I was here before, way back in 1999, an experience that left me remarking that Manila was one of the absolute worst cities on earth, like a bomb went off where a civilization once stood, and the jungle was starting to take it back.
The traffic was so thick and choking that even when I headed in a taxi to a local mall, the driver suffering a nervous breakdown after three hours of inching and pushing through only five kilometers of local streets, declaring that he was giving up in favor of a new profession after turning around to deposit me at my hotel.
Back then, I would have put the odds at one-in-hell-no that I’d end up actually living in Manila, and even a few years ago, the capital city of the Philippines was a place to be suffered as I passed through, but no place to call home.
And yet, in an ironic twist of fate, it’s Manila that I now call home.
So, why the hell did I choose to move here?
The traffic was so thick and choking that even when I headed in a taxi to a local mall, the driver suffering a nervous breakdown after three hours of inching and pushing through only five kilometers of local streets, declaring that he was giving up in favor of a new profession after turning around to deposit me at my hotel.
Back then, I would have put the odds at one-in-hell-no that I’d end up actually living in Manila, and even a few years ago, the capital city of the Philippines was a place to be suffered as I passed through, but no place to call home.
And yet, in an ironic twist of fate, it’s Manila that I now call home.
So, why the hell did I choose to move here?
So much has changed in Manila over those 20 years, and so much hasn’t. Today, I wanted to break down a peek into my new life in “The Thrilla” as I call it, referencing the third and final super-fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier here in 1975.
The traffic is even worse, if you can believe it, and has come to define the Manila experience for so many. That’s the first thing people will respond if you mention Manila anywhere in the country (followed by the pollution and then the crime), and it’s so bad that people refer to it as if it’s a catastrophic act of nature like a typhoon or an earthquake, as in “we have a Traffic” today.
Rush Hour is its own fang-bearing hungry animal and dictates most life choices in Manila. For instance, the drive from my neighborhood to central Makati, which is only 5 km as the crow flies and walkable if you didn't mind breaking a serious sweat, may take two hours at 5 pm but then only 20 minutes at 9 pm.
The traffic is even worse, if you can believe it, and has come to define the Manila experience for so many. That’s the first thing people will respond if you mention Manila anywhere in the country (followed by the pollution and then the crime), and it’s so bad that people refer to it as if it’s a catastrophic act of nature like a typhoon or an earthquake, as in “we have a Traffic” today.
Rush Hour is its own fang-bearing hungry animal and dictates most life choices in Manila. For instance, the drive from my neighborhood to central Makati, which is only 5 km as the crow flies and walkable if you didn't mind breaking a serious sweat, may take two hours at 5 pm but then only 20 minutes at 9 pm.
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I'll get back to that soon, but there are other changes. The megacity has also become "mega-er" (turning Spell-Check off), mushrooming to over 30 million people (no one really knows and it's certainly impossible to count in the endless slums), making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world!
It's also one of the most densely populated – or even the top by some estimates.
For instance, Manhattan has a population density of 26,403 people per square mile (10,194/km²), but Manila dwarfs that with 38,000 people per square mile (14,500/ km²).
They’ve actually long-ago broken Manila into sixteen sub-cities, like Makati (the international business and Red Light district), Quezon (where the Thrilla in Manila fight was held), Pasay (where the airport is located), and Taguig, where I live.
For instance, Manhattan has a population density of 26,403 people per square mile (10,194/km²), but Manila dwarfs that with 38,000 people per square mile (14,500/ km²).
They’ve actually long-ago broken Manila into sixteen sub-cities, like Makati (the international business and Red Light district), Quezon (where the Thrilla in Manila fight was held), Pasay (where the airport is located), and Taguig, where I live.
In my perfect world, I live on a white sand beach on some tropical island – and I’ve tried. However, the lack of Wi-Fi, modern infrastructure, etc. make it impossible.
So, my best bet is to have a cool and comfortable home base where I can work my ass off, get shit done, and enjoy the modern conveniences, but then bounce out to the airport every time the mood strikes to go find that white-sand beach or the next natural adventure.
