Yes the world is such a small place,
Like many I have only been on holiday there too and only a month at a time,
Who knows what it will be like after 1 year of living out there, but we all have to give it a go,
I too did not like Manila ,to busy and too crowded, but get outside and it turns into something more pleasing,.
Some places are dirty to my standards so you do have to take care, but that could be ananywhere you go nowadays