Discover Philippines: All You Need to Do About the Philippine Nightlife

“There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day. Night life is when you get up with a hangover in the morning. Night life is when everybody says what the hell and you do not remember who paid the bill. Night life goes round and round and you look at the wall to make it stop. Night life comes out of a bottle and goes into a jar. If you think of how much the drinks are it is not night life” –Ernest Hemingway

The nightlife scene in the Philippines is unlike any other.

Influenced significantly by Western culture, there might be some aspects in Philippine nightlife that allude to the nightclub scene commonly found in the United States. However, there are also several aspects about it that make it so unique. For an instance, the nightlife in each district is so drastically different than how you would find it in another city. Makati nightlife is associated with upscale living insomuch that you can find some of the most luxurious and exclusive bars and nightclubs here. Other towns are also known for their distinct brand of nightlife—whether that may be a simple night at the pub or a speakeasy that is frequently patronized by up-and-coming writers, singers, artists and poets. Indeed, nightlife in the Philippines is so vibrant and colorful that everyone needs to experience it—whether they may be a local and even more so when they are a foreigner. Regardless of what your poison might be, the Philippine nightlife caters to everyone and you might find something just for you. Everything is there—from laser light discotheques, karaoke bars, underground music gastropubs and exclusive VIP clubs. There is always something for everyone’s fancy and kind of play during the weekend.

So, if you have been looking to hit up some nightclubs or bars this upcoming weekend, here are some of the things you might want to know before going on that nocturnal jaunt:

Friendly attitude towards foreigners

Filipinos are known for their hospitality. In this regard, a foreigner would not have a hard time striking up a conversation with a local. In fact, they may even expect Filipinos to initiate conversations with them first. More importantly, Filipinos have an excellent command of the English language so communication would not be a challenge. Aside from that, foreigners are basically treated like celebrities in the Philippines insomuch that most Filipinos would be receptive to accommodating them. Although things might be relatively different in low-end establishments, you can still expect Filipinos to be welcoming to foreigners.

English-speaking nation

As stated above, Filipinos have an excellent grasp of the English language that communication would hardly be a problem at all. In fact, this is seen as one of the many advantages when it comes to partying in the Philippines as most of the locals can speak English. Even the poorest urban communities can speak Basic English and would be able to accommodate tourists without a hitch. However, even if your trip to the Philippines does not necessitate the reading of a Filipino phrasebook, knowing a few key phrases will earn you extra appreciative smiles from the locals—just for trying!

Unique alcoholic beverages and food

Filipinos love their booze just as much as they love to eat. For this reason, most of their alcoholic beverages have food matches to further improve the taste and the drinking experience. A local drink that is a must-try to beer drinkers is the Filipino local staple for libation, the San Miguel Beer or simply called San Mig. This beer variety comes in a variety of forms from the classic pale pilsen offering to the super dry variant. Apart from alcoholic beverages and spirits, there is quite a number of recognizable American fast food establishments in the Philippines. Recently, there has also been a growth of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines inside shopping malls.  However, if you truly want to experience the diversity of Filipino cuisine, take a stroll in one of the Sunday food night markets and food bazaars. There you can find a range of unique food offerings and flavors all in a single place. Have a taste of the local street food as well as Filipino “pulutan” or finger food and beer matches said to enhance the taste of your alcohol.

Love for KTV

Filipinos love to song—that much is evident from the series of KTV bars you can find in almost every nook and cranny in a major city. In fact, you might even find a standalone one in a local store with a singing patron to match. Indeed, a Filipino’s love for singing has no match and it is something you have to witness for yourself should you ever find yourself in the Philippines. Even those without the gift of vocal prowess can be found singing and belting out tunes in karaoke machines. After all, it is more about your performance rather than the song. So, do not be afraid to try your hand at karaoke too. Let go of your inhibitions by belting out your favorite songs.

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Discover Manila: Unlocking some of the Capital’s Best Kept Secret Chill Spots

“On the streets, hanging out with the fellows, there are things you learn that no book can teach you.”-Ramon Rodriguez 

There has never been any doubt that if you wanted to do something, Metro Manila would be the place to do just about anything that comes to your mind.

After all, being the capital city of a country would certainly afford you some perks—and having a multitude of things to do is one of them. Without a doubt, Metro Manila has been considered the mecca of all things entertainment-wise. So much so, that it would be quite hard to imagine if an individual has visited all the chic and cool hangout spots—even if they had lived there all their lives. After all, with so many things to do in Manila, you would expect individuals to be a bit more meticulous and discriminating when it comes to picking out their watering holes and hangout spots.

