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Would I stand out if I visited the Philippines? I’m an 18-year-old from Britain. I’m going to a province as well. How do you think they will react?
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You are not going to the Philippines at the moment, the country currently has a prohibition on foreigners entering the country due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. When I first moved to the Philippines, I was living in a small town in Metro Manila called Pateros, which is close to Makati, Mandaluyong and Quezon Cities where there are lots of foreigners; but at the time I was the only white resident and usually the only white person there. If you go to any provincial town or village where few foreign travellers go, you will experience the feeling of being different, people will state at you but you but purely out of curiosity. People will be shy to talk to you because many Filipinos, especially those who don't have regular contact with foreigners, are not confident about using English even though most Filipinos know at least some; however you can expect to be made to feel very welcome. Most people will be interested in you and want to know about you and your life, and also what you think about their country. You will encounter a minority of people who may try to rip you off, whether that takes the format of shopkeepers trying to overcharge you people in the streets trying to pick your pockets. You need to keep your wits about you in public. Most of Luzon and Visayas are considered safe for tourism. Some southern islands in Visayas and most of Mindanao are potentially dangerous and parts of Mindanao should be considered no-go areas for foreigners, check the current advice of the UK government before you travel. I assume you will be meeting with people you know there, stay with them when travelling and follow their advice. The government's travel advice for further guidance: Philippines travel adviceLatest travel advice for Philippines, including how coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting travel and entry requirements at this time as well as safety and security and local laws and customs
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/philippines (Normally, Luzon and Visayas would be green on the map, indicating that it is generally safe to travel, the current status on the above page is Covid-related.) Safety and security – Philippines travel adviceLatest travel advice for Philippines, including how coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting travel and entry requirements at this time as well as safety and security and local laws and customs
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/philippines/safety-and-security And particularly keep aware of local laws: Local laws and customs – Philippines travel adviceLatest travel advice for Philippines, including how coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting travel and entry requirements at this time as well as safety and security and local laws and customs
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/philippines/local-laws-and-customs
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I’m half filipino and half indian. I don’t speak tagalog very well either. I look more indian then filipino but people could easily tell I’m a foreigner. While most filipinos speak English pretty well, just speaking might make make you the center of attention. I went into a bookstore and I started speaking loudly (In English, and everyone started staring at me loool). But tbh, Filipinos are very welcoming and hospital and language wouldn’t be an issue since majority of filipinos speak english. As a foreigner, they may be really welcoming with you! But you should definitely travel with a group of people. There are some sketchy people (as everywhere in the world) and as a young person, its better to be safe then sorry. Don’t just go out there alone, especially in a foreign country. But overall, whenever you go to Ph (which I’m assuming isn’t now), you’ll definitely enjoy it! It’s really fun in the Philippines.