Looking for a girlfriend or future wife in the Philippines is a big decision. When you’ve made up your mind to go there, you’ll find good and bad advice on the internet. I’d like to point you to some of it. This includes sites, YouTube, channels, and other resources.
Filipinas can be caring, loyal, and family-oriented. They make great partners when you find someone good. Unfortunately, you can also waste your trip to the Philippines. You could get scammed. Or choose a place that doesn’t suit you.
Some girls will eat you alive if you’re clueless. And while we don’t want you to constantly be paranoid, there are people who will try and take advantage of you.
Contents
Best Websites and Blogs for Men Going to the Philippines
Guide to the Philippines
The name says it all. This is a guide, and a very thorough one. And the first thing you need to do before arriving in the Philippines for is to know where you’re going. This site gives an abundance of tourism-type information. Facts, places, things to see, weather, all that.
You can use it for planning your first trips, whether you’re plunging into the urban depths of Manila or Cebu, headed to a smaller place like Lapu Lapu, off to the beaches of Boracay, or going deep into the Leyte province.
Philippine Retirement Authority
Some of you are thinking about not only finding love in the Philippines but also retiring in the Philippines. This, or bringing her back to your country, is often the conundrum Western (and other Asian) guys face.
When you can retire there and rent or partially buy property for a fraction of what you pay back. And you can live in a tropical climate and live a reasonably high quality of life, the Philippines makes for an attractive destination.
This is the official governmental website on retiring in the Philippines. Given the pandemic and our changing world, the specific plans could change. But it’s highly unlikely the Philippines will stop appealing to foreigners to bring their money and put it into the Philippines’ often-struggling economy.
The Philippine government encourages foreign nationals to retire in the Philippines and will help you with it. If you’re single, this can be very appealing.
Blogs
I can’t beat this directory site that already has an extensive directory, so I’ll just link to it. Hope you find something useful.
Best YouTube Channels for Men Going to the Philippines
The Filipina Pea
Is she annoying? You bet. Is she spot-on in her assessments and honesty? Yes! So you have to take one with the other.
There are lots of YouTube channels about Filipinas and about foreigners living in the Philippines. In addition to what seems like every other 65-year-old expat, there are many Filipinas who have a go at it.
Most of them suffer from poor quality, rambling content, bad accents, and just plain useless content. The Filipina Pea is an exception. Every video is on a well-researched topic. She prepares a script and questions. And she reads it like an annoying TV newscaster. But get beyond that and she offers blunt advice, bordering on crude. And that’s exactly what a guy needs. Get it straight from the horse’s mouth and a real Filipina’s perspective.
She covers a wide array of topics from lifestyle in the Philippines to really niche aspects of the Filipino culture. She also covers love matters and interracial dating between foreign men and Filipino ladies.
She’s a gem. An annoying gem.
Gio in the Philippines
Gio’s a good dude, American, ex-Army, and he hasn’t been in the Philippines for decades. That means he’s not overly jaded. He also has a pure, objective quality about him. His channel’s progressed well over the couple of years he’s been in the country.
Being single, middle-aged, and a decent-looking guy, he clearly does his share of dating. He’s expanded from dull reports on his online teaching like to having different interviews and traveling around quite a bit. Good dude, good channel.
Philly in the Philippines
Phil is representative of the long-timer sort of YouTuber. He’s not very good at doing more than long cell-phone video, but he’s a social guy and you’ll see real life through his lens. He can also be an incessant critic and complainer.
But I’ve been to the Philippines a few times, and I get it. There is a lot worthy of complaining about and there is plenty of crap that just doesn’t need to be like that. But…it is what it is, and that’s how it seems Philly sees it as well.
Phil has a wife and kids and simply documents his life. For 60-ish guys, or for younger guys looking at early retirement, especially middle Americans and military types, you can get a glimpse of how you may turn out, without sugar coating.
Paul in the Philippines Old Dog New Tricks
These aging dudes aren’t wildly inventive in their naming. And most aren’t wildly skilled in their video production. But we’re generally not watching them like movies. Paul is a 60-something retiree in Dumaguete. A former car salesman from the U.S., he says he didn’t go to the Philippines looking for love. It actually seems credible.
He went seeking a change of life. He’s not rich, not that adventurous, but he spins a great story. His infectious laugh, even if nothing is funny, makes him enjoy able to listen to. He commonly brings on whoever he finds, whether expat or local. This leads to some very frank insights.
Best dating sites, apps, and online resources for finding a Filipina girlfriend
It’s common for guys to get on a Filipino dating site or app before going to the Philippines or when they’re there.
Among the many Asian dating sites, there always seem to be Filipinas, even they’re Thai, Chinese, or other Asian dating sites.
Meeting girls in the Philippines is easier online, and that might be your best ticket to meet a quality Filipina. Some sites are designed for Filipinas looking for foreigners, and foreigners looking for Filipinas.
Others cover more countries. They come and go and ample is written on all of them. Read my article on lying Filipinas as well, because it won’t be long before you run into one.
