American Expat's UNFILTERED Thoughts On The Philippines (He Does Not Hold Back) 

The niceness ends after the money runs out regardless.. it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black,etc. They see the color of money..

I been going to the Philippines for 15 years now. this is his opinion. Im a black man living in the United States. I love the Philippines...

Loved this interviewee. He was honest and I didn't find him insulting at all, being used to the Americans' way of being frank. We Filipinos are the opposite - we try very hard not to say anything bad, but sometimes it amounts to being dishonest. There's good and bad in every country, whether in the U.S. or in the Philippines. It's a matter of understanding the local mentality and respecting the customs. Adjusting one's expectations is absolutely necessary for living in a foreign country. If you can't do that, then you shouldn't travel abroad.

I am Filipino and I totally agree with you. This is his own insight and he has been here multiple times and he is thinking like a local.

Awesome! Reggie keeps it real. My wife and I will be coming back to BGC next month. It’ll be my 3rd visit. I love the Philippines 🇵🇭 and haven’t had a bad experience there as an African-American. I lay low and treat the friendly people with respect and kindness. I’m up on the games and the money grab and try to avoid the scams. Great vlog brother ✌🏽

Rush is not a word Filipinos take seriously. Im pinoy and my patience is always tested whenever I come back home. Island Time for real!

I am sorry for your experience. I do admit as a filipino, there are quite a lot of racists people or not so fond of black people in the philippines. I get what you mean that white people are treated way better. Even me, when I am with my german husband in the philippines, he's treated differently than me. They're nicer to him. So I understand how you are feeling.

I have a cousin i haven't meet in 30 plus years except on FB. When i first reconnected with them, they were all nice. They told me they never stop thinking about me and they missed me. And then they started asking for everything from bus fare to anything you can imagine. These people are healthy and have their own homes but asking seems to be really easy for them. I have another cousin whose father, my mom's brother, passed away when he was around 5 and his mother eventually abandoned him. My single old maid aunt took pity and took him in, raised him and sent him to school. When he graduated from high school, i bought him a brand new tricycle so he can support himself to college. Rest of my cousins don't understand why i picked this one to help and not them. Now most of them don't like me and i really couldn't care less.

It’s the opposite for me. The more often I leave and the longer I’m out of America, the less appreciative of it I become and the more eager I am to leave it again.

Retired Marine been living here for 10 years now with my wife of 20 years. The only negative things i can say about the Philippines is the heat and the in-laws.

I am an African/Caribbean American, a black man who studied and lived in the Philippines for about five years, and I loved it. I love the people, the food, the hospitality. Filipinos are the nicest Asians and among the nicest people in the world. They are so very friendly. Love the Philippines. I've been back quite a number of times.

This guy does not strike me as a people person. Smoking during this interview doesn't make him appear to be personable either. Smoking is tolerated but not encouraged in most public places in the Philippines

Bro is 100% correct. I lived there on & off since 1972. I speak the language, but pretend that I don’t. You can’t believe what they are saying right to your face. The small talk & smiles are all contrived. Lying is not considered wrong to them, if it serves a purpose. You’ll be severely punished, even in court, if you aggressively protest being victimized.

One of the best people you could ever have found to interview - he was just so intelligent and interesting to listen to. I wish him well.

More truth and honesty from this gentleman than 90% of vloggers living there.

I can totally agree with this man. I just came back to the US from the Philippines after being there for 6 months. I stayed in Manila and Cebu. It was definitely an eye opener and I did have more positives than negatives. After being in the Philippines I don't complain much about a lot anymore. I learned more about having patience. At the end of the day what we might think is crazy and unusual for Filipinos works for them like the driving. I was always bracing myself for an accident when I would ride in a grab but never got in any accident. Had a few close calls but no matter how crazy the driving may seem at least they share the road and there isnt road rage and having someone pull out a gun and shoot you for cutting them off. I used to think I was gonna retire in the Philippines full-time but Im thinking now I want to just do part -time in a lot of places outside of the US. I will always have a home in the US and no longer consider ever selling. Sometimes its good to come back to certain comforts no matter how much we are trying to escape certain BS things that we hate.

Filipinos are not all good people! We have high crime rates and scammers as well, but majority of pinoys are good people even though we just a poor country! I would say 70-80% of pinoys are good people! It just sad that this guy encounter those 20-30% bad pinoy most of the time! My advice for him is be nice to the locals and they will be nice to you as well!

I respect his opinion but I’m not a fan his attitude towards the Philippines and Filipinos. There pros and cons to being here but being patient, kind, and being adaptable/flexible goes a long way here.

