Impressions of Manila

Several things that impressed me while i was at Manila:

1) The security
One of the first things that i noticed about Manila was the tight security. At every entrance of malls, there are security guards that check your bags with a scanner. if the bags are huge, they require you to open them.

At parking lot entrances, security guards open car boot to check if there are any hidden explosives. My friend explained that the security was due to some bombing incidents that happened several years ago. Coupled with the increase in terrorim activities worldwide, security has also tightened. Filipinos find the inspection as parts and parcels of life.

2) The traffic
Wow, if i had thought KL's traffic was bad, i definitely changed my mind when i was in Manila. To reach a destination that is like 2km away, it could take at least 45 mins on moderate traffic. let's not imagine when it's heavy traffic.

That is why most Filipinos do not ask how far is a destination, they ask: How long does it take to go there?

3) Filipino time
I guess due to the unexpected traffic, there's such a thing as Filipino time. if Malaysian time is 30 minutes late, Filipino time is probably about an hour.

I experienced this when a friend was late for more than an hour for dinner.

4) The gap between the rich and the poor
Manila is probably the first city i've been that i saw the huge gap between the "haves" and "haves not". According to some friends, Jakarta and India have similar environment.

Capital Manila consists of some 13 cities and each city has its own identity. there is Makati with its posh buildings comprising of embassies and offices of MNCs and grand malls like Greenbelt while Pasay was a little bit run down with houses that looked like rumah setinggan. people dressed differently also.

It was interesting to see the difference when the streets turned into a new city. Children knocked on windows of cars whenever they stopped during traffic. traders were selling all sorts of stuff ie peanuts, masks, toys, fruits and food while walking on the street.

The Chinese, or mainly the Fuchows, are considered the wealthier group and they lived in huge houses on a residential area called Greenhill.

5) Expensive utility
While foodstuff is relatively cheaper than KL, electricity is expensive. Very few buildings are lit and roads are not very bright at night as lampstands are limited.

The condo where my friend and her family are staying, the residents use a lower voltage lights for the tennis courts due to pricey energy cost.

Another guy, whom i met on the plane, pay on average 4000P for electricity for less than 1,000 sqf apt with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. However, he could also be paying a premium since he stayed at Makati.

In Banaue, where the rice terraces are located, guesthouses do not provide free voltage for guests to charge mobile phones, digital cameras or laptops. they charge between 10P and 20P (100P = RM7.35) for usage.

Petrol is also expensive as the Philippines, unlike Malaysia, is not a net exporter of petroleum. Petrol cost about 67P per litre, almost twice the price we pay here.

Fortunately, mobile phone charges are relatively cheaper due to price wars. International calls could cost as little as RM0.20 per minute.

6) So many shopping malls!!
I really didn't believe that Manila has one of the most malls in the region until i saw them with my own eyes! almost every street has a mall and they are huge ones, almost the size of MidValley. the SM Megamall is really a M-E-G-A sized shopping centre. our MidValley pales in comparison.

The reason for the numerous shopping centres, as explained by my friend, is that Manila is very warm during summer and at such, people prefer to stay within an air-conditioned place rather than on the outside. It doesn't mean that they like to spend money on shopping.

Nonetheless, it is a shopping haven for shopaholics cos there's a variety of stuff and prices are competitive. Grocery, for example, is rather cheap. i bought a bottle of banana ketchup (yes, there's flavoured ketchup besides tomatoes) for 12.95P (that's less than RM1!).

7) Huge billboards
When my friends n i were travelling on the road in the city, we couldn't help but noticed the many huge billboards that stood along the streets. There was almost one billboard at every 200m, featuring various brands of goods. Even in the evening, they are lit up and one can see them from a distance.

8) Colourful jeepneys
This is the main form of transport due to its affordability. during peak hours, jeepneys are packed with people like sardines.

Jeepneys are remnants from the US occupation when the army left their trucks in the country. they are not exactly the most comfortable means of transport but they do get you to anywhere within the capital.