THANK YOU SO MUCH for correctly saying "Metro Manila" instead of simply calling everything "Manila". *You clearly have done research and are a reputable source of quality PHL travel video.* "Metro Manila" is the old but still popular name of the National Capital Region (NCR) which is composed of 16 adjacent cities and 1 municipality. "Manila" is just one of those cities and is located on the western edge of the NCR. Makati, Taguig and Pasay are also cities by their own right located also within the NCR. By the way, you probably want to add the recommendation to bring a hat or umbrella to shield yourselves from the sun. It is perfectly normal here to use umbrellas not just for rain, but also from the sun. Heat stroke, sun burn and skin cancer are very real risks here esp in our hot and humid country. Your local language is also nearly perfect. It's amazing! (04:42) I am also very relieved that you got your wallet back. This world is not entirely lost. 05:11 I would strongly advise against giving alms to street beggars. I'm pretty sure it's illegal in some cities (though you probably won't get in trouble for that even if the police see you). It is for the general safety of foreigners. We do not want beggars to mob foreigners because they have learned to expect alms from you. There are more organized ways of helping out the poor but sadly I cannot personally vouch for any charity organizations that is free from corruption. I'm not saying there is none. I just have no personal knowledge of any one. 13:25 Impressive! So far, this is just the 2nd vlog I have seen that correctly identified BGC as part of Taguig (and not lumped with "Manila"). Despite having "city" in its name, BGC is not a real city by our law definition (i.e. it is not a local government unit with its own mayor, right to tax, etc.). Sad note: you are correct that BGC was just fairly recently developed from practically a forest or vast wild grassland. As such, BGC (esp hotels, kitchens and pantry areas of the office spaces) is still dealing with pest problems of varying sizes. They do have regular pest control measures but the whole world knows how resilient insects are. That is not much of a problem in the Makati business district. Something to look forward to I guess -- esp for "thrill seeking" foreigners. lolz 😂😂 Again, thank you for this well done and properly researched quality travel vlog. Subscribed! This is definitely the best Metro Manila vlog I have seen so far. May this help other foreigners who want to travel to PHL and avoid a potential misunderstanding with our airport taxi because they mistakenly say "Manila" when they actually wanted to go to a different city within Metro Manila.
First time that I've seen this vlogger and the first Norwegian vlogger that I encountered. Norway, a very rich country, bigger than the Philippines but the population is only 5% of that of the Philippines. He must have been in awe, seeing how dense the capital region is.
But it's also my first time to see him, O think. Does he have a limp? Something about the way he walks -- I can only see his shoulders but one side seems to dip lower when he walks.
The first time I went here, I wasn’t actually surprised by the amount of people. I was honestly expecting it to be more crowded, though the sheer size of Manila still astounds me to this day.
Ang galing grabeh speaking a little bit of tagalog to locals is quite comfortable, its a good thing dude and for making more vedios in the future good job
You are a very good man indeed! You deserve that luck w/ your lost wallet! Love that making it a point to buy made in the Philippines & coming from a Norwegian! What a great message! More success to you!
9:48 it is not the biggest in terms of the physical size of the mall, but it is the biggest in terms of the rentable spaces for commercial purposes, it includes the sky garden, the dome, and all spaces in between and under escalators and on the sides.. you know what i mean. that that makes it the biggest brother.
Surprised how that photo bomber building right behind the statue of our national hero was built at all. After a while, you get used to the humidity but very difficult to adjust to after having been gone for a long time. This is the first time I’ve come across your vlog and really appreciate the format. It is unfortunate that some people shamelessly ask/ beg for food. A lot of provincial folks think that there is a pot of Gold to be had in Manila but there are opportunities in the provinces too. Like they say in Tagalog, nasa diskarte lamang to survive in the province without resorting to evil ways. Having lived in Manila for a long time, there are a lot of places where you can find a great deal like Divisoria. Thanks for the vlog.
