# Hard To Find Items/Strange Looks When Inquiring



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

BusyBC57 said:


> We live in Koronadal and nobody sells 8.5x14, though they call it legal size they only sell 8.5x13, also referred to as legal size. We went to any place that sold paper and file folders and they were all the same, no 8.5x14. I also found out while searching for this online that the Philippine national size is 8.5x13, go figure.


I guess this should be another topic and if it gets plenty of replies I'll make it happen, but I want to add something and BusyBC instead of replying to you in a PM I'd rather share it with others here goes my rant:

I'm used to those odd looks, such as do you carry corn flour, cornmeal... You should see the looks and now I'm trying to remember all the many things I ask for and get strange Ooh... Do you have Red Beets? For sure they won't know what you're talking about because if they do sell Red Beets they label them as Sugar Beets or get this BBQ Sauce... OMG nobody has a clue or Black Beans dry beans uncooked another hard to find or impossible task.

I just got to the point Charley where I stop asking and look for it myself but if for some odd and unusual case that the store clerk appears to be friendly I'll ask. My next task for months was to find affordable shaving cream because the stuff sold in the grocery stores is quadruple the price but after several months of searching multiple grocery stores a new store opened as a 66 pesos type store selling low priced items and sure enough, they sold a large bottle of shaving cream for 66 pesos, my next impossible task is to find XXX Chinese comfortable underwear (waistband inside the material) it's been 4 years now and I'm running low, I keep asking for the XXX and they just won't buy it for some reason but if they have it, it's sold out within days but get this my waist is a 36" size.

I've given up on asking In-laws they are the worst and last people now that I go to for any advice or where to find items they'd rather have me cart them around in a Jeepney or Van to the most expensive stores and of course feed them at restaurant, I can't do that anymore on a military pension, so what I'm trying to say is that the only way I can find something is on my own.

But all in all good luck and if it doesn't pan out go with the other size and at least have it all filled out so when you get to where you're going you can transfer the data quickly, there are so many reasons why our paperwork gets stuck at these government offices and so far I've been very blessed but I've talked with several expats and usually at the PBI with sad and long stories on the many hold-ups with their paperwork.


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## BusyBC57 (Apr 13, 2015)

M.C.A. said:


> I guess this should be another topic and if it gets plenty of replies I'll make it happen, but I want to add something and BusyBC instead of replying to you in a PM I'd rather share it with others here goes my rant:
> 
> I'm used to those odd looks, such as do you carry corn flour, cornmeal... You should see the looks and now I'm trying to remember all the many things I ask for and get strange Ooh... Do you have Red Beets? For sure they won't know what you're talking about because if they do sell Red Beets they label them as Sugar Beets or get this BBQ Sauce... OMG nobody has a clue or Black Beans dry beans uncooked another hard to find or impossible task.
> 
> ...


You made me laugh about the beans. When I arrived back last November the first place we went is to KCC in the grocery section. To my surprise they had chili beans from the us. I slowly bought them all as nobody bought them. Too expensive here for the locals but that wasn't going to stop me. So after I bought the last can I waited and waited for them to stock the shelves, well a few weeks went by and nothing. So my wife told me to type a short note about ordering the chili beans and we even took a picture of the can. My wife had to tell them that I would at least 20 cans so don't be afraid that nobody will by them. I'm still waiting again three weeks later and nothing. So far its been about a month and a half. It would be just as good if they had dry black or pinto beans.:fingerscrossed:

Charlie


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Special order*



BusyBC57 said:


> You made me laugh about the beans. When I arrived back last November the first place we went is to KCC in the grocery section. To my surprise they had chili beans from the us. I slowly bought them all as nobody bought them. Too expensive here for the locals but that wasn't going to stop me. So after I bought the last can I waited and waited for them to stock the shelves, well a few weeks went by and nothing. So my wife told me to type a short note about ordering the chili beans and we even took a picture of the can. My wife had to tell them that I would at least 20 cans so don't be afraid that nobody will by them. I'm still waiting again three weeks later and nothing. So far its been about a month and a half. It would be just as good if they had dry black or pinto beans.:fingerscrossed:
> 
> Charlie


Actually, that works I special ordered Krusteaz 10 lb Butter Milk pancake mix and it did come in and they claimed it would only be a couple of weeks it ended being more like 4 months.

For my chili (crockpot) Oh crockpots was another thing I couldn't find but now they sell them, they do sell white beans here and I also use these white beans for making Pork and Beans.


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## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

We bought A4 paper 210×297 mm ( 8.27 × 11.69 ) from savemore the brand name is Paperone 

As for XXX briefs etc you should be lucky at S&R or HMR if you can get to them S&R sells lots of stuff from the US and HMR sells a lot of stuff from Australia, we use S&R mostly to buy Chewsticks for our dogs, Southern comfort and corona beer for me and Arabica coffee granules and big burgers from the US !


