Everything it's actually like. The English-speaking megacity most people underestimate. The costs, the neighborhoods, the work life, told by people who live here.
Start here ↓Every peso, tracked for 30 days, from a bedspace to a BGC high-rise.
One neighborhood in a day. Who it's perfect for, and who it isn't.
A real, normal week in Manila. The good, the chaotic, the unposted.
Not a platform and not a directory. Someone here who files the paperwork, meets your plane, walks you through the city, or finds you somewhere to live. Licensed people deliver the regulated parts. We coordinate, and we tell you exactly who is doing what.
Most extensions you can file yourself on the Bureau's portal, and we will tell you so for free. We track the deadlines and handle what the portal will not take.
How it works →A driver at arrivals with your name, a real +63 number in your hand before you leave the airport, your wallet set up in the car, door to door.
How it works →Four hours, six stops, a licensed guide who eats here. The same dish at PHP 180 and PHP 1,200, and what the difference actually buys you. First run January 2027, six seats.
Join the waitlist →Five real options found through a licensed broker, every one filmed so you can watch them back, the lease read, and the internet actually working when you arrive.
How it works →We are paid a flat fee for work we do. Never a commission, never a percentage, never a cut of anything you buy. Government and partner fees are passed through at cost and shown on your receipt. Our standards and our terms say the rest.
Everything we know is free. We charge for work we do, never for what we know.
The phone problem, the wallet that works on a passport, what traffic actually costs you, and when not to come. For a first trip or a first month.
Read it →The SRRV explained properly, what care actually costs, the housing rules, and the part nobody writes down: what happens if you die here.
Read it →What a month really costs, at three honest lifestyles: lean, comfortable, and BGC-expat.
BGC, Makati, Poblacion, Quezon City. Who each neighborhood is actually for.
Visas, coworking, internet speeds, banking, SIM cards: the practical machinery of basing here.
The food, the nightlife, the weekend escapes. Manila past the mall.
Property, business, and what's actually rising, for people bringing money.
The real costs, the right neighborhood, the setup checklist. No email required. It is a page, not a trade.
Read the Starter Kit → Want the weekly one too? If the form does not load, email Jordan and he will add you by hand.Vaya Manila is a small local bureau: a journalist and a videographer who actually live in the city, paid to show you the real thing. (Bureau launching. This is where our Manila team will be credited.)