Beware Of Dating The Wrong Person - It Can Cost You!

Pea interviews Christine, a 43-year-old Filipina who looks much younger than her age, about her relationship with a muscular, fit foreign man named Michael who turned out to be an extraordinarily stingy doctor. This is Part 1 of a two-part story that chronicles how Christine's devotion and desire to prove she wasn't a gold digger led her to bankroll her own side of a relationship with a man who wouldn't spend a peso on her.

How Christine met Michael — no dating app, just real life ​

• Christine was handing out flyers at a mall where she worked
• Michael approached her, asked her name, came back the next day, and asked for her number
• Christine had never had a foreign boyfriend before and was excited that a foreigner was interested
• Michael was around 60 but looked about 45 — very muscular and attractive to Christine
• She gave him her number and he invited her out to explore the city

Their first outing and the street food dynamic ​

• Michael asked to be taken somewhere to eat, but specifically asked for something other than a restaurant
• Christine took him to a karinderia (local street food area where "common people" eat)
• She assumed he'd already eaten at enough restaurants and wanted to try something new
• He turned out to be an adventurous eater — which made Christine think he was open-minded

Michael's visits and travel pattern ​

• He visited the Philippines once a year, staying about 3 months each time
• He was exploring whether to relocate/retire to the Philippines but wasn't committed yet
• Christine kept her job but got leave from a supportive boss to travel with Michael
• They visited Baguio, Cebu, and Bohol together
• The relationship became romantic quickly — he gave her flowers and was affectionate (kissing, holding hands)

The stolen hotel flowers — an early sign ​

• Michael gave Christine flowers, which she found romantic
• But the flowers didn't look like a proper bouquet — they looked like they were taken from the hotel's arrangements
• Christine chose to see it as sweet and endearing: "At least he has the effort"
• Pea finds this both funny and telling

Physical intimacy was limited ​

• Michael liked touching, caressing, and kissing, but wasn't that interested in sex
• Christine notes he wasn't really "into that" despite sleeping together
• This is mentioned matter-of-factly as one of the unusual aspects of the relationship

When the stinginess became undeniable — the Cebu trip ​

• Michael invited Christine to Cebu but told her she'd need to buy her own plane ticket if she wanted to come
• Christine bought the ticket because she loved him and wanted to prove she wasn't after his money
• They stayed at a 1,500 peso/night hotel (quite cheap)
• Michael refused to order room service — even late at night after sightseeing, he'd insist on going downstairs to find street food
• If they couldn't find food (because everything was closed), they'd just starve until morning
• Christine was buying her own food on all their trips — even from the very first outings together
• She never asked him to buy her food because "Who am I to ask?"

Christine's internal justification ​

• She didn't want Michael to think she was a "typical Filipina gold digger"
• She knew she had a job and could afford her own expenses
• She was trying to prove her independence and that her love was genuine
• She wondered if his stinginess was just a cultural difference

The doctor reveal — and it didn't change anything ​

• During their second year together, Michael revealed he was a doctor with a medical mission group
• Christine confirmed it by Googling him and finding his name online
• Despite knowing he was a doctor (and presumably well-off), his behavior didn't change
• Pea: "So he was a stingy doctor"

The Bohol betrayal — sent home while he partied with friends ​

• Michael's doctor friends planned a trip to Bohol
• Instead of inviting Christine, Michael suggested she go back to her hometown because she'd been away from work too long
• Christine thanked him for being understanding about her work obligations
• One of the doctor friends later told Christine: "So you're not coming with us to Bohol?"
• That's how she found out Michael had deliberately excluded her
• When confronted, Michael admitted he didn't invite her because the group had to pre-pay for a tour package and he didn't want to cover her share
• He then sent her photos from Bohol of him having a great time with "the boys"

Christine still held on ​

• Even after the Bohol incident, she stayed because she was "still hoping he will realize I'm not just a girl who needs"
• Michael told her he'd never had a girlfriend like her — one who could "afford her own way" and didn't cost him anything
• Pea suspects this was manipulation to keep her paying her own way
• Christine acknowledges it might have been, but says "that didn't stop me"

The cliffhanger ending ​

• Michael messages Christine from Cebu saying he's sick and needs her help
• After having a blast in Bohol with the boys, he's now alone and ill in a hotel
• Christine immediately books the first morning flight — at her own expense, of course
• Pea ends the episode here, promising the "shocking conclusion" in three days

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