It depends where you go. And this guy said exactly what I've been saying all along. If you go in the city it's fast pace. The provinces is a lot slower which means it affects the women in those places as well. In the provinces. The women are more laid back and more family oriented in the cities which are now developing into skyscrapers. Everywhere the women are becoming like the women in the West. They want to take care of their business. They want to make money first. And I don't know how to look for a husband and most of them are single. This guy made a video before and told to the women in the city and all of them were single, just like the women in the West. This proves my point.

Biggest takeaway as Reggie has shared is for folks back home to travel/go overseas and gain a wider perspective. The world forgets that the US is so big that most residents don't really feel the need to travel overseas. More than 60% of Americans don't hold a passport!

He was honest and gave his opinion...we all see the world through a slightly different lens, nothing wrong with that. Great interview 👍

I'm an American expat retired in the Philippines with my Filipina American better half of nearly 32 years. When I enjoy my brandy or cognac, I also enjoy my Antonio Gimenez (Cuban seed) or Independencia 1898 cigar and make no apologies for it. I only patronize business establishments (i.e. restaurants) that appreciate my simple pleasure, especially given that these cigars are made in the Philippines by Filipinos, and respectfully avoid those places that don't. And by the way, I love this beautiful country and its people.

As a local in manila. False niceness. This is why i hate living in the city, rich subdivision areas and tourist towns. They are only nice when you have money. I live in a slummy area outside the business hub now. And these people are hostile at first, but when they get used to you, they treat you like extended family, and I genuinely treat them the same. On "time in line". I had an experience where an Australian family was holding up the line in a McDonald's because the menu was local. I was just hungry, tired, and out of patience. So i firmly asked if they are ordering? They weren't and let me through. They were offended. . . Tourists. . .

The title says it all “ unhinged.” This interview is “raw.” As a Filipino who has been living abroad pretty much half of my life, what he said is true. I cannot wrap my head around when I watch a video with all praises for the country. Each place has its positives and negatives.

Married, live here for extended time, own prop and land. Love My Phillipino brethren. 10 plus years

This guy is like the negative version of myself. He isn't wrong in a lot of things he says but it just feels like his overall views of things are on a whole more negative than I am. My overall experience after five years of living here as an American and being married to my Filipina for those five years has been overwhelmingly positive. The niceness has never ended and it isn't fake. Yes there are scammers, but every dude that got scammed as an outsider looking in was the man thinking with his head in his pants instead of on his shoulders. He is 100% right though when he said a pretty girls attention is a hell of a drug! Which is why the scam works. Just think with the head on your shoulders and you won't have any problems with the women. If something is wrong and you complain about it I have never seen an issue about that. In America though 99% of people don't complain. We whine like spoiled little children because we didn't get our way. Big difference from having a valid complaint. Overall this guys views are pretty on point. Foreigner tax is a real thing! My wife does 95% of the shopping when we aren't in our area. After you live here long enough though in your own area you won't get the tax. Also takes you saying no thanks not paying the tax! You would be surprised at how fast the price drops when you put the money back in your pocket and start walking away. Become a part of the culture here and don't try to make the culture change to you. As a foreigner you will have a much better time and the people around you will also show you more love and acceptance.

Basically, i guess it takes 2 to tango. Perhaps most people you encounter sense your vibe , then they interact😳☺️ Sorry, just a thought✌

i figured the "white guy" angle was coming. it's very true that the philippines is better to you if you're white. they are even way more attuned to the fact that certain asians are lighter or darker than others and among their own islands they are aware of shades and hues of one another. a common opinion is that white people don't cause much trouble coming and getting a woman because they like the "ugly ones." foreigners usually prefer darker skinned (latte) women who are thin, whereas philippino guys prefer very light skinned women who have slightly more curves.

That dude don't smoke... You can tell the way he handled the cigarette His American attitude shows through and through. That's why he's treated the way they treat him... Look how he talks about the country he keeps returning to... Definitely a trick....

Good thing that you went to the Philippines for your first ever travel outside of the US. Generally, Filipinos are nice, educated and respectful.

When he said he didn't see much poor in the US, then he's a lier. And why he keeps coming back?

Ok so he doesn’t inhale his cigarette……. That’s just weird. Looks like he’s not a smoker but playing one . Odd

This guy is smart! He explained very well. I’m a Filipino and I agree of what he experience and learned while staying there. Philippines is not a perfect country but it’s a beautiful place to explore.

