A that very airport, I had forgotten to put some sleep medication in my carry on bag. It was instead in my hoodie's front pocket.
I got searched by airport security. They found the medication. They asked me what it was. I told them. And then this guy says "Okay good, I will have some after my shift". He then opens the bottle takes 2 pills out and puts them in his pocket and hands it back to me.
That sounds quite typical of Filipino security at NAIA and other domestic airports. OTOH, there are good things and bad things about this. For instance, one time while entering the PH I realised I had forgotten to put my Swiss Army knife in my checked baggage. I like this knife a lot and I was sure it would be confiscated and I would never see it again. So before going through the metal detector I took a gamble, I removed it and as I approached the operator, I lifted it up to eye level, displayed it to him, and asked, "Is it OK if I bring this?" and the Filipino security agent nodded and said, "OK" and handed it back to me when I passed it around the device.
Moral of the story: in the Philippines, act like a boss, get treated like a boss. It's a delicate balance, but you're more likely to succeed if you're polite rather than arrogant. Rules are not hard like they are in the west, they can be bent if not broken.
I got searched by airport security. They found the medication. They asked me what it was. I told them. And then this guy says "Okay good, I will have some after my shift". He then opens the bottle takes 2 pills out and puts them in his pocket and hands it back to me.