In particular order, the better online dating sites and to meet Filipina girls are:
- Filipino Cupid – The most widely used and the consensus favorite, with some 5 million users, but who knows how many are unique and real
- Pina Love
- Blossoms Dating
- Asia Loving
- DateInAsia – This app is a bit notorious for girls who know their way around the block, but I’ve heard of successes
- Christian Filipina – I’ve found many positive reviews of this site, but I personally found it really underwhelming, maybe better in-country
- Tinder – Same as anywhere, but once you’re in the country, it’s basically bottomless. There are real girls on there, too, among the flack.
- Badoo
Things to keep in mind about Filipino dating sites and apps
It’s easy to get carried away and disillusioned by the attention you get on these sites and app, no matter your age or where you’re from. Here are a few things to keep in mind, in the form of questions to “keep it real”. Check this full article I did on mistakes men make on dating sites for a deeper look.
Are you really that special of a catch?
The first is that you’ll draw a lot more attention than you do in your country. You’ll get plenty of matches from women you’d think would never look in your direction. You’ll be amazed by the sheer number of girls who see you as a quality guy with exotic looks. Even if you’re a bit older.
Be realistic about it, though. Yes, there are girls very happy to meet a mature man. But you’ll soon find very few of them will inquire about anything personal.
Some will only offer up a few words. When you meet one who’s actually read your profile and doesn’t just shower you with praise and propositions, and has a real photo, you might have found a better one.
What are her real intentions?
You’ll find a lot of girls using these apps to offer “services”. It can be harder to tell, though. Many will not mention they’re in the oldest profession. Some will just ask for jeepney fare. Others will flat out tell you a price.
Among all this riff-raff are real girls. Don’t rush into things and be honest with yourself about her communications, and it’s not that hard to figure out what’s up.
Is that really her?
First, if she looks like a Chinese model, it’s a fake, 99.99% guaranteed. Many of these are now bots so there’s not even a girl behind it. They’re scams. You will not find a leggy Hong Kong or mainland Chinese beauty in the Philippines.
Beyond that, if her photo is highly professional or excessively attractive (to all guys, not just those with a certain fetish), it’s probably a fake or at least a filter. If you want to marry a Chinese woman, go to China or find one in your home country.
If it’s a relatively normal shot of a girl in humble surroundings, that’s probably her, or many a friend of hers. Get her on Facebook to double-check, Google the photo to see if it lines up with who she says she is, and ideally get her on a video chat. That’ll help both of you feel more comfortable with who you’re getting.
Yes, DO pay to play
No, not that. Pay for a VIP membership on your site or app of choice. Apps that are entirely free are obviously going to be overrun with scammers – both men and women. They may be easy to get going on, but they have few or no screening standards.
You’re better off paying the few bucks to maybe $30/month to be able to message girls on a more reputable site like, for instance, Filipino Cupid. It’s very much worth it.
If you balk at paying $30/month to chat with attractive girls, you really need to rethink if you should be leaving your current place of residence.
Dating tours to the Philippines
Another less known option is dating tours. These get mixed reviews. What you do get it a proper tour, with everything arranged for you and with lots of chances to meet more than enough women.
These can run in the thousands, which may be worth it for you.
There are questions on which girls are planted and which are legit, but they do bring a lot of quality girls to their “parties.” It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you weigh, you will meet women. Typically it’s a ratio of 8 or 10 women to each guy, so it’s sort of like speed dating.
These tours arrange everything for you. Accommodation, transportation, meeting Filipina women, and dating them. These are very much not sex tours. They’re intended to be for foreign men and Filipino women seeking serious relationships.
A couple of well-known Filipino dating tour companies are:
Cebu Women
I hear this one has a strong reputation.
A Foreign Affair
This one’s probably received the most attention as it’s been featured on major network news shows, some of which questioned the legitimacy of the girls there. Read the reviews.
Others
There seem to be others, but many also seem to be spam links, so that right there says something.
That said, if you’ve never been to the Philippines, this can ease your way in. Even if you don’t meet your dream girl, you’ll benefit from having been there, getting a glimpse of life, and seeing if the country and its women suit your style.
A final word before you head to the Philippines to meet a girl
Filipina women can be among the best partners in the world. They hold a mixture of traditional and liberal values, and they can be faithful, loyal, and very caring.
If you’re new to the Philippines, please learn about the country before you go. Watch lots of videos, even if they don’t agree with your sensibilities. There’s no greater resource than YouTube thanks to the huge diversity of views. Blogs can be good too, but a video of daily life, and normal people’s words and actions are the next best thing to being there.
The Philippines has a lot of problems – poverty, theft, petty scams, lying, and it’s really hot. It also has elements of paradise – lovely dark-skinned girls, nice people, delicious fruits, and picturesque islands and beaches. We can say the same for Thailand or Vietnam, perhaps Malaysia, and many countries in Latin America.
Then when you’re ready (and borders are open to you), take a trip for a few weeks or a month. Extend it if you’re enjoying yourself.
Whatever you do, don’t pull up all your anchors and leave with the plan of meeting a girl you met online.
Use the information in the sites and channels above, and others you find. This will help you see past the simple physical things that turn you on, and gain some sense of perspective.
And then, enjoy the heck out of your trip and meet a great Filipino woman.