It looks like this interview is taking place in Ayala Business center Mall, near the restaurant called The Social. I lived across the street from this mall and left because I learned in 6 months that Filipino culture and American culture has to many cultural differences. And most Filipinos refuse to complain about unacceptable things or criticize each other for doing things that Americans don't find acceptable behavior!

The difference between poor people here in the Philippines vs poor people in western country is that those poor people here aren't really "helpless", they'll survive on their own. You might pity them so bad but in reality they are capable of living, and they're used to that type of life. It's just a matter of perception. If you see a beggar, you can just walk pass them, no need to pity, they chose that life they will survive. Not saying it's okay to play ignorant but it is life, you give if you want to give, if you don't it's okay.

All the soon to be lady boys getting mad at him for speaking the truth 😂😂. This dude was amazing and entertaining to listen to I wish I could find more interviews of him.

His experiences in the country is understandable. The negative side that I barely see on other youtube videos, some that I as a filipino also have experienced multiple times in my 22 years of being alive.

This is why I love this channel because this channel indoors guys in the Philippines. He tells it like it is the truth. It's not both in that philippine women are the best and the best country to go to I don't want to hear that c*** because the Philippines is no different than any other country. You have the good, the bad and the ugly like anywhere else.

I think the smoking place a big part brother. I’ve been there multiple times, a lot of Filipinos don’t like smokers.

Filipino are kind but if you are being rude you’ll be sorry

I think this is one of your best interviews....Reggie is an intelligent guy and doesn't mince words. There's a lot of wisdom in his words.

Many Kudos! This Cat is on his game ….. Peace/Cheers

That’s good interview because we also heard negative vibes from this folk about Philippines

Great interview! Raw and unfiltered, how it should be! Does he have a channel or social media we can follow?

its really simple, if what he said that filipinos are generally not genuinely nice then expats would generally say that about filipinos. since expats generally say filipinos are genuinely nice then logic says what he said isnt true and theres generally nothing wrong about the niceness of filipinos which by logic leads me to believe that there may be something wrong with him to elicit such reaction from a majority of filipinos hes interacted with

As a traveler myself, that's NO cap what he said about how they treat white people vs everyone else 💯 and this isn't just Thailand its worldwide

Im not taking advice on anything from a guy that's not a real smoker..hes fumbling with that cigarette like i did when i was 13

The biggest lie in *this* video is that "Reggie" is a smoker. He doesn't even inhale, *_and it still makes him cough!_*

Check out the homeless in chicago, Philadelphia, California, and other parts of the US city. Poverty is rising here in the US! Not just homeless and huge amount of drug use in a big cities.

One of the best interviews I have seen great job

Good interview, I like his thoughts.

Smoke ??? Not good..

I can relate to just about everything this guy talked about 😂 like trying to cross the street in Manila for the first time😅

Thank You for sharing your honest opinion based on your real life experiences living in the Philippines. Philippine is not always the beautiful beaches or how hospitable the people are like the way some of these videos on You Tube may tend to portray it.

Great interview! Good job to both! Thx!

Great interview video with great "first hand advice". I just became a new subscriber to your channel. Take care and keep up the great work.

About poor people and homeless in USA ,he said he haven't seen much 😮 he should take a look in NY and other cities in the USA.😮 very strange.

I like living here in the US and I appreciate my life here it’s clean and beautiful country

Love his blatant honesty, the humor underlying everything! My 9 months there I tend to agree with most of it, but I wasn't in a huge city like Cebu or manila.

Great interview. I enjoyed hearing his perspective.

He seem like one of those guys that will mess up a good thing

That’s his personal experience but our experience is way different my husband (who is also black) came home and miss the Phil everyday. We noticed the differences between the US and the Phil and we just adapted as you should do when in a different country. And the locals appreciated it

Very nice interview Nice change from all the gushing western vloggers

I like the truth of this guy.

I like this guy. Very honest assessment. Could be the hotel manager just overlooked him. Sometimes you have to speak up instead of assuming.

Your pretty on key with your interview “longtime follower”, I love no Drama Bro, Salute to you for that!! Belus “ No Money/No Funny” 😂😂😂😂, Leyte/Cebu

Great interview, very honest.