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

As a brit I would also give you a blank look at most of those american items. You need to learn the local names.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

We find it difficult to get dry beans other than mongo but get canned red kidney beans at Rustans that my woman uses to make chili in the slow cooker. Can't live without chili!


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## BusyBC57 (Apr 13, 2015)

JRB__NW said:


> We find it difficult to get dry beans other than mongo but get canned red kidney beans at Rustans that my woman uses to make chili in the slow cooker. Can't live without chili!


They do have kidney beans at KCC, just haven't tried those yet. I'm still holding out for my chili beans that I was buying there. You're right though, can't live without the chili beans.

Charlie


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I had high hopes for S&R... did not work out as well as I hoped. They have a great meat section, but still not enough 'foreigner' foods. They have canned chili (very expensive), but they have cheap canned pinto beans. I have looked everywhere for corn meal, and the only place selling ground corn of any kind is the feed store! S&R Iloilo now sells cornbread mix. It could work... but I have 15 Lbs I just shipped from the US.

I try to download a picture of what I am looking for, because a lot of what we are looking for is here, under a different name.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Dry Beans*



JRB__NW said:


> We find it difficult to get dry beans other than mongo but get canned red kidney beans at Rustans that my woman uses to make chili in the slow cooker. Can't live without chili!


Same here I make Chili often and might also get a new crockpot one that runs on 220 volts they now sell them at one grocery chain near me called Goodwill and I can find dry beans sold, either white, red and occasionally black and even pinto beans. 

I've seen the red beans sold at the WalterMart or South Supermarket, the only place I can purchase black beans, pinto beans, and other varieties is at South Supermarket.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Corn Meal*



Tukaram said:


> I had high hopes for S&R... did not work out as well as I hoped. They have a great meat section, but still not enough 'foreigner' foods. They have canned chili (very expensive), but they have cheap canned pinto beans. I have looked everywhere for corn meal, and the only place selling ground corn of any kind is the feed store! S&R Iloilo now sells cornbread mix. It could work... but I have 15 Lbs I just shipped from the US.
> 
> I try to download a picture of what I am looking for, because a lot of what we are looking for is here, under a different name.


There's a health food chain store called Health Options they have several locations throughout the archipelago.
https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/ And if I'm not mistaken they have 3 spots in the Visayas region one in Bacolod, they sell the corn flour or corn meal I heard this from another expat, there's also one located near me but when I say near it's a 1.5 hr drive located in Sta Rosa Laguna (Luzon). https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/stores

You and Gary have it right they use different names I think Masa would be one of the names used for corn flour, I remember this was sold up in the Angeles region at the markets like this.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

Gary D said:


> As a brit I would also give you a blank look at most of those american items. You need to learn the local names.


Was going to say the same thing. I haven't a clue about most of what the OP is talking about.


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## digitalchic (Jul 11, 2019)

M.C.A. said:


> There's a health food chain store called Health Options they have several locations throughout the archipelago.
> https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/ And if I'm not mistaken they have 3 spots in the Visayas region one in Bacolod, they sell the corn flour or corn meal I heard this from another expat, there's also one located near me but when I say near it's a 1.5 hr drive located in Sta Rosa Laguna (Luzon). https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/stores
> 
> You and Gary have it right they use different names I think Masa would be one of the names used for corn flour, I remember this was sold up in the Angeles region at the markets like this.


I use Healthy Options too and other online health store in the Philippines. As for the grocery shopping, I also learned not to ask the sales personnel or else you will get that confused look hahaha! I just find it myself. They usually say - we don't have that when it's all stock up somewhere because they don't know how to categorize it. - Is it a gourmet or oriental? is it a produce or an instant? -things like that LOL


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Find it yourself*



digitalchic said:


> I use Healthy Options too and other online health store in the Philippines. As for the grocery shopping, I also learned not to ask the sales personnel or else you will get that confused look hahaha! I just find it myself. They usually say - we don't have that when it's all stock up somewhere because they don't know how to categorize it. - Is it a gourmet or oriental? is it a produce or an instant? -things like that LOL


Same here I've learned not to bother the staff because most could care less where their products are but I have been surprised occasionally by someone that knows or cares but it's only every blue moon though and I agree its best to find it yourself.

Yesterday I traveled all the way to Calamba just to find some packaged dry beans they aren't available in my area or the variety is very limited and expensive, I found white, brown and red beans at the SM grocery and the price was cheap, making chili today in the crock pot.


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## digitalchic (Jul 11, 2019)

M.C.A. said:


> Same here I've learned not to bother the staff because most could care less where their products are but I have been surprised occasionally by someone that knows or cares but it's only every blue moon though and I agree its best to find it yourself.
> 
> Yesterday I traveled all the way to Calamba just to find some packaged dry beans they aren't available in my area or the variety is very limited and expensive, I found white, brown and red beans at the SM grocery and the price was cheap, making chili today in the crock pot.


Yes SM truly upholds their "We got it all for you" LOL 

If I'm in Manila, I usually go to China town for all my spices. It's worth the travel if you buy in bulk.


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