I worked in Zamboanga, on the island of Mindanao, for a few months supporting the US mission there (there are a couple pics on my profile page). I had a great time. The locals were friendly and I found that I had an affinity for the jungle. I also found the surrounding waters to be great for scuba diving. Living is inexpensive, and there is a Level 1 Trauma hospital in Zambo which can stand next to any in the US, but it's far more economical.
There were some cultural quirks which I learned to accept, but that's true with any culture. OTT, most is like described by the author of the article, except marriage- you don't just marry the girl, you marry her whole family!