Indonesia vs. the Philippines

I just spent 10 days in Jakarta and here is what I have to say in the way of comparing it to the Philippines:
The good things about Indonesia vs. RP
All the infrastructure is much newer. The downtown Jakarta is a modern, Dubai- like super city. The hotels and the malls are 22nd century caliber. The roads are new and wide and there are wide spaces everywhere. It is not as crowded as Manila. The air is much cleaner and fresher because Jakarta is so green, as well.
The people are classy and they dress well. The girls are not ashamed to put on latest fashions and parade around. They do not play down their beauty and do not humble themselves or self-efface.
The starkest difference is in the way they treat foreigners:
1) They speak to foreigners of all colors in Bahasa- the Malay language of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Their logic seems to be very simple , and it makes sense to me- if you are here, you are a foreigner and we are in our own country. It is your responsibility to adjust yourself to us, not the other way around. Of course, in big companies, big hotels and at the airport, people address tourists in English but those that live there or just associate with local people on a daily basis must speak the language or you will not be able to function normally. That’s just the way it is. A Filipino, otoh, will almost never speak to a foreigner in Filipino even though a foreigner is in the Filipino’s country.

2) Foreigners of all colors and nationalities are usually treated as equals in Indonesia. Something that average Filipinos have a problem with. Most Filipinos try and accommodate foreigners, allow them to live in their country without the foreigners learning the language or the culture and feel perfectly OK if foreigners do not try to integrate. Worship of foreign cultures is widespread in the Philippines. The Spanish caste structure, although formally abolished is still very much ingrained, with Spanish –looking people being deemed as “gwapo” and brown Malay looking people often thought of as “not gwapo”. In Indonesia, this does not seem to be happening. An average Indonesia does not feel either proud of what he is or ashamed. This must be because of Islam. Many people in the West malign the Islamic civilization but it has many good things- among many things it teaches that:

a) There is no difference between a black man and a white man( and that transfers into “no difference between a brown and a white man”)
b) There is no difference between and Arab and a non Arab. Again, that transfers into “ no difference between different races and/or cultures.

The people feel very comfortable about their culture and do not think that movies and songs in Bahasa are “corny”. They are neither proud nor ashamed but simply live out their culture in a natural and tranquil way.
The Indonesian type Islam is of a mild variety. During the Ramadan, non Muslims can eat and drink in public and that does not evoke negative reactions or cause arrests as in Saudi or Kuwait.
Now, the advantages of the Philippines:
1) Visas. While the people in Indonesia are OK with foreigners, staying long term in Indonesia is problematic. Stiff penalties are there for visa violators. Just try and google Indonesian Visa and you will see the mind boggling list of requirements that are seemingly designed to keep foreigners away and to discourage that they stay there too long. And even those that have money still face huge bureaucratic hurdles and seemingly impossible to fulfill requirement. In contrast, the Philippine immigration is very friendly and much more welcoming, and it encourages foreign investment, retirement and tourism.
Marriage of a foreign man to an Indonesian woman does not afford any privileges to the man visa or employment-wise. The woman cannot sponsor the man to be a citizen or a permanent resident of any kind. If you are an average foreign guy, you will not have any special rights just because you married an Indonesian lady. Not only that, in Indonesia, there are no marriages between people of different religions that are allowed.
In contrast, a foreigner who marries a Filipina/o, can apply to stay in the country forever and can also qualify for a one year balikbayan visa ad infinitum, provided once a year he leaves the country with his/her spouse and comes back with him/ her. All kinds of permanent and semi- permanent visas are available in RP and it is not hard to qualify. Tourist visas and extensions are easy to get. Most Filipinos feel that foreigners in their country (provided they behave) are an asset, and are a matter of pride and benefit. And if one wants to marry a Filipina/o, there is no law that one needs to be a Catholic. People of all religions can marry and mingle socially with ease.
These are some notes that I have jotted down.