Alot of things that shouldn't have been built are still built in this country, but this one is a very special case. I think it just became known to the public and the media when it has already under construction. It is indeed very suspicious how come this building managed to get its permit to even be built in the first place. Of course you know, in the Philippines, under-the-table deals include the table itself. As for people begging, I would like to inform this woman never asked for money. Usually when people beg, they are only asking for money, which is a big no-no for me. But I knew she was genuine as she was actually the parking guard, and just asked at first if I could take picture with the children. She was almost in tears once the children she and her friend take care of were fed, giving me a big hug. She inspires me because she takes care of the children even if they appear to not be related.
Great video and very informative. I like that little segway or side trip on the small street. It was a great short clip showing the typical Manila streets and how the ordinary Juan lives. It's just enough for the viewer to see it and not too long that it becomes the highlight of your content. You've touched every facet of what living in Manila is all about. Informative enough and not too overwhelming that the viewer gets an information overload. Great start to your new journey. Also the mini drama with your wallet, may I suggest you get a money clip so you won't have to be always taking out your wallet all the time. And nice bike ride, seeing you lane split and move in and out of those cars. That Xr150 is quite nimble and can move and turn like a scooter, the one drawback of the Xr is its a manual. But that's just me as i prefer an automatic scooter for city drives. But yeah an Nmax or an Adv is for me but that Xr is right at the top with those two scoots that I mentioned. All in all a great content and here's to more great content in the future.
That street was just a pure coincidence that I came across. I took a wrong turn along EDSA, but in the end it was worth it. I also went by Baclaran but decided to cut it out from the video to keep it under 20min.
I am loving this channel. I felt bad for you though that you dropped your wallet and was clueless about it. Be careful next time. More power to you and more subscribers. By the way, good job in learning our language. You nailed it in how you pronounce the words. Like you really took the time and effort. Looking forward to more of your videos, especially BGC and Makati.
Where you from? I’m from Texas but I work in Makati before n live in Quezon City. Happy to see that MRT station. Got a condo beside GMA 7 n in Kalibo Aklan that I never been.
As someone who came from the province the first time i arrived in Metro Manila way back in the 2000s, I was in awe with the modernity. I would say our bus pass through Makati CBDs hence a good first impression. But when i got to lived there for my university life, i got to travel around the metro. I was surprised to see poverty in face value. People living under the bridges, street beggars, squatters or shanty houses around rivers even near my university. Firsthand to see snatching. I was even robbed during the last year of my college. Very traumatic. In metro manila, you can clearly see the divide bet the rich and the poor. The lack of zoning and urban planning and the lack of good public transpo and healthcare system. But inspite of that, the city is thriving, chaotic and unorganized but somehow it has a unique charm. Ive been to other country. The developed ones and somehow youd wish Manila is like their bog cities.
You said it perfectly. To me, Manila is what you get when you have a lot of people migrating into a city, but the city does not have enough livelihood opportunities for everyone. It’s the center of development in the country, hence the huge business districts. In the end, I do think the city is now better than what it was when I first went there. Although there are still alot of homeless amd mentally ill people on the streets, I think the wealth and living standards of the majority have increased, and new public transport developments are on the way. My gf’s family wouldn’t dare to let me go out late at night before, but now they don’t really mind. I hope you won’t have to experience a mugging again. God bless!
other interesting places to visit, Greenbelt in Makati, Filininvest city in Alabang, Muntinglupa city , also while in Manila try to visit the historical island of Corregidor via a fastcraft, boarding station located behind the Cultural Center Philippines....
The Manila metro area is much bigger now we call it Mega Manila Greater Capital Region which includes the surrounding provinces of Region 3 and Region 4 A.
DO’s: 1. for your safety at least do have a companion in vlogging. There are bad disperate guys around, pls mind safety. 2. Walking is good around 4:30pm onwards, it’s not too hot… 3. we dont want you to go home complaining so pls take extra precautions… a safety reminder.