In this regard, prospective restaurateurs and business owners have directed their efforts in catering to the public’s demand for a more diverse gastronomic and nightlife scene.
As a result, there has been a steady rise of local and themed food and drink establishments—a true testament to the Filipino’s ever-evolving and refined preference and taste. Today, the average Filipino wishes to indulge his or her yearning for a culinary adventure and Metro Manila’s diverse new bars, pubs, restaurants, and even food parks are only happy to cater to them. Gone are the days wherein Filipinos would rely on tried and tested places, as of late the crowd has become more exploratory, and with so many options, one can easily come up with a list of favorites.

The eclectic drinking scene and culture

Regardless of how much a cultured drinker a Filipino might claim to be, they would always have a special taste for an ice cold alcoholic brew. And in most cases, this would be a bottle of beer. Metro Manila’s nightlife scene is a perfect amalgam of sophisticated chic clubs, as well as laidback bars and pubs that allow one to simply relax without feeling the need and pressure to dress up. The party scene is ideal for any sort of drinking occasion one might attend and might arguably be on par with some other cities of the world.

Hidden gems 

Today, Manila’s current landscape has grown and transformed. Resultingly, it has become so incredibly diverse over the past few years that there would virtually be a limitless array of hidden gems peppered all over the metropolis—each offering its own distinct food and brews to consumers. With the rise of the hipster culture that millennials tend to find themselves gravitating to, food would not simply just be a gustatory delight but a visual feast as well. After all, with the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, people would be snapping photos of their food and uploading them to their feed. This is an activity highly encouraged by restaurant managers and pub owners as this is an avenue for free online advertising.

Art and culture appreciation

Of course, while the party and food scene would seem like the focus of Metro Manila’s progressive entertainment scene, the art and culture scene are not left far too behind. Today, it is rather easy to find galleries as well as museums in the city where they were scarce before. Much like how the food and nightlife scene is themed, so are these galleries. Moreover, some of them have cleverly integrated cafés and restaurants into their establishments to entice even more customers to visit. In this regard, some art gallery owners wish to instill a bit of culture into a Filipino’s downtime, revive the art scene and hopefully increase an individual’s appreciation for the local culture and art scene.

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Manila at Night: The Five Types of People You Meet at Bars and Clubs

“In nightlife, you can become a star, while in the daytime you can just be a nobody.” –Eddy de Clercq

Of all the cities in the Philippines, the nightlife is no brighter and more colorful than in the country’s biggest metropolis, Metro Manila. Over the years, Manila’s vibrant nightlife has continuously served the public’s demand for a more diverse experience at night, and it has adequately delivered through a variety of exciting bars and clubs. Today, a typical night out in Manila is not only limited to pre-gaming at a pub or bar, dancing the night away at the club and wrapping it up at a coffee shop. In these days, Manila nightlife is more expansive and would include themed and sports bars, gaming clubs and the like. As a result of this development in Manila’s nightlife scene, bars, pubs, and clubs would now cater to a more varied and inclusive set of partygoers and revelers.

In fact, it is not uncommon to come across a zany or interesting character in one of your nocturnal excursions. After all, in a perpetually bustling cosmopolitan such as Metro Manila,  you would be hard-pressed to find an empty bar or club—even on weekdays. Given this rather busy lifestyle, expect and be prepared to bump into some individuals who are seeking a little relief (and breathing room) from a hard day’s work. Although they might be different from one another, expect to find similar characteristics among them.

Here are some of the common individuals you would bump into on any given night at the bar or club:

1.)    The Cool Kids 

You might have spotted them gingerly waiting their turn to get inside at the queue leading to the club. More often than not, their presence baffles you because for one, they look far too young to be partying (and drinking for that matter) and secondly, they are definitely up way past their bedtime. As a result of this rather rebellious behavior, you might even wonder (and question) their parent’s moral scruples and leverage on disciplinary control over them.

2.)    The Group Taking Shots 

There is no doubt that in one of your nightly excursions; you are definitely going to run into that all-male or female boisterous group. Usually, they are somewhat easy to spot not only because of their crazy antics but because one of them has had too much to drink and would most likely need help just standing up.

3.)    The Group of Girlfriends 

Just one look at them reminds you of an episode of Sex and The City. From the get-go, they seem to be catching up—either on the latest gossip or the comings and goings of their lives. However, while this might seem like a sound idea at first, the club is not exactly an ideal place to hold a conversation. Crowds of people converging on the dance floor, music blaring from the stereo and drunk people all-over are definitely things that do not make an ideal ambiance for a catch-up. Besides, no one really feels like shouting just to be heard by their companions. 

4.)    Foreign Nationals and “Friends”

This is not to say that a foreigner’s companion would immediately be his date, but more often than not, that is the case. Most trendy bars will have their fair share of foreign nationals. In fact, you can rank a bar or club’s popularity based on the attendance of foreigners (and their companions in tow).

5.)    The Scouts 

These individuals are males, and they can come in groups or alone. They have a singular purpose for hitting up clubs: To score dates with women. If a man’s flirting game is pretty strong, he usually would not require a coterie of other men. However, if a man is a novice at the dating game, he might need a few wingmen with him.

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