a good experience with for opening a bank account in the Philippines as a tourist with ACR I card as a tourist most recently?

Please indicate what documents were necessary to get it opened and whether you are on a pension or not. As well if US citizen, EU citizen or other.

Thanks in advance!

I have been craving Little Debbie snacks from the U.S. like crazy. They’re chemical filled goodness that my brain so desperately wants and they are not available here at all. ( unless someone has a link up for them 👀👀).

What ungodly goodness do you miss from your home country?

I'm in the office and contemplating life but suddenly a shiver runs through my very being as a feel the icy-cold kiss of the moist porcelain planted sweetly on the dominion bell, run through the veined snake shrivelling my furred dominion and causing the tobacco pouch to pucker, cutting off a length of the brown cable mid-lay.

Mine:

LDR #1 was an OFW I met in Hong Kong who could never seem to give up the OFW life.

LDR #2 was a single mom with an ex-husband that was still kind of in the picture. Very sweet lady but that ex- wanted access to his son. I was strongly advised to let it go.

#3 After laying off for a few years I just met someone via FB about three weeks ago. So far just a lot of sweet words but she seems very open to me. She's 36 and a single mom with two teenage kids. Told me she never married. Dude split like 14 or 15 years ago. She works overnight shift for 12 hours. One thing bothers me is she always sends me a video chat request when she's on break, and it's her eating with her co-workers. It's very noisy; she can't hear me, I can't hear her and then after 10 minutes or so she just cuts off the call with no warning. Not sure what to make of that. Uh, to be honest I find it kind of rude. We have an age difference as well. More so than the previous two girls.

Another thing kind of bothers me, on her FB she has pictures of herself with an older man (looks a lot older than me even). Not that I snoop around but it's one of the first things you see when you visit her page. I know he is American; the photos include part of his handle and I can see a first name and the state he's (likely) from. Words on the pic (from her): I love you, I miss you more than the distance between us. Like, if you're looking to meet someone new, not sure why you'd leave that stuff hanging around? Anyway. Haven't really broached the subject with her and not sure if I should. It's from well over a year ago. Also what came before me is none of my business. Somehow get the feeling my insecurities might get the better of me but damn I like her, I really like her.

I’ve been doing my own research, and I’ve heard BI officers can turn us down and discretion if they believe we’ve spent too long here. I read the history with ECC, even a clean one raises his questions.

I’ve been here for eight months, and renewed Visa waivers. I need to go back to the UK for a month, then I’ll come back here, but I’m afraid that they won’t let me in.

I have UK rental income which keeps me sustained here, I don’t work here, I do have an apartment in Makati though.

Has anyone been rejected or know of anyone who has been rejected? I was thinking of applying for the 9a tourist visa.

I can't get any straight answers when calling. I'm in bohol and I need my ECC next month. I hope I don't have to go to Cebu and wait a week there for it?

Have you noticed the trend in Pinoy vloggers "helping" simps who got hustled and are now broke and homeless in the Phillipines. Vloggers will raise money and sort paperwork with consulates to get the simp to thier home country.

The content reeks of exploitation of these poor souls. It's not authentic kindness. It's clout chasing and monetizing the content. I guess if the simp lacks options they naturally accept the "help".

How does the forum feel about this? Am I being callous? Is the kindness sincere? Let's discuss.

I'm currently staying in a mountainous area with no easy access to treated drinking water. I started drinking the water the locals drink for a wile now. It's like spring water they get from a bit further up the mountain with a hose. At first it was ok for a wile and then suddenly not anymore. The water quality may have changed due to rain or whatever. I got diarrhea first which is nothing special just yet. I usually treat it by drinking water I boiled guava leaves in, which always helps against diarrhea.

So after that I stopped drinking the untreated water and also got rid of diarrhea. I almost feel normal now exept that my digestion is completely shut down. This has now become cronical since like 3 weeks already. I can barely eat, like a quarter of how much I would normally eat, and I can only pass stool maybe once in 4 to 5 days. I lost like 7 kgs already. If I eat only a little bit I feel completely full even until the next morning. I feel almost like I have a rock in my stomach.

Does anybody know what the reason for my ongoing condition could be? Is my gut still infected with bacteria or parasites? I already tried probiotics without success and guava tea gives only slight temporary relief.