I appreciate your sharing your observations and your compassion for those who are in strife. However, there are factors at play here that you aren't aware of. The vast majority of public funding, programs and infrastructure development are allocated to Manila, which have resulted in considerably fewer opportunities in provincial areas for last several decades. That is primarily why people from the provinces come to Manila for work. Poverty, along with the myriad of other problems you mentioned, is the direct result of corruption and poor governance. Once those 2 underlying issues are effectively addressed, all concomitant issues will naturally resolve themselves over time. So it isn't simply a matter of people returning to their respective provinces. Anyway, that was a nice gesture that you did for those children. But I must make mention of the fact that those 2 adults who were with them should have been working, instead of panhandling.
Thank you for not sugarcoating. I hope there will be no divide between rich and poor in the future. Education is not enough. Philippines is not strict like other countries and the people doesn't care who you are or what you are which make some complacent and not to be useful in the society which leads them to poverty. Philippines has a very relax society. Living there I know you got what I mean.
I love hearing vloggers saying or showing good things about the Philippines and immediately clicking the like button. I realized this is not right as it doesn’t help improve things that need improvement. Please mention the negative things too (i.e., filthy washrooms, full of garbage surroundings, inconvenient ports, kids begging, etc.). Showing them will make people aware and shame the LGU (Local Government Unit) or people responsible for their improvement or maintenance.
I highlight mostly what I like about Philippines, but definitely there are things that need to be brought to attention. I do mot think I’m the right person to do so, although if you would watch more of my vlogs, I am sharing some of my bad experiences that I don’t like. I think that only showing the good things is very disingenuous, the same can be said about the opposite of only focusing on the bad.
New subscriber here. I really love to support foreign vloggers who genuinely appreciate our beloved country.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for correctly saying "Metro Manila" instead of simply calling everything "Manila". *You clearly have done research and are a reputable source of quality PHL travel video.* "Metro Manila" is the old but still popular name of the National Capital Region (NCR) which is composed of 16 adjacent cities and 1 municipality. "Manila" is just one of those cities and is located on the western edge of the NCR. Makati, Taguig and Pasay are also cities by their own right located also within the NCR.
By the way, you probably want to add the recommendation to bring a hat or umbrella to shield yourselves from the sun. It is perfectly normal here to use umbrellas not just for rain, but also from the sun. Heat stroke, sun burn and skin cancer are very real risks here esp in our hot and humid country. Your local language is also nearly perfect. It's amazing! (04:42) I am also very relieved that you got your wallet back. This world is not entirely lost.
05:11 I would strongly advise against giving alms to street beggars. I'm pretty sure it's illegal in some cities (though you probably won't get in trouble for that even if the police see you). It is for the general safety of foreigners. We do not want beggars to mob foreigners because they have learned to expect alms from you. There are more organized ways of helping out the poor but sadly I cannot personally vouch for any charity organizations that is free from corruption. I'm not saying there is none. I just have no personal knowledge of any one.
13:25 Impressive! So far, this is just the 2nd vlog I have seen that correctly identified BGC as part of Taguig (and not lumped with "Manila"). Despite having "city" in its name, BGC is not a real city by our law definition (i.e. it is not a local government unit with its own mayor, right to tax, etc.). Sad note: you are correct that BGC was just fairly recently developed from practically a forest or vast wild grassland. As such, BGC (esp hotels, kitchens and pantry areas of the office spaces) is still dealing with pest problems of varying sizes. They do have regular pest control measures but the whole world knows how resilient insects are. That is not much of a problem in the Makati business district. Something to look forward to I guess -- esp for "thrill seeking" foreigners. lolz 😂😂
Again, thank you for this well done and properly researched quality travel vlog. Subscribed! This is definitely the best Metro Manila vlog I have seen so far. May this help other foreigners who want to travel to PHL and avoid a potential misunderstanding with our airport taxi because they mistakenly say "Manila" when they actually wanted to go to a different city within Metro Manila.
First time that I've seen this vlogger and the first Norwegian vlogger that I encountered. Norway, a very rich country, bigger than the Philippines but the population is only 5% of that of the Philippines. He must have been in awe, seeing how dense the capital region is.
Isn't Martin Solhaugen from Norway as well?
But it's also my first time to see him, O think. Does he have a limp? Something about the way he walks -- I can only see his shoulders but one side seems to dip lower when he walks.
