Aye, it's like buying a car and not taking it for a test run. Should have had a 3 or 4 week holiday over there before making any rash decisions.
For me the Phils was an acquired taste. I wasn't bowled over by it on my first trip but I grew to love it after travelling around a bit. Basing the Philippines on Manila and Iligan like he did is like basing England on London and somewhere like Crewe.