So, my best bet is to have a cool and comfortable home base where I can work my ass off, get shit done, and enjoy the modern conveniences, but then bounce out to the airport every time the mood strikes to go find that white-sand beach or the next natural adventure.
Manila checks the box on several of the criteria I look for in that home base:
Food
I would characterize food in the Philippines as…how can I put this delicately?...a mix between prison gruel and refried dog chow – only far less healthy. It really is that bad in most places, where everything is pork or meat-based, deep-fried, doused in sugar or MSG powder called “’Sarap, or soaked in oil.
It’s SO hard to eat healthy here, and a travesty that you can find a good variety of fresh fruit but almost no vegetables. The food can even be downright unhygienic in many places and make you sick. But Manila has countless restaurants with better quality grub and more options.
It’s still not easy to eat healthy in Manila, and definitely not cheap, but at least it’s possible not to blow up to 400 lbs. or contract Scurvy while living here.
Food
I would characterize food in the Philippines as…how can I put this delicately?...a mix between prison gruel and refried dog chow – only far less healthy. It really is that bad in most places, where everything is pork or meat-based, deep-fried, doused in sugar or MSG powder called “’Sarap, or soaked in oil.
It’s SO hard to eat healthy here, and a travesty that you can find a good variety of fresh fruit but almost no vegetables. The food can even be downright unhygienic in many places and make you sick. But Manila has countless restaurants with better quality grub and more options.
It’s still not easy to eat healthy in Manila, and definitely not cheap, but at least it’s possible not to blow up to 400 lbs. or contract Scurvy while living here.
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Arts and Culture
To me, a fulfilled life means plenty of art, culture, music, and the dynamism of ideas around me, and Manila offers that in spades. From vibrant street art to gallery showings, funk and fun cultural experiences, museums, and music all around you in all its forms, Manila allows my best creative self to feel inspired.
To me, a fulfilled life means plenty of art, culture, music, and the dynamism of ideas around me, and Manila offers that in spades. From vibrant street art to gallery showings, funk and fun cultural experiences, museums, and music all around you in all its forms, Manila allows my best creative self to feel inspired.
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Modernism and intellectualism
While you're always aware that you live in an overcrowded, poor Developing Country, Manila is also home to the majority of international businesses in the nation, as well as the country's middle class or elite, a higher education level for the average person, plus plenty of movers and shakers. So, you get a fantastic mix of different cultures, languages, and modern attitudes, a far cry from the traditional and conservative societal norms that can be confusing and constricting.
While you're always aware that you live in an overcrowded, poor Developing Country, Manila is also home to the majority of international businesses in the nation, as well as the country's middle class or elite, a higher education level for the average person, plus plenty of movers and shakers. So, you get a fantastic mix of different cultures, languages, and modern attitudes, a far cry from the traditional and conservative societal norms that can be confusing and constricting.
Social scene
I did love a lot of aspects of Dumaguete, but the social scene was not one of them. Manila, on the other hand, is the big city, and there is never a lack of cool things to do or interesting people to meet. Of course, the bar and nightlife scene is insane and borders on Bacchanalian at certain places, but I’m way too old, hardworking, and tired for all of that craziness.
Instead, I enjoy the array of more chill lounges, cocktail bars with old school hip hop, and beer joints with live bands.
Here's a video I shot entering a seemingly-normal 7-11 store that turns into an upscale nightclub called Bank Bar once you walk through the Employees Only door.
I did love a lot of aspects of Dumaguete, but the social scene was not one of them. Manila, on the other hand, is the big city, and there is never a lack of cool things to do or interesting people to meet. Of course, the bar and nightlife scene is insane and borders on Bacchanalian at certain places, but I’m way too old, hardworking, and tired for all of that craziness.
Instead, I enjoy the array of more chill lounges, cocktail bars with old school hip hop, and beer joints with live bands.