The first time I went here, I wasn’t actually surprised by the amount of people. I was honestly expecting it to be more crowded, though the sheer size of Manila still astounds me to this day.
Hahah no I don’t limp. It’s just the way the camera stabilize the way I walk. But I did notice it too! 😅
@@iflipover Yes, I forgot aboutMartin Solhaugen. But he had been here for quite a long time now and is already married to a Filipina.
TH-cam algorithm is weird. Why am I only seeing this channel now? Especially when Kuya Magnus is very cute!!
The algorithm has been very unforgiving to me 😅 3 years and still not breakthrough
Thanks for being honest and understanding. Stay safe bro and enjoy
they called you pogi and its true...new subscriber here
Ang galing grabeh speaking a little bit of tagalog to locals is quite comfortable, its a good thing dude and for making more vedios in the future good job
You are a very good man indeed! You deserve that luck w/ your lost wallet! Love that making it a point to buy made in the Philippines & coming from a Norwegian! What a great message! More success to you!
Everywhere I go, I always make sure to buy stuff made in Philippines, even though it's not so common to come across nowadays
Hello Sir,new subs here.Keep safe,God bless 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
9:48 it is not the biggest in terms of the physical size of the mall, but it is the biggest in terms of the rentable spaces for commercial purposes, it includes the sky garden, the dome, and all spaces in between and under escalators and on the sides.. you know what i mean. that that makes it the biggest brother.
I figured it was that. It's just that MoA feels waaaay bigger, especially with the annexes included.
*Amount of leasable space* is one metric of how biggest malls are ranked.
Enjoy to look around
You speak the local language well. It's been quite a while that you've stayed in the country. I hope you get to have more subscribers.
Well tbh they should also nead to learn tagalog because if you go to Norway it's a "MUST" to learn their language....
beautiful country and an Amazing place
You are handsome. I enjoy watching your vlogs. 😆🙂💞
Sending my support Margus . Have fun in Manila
Welcome Back To the Philippines!!❤❤❤ New Subs here from the 7,641 Islands of the Philippines.
Surprised how that photo bomber building right behind the statue of our national hero was built at all.
After a while, you get used to the humidity but very difficult to adjust to after having been gone for a long time.
This is the first time I’ve come across your vlog and really appreciate the format. It is unfortunate that some people shamelessly ask/ beg for food. A lot of provincial folks think that there is a pot of Gold to be had in Manila but there are opportunities in the provinces too. Like they say in Tagalog, nasa diskarte lamang to survive in the province without resorting to evil ways.
Having lived in Manila for a long time, there are a lot of places where you can find a great deal like Divisoria.
Thanks for the vlog.
Alot of things that shouldn't have been built are still built in this country, but this one is a very special case. I think it just became known to the public and the media when it has already under construction. It is indeed very suspicious how come this building managed to get its permit to even be built in the first place. Of course you know, in the Philippines, under-the-table deals include the table itself.
As for people begging, I would like to inform this woman never asked for money. Usually when people beg, they are only asking for money, which is a big no-no for me. But I knew she was genuine as she was actually the parking guard, and just asked at first if I could take picture with the children.
She was almost in tears once the children she and her friend take care of were fed, giving me a big hug. She inspires me because she takes care of the children even if they appear to not be related.
Great video and very informative. I like that little segway or side trip on the small street. It was a great short clip showing the typical Manila streets and how the ordinary Juan lives. It's just enough for the viewer to see it and not too long that it becomes the highlight of your content. You've touched every facet of what living in Manila is all about. Informative enough and not too overwhelming that the viewer gets an information overload. Great start to your new journey. Also the mini drama with your wallet, may I suggest you get a money clip so you won't have to be always taking out your wallet all the time. And nice bike ride, seeing you lane split and move in and out of those cars. That Xr150 is quite nimble and can move and turn like a scooter, the one drawback of the Xr is its a manual. But that's just me as i prefer an automatic scooter for city drives. But yeah an Nmax or an Adv is for me but that Xr is right at the top with those two scoots that I mentioned. All in all a great content and here's to more great content in the future.
