How to Choose the Right Filipino Dating Website

Introduction

Online dating sites are increasingly popular and offer a great way of meeting people for friendship, fun and romance. In addition to the growth of mainstream dating sites, international dating is also increasingly popular; with greater internet access it's incredibly easy to meet people from all over the world. If the idea of this is appealing, you'll want to check out our Filipino dating site reviews. The exotic islands of the Philippines and the gentleness and warmth of Filipina ladies offer great opportunities for friendship, love and romance, combined with the potential for travel. What could sound more appealing?

Choosing And Joining A Dating Site

Considerable diversity exists between each of the Filipino dating sites reviewed here. In addition to reading our reviews, it's wise to actually visit a few sites in order to make meaningful comparisons. Each has a different look and feel, so have a browse and see which feels most comfortable to you.

Basic membership (registering, creating a profile and browsing) is completely free for all the sites listed, so you won't have to worry about any initial financial commitment or outlay. The most you'll need is a valid email address in order to validate your membership. You don't even need to complete your profile when you sign up. It's fine to fill in the basics, take a look around and complete your profile later if you decide to stay.

All of the sites feature help and guidance to help you along the way. Note that not all profiles feature just females from the Philippines, e.g. ForeignLadies.com (Philippines). A few sites list transgender profiles, so if you're looking to meet transgender members you might try PinaLove.com or FilipinoKisses.com. Another niche is for Christian Filipina dating and there's a site catering to those wishing to meet fellow Christians, e.g. Christian-Filipina.com.

Profiles

One of the first things to do when you've successfully signed up is to check out some of the profiles, which will be more or less detailed depending on the site. Photo quality varies considerably and, without wishing to appear shallow, is an important factor in finding someone you like. Some sites feature good quality, large sized photos with multiple uploads on most profiles (e.g. ForeignLadies.com/Philippines), whilst others feature lots of profiles with lower quality photos, typically taken on a webcam in an internet cafe (e.g. Fildate.com).

If you notice that a lot of profiles don't feature photos at all, it's likely that these are fake or inactive. This is less of a problem the higher up a site is on our top 10. Likewise, the better sites feature plenty of profile information and enhanced features such as voice and video intros (e.g. FilipinoFriendFinder.com). The basic rule is that the more complete your profile is and the more photos you upload, the more interest you'll attract. It's advisable to login regularly too, and you'll find that most profiles inform you of the most recent activity on a given profile. 

Communication

A range of communication options feature on most sites. Sending an automated message (sometimes called a smile, wink or flirt) is a good way of breaking the ice with somebody new. Meanwhile, email forms the mainstay of communication between members. Some sites also feature public chat rooms and private instant messenger, allowing you to chat in private using your webcam. Make sure you login at an appropriate time if outside the Philippines.

Bear in mind that free members are usually limited to sending icebreakers and little else. Other ways of connecting include inviting members to befriend you, creating your own social network, or compiling a list of favorite profiles (members you pick are informed).

Language

Dating somebody from another country where English is not widely spoken is an obvious issue. You'll find that the majority of Filipina women on the dating sites reviewed have good English proficiency and so the language barrier shouldn't represent any problem. One site (ForeignLadies.com/Philippines) offers a service where you can telephone a member you like and speak with the assistance of a translator.

Membership Types

The standard format for dating sites is that they offer two levels of membership; there's always a free (standard) membership in which registration, profile creation and limited access to features are free. The trouble is that most sites restrict communication features, which means that you usually won't be able to send or receive email or use chat rooms or IM chat features. This means that to stand any chance of connecting with other members and being taken seriously, you'll need to upgrade.

Most sites will have one level of upgraded membership though there are exceptions (e.g. FilipinoFriendFinder.com which has two). It's important to compare a few sites and find the right one for you before making a commitment. Prices vary considerably; it may be tempting to join a cheaper site with less active members, however, this may be a false economy if you don't get to meet anybody.

Likewise, you can receive some great discounts for taking out longer term memberships, but think carefully about whether you really want to join for a year. It's a good idea to join for one month even if it costs more on a per month basis compared to signing up for longer. After a month you'll have a much better idea about whether it's the site for you, and avoid having committed for 6 months or a year to a site you don't like.

In addition to unrestricted access to communication features, upgrading can offer extra enhancements such as priority listing in search results, better account management options (e.g.read email notifications and a record of who's viewed your profile), full profile access and better quality photo viewing. In contrast to offering subscriptions, one site (ForeignLadies.com/Philippines) offers most features free of charge, but charges for viewing video intros and sending and receiving emails on a pre-purchase credit basis.

Other Features

Some sites will offer extra features such as blogs (read other members' or write your own), groups (join to meet people with similar interests) friends networks, video and music content and more. Whilst some sites rely on you doing the legwork and searching for compatible dates, others (e.g. iChatFilipina.com and FilipinoFriendFinder.com) will send regular updates matching you with potentially compatible members. If such features appeal to you, look out for details in our individual reviews.

Meeting Your Date

Whilst some people may want to simply spend time online meeting and chatting, some might consider traveling to the Philippines or even relocating if they find someone special. A number of sites reviewed here offer comprehensive guides to traveling to the Philippines, visas, embassies and immigration, local culture, where to travel, accommodation, food, festivals and more (Cebuanas.com and iChatFilipina.com are a couple of good examples). If you're already planning to meet someone special and travel or even relocate, ForeignLadies.com/Philippines offers a range of tours, where all travel arrangements and 1-1 introductions can be arranged for you.   

Avoiding scams

The issue of people posting fake profiles in order to obtain money is a real one, but not as common as you might think. All of the sites reviewed take this matter very seriously, as it wouldn't be in their interests to see any of their members taken advantage of. You'll usually find advice and guidance on how to avoid scams on the site (e.g. not sending money, especially to members you have just met). Some sites claim to be scam free and perform background checks on their members (e.g. ManilaDarlings.com) which can offer peace of mind, especially if you're new to the scene.

If you're particularly concerned about being scammed, joining a site such as ForeignLadies.com/Philippines should set your mind at rest. All members in the Philippines are required to sign up in person, background checks are performed and staff assist in creating profiles and uploading photos so that you know a profile is authentic.

Meanwhile, Cebuanas.com offers a 'flower delivery' service. Sending flowers functions both as a way of showing your interest and having site staff perform background checks and meet that member in person to ensure that they are not fake. 

Help And Technical Assistance

At the most basic level, you should expect a FAQs page on the site and email support in case the information on the site doesn't cover your question. Some sites offer more immediate help, e.g. by offering telephone support (e.g. FilipinoFriendFinder.com) or live chat support (e.g. Cebuanas.com, which is also an excellent site for all aspects of Philippines culture, history and practical matters). Bear in mind that telephone support and live chat support may only be available to members who upgrade their membership (see above).

The Bottom Line

Our Filipino dating reviews will point you in the right direction and offer advice and guidance to help you on your dating adventure. In addition, this buying guide offers some general pointers as to what to look out for when choosing an online dating site. We're here to help you make the choice that's right for you. So, this is a great place to begin before reading our individual reviews and checking out the sites themselves. Most importantly, have fun!