Looking for Advice on the Phillipines

lafroste

[lafroste]

Life is strange. I want to finish my life elsewhere. I am seriously thinking of moving to the Philippines. I will go there in 18 months. I intend to sell my antiques, motorcycle, and everything else. Tell me where you would recommend I land. What are the costs?

[JLS]

Here is an article about being an ex-pat in Belize.

http://www.belizefirst.com/rules.html

1. It is an article that might have some tips you will find worthwhile.

2 Belize might be a country you would want to consider.

[lafroste]

It’s a 1987 Harley Sportster, and in excellent condition.

[AlexW]

Just woke up, 6:30 AM here on Cebu, to find this thread.
Thanks to WVKayaker for pinging me.

Sad to say, many of the replies on the thread are total nonsense.
So much so, it is hard to know where to start.
To begin with, the Philippines is best suited for single men of any age, and a paradise for older single men. Unlike in the west, girls are blind to the age of men.
It is best to start meeting girls online. From after my US divorce in 1999, I met girls online from all over the world, but an overwhelming number from the Philippines.
My interest at the time was central Europe, and I started my first travels there, living in Slovakia for four years before making a one month trip to the Philippines in 2008, traveling only the Visayas region, the best.
Out of four girls that I visited, I chose to return to Cebu to be with girl number one. I could have, however, been happy with any of the four.
I am now married to girl one, and we have a bright young boy, almost 3 years old. He is standing next to me now playing U-tube games on his laptop.

We live on a beach in Dalaguete, Cebu. Dalaguete is the vegetable capital of Cebu, but if I want high ground, 3100 foot Osmena Peak is only a few miles from me. As with most of the Philippines, Visayas offers a great mix of sea and mountains.
One nice thing about living in the provinces is that a car is not necessary, and I know very few expats that do. I travel anywhere in town on my bicycle.
If I go out of town, I catch a bus on the highway, not so far from my beach. The wait is usually less then five min., and you just wave your hand for one to stop.
The bus is modern, with A/C, Wi-Fi, on-board movies, and airliner type seats. I can be in Cebu city in about two hours.
There are a number of western men living in my town. My landlady’s husband, a 20 year resident, is from PA. A new neighbor, down the street, is from Cape Cod, and married for some time to a Philippine lady.
The three of us meet most every afternoon in our shaded beach garden beside the sea, and have a few cold San Miguel’s (Philippine beer, rated as one of the best in the world).
There are numerous other western guys from the US and Europe. I have to confess, however, I do not go out of my way to meet any of them. I am happy without having to hang out with other westerners
As for the Muzies, the danger is quite exaggerated. In my five years I have never knowingly seen one. Their is, however, some problem with them down on the western side of Mindanao. Most everyone in Visayas is Roman Catholic, and very devout.

Feel free to ask any questions, but watch out for the “dogs in a manger” group on FR. It consist of about four sad kids in the US that hate my guts because I express my joy of living here. I DO NOT feel their pain, haha.

OK, that is my two cents for now, but feel free to FR mail any questions to me, or any of the active PH Freepers.

[WVKayaker]

Better life style you lead more kidnapping concern. Bodyguard services available. -ML

I have a very good friend here in Davao City, who is a retired Philippine Army General and now teaches in the Police College here. He is aware of everything happening in the Philippines, and currently, there are not many kidnappings. Here in Davao City, the Police have special squads which keep the crime level at a minimum. There is even a purported "death squad" to eradicate certain offenders and drug dealers, but he denies that one.

I was at the new G-Mall in Toril yesterday, on my Honda Scoopy scooter. I had to dismount so they could check under the seat for bombs. They use mirrors to examine the undercarriage of all vehicles entering the premises, and that is common at almost all of the local malls.

I don't worry about anything here. It offers a casual lifestyle, with lots of new friends made daily. Are they different? Yes, they all smile at you, and most of the clerks, male and female in the stores, are singing along with the background music!!! You can get a McDonalds Happy Meal, or a Pizza Hut pie.

If you worry about such things, you may end up sitting around doing nothing. There were lots of victims in the WTC attack, too, and they were just doing their jobs, in New York City!

... A risk counstancy group, The Pacific Strategies & Assessments (PSA) released a report showing that there were 135 kidnapping for ransom cases in 2008 which was an increase of 25% from 2007. The report indicated that 76% of those kidnapped in the Philippines were Filipino.

Those most likely to be kidnapped were upper middle class and not the affluent or politically connected. It is said the kidnapping gangs believe there will be less risk to them by going after the less connected individual. This helps to keep their activities under the radar of the press. Likewise, kidnapping foreigners brings the kidnap for ransom groups far more attention than they wish to bare.