If you go to a foreign country and EXPECT to shop for women, expect some reality shock. Also, smoking in public is acceptable in VERY few spaces that allow it. Even in my condo building, they don't allow smoking in the lobby because, apparently, once you exit your unit, it's already considered a public space. But there are places where you can smoke. Secondly, I always COMPLAIN of service in this country, NOT in a very serious way to the point that I'd want to talk to a manager and be a Karen about it. I complain to my Filipino friends jokingly because if you take things seriously, THAT's a different matter, and people will ASSUME you're just aiming to fight. Like I'd tell my friends, "The delivery service was so late when I ordered grab eats last night. Kuya, asankana? (Hey bro, where are you?)" and they'd laugh and share their experiences. You always make a complaint lightheartedly because the moment you turn serious...Filipinos will take you seriously, and you don't want them to be very serious. It's all in the delivery. I complained about my order at a restaurant being double charged, and I said with a smile, "Kuya, you charged me twice." Then my Filipino friend was the one who was very upset and said he'd burn the whole restaurant down for their slow service. We laughed about it because he was very funny about it, which circles around the whole mantra of this country which is humor and laughter = fun and smiles. In the Philippines, no one owes you anything. In America, you feel entitled to something. So if you have anything to complain about in this country, do it with a smile, and the person who got whatever it was you needed (wrong purchase, wrong order, wrong delivery) will be ashamed and embarrassed instead, and both of you can laugh about it.

Enjoyed that interview and he had some very interesting observations. Thanks.

I had a Colombian owner of a restaurant in Miami come out and great other diners while skipping right past me. I didn’t mind because I was not in the mood to talk, but it was noticed. Some people think that black customers don’t qualify for acknowledgment and a quick chat.

The biggest lie is that its cheap. It is not cheap!

Not sure why people are attacking this dude. He sounds smart and relatable to me. As for the smoking, a lot of you have never been to Asia? A lot of people smoke. He was probably minding his own business, smoking a cig, when he was asked to do an interview.

Smart guy and a very nice interview, thank you for sharing

wonderful interview very nice fellow and honest I learned a lot!

This was a good interview Alex And I appreciate this brother honesty 💯

I hear you sir, it's about being respectful when you're in another country...simple as that! I've been going back and forth to the Philippines since 2013 and I LOVE it! I have a blast with my families in Cebu and travel as much as we can when we're home! I haven't ran into anyone rude since I've been there (although I never been to Manila), and everyone is very friendly! You're right about the traffic lights, because in my opinion they're mainly decoration or optional. LOL But traffic does sucks in the Philippines and so does the road (depending where you are). The only thing I don't like about the Philippines are: 1)The internet is bad in certain places (especially when I working on our next fun trip) 2) Lomg power outages 3) The long ass flight from LAX to Cebu I'm going again this year for some more fun and adventure with my family to see our family!

Nice video and nice interview. Thank you

Dude is like a hybrid. This is the first time that I come across a person where I could not tell whether he is 23 or 49. LOL. How old is this man for god's sake. 🙂

very honest

This was so honest and perfect, thanks.

A very balanced and honest perception. Not negative at all. Thank you for this interview.

He's Telling the Truth, im from Negros Island in Bacolod and i work in Cebu, its all about the money. People are not trained the same at the restaurant. So we (other filipinos) who knows customer service we need to teach them, its affecting all of us not just a few. And ofcourse being white has more privilege, its the media who put a bad impression about african American, but filipinos love NBA which is a black dominant sports.

Great interview. Great questions and discussion. He's a smart, decent guy with a good attitude... his honest, personal evaluation. Some positive, some negative... multiple perspectives. Not for Snowflakes. Everything should be open to consideration. A positive, balanced representative for us Americans. Keep up the good work, Bro!!! Interview well done, Alex.

Good guy and a good interview

This guy has a valid points and yes, some of what he experienced are something we, locals, do experience too ( e.g. service mistakes) However, the difference is how we handle it or approach the issue. Filipinos don't like confrontation and people who appear arrogant is not very well received in general. It will always be friendly negotiations ( yes and it can be a pain sometimes) Locals.complain in person too but we avoid making a scene, even if you are right, if perceived as agressive, that's generally frowned upon. Being assertive is different from being aggressive and unfortunately, the way he speaks, it will come across as aggressive even if he doesn't intend to. He has valid points but the reality is the society will not adjust to him. In spite of the niceness, things can quickly turn into negativity if you are sorrounded by the wrong people. So he is right, be cautious, watch your back and don't get too swept with the idea that people are always friendly. Money does make a difference too. Trust your gut.

