Of course the differences between a developed world power and a developing country are massive. Though here are 3 major things I noticed in my first few weeks of living in the Philippines as a “balikbayan.”
1. Bringing Toilet Paper with you is ESSENTIAL
Many restrooms in the Philippines do not have toilet paper in the stalls themselves. Also they call the restrooms, “CR,” which stands for comfort room. Ironically toilet paper is a “comfort” that is missing from most CR’s, unless you find a boujee one, where you usually have to pay to use such a luxurious stall. Some of the CR’s do sell toilet paper either through a machine or through the person who mans the payment booth outside the CR. I strongly advise just packing your own toilet paper as I have shown in my YouTube video here… https://youtu.be/9CC7Nuz_MVU
2. Clearly armed guards and police have a heavy presence in parts of Baguio and Manila
When I landed in Manila this year I remember seeing what looked like police/military near the airport. A lot of them looked significantly fit. If they were eating donuts, I couldn't really tell. In Baguio, my hometown, there’s a lot of police and guards also. I guess you can feel a strong police presence in these places because both cities are heavily populated. The difference here is that… you’ll see police/military/guards carrying big guns on a daily basis. So I basically see a shotgun or automatic rifle strapped on a lean/big man like several times a week. Most of the cops I remember seeing in America carried sidearm guns. So it took awhile to get used to the sight of big guns on a daily basis.
3. Most men carry a small bag with them in the Philippines and it’s not weird at all
The glorious man bag is a really cool topic that I can write a separate blog article on later. Though I suppose with the recent rise of the fanny pack or the cross body bag, man bags have become less weird to the general western public (America). Many men of different ages and backgrounds can be seen in the Philippines carrying small bags, like a sling bag. I personally carry one also, I carry cool stuff like toilet paper. Take a look at my Instagram @johnj_images for photos/stories of how I use my man bag.
Check out my YouTube channel, John J Images, where I talk more about life in the Philippines!