I have two neighbors who are from the Philippines and they said the same thing. I am just paraphrasing what they've told me...That without an education, Filipinas are looking for a way out of the island because conditions are so bad there. The rich are rich and the poor are very poor. An average retired American would be terribly rich in that country and could have several "house servants" to take care of their all needs. The two women plan to stay here until they accumalate some money and go back to retire there in a nice lifestyle with servants.
I know there are many educated Filipinas and Filipinos - so this may not hold true for them; but, they were talking about the poor ones. Whenever there is news about the Philippines, I run the stories by them and I've come to know them and they tell me many stories like this about what's really going on.
It can cost $2000 in land title processing fees to transfer a 10-acre property or a single house, for instance.
Mortgages are difficult to get for long terms, usually the max. term is 10 years, more typical is 4 years to pay with no interest, on the entire balance of the loan.