February 16th 2015 Bacolod city- Day 5

This is the street food I usually buy. 2 bags of cooked rice with soy sauce and 8 pork shishkabobs for 116 pesos ($3.13cdn).

Some of the critters I share my hotel room with.

My new Acer computer.

Brandy back on sale at 7-Eleven!! I was tempted!

Starbucks coffee in Bacolod city.

Had more pork and rice yesterday for dinner. 1 kilo of cooked spicy pork for 500 pesos ($13.50 cdn). Lots of fat on this pork so will be limiting my portions to only a few shishkabobs at a time.

The Philippines. Retire in Paradise!!

Just down by the water today checking on ferry schedules to Illoilo city which is my next stop. 

I haven't done a lot since being in Bacolod city. Just mostly on the internet and researching a few things with my new laptop. I am still looking for a decent beach around here but still no luck. Thailand has lots of nice beaches but I haven't seen any good ones in the Philippines yet.

Yesterday was Sunday and I didn't realize many of the street vendors take the day off as I walked around trying to find a place to eat. I prefer eating the street food for many reasons 1) It is healthier than the fast food alternative 2) It is way cheaper in price ($2-3 compared to $6-10) 3) it tastes better 4) It helps those who need the money the most which are these poor families that have uncle and aunts and cousins and lots of little kids around them that share the same house where a few extra dollars per day can feed the family and they appreciate your business.

I am surprised to see many filipinos wearing t-shirts with the American flag. The US has had a big impact on this culture since WW2 and even before. You hear Western rock and roll music everywhere throughout the Philippines. I don't go more than a block before I hear "Good morning Sir" or "Hello Joe". Apparently the "hello Joe" is from the days of WW2 with GI JOES.

You see security guards everywhere mainly because labour is super cheap here. I read that security guards make like $50 or so a month. Not a lot but they certainly don't do a lot. They open doors for people and help people back their vehicles out of the establishments they work at. Some of them carry shot guns with the red shot gun shells all clipped to their belts.

When I am in McDonalds for my coffees there will be 3 McDonalds employees side by side behind the counter. One taking the orders, another is a manager and the 3rd just help around the kitchen as the one taking the orders says "Good morning sir" then the manager beside her smiling says "Good morning sir" and then after I say good morning to each of them individually the 3rd one looks at me and says "Good morning sir". Very friendly place here. Very sincere pleasantries.

As westerners here, we are seen as RICH. And rightfully so regardless of how we see ourselves as many of these people make very little. Over the last few days I have been doing a little research on businesses in the Philippines and even checking out piggeries and farmland businesses and it is so competitive that the profit margins are very low like 10% or less and so many things can go wrong where it is easier to lose money. Just not worth it for a westerner. All the expats who haved lived in the Philippines say "In order to make a small fortune in the Philippines you have to start with a big fortune".

I think the best possible way out of poverty is to become an OFW (overseas foreign worker). 10% (10 million filipinos) of the population are OFWs. 100 million people crammed onto these islands fighting for the little resources on it makes it very competitive. Many of the poor look very malnourished. Just skin and bone. They make a bit of money each day which is enough to feed themselves and their family. Their children will probably grow up the same way as the poverty cycle continues with lack of an education.

While I was eating my pork and rice last night a woman with a 5 year old child stopped on the sidewalk and looked at me for 3 minutes and I knew she wanted some pork or money so I ignored her and so she kept walking while always looking back at me to see if I would look at her. I use to think that it was only white westerners they do this too but they do it to filipinos as well as I notice the children stick their hands out to filipinos who are busy eating their dinners at the outside restaurants. It is never good to give them money as it turns them into beggars and I am sure the average tourist who is only in the Philippines on a 2 week vacation give them money thinking their are helping but don't see the long term damage they do. Give them food but never money.