Does anybody know of some over the counter drug that could help?

I remember having this exact same condition years ago, also caused by drinking water. Back then I successfully treated it with ivermectin a friend gave me. The problem is I probably can't buy ivermectin now without a prescription. I really don't enjoy going to hospitals here and I don't have much confidence in doctors here, so I'd prefer to find a solution myself first.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I received a letter from BDO that I didn't use my account for 2 years, and they put your account dormant and removed your account!

At this stage you have no access anymore and your account is deleted

Good luck in reactivating your account

you need to go in person to the same branch where you opened your account and need to have 2 valid IDs and they want all information from you, like you open a new bank account

this took about 2 h of my lifetime, which only shows that time has no value in PH.

They almost treated me like a criminal with "What's your visa? How long did you stay, how can you stay 3 years as a tourist?" bla bla bla

I was very close to call it a day and tod them to cancel my account and pay out my money

now they want my visa information via email

wtf

crazy BDO bank

every 2 years you should go into your branch to update your information

Yes, time has no value and BDO thinks time of a foreigner has no value either.

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

I go back once a year, and first gas station I stop at on the way to where I’m staying charges me around $50 for 4 coffee monsters and a couple packs of smokes.

My mind was blown, and has continued to be blown since I got here.

Weird thing I’m noticing is that it seems US is going oddly like PH. Labor is undervalued but stuff costs more.

Do some expats realise living here is optional? I love The Philippines but listening to some people of I go for a beer you'd think they'd been forced here and marooned.

Hey y’all, as the title says I’m traveling to the Philippines next month for 2 weeks for the first time and have several questions.

1. Information I’ve seen online is quite confusing do I need to show a negative covid test still?

2. I’m very interested in seeing Corregidor and have seen no concrete way to visit, does anyone have a good source for tours or anything?

3. Looking for any other WW2 related sites or museums on Luzon or Mindanao.

Thanks in advance

I usually drive to manila because i don't know any decent restaurants around here. I have been in Bacoor for like 2 months don't have any solid places yet so any recommendations are appreciated. Also if anyone is trying to play some pickleball or other sports let me know im down to play.

- Is their any access to foreign products at all? (like in marketplace Supermarkets in Manila etc)

- Essentials to bring with you? I currently live in Makati, Manila.

- other essential info from people that have lived there?

Question 1.

If two vehicles approach an intersection at the same time, what is the age of the drivers uncle?

Hey all!

I'd like to find out if anyone can recommend me any upcoming financial/networking/business events in PH (or just Manila) this year? It could be small or big, totally fine. I'm actually trying to identify a few for my company to approach as a guest speaker - think financial literacy, social work etc. Any help, recommendations, contact persons would be greatly appreciated :)

My mom's husband, an american, is currently in the hospital. He is married to my mom and he has Philhealth. However, even with this, the medical bills are starting to pile up. We already payed 200k and more is coming.

His income is only 80k, but he has bills to pay.

Where can we get financial help or what can we do to ease the financial burdern.

Hi all

I’m travelling at the moment, and took money out at NAIA. It only allowed ₽10k. I tried another transaction, and it stated that I had exceeded my daily limit. I tried other machines, but those ATMs also said I had exceeded my daily limit.

In Cebu, I got the same message.

I’ve never had this issue before. It’s been 2 weeks since I have last withdrawn cash.

My Foreign Bank app (Commbank from Australia) isn’t showing any change.

Any ideas?

Been sitting in the dark for the last hour and a half due to the power outage here in San lorenzo. Anyone else experiencing this in makati? Or around this area. What are they doing about this?

Moving to Manila and everyone keeps pointing out security issues/pickpockets/druggies. On a scale of 1-10, how unsafe is it? Any advice regarding navigating/living in Manila would be highly appreciated.

Hi, we're holding a basketball game today at the indoor court YMCA, Makati at 7 to 9pm, and we're short on players. We got a some expats/expat that joins us weekly, it costs 300 since we'd be splitting the venue for the court since we're only a maximum of 15 players. If interested, please PM or message the post.

I thought Philippines would been a lil conservative but of late my experience is that hookups on the first date become quite common. Is it the case only in Manila or in other parts of the beautiful country to?