That street was just a pure coincidence that I came across. I took a wrong turn along EDSA, but in the end it was worth it. I also went by Baclaran but decided to cut it out from the video to keep it under 20min.
Nice vlog man! We need tons of this 😊😊😊
Thanks too for appreciating the history as well as showcasing the malls as well as your honesty and real impressions of Manila.
I really appreciate your views and video. Maraming Salamat po.
Been a While Since I Watched your Videos been Busy Lately Thanks For Sharing, God Bless 🙏✌️🙌👌👍👍👍💕🇺🇸
Great share, Brother, Great share. New subscriber here. Power on!👍
Love it that you prefer "Made in the Philippines" 🧡💙💜 We should too
I believe we should support local products more to help the local industries, because they are underappreciated.
@@magnusferdinand Yes, it's very inspiring to highlight this in social media - especially coming from a guest in our country 🥰
Enjoy your stay in the Philippines sir
Wow I can’t believe you ate that , good for you
sarap naman!
Keep on the grind 👍👍👍
Aloha!!!!
I subscribed you sir because you vlog my mother, this is the only way to say thank you for choosing PHILIPPINES 🇵🇭 GOOD LUCK SIR SALAMAT PO
Thanks alot! Who was your mother in the video?
The SECOND biggest mall is SM MEGAMALL , not SM North Avenue. It's located in Mandaluyong along EDSA. 😊
I am loving this channel. I felt bad for you though that you dropped your wallet and was clueless about it. Be careful next time. More power to you and more subscribers. By the way, good job in learning our language. You nailed it in how you pronounce the words. Like you really took the time and effort. Looking forward to more of your videos, especially BGC and Makati.
welcomeback bro
So impressive you speak tagalog well despite your just 2 yrs in the Philippines. Stay safe❤🙂
You Really Change your Channel Name Glad You still Making a Video ✌️✌️👌🙌👍🙏💕🇺🇸
Where you from? I’m from Texas but I work in Makati before n live in Quezon City. Happy to see that MRT station. Got a condo beside GMA 7 n in Kalibo Aklan that I never been.
I’m from Norway. Hopefully one day we can also own a condo or property in Pinas
As someone who came from the province the first time i arrived in Metro Manila way back in the 2000s, I was in awe with the modernity. I would say our bus pass through Makati CBDs hence a good first impression. But when i got to lived there for my university life, i got to travel around the metro. I was surprised to see poverty in face value. People living under the bridges, street beggars, squatters or shanty houses around rivers even near my university. Firsthand to see snatching. I was even robbed during the last year of my college. Very traumatic. In metro manila, you can clearly see the divide bet the rich and the poor. The lack of zoning and urban planning and the lack of good public transpo and healthcare system. But inspite of that, the city is thriving, chaotic and unorganized but somehow it has a unique charm. Ive been to other country. The developed ones and somehow youd wish Manila is like their bog cities.
You said it perfectly. To me, Manila is what you get when you have a lot of people migrating into a city, but the city does not have enough livelihood opportunities for everyone. It’s the center of development in the country, hence the huge business districts.
In the end, I do think the city is now better than what it was when I first went there. Although there are still alot of homeless amd mentally ill people on the streets, I think the wealth and living standards of the majority have increased, and new public transport developments are on the way.
My gf’s family wouldn’t dare to let me go out late at night before, but now they don’t really mind.
I hope you won’t have to experience a mugging again. God bless!
God bless you more.
Wow ,am the first one ❤️
Congratulations! 😂
visit Eastwood city , Cubao city n Las Islas de Azucar village all located in Wuezon city
other interesting places to visit, Greenbelt in Makati, Filininvest city in Alabang, Muntinglupa city , also while in Manila try to visit the historical island of Corregidor via a fastcraft, boarding station located behind the Cultural Center Philippines....
Mabuhay👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
Great video
The Manila metro area is much bigger now we call it Mega Manila Greater Capital Region which includes the surrounding provinces of Region 3 and Region 4 A.
I go for Penshoppe to than Bench.
Filipino accent whether in Cebu or in Manila is on point! LOL!!
