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Another post reminded me of the Philippino Phenomenon that I call "Bring a friend".

Before my last trip there I met some girls on the Internet and arranged to meet them in person when I got to their city. Shortly before my departure I made firm arrangements about what time, where to meet etc. then almost all of them said "Do you mind if I bring my friend with me that night?".

The first few times I was taken aback and said, "Forget it, just go out with your friend if you like them that much.". However this attitude wasn't really sustainable as I was quickly losing friends with just a few days to go before my trip so I relented and allowed them to bring their friend.

Now, my question is WHY did they do that? Was it the chaperone thing or was it because they wanted their friend to also get a free meal/drinks? I suspect the latter because these girls weren't exactly the shy and retiring types (they weren't exactly bar girls either) and they had no problem being with me. For some very strange reason they just wanted their friend with them when we went out and I couldn't understand it.