Here's a video I shot entering a seemingly-normal 7-11 store that turns into an upscale nightclub called Bank Bar once you walk through the Employees Only door.
There are also endless festivals, fairs, concerts, events, night markets, and places just to hang out and drink coffee while mixing and mingling. I can get used to this once I change my inner workaholic/hermit ways and get out and about more.
Parks and green spaces
I lived in the Philippines' seconds largest city, Cebu, before, but was shocked and disappointed to find a total lack of any parks. Manila, however, despite being much larger and crazier, has some nice public parks and outdoor plazas that are actually clean, safe, etc. I'm a huge fan of public parks to chill, read, workout, or enjoy nature, so that was a must-have before I decided to move to Manila.
Health and fitness
Speaking of recreation areas, I also love the active workout scene in the city, as there are some nice, modern gyms and such. I found a modern, clean and convenient Golds Gym only two blocks from my house and got a killer deal by prepaying for a year.
There are also a few boxing and martial arts studios in the area, but the one in my neighborhood, Fight Factory, is super expensive. Luckily, I live right near the Philippines Army base and they have a recreation center, so I can walk 15 minutes over there and get in a boxing or Muay Thai workout for only 70 Pesos - $1.50 or so.
I lived in the Philippines' seconds largest city, Cebu, before, but was shocked and disappointed to find a total lack of any parks. Manila, however, despite being much larger and crazier, has some nice public parks and outdoor plazas that are actually clean, safe, etc. I'm a huge fan of public parks to chill, read, workout, or enjoy nature, so that was a must-have before I decided to move to Manila.
Health and fitness
Speaking of recreation areas, I also love the active workout scene in the city, as there are some nice, modern gyms and such. I found a modern, clean and convenient Golds Gym only two blocks from my house and got a killer deal by prepaying for a year.
There are also a few boxing and martial arts studios in the area, but the one in my neighborhood, Fight Factory, is super expensive. Luckily, I live right near the Philippines Army base and they have a recreation center, so I can walk 15 minutes over there and get in a boxing or Muay Thai workout for only 70 Pesos - $1.50 or so.
Airport
There are plenty of cities or island throughout the Philippines with their own airports, but outside of Cebu, Clark (about 120km north of Manila) or Manila. Itself, there are very few direct flights. When I lived in Dumaguete here in the Philippines over the last year and a half, I loved their little local airport but had to fly to Cebu first before grabbing a connection, which usually meant getting a hotel and staying overnight, etc.
But from Manila’s NAIA airport, which is only about 5km from my apartment (a 20 minute to two-hour drive!), I can hit every single airport in the Philippines. In fact, I travel as often as possible since airfares are also ludicrously underpriced, running $30 to $80 one-way or so to fly anywhere in the country. From Manila, I can also jump all over Asia on cheap direct flights, and there are non-stop flights to San Francisco or even New York City.
Comfort and convenience
I'm not talking about luxuries, but just being able to buy things, get better healthcare, and basic amenities. In Manila, it’s not hard to find air conditioning and bathrooms [they call them Comfort Rooms] with toilet paper and soap. And while it’s still alarming how few establishments have serviceable Wi-Fi, it’s always possible to connect somewhere.
It’s not just about convenience, but safety. You’ll also find a startling discrepancy between wealth and abject urban poverty, with tens of millions of people living in slums and shanties among unimaginable squalor, while the robust upper class of Philippines’ society does business in glass skyscrapers, eats at fancy restaurants, and shops at luxury U.S. and European stores.
There are plenty of cities or island throughout the Philippines with their own airports, but outside of Cebu, Clark (about 120km north of Manila) or Manila. Itself, there are very few direct flights. When I lived in Dumaguete here in the Philippines over the last year and a half, I loved their little local airport but had to fly to Cebu first before grabbing a connection, which usually meant getting a hotel and staying overnight, etc.