So in the end, while kidnappings in the Philippines are still a significant threat, kidnappings on expats are far less common. ... -Cebuexperience.com

[patriot08]

“If it sounds too good to be true...”
DON’T do it.

[morphing libertarian]

I have been told by my wife’s family most kidnappers are province based and know to the police. They try to get a few tens of thousands now and then.

When we were there, my wife’s friend who was running for senate from Bagio(?) was allowed to go to the military base in Manila and select bodyguards. We saw those guys. They looked like corn-fed samoans.

Best Wishes! Salamat!

[Wingy]

My Filipina wife and I have a house in Baguio City, which is north of Manila. It's in the mountains and is one of the few places in the Philippines where you don't need AC. Humidity is high, but you don't feel it. Salt clumps in the shakers though.

Prices are higher here than in the low country, as it cost money to bring goods up the mountain. The cost of goods are even higher in Baguio then in Virginia, so pick your spot with that in mind. On the other hand, labor is very cheap. I could hire a housekeeper for maybe $70. My SIL lives next door so that's not necessary for me.

As others who know have said, the people are wonderful and will win you over with their welcoming ways.

Crime happens, but name me a place where it doesn't. You can't own a firearm. My experience is good in this regard, as no one has tried to cheat me, mug me, or even yell at me. YMMV.

As AlexW said, you might not need a car. I know that I don't. I walk out to the street and within 3 minutes a cab goes by. It costs less than $1.00 to go to the mall which is my main destination. One stop shopping. If I buy a lot, the shopkeeper will send a man to carry my goods to the cabstand.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Have never been there, but have worked with many Phillipinos (however it’s spelled) usually wonderful, kind, gentle-mannered people - in fact we live next to a Phillipino family - their son sometimes continues on down the block to edge our lawn while he’s doing theirs, so this Christmas we sent him a modest-sized food assortment from one of the on-line companies - come Christmas eve we received delivery of a gigantic fruit arrangement from the family which took us and most of our twenty guests at the time much of the evening to take care of - you’ll just have to adjust to the good manners and thoughtful treatment if you go there....

[DIRTYSECRET]

Bagio I understand has the best weather-california-like. It floods a lot so I’d stay there from Nov-May and then leave.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Does the “rule of law” mean anything to you ?

[AppyPappy]

“San Miguel’s (Philippine beer, rated as one of the best in the world).”

We can get that here in the US, you know.

And it isn’t even close to the best beer.

[morphing libertarian]

I thought some of it was hilly.

[Wingy]

Baguio is in the mountains, and has a wonderful climate. It never floods as the water runs down to the lowlands. Typhoons are common, one or two per year, but the place is built for it, so damage is usually limited.

[montanajoe]

I have a friend who I took there and helped him get settled last May..he lasted 6 weeks after I left.

Do not consider moving there permanently until you have taken an extended vacation of at least 3-4 months before you decide to put down roots there permanently.

Freep mail me if you have particular questions...

[Anton.Rutter]

San Miguel is my favorite beer as well, when I can get it.

[DFG]

bookmark

[AlexW]

“And it isn’t even close to the best beer.”
_______________________________________________
I am referring to common beers, as one would drink in the US, not gourmet beers. I went to a best beer web site and went through about ten pages of the “best rated” beers. I did not see a single beer that I had ever heard of.
I buy San Miguel by the case for a small group of us that meet every afternoon in our beach garden.

[ConradofMontferrat]

Nothing at all if you know what you are getting into. 95% don’t.

Like chasing after a Russian bride. There are more scams and scam artists than honest folks in that business.

Especially if the guy is older and she is younger.

[expat1000]

I’ve lived in SE Asia (Thailand)for a long time, have visited the P.I. numerous times, and all I can say is don’t burn your bridges.

Most locals have no conception of a foreigner with limited funds. If you are here (in SE Asia) you must be rich, and they will take you for whatever they can. That includes cops, lawyers, bureaucrats, even hospitals. Not all, but most, and it can take a very long time to develop the familiarity with the local culture to sort it out.

Something else, if you are not rich, emergency services are practically non existent, particularly if you are on your own.

[ClaytonP]

Nothing at all if you know what you are getting into. 95% don’t.

Like chasing after a Russian bride. There are more scams and scam artists than honest folks in that business.

Especially if the guy is older and she is younger.

I hear you there.

I agree that it isn't easy, and that its more difficult than a marriage in say the 1950s to a fellow American woman.

However, many like myself have come the conclusion that marriage to a modern American woman is not an option, and the choice becomes expatriation or celibacy.