Well he is smoking in a public area and there is a law that prohibits it, he is that kind of person that goes somewhere and expects everybody to adjust and please him

The problem is why people don't. React to the liberties, philippine channels are trying to pass the false narrative that everybody in the Philippines are nicer and friendlier than everybody else in the world. Not true you have your evil people in the Philippines as well. You have your negative people there as well. But that is not shown, it's like Haiti. The only show the bad parts of Haiti, not realizing you go to the countryside of Haiti. It is nice there well. The same applies to the Philippines. A lot of these channels portray the Philippines as women are beautiful. They're the best. Them more familiariated than not all like that. It depends on where you go in the Philippines. I wish a lot of people will tell the truth about the Philippines. They're not all nice people. It depends on where you go. And the cities that are modernized the women in those cities are becoming westernized or the philippine windmill. Women who start RU-vid channels if they notice all of them are single because they are making money. They don't want a man. Oh, they don't need a man. They want a man, so you see in the Philippines. It's becoming just like the West very slowly unless you go to Euro areas. The countryside then the women. There are still poor and will give you a more of a chance. Not the city, things are changing in the Philippines. The Philippines is becoming more modern every day. With that, come independence.

I moved to Southeast Asia over 20 years ago and I was like that guy. Oh, back home we don't do it like that and we do this better etc etc. Then an older guy who was living in Thailand from Europe somewhere got angry at me and said, " Well if everything is so great back home what the fck are you doing here? " And that made me stop and think. He was right. Easiest way to put it is , ' When in Rome. ' You need to slow down and just relax and it takes a little time to be able to just go with the flow. ❤

Outstanding interview. A classy gentlemen giving an honest interview. I’ve been to the Philippines and have to agree with him. My thing was to assimilate into their culture. I was even learning the language and using it often. I love the Philippines, it’s beautiful people and its culture.

Been living here fulltime 10 years, but way out in the province. After you proved yourself to the locals.. the nice bit is real (less just being polite) Province life is the best way to go if you plan on retiring\immigrating here. A lot of youtube gets it 'close'.. but everyone is different and have different expectations.

No! the women may out smart him from birth he needs to speak for himself, I live in Makati I notice people will go about their own business some are friendly others will pay you no attention but since I'm not looking for nor do I need anything from anybody I don't take anything personal, I've traveled to many parts of the world dated all race of women, I don't do things against my personal code I don't care how pretty she looks that doesn't mean anything to me.

This is a very good interview. Highly recommend it for people planning to travel to the Philippines. 😊

Fax, you're absolutely right. Travel in all the world around the world. Give you a better perspective. I've traveled myself. I've not been to the Philippines, but I've been to other countries and I have. This is why my mind is open and why I don't trust nobody because at the end of the day, all countries have good bad and the ugly so run away from America or the West is not gonna make things better depends on where you go. The sad thing about Americans, especially Americans. Not very few of them have passports and don't travel and have a ignorant mindset of the world. So I agree with the black guy travel around the world. Get a passport, get out of the country, go somewhere. I do it every year myself. Go somewhere and you'll have a better perspective on the world. I agree 110%.

He’s telling the whole unfiltered truth about the black experience. I believe this guy.

I've ran into that "correction" issue repeatedly. Have had restaurants serve a fish dinner when I ordered chicken. Then they get upset that I refuse to accept their mistake or pay for it. Thier problem.

Damb youre right..i lived there 8 months..its true black or white.. Funny..I lived with my friend..hes black and yah im white.. Nothing surprises me there

Great interview with great insight, You should feature this brother more on your channel.

Good interview, appreciate the local wisdom. 👍

Great guy, great interview. I do think that most Americans are sheltered and spoiled. I appreciate how he approached this topic. In our last trip to the PH, I had one funny experience that I can relate to the chemistry experiment. I was outside of a restaurant, connected to a mall. A girl walked by and had to turn her head all the way around to take a longer look. The she waved like I was a celebrity, lol. Once inside the restaurant, it didn’t stop. At one point she put her face up against the glass to get a closer look. At the point I realized that she must be a mentally challenged, not to have the social filter regarding what’s too weird. What’s funny is that I’m just a regular white guy in the states and would not stand out at all. Even though she’s was an anomaly due to her condition, I do think it’s what a lot of people feel like doing but know better. We are all like zoo animals to people who have never seen someone of a different ethnic background. We are interesting in this way and for some it will take different forms. In the US, we are so used to diversity in most places. Perhaps in a very rural area, someone might look at someone who is obviously not from their little town (outsiders!). Another scenario is if you take a wrong turn in a US city and a nice black couple is giving you hand gestures to “get out, pronto”. That might be the closest to the experience that you would have in some places in the US. Try to be understanding because its human nature.

Is it true that americans have bases in Philippines