But from Manila’s NAIA airport, which is only about 5km from my apartment (a 20 minute to two-hour drive!), I can hit every single airport in the Philippines. In fact, I travel as often as possible since airfares are also ludicrously underpriced, running $30 to $80 one-way or so to fly anywhere in the country. From Manila, I can also jump all over Asia on cheap direct flights, and there are non-stop flights to San Francisco or even New York City.
Comfort and convenience
I'm not talking about luxuries, but just being able to buy things, get better healthcare, and basic amenities. In Manila, it’s not hard to find air conditioning and bathrooms [they call them Comfort Rooms] with toilet paper and soap. And while it’s still alarming how few establishments have serviceable Wi-Fi, it’s always possible to connect somewhere.
It’s not just about convenience, but safety. You’ll also find a startling discrepancy between wealth and abject urban poverty, with tens of millions of people living in slums and shanties among unimaginable squalor, while the robust upper class of Philippines’ society does business in glass skyscrapers, eats at fancy restaurants, and shops at luxury U.S. and European stores.
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I never need to be reminded that I am incredibly fortunate have it better than most people on the planet, and bearing witness daily to the poverty, homelessness, and gritty living conditions in Manila will always keep me humble and appreciative.
Even the average educated or service worker with a "good" job still has to commute several hours each day via crowded Jeepneys and buses, endure long work shifts, often during the night in call centers or the BPO industry, and just scrape by as they try to support their extended family or children - who often live back in the province. This environment creates unfathomable stress, isolation, and even hopelessness for so many, and I have a whole lot of respect for these folks and I'm proud to have a few of them friends.
As you now understand, the specific area you live in Manila is so crucial to the quality of your life. The little red dot on the big map I now call home is at Morgan Executive Suites, Florence Way, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig….in Manila.
I was introduced to the McKinley Hill enclave by my good local friend, Laarni, who used to in the same apartment building where I now reside. It's a small community consisting of call centers, high-rise condo towers, a few international schools, and a mall.
But it’s also one of the safest and cleanest areas in Manila because it sits next to the whole national military complex, conjoined with the massive Philippines army base, and then Airforce, Navy, etc. in a row.
My studio apartment is simple but functional, as has a rare view. It encompasses 34 square meters, which is roomy by Manila standards but only as big as three prison cells stacked together.
I was introduced to the McKinley Hill enclave by my good local friend, Laarni, who used to in the same apartment building where I now reside. It's a small community consisting of call centers, high-rise condo towers, a few international schools, and a mall.
But it’s also one of the safest and cleanest areas in Manila because it sits next to the whole national military complex, conjoined with the massive Philippines army base, and then Airforce, Navy, etc. in a row.
My studio apartment is simple but functional, as has a rare view. It encompasses 34 square meters, which is roomy by Manila standards but only as big as three prison cells stacked together.
The apartment came furnished with a solid bed, green couch that I never sit on, and a kitchen table that's uncomfortable to sit at that serves as my workstation. I'm slowly by surely filling out the place and making it livable, although I do need to add an electric burner because I don't have a stove or even a microwave as yet.
But it does offer a view of the pristine jungle and a big pond that serve as training areas for the Army base next door, and that full natural panorama from my window is invaluable in this concrete jungle.
But it does offer a view of the pristine jungle and a big pond that serve as training areas for the Army base next door, and that full natural panorama from my window is invaluable in this concrete jungle.
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When my neighbor and friend, Laarni, moved to Australia shortly after I moved in, she was kind enough to donate all of her kitchen stuff, house plants (I've only killed one of them so far), and even a guitar, which I don't know how to play but sure makes a nice prop.
My building also has a lobby that looks pretty luxurious, air-tight security, a gym that’s good enough to throw a few dumbbells around or take a treadmill jog when you don’t feel like venturing out, and not one but two small swimming pools on the rooftop.
But a nice apartment building and a mall does not an existence make, and the main benefit of McKinley Hill its proximity to Bonifacio Global City and then, Makati a few kilometers further, two of the most desirable areas in Manila.