GO TO BAGUIO CITY ITS COLD THERE
How could you live there for 2 years??? Can you tell me how you arrange with the visa?
I have not stayed here for 2 years straight, just 2 years in total 😃
💯💯
I was there back in 1998.
WOW I Wasn’t Even Born Yet 😂😅😂 Just kidding ✌️✌️
♥️♥️♥️
Street people actually they are from the Provinces.
DO’s:
1. for your safety at least do have a companion in vlogging.
There are bad disperate guys around, pls mind safety.
2. Walking is good around 4:30pm onwards, it’s not too hot…
3. we dont want you to go home complaining so pls take extra precautions… a safety reminder.
Thanks for letting me know!
You are so handsome❤😍🤗
And i like you!
3rd!😀
New subs here💗🇵🇭
I appreciate your sharing your observations and your compassion for those who are in strife. However, there are factors at play here that you aren't aware of. The vast majority of public funding, programs and infrastructure development are allocated to Manila, which have resulted in considerably fewer opportunities in provincial areas for last several decades. That is primarily why people from the provinces come to Manila for work.
Poverty, along with the myriad of other problems you mentioned, is the direct result of corruption and poor governance. Once those 2 underlying issues are effectively addressed, all concomitant issues will naturally resolve themselves over time.
So it isn't simply a matter of people returning to their respective provinces. Anyway, that was a nice gesture that you did for those children. But I must make mention of the fact that those 2 adults who were with them should have been working, instead of panhandling.
❤❤❤❤
you're good looking sir handsome
You ate sour mango then you drink a gulaman! Wow goodluck to your tummy lol
His tummy was fine, don’t worry ☺️
I can confirm my tummy had no problems 😄
@@magnusferdinand nice to know that, anyhow i want you to know.. sour mango and gulaman doesn't go well together.✌️
@@bingo-vo5cq not for my tummy haha🤣
All that street people are from province and go to manila without anything..👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻
2nd hehe
Thank you for not sugarcoating. I hope there will be no divide between rich and poor in the future. Education is not enough. Philippines is not strict like other countries and the people doesn't care who you are or what you are which make some complacent and not to be useful in the society which leads them to poverty. Philippines has a very relax society. Living there I know you got what I mean.
Pls. try to visit BGC in Manila, It is a European side of Manila..
I did! Check near the end. 🙂Please watch the whole video
😮
FILIPINO SHOP ARE, BENCH, HUMAN, TRIBAL,👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Thanks for letting me know!
I love hearing vloggers saying or showing good things about the Philippines and immediately clicking the like button. I realized this is not right as it doesn’t help improve things that need improvement. Please mention the negative things too (i.e., filthy washrooms, full of garbage surroundings, inconvenient ports, kids begging, etc.). Showing them will make people aware and shame the LGU (Local Government Unit) or people responsible for their improvement or maintenance.
I highlight mostly what I like about Philippines, but definitely there are things that need to be brought to attention. I do mot think I’m the right person to do so, although if you would watch more of my vlogs, I am sharing some of my bad experiences that I don’t like.
I think that only showing the good things is very disingenuous, the same can be said about the opposite of only focusing on the bad.
pogi is guapo ( handsome guy)
oo nga, pogi ka 😃
You look like NBA player Austin reaves
No way haha 😆
@@magnusferdinand 80%look a like
Norwegian who is not blonde?? How??
Dont focus on poverty u see. Focus on positives so u get more subscribers.
I refrain from sugarcoating the reality. It is not my intention to smear, instead I want to show the people I meet and the experiences I’ve had.
I LOVE YOU MAGNUS
Obrigado Amigo
I’m jealous AGAIN
sad that guy didn’t give your wallet back 😢
But I did get my wallet back. Did you see the part shortly afterwards?
I see they are still wearing face masks...disappointing😢
Apparently it’s a requirement in the MRT-3 for some reason.
Ur wallet😅
Manila absolutely the best big city in the Philippines, but the worst big city in most of the world
Then build your own designed city.
Ignorant
I wouldn’t say worst. Sure it has alot of problems but there are inarguably worse big cities out there