Those of you that are coming from Thailand can pretty much skip this section, as the explanation is near identical to that of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.

OK, so let’s begin. The traditional term for taking a girl out of the bar is “Barfine”. Recently the alternative phrase of “E.W.R.” (Early Work Release) has been used because “barfine” was viewed as being synonymous with “sex” or “prostitution”. Bear in mind that prostitution in the Philippines IS illegal!

“So what is the point?!” you maybe asking yourself (and me). It’s like this: When you pay the EWR/Barfine to the bar, you are essentially paying a FINE to the BAR to compensate for the profits that they would lose for that employee leaving with you. To most people, this means that you would take the girl out, possibly go barhopping and the night would end with sex. Again, prostitution IS illegal in the Philippines, so when she leaves the bar, sex is technically NOT part of the agreement between you and the bar. It’s important to remember that because not all “dates” end up as the customer would like and often times he will try to get a refund because sex didn’t take place. Again, THAT aspect is between you and the girl so don’t even bother trying to include the bar UNLESS she broke a condition of your date that you previously agreed upon. Your only real chance of getting a refund is if the girl pulls (what we refer to) a "runner". This means that basically you are out barhopping somewhere and your date asks you to hold on then NEVER returns.

Now, let’s say that you and her have sex after you barfine her. That is considered an event that takes place between two consenting adults and is outside the realm of the bars control. Sounds pretty lucrative, doesn’t it? It’s the law though and people have to follow it and these “technicalities”.

OK, so let’s be honest with ourselves here and state that you are interested in only barfining a girl that will have sex with you on your “date” (Hell, that's the whole point back home anyways, right!). Well, that is something that you need to discuss with her BEFORE you pay the barfine. There are many variables that take place though and you, the customer, would be wise to be clear on all of them. View it as sort of an “interview” process so that you make sure that your “date” ends up the way both you and her would like.

First and foremost, we have the phenomenon known as “Cherry Girls”. These are virgin girls that work at the bar. They are typically easy to spot after your first couple of nights of barhopping. Usually they are interested in only going barhopping with you and/or getting you to buy them ladies drinks. They are the shyer girls you see in the bar and/or they can be door girls. These girls are typically very sweet natured and have not been “hardened” by the bar scenes yet. However, you should bear in mind that the likeliness of your "date" ending up in the sack with you is next to nill.

Cherry Girls aside, you also have the issue of the girl being on her period, having a boyfriend, being sick (as in cold), having to go to church in the morning, hygiene check the next day etc, etc, etc. Look; simply ask the girl or tell her exactly what you are looking for if you choose to barfine her. Again though, this is between two consenting adults so don’t bother asking the bar to get involved. Sometimes it IS beneficial to tell the Mamasan of the bar what type of “date” you are looking for and she can point in the right direction as to which one of her employees would make a good date for you.

Now that we have gotten the technical aspect of barfining out of the way, we will move forward on “what to do”. Hopefully you followed my little advice above and established what you would like to do with her since she went out with you. I typically like to go barhopping with my “date” and get to know her a little better as well as scope out the scenes in the other bars. Trust me when I say that the girls like going barhopping, and 99% of the time are more then willing to go around with you if ask. If you are hungry, ask her to join you for dinner. Take her to a movie, a disco, the mall; really anywhere you would go on a normal date with a girl. Sometimes these girls are referred to as a “G.R.O” (Guest Relation Officer) and technically their job is to show you (the guest) around and have a good time.

At the end of your date (be it that afternoon/evening or the next morning) it is customary to tip her. Now, the art of “tipping” is HIGHLY debated by certain people but you should bear in mind the “local scene” that you are in (Angeles City, EDSA, Makati, Sabang) when taking this into consideration. For instance, tipping a girl in Angeles City 500 Pesos for spending time with you is considered a good tip. Giving the same amount in Makati to a girl will get your ass kicked. Remember, you are tipping her for her time showing you around and NOT for sex (prostitution IS illegal remember!), so your tip should really reflect that. If your “date” ended up exactly as you wanted it to, don’t be stingy.

I find that the easiest thing to do when tipping is to not just hand over the money like a chump and say, “Here”. Regardless of the outcome, I view it as demeaning to the profession that she chooses and a slap in the face to her. Instead, give her a little hug, slip it into her back pocket and say “Thank you”. If she has no back pockets, ask where her purse is really quick and slip it in there (be somewhat obvious about it though).

Good luck and have fun!