My building also has a lobby that looks pretty luxurious, air-tight security, a gym that’s good enough to throw a few dumbbells around or take a treadmill jog when you don’t feel like venturing out, and not one but two small swimming pools on the rooftop.
But a nice apartment building and a mall does not an existence make, and the main benefit of McKinley Hill its proximity to Bonifacio Global City and then, Makati a few kilometers further, two of the most desirable areas in Manila.
McKinley Hills features a small shopping mall called the Venice Grand Canal Mall, and the whole structure is supposed to mimic being in Italy, including an ornate canal running through the center made to look like Venice, complete with gondola boats with oarsmen in black striped shirts, Italian opera music piping throughout.
Cheesy? Yes. But it actually looks pretty damn cool, attracting horses of selfie snappers from all over Manila.
It’s at the Venice Grand Canal Mall, not even two blocks from my apartment, that I’ve found my gym, supermarket, barber shop, and a lineup of five or more coffee shops that I frequent.
(The only reason I considered a move to a place that looks like a 2050 post-apocalyptic Big Apple on steroids is because I don’t have to commute to every day since I can work from home, a coffee shop, waiting at the airport, or anyplace that I can open my laptop and may have Wi-Fi.)
Cheesy? Yes. But it actually looks pretty damn cool, attracting horses of selfie snappers from all over Manila.
It’s at the Venice Grand Canal Mall, not even two blocks from my apartment, that I’ve found my gym, supermarket, barber shop, and a lineup of five or more coffee shops that I frequent.
(The only reason I considered a move to a place that looks like a 2050 post-apocalyptic Big Apple on steroids is because I don’t have to commute to every day since I can work from home, a coffee shop, waiting at the airport, or anyplace that I can open my laptop and may have Wi-Fi.)
I absolutely love the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area that’s only a 15-minute walk from my hood (I’m thinking of getting one of those electric scooters, which make it easy to tool around and you don’t even have to park), but the rents there are insane.
This is the part where you’ll think that I’ve been in the sun too long, because these rents will sound low to you, but consider that this is for a comically-small studio or one-bedroom apartment in a relatively-poor Developing Country.
In BGC, that same studio starts at 35,000 Pesos ($750) per month and one-bedrooms probably average 50,000 or so ($1,000). Most people who live there are either making huge salaries from their foreign national companies or even have their housing allowance paid for by the company, but that number is far out of reach for even most professional Filipinos (call centers and Business Outsource Processing – BPOs- are the major employers here).
I’m a notorious cheap-ass, so I refuse to pay that much for rent abroad, even though I could make it work. Instead, I was happy to find a studio for 20,000 per month – or $400, which is still a steal for my area. I was able to negotiate an even better price of $340 monthly by prepaying for the whole year!
Anyways, you don’t want to listen to me bitch and whine about the prices here (and I could go on all day if I get started), but I just barely sneak into Manila’s elite neighborhoods based on my budget.
In BGC, that same studio starts at 35,000 Pesos ($750) per month and one-bedrooms probably average 50,000 or so ($1,000). Most people who live there are either making huge salaries from their foreign national companies or even have their housing allowance paid for by the company, but that number is far out of reach for even most professional Filipinos (call centers and Business Outsource Processing – BPOs- are the major employers here).
I’m a notorious cheap-ass, so I refuse to pay that much for rent abroad, even though I could make it work. Instead, I was happy to find a studio for 20,000 per month – or $400, which is still a steal for my area. I was able to negotiate an even better price of $340 monthly by prepaying for the whole year!
Anyways, you don’t want to listen to me bitch and whine about the prices here (and I could go on all day if I get started), but I just barely sneak into Manila’s elite neighborhoods based on my budget.
And I find BGC to be unmistakably DOPE!
If I just dropped you there, you seriously would think you're in the business district of Miami or San Diego or something. It's a well-planned community in an otherwise urban snake pit, and home to a whole lot of high-dollar international business people, corporate expats, and well-to-do Filipinos.
