Best Posts in Forum: Dumaguete City

Very good analysis. This city has a very inefficient traffic flow pattern, with streets too narrow and minimal parking. It will only get worst as more cars are incorporated into the city. I have not driven a car in this city since I moved here over 4 years ago, and most likely may not in the future. You just can not move quickly through the city in a car most of the time. Motorcycles rule the road here, but not in a benevolent way. A period of time ago this city took a path toward encouraging calls center to locate here. It was an effective program, and brought call centers and gave the English speaking youth very good paying jobs. That brought in a lot of motorcycles with young owners who stayed here. Now Dumaguete is trying to become a tourist and retirement community also, however there is not much of a growth plan... just a lot of "fun" slogans, and denial of reality of the problems that do exist. It is not a bad city, but like most over sized cities it does have growth and particularly transportation problems. Some expats like the trikes and that eliminates a lot of problem for them. So you have choices, but be ready to determine your own destiny with the traffic here... the city does not seem to have the ability, or the power to implement a good traffic program... however they are grasping the concept there is a problem that needs to be fixed.

So why am I still here? Dumaguete really has everything I need, but most likely only one of them in the whole town. It is an adventure to find what you need, but fun as you meet many friendly people. If you see something you like... buy it because tomorrow it may be gone and will not be back in stock" until next month,.... MAYBE" . This is not a first world city or county and probably never will be, so you have to accept what it has. The good part it really has about everything... yes it can be dirty in the city with horrible motorcycle traffic, but it can also be green and calm by moving out of the city in the right direction for a short ride of 10 plus minutes... if you go east in the wrong direction toward Siqulor you will be all wet, as you are in the ocean. Go north, west or south, in that order. Look at Valencia or Bacong, as they are both out of the "urban" sprawl areas. They offer green, Valencia more than Bacong, and a safe area to live if you research out the neighborhood you plan to move into. I can not emphasis enough the need to research the area you chose to live, spending nights, and weekends... discovering where the resto-bars and Karoke bars spring up on the weekend. Locate the Rooster ranches, and try to deter what will influence you stay. Never rent an house or apartment with out spending a weekend night in the area of you intended rental.

I think Dumaguete still has some good years ahead, but not particularly in the City itself. However the close outskirts has a lot of good areas left. Remember most time you can be in the City for the nightlife, or the Boulevard in less than 15 minutes, while living in a green environment during the day. Everything has good points and bad, you just have to decide what issues ring you chimes favorable, and what issues just ring your bell.

 

Dear One and All:

Being here in the States, I contacted the phone numbers that THE DUDE posted and spoke briefly with Philip's Father.

THANK-YOU DUDE!

His Father said Philip's Mother is on-the-ground and is located somewhere near the Hospital.

Contact has been made with the VA (Manila) and with the US Embassy - details I do not know (NOMB) - but contact has been made by the family.

Two of Philip's friends from Washington State (US) are there as well as another family member.

Father reported that contact was made to them late Friday night (their time).

Father stated that Philip may be in coma for another 2-3 weeks - I did not press for details (NOMB).

On behalf of this website, I said all the expats here were pulling for his Son to recover.

Father sounded mentally/emotionally grounded - did not sound like he was falling apart - but could hear the worry in his voice.

I sent Father the very best from all the expats here, for which he seemed appreciative.

Thank-you DUDE for posting - you just never know - and I am glad to have heard his family got notified quickly and are actively on-the-ground near Phillip.

Father mentioned Phillip is involved in Journalism at the school.

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

Compare a sack of meat with a dead person, sorry I can't follow you. My problem with show pictures of dead people in the media who are victims of a traffic accident, or get killed in another way, with a knife or gun, for example, is the lack of respect for the victims family, it can be somebody's parents, kids, brother, sister, husband or wife

 

From knowledge of students here and in the UK, the level here for a 16 year old is about that of a 10 year old in the UK. As you correctly say, the priority seems to be producing kids who can dance (even if the dance is the same one every time). Students are not given an awareness of the outside world, the ability to think, creativity, academic rigour etc., etc., etc. The whole education system needs a major overhaul, starting with putting teachers in the classroom all of their working hours - too much time is wasted by teachers wandering around, leaving the schools to go shopping and attending pointless seminars. Homework needs to test more than the ability to glue together bits of paper and card. I have met adults here who have been educated at the 'most prestigious' local private school and they have no ability to grasp simple concepts - they just think they must be smart because they went to that college. I would really like to see the country progress but I feel it is held back by lack of an educated population and, unfortunately, parents just seem to accept the situation (probably because the culture is non-confrontational and challenging teachers is something parents will not do).

 

It should last all this week and maybe even into next week, then the police will be tired of this requirement and get back to sitting watching the television in the station.

 

If you managed to complete a bureaucratic process (whatever it was, and with whatever agency), in an hour for only 80 pesos ... you should be celebrating.