Cleanliness of public toilets in the Philippines - myth or misconception?
I have read both articles in the past and more recently about the cleanliness of public toilets in the Philippines, more famously those of the Shell Gas Stations:
My lack of travel experience in this particular region in South East Asia and my general understanding about public toilets would suggest that this is an exception rather than the rule.
Can anyone who has been travelling in this country help clarify or verify these claims?
Best Answer
As usual, it depends. I haven't been to all Philippines (only to 14 or so cities), so take this with a grain of salt.
Every public toilet I used there was reasonably clean. Most weren't exactly as shown on your link, and some (for example on a local market in Cebu) didn't have running water (there's a bucket of water nearby and you flush with a ladle), but it didn't look or felt filthy. From my experience it's similar to Thailand, and way above a typical toilet in India.
What was common, however, was the lack of toilet paper. Even paid toilets sometime (not always) had only tissues, and usually for extra fee - although minor.
And as you guess, pay toilets and those closer to touristy areas are generally cleaner and more stocked.
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How To Stay Clean In A Public Restroom
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