If I just dropped you there, you seriously would think you're in the business district of Miami or San Diego or something. It's a well-planned community in an otherwise urban snake pit, and home to a whole lot of high-dollar international business people, corporate expats, and well-to-do Filipinos.
In BGC, you can walk past a Ferrari and Bentley auto dealership on your way to get a decent salad, two things that are virtually impossible anywhere else in the Philippines! The area even features a spotlessly clean outdoor jogging trail called the Green Belt (very rare in the Philippines), and a massive golf course in its midst.
BGC is defined by High Street, a stunningly-nice outdoor plaza that extends about six city blocks, lined with two stories of upscale cafes, restaurants, shops, and boutiques and filled in with green areas, sculptures, fountains, pop-up food kiosks, and even concert and event stages, decked out to the nines for every holiday.
Needless to say, I've slightly upgraded my regular attire of flip flops, board shorts, and a basketball jersey, and I actually find myself putting on jeans or a shirt with buttons now and then (gasp!).
I can seriously just go hang out at High Street all day, getting a coffee or meal at the Canadian-owned St. Louis coffee shop and restaurant as I people watch. One evening every week, I'll go drink Dark & Stormies and listen to old school hip hop at the secret bar located in the back of the California-inspired Pinks Hot Dogs (no, it's not a gay bar – I swear!).
BGC is defined by High Street, a stunningly-nice outdoor plaza that extends about six city blocks, lined with two stories of upscale cafes, restaurants, shops, and boutiques and filled in with green areas, sculptures, fountains, pop-up food kiosks, and even concert and event stages, decked out to the nines for every holiday.
Needless to say, I've slightly upgraded my regular attire of flip flops, board shorts, and a basketball jersey, and I actually find myself putting on jeans or a shirt with buttons now and then (gasp!).
I can seriously just go hang out at High Street all day, getting a coffee or meal at the Canadian-owned St. Louis coffee shop and restaurant as I people watch. One evening every week, I'll go drink Dark & Stormies and listen to old school hip hop at the secret bar located in the back of the California-inspired Pinks Hot Dogs (no, it's not a gay bar – I swear!).
I already feel that my foray into Manila will be worth it based on the friendships I've formed, old and new.
I ‘ve connected with some really cool folks here, like a California-born hip hop DJ named Mark Afrika, a professional basketball player in the Philippines league, an old friend who retired from his orthopedic surgery practice in San Francisco to open up a microbrewery in Manila (Bruddah Brewing), and Dead Aim Amy, a Canadian gal who's a professional boxer who also teaches little girls from the slums how to box as a way to boost their self-esteem.
I ‘ve connected with some really cool folks here, like a California-born hip hop DJ named Mark Afrika, a professional basketball player in the Philippines league, an old friend who retired from his orthopedic surgery practice in San Francisco to open up a microbrewery in Manila (Bruddah Brewing), and Dead Aim Amy, a Canadian gal who's a professional boxer who also teaches little girls from the slums how to box as a way to boost their self-esteem.
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Ironically, I find that people are more open to meet and converse here, once you get past the big-city guardedness. Just in my dozen weeks in Manila so far, I've struck up random acquaintances with a guy named Pancake who's an online sneaker dealer, a model I met at the airport, a buddy from Saudi Arabia who's a student here, two sisters who volunteer to clean up Manila Bay in their downtime, and many more eager and interested Filipinos or foreigners of substance.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s still a crazy place that can chew you up and spit you out if you’re not careful and thick-skinned, but there’s no shortage of people, places, and things to sate my intellectual curiosity here in Manila, helping me feel connected to a greater community and passionate about my small, inconsequential time on this planet.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Manila is now home.
The Thrilla!
-Norm :-)
Don’t get me wrong – it’s still a crazy place that can chew you up and spit you out if you’re not careful and thick-skinned, but there’s no shortage of people, places, and things to sate my intellectual curiosity here in Manila, helping me feel connected to a greater community and passionate about my small, inconsequential time on this planet.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Manila is now home.
The Thrilla!
-Norm :-)
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