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Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Old Dec 18th 2010, 12:03 am
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Default Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Retirement at last, in the warm Philippines, no more bad weather, expensive taxes or surprise bills. Perhaps a new attractive younger wife to take care of all your needs.
…….BUT …….where do you live, because if you make a mistake and choose the wrong place then your dreams will be washed away along with you’re hard earned savings.
It should come as no surprise that most wives of expats come from impoverished families that rely on their daughters to support them. Building a new home close to the wife’s family is a mistake because the family will always be knocking on your door for financial help, from a few pesos for school books to 1 million for medical bills. My friend nearby paid over 15,000 pounds for medical bills for his wife’s brother who needed surgery on his lungs or he would have died. The brother is jobless and has 2 sons who are getting married, also jobless. 2 prospective buyers of our beach house were expats with Filipino wives who were “escaping” from their family’s village because of excessive financial demands and tense situations when given negative replies. If you have spent your nest egg on a beautiful new home close to the family when the situation deteriorates, then living out your retirement will not be pleasant. Trying to sell your house will be difficult amongst shanty type dwellings.
Standards of behavior are somewhat different to your European upbringing and living amongst local villagers will be a culture shock. Many (not all) eat with their fingers from a plate rice meal and display poor table manners. 30% drop litter on the streets, spit and clear their nostrils without handkerchiefs. The men pee up against their walls when it suits them. Private subdivisions on the other hand are orderly with controlled building rules and behavior restrictions, but also can be sterile with no contacts until you make efforts to gain friends. Of course your well heeled neighbors will employ staff to do the cleaning and sometimes the driving. Your wife of “local” origins will not be accepted on social grounds. …no problem chatting with the maids ??
Expats are a necessity and it’s great to have a long conversation. Many types of men are here from professionals, lorry drivers, contractors and laborers. Some you wouldn’t want to bed down with but an evenings conversation does you some good. The expat wives also are a mixed bunch; most I’d say are single parents. I would recommend choosing an area to settle down where there was an active expat community nearby. It’s very apparent that some expats choose building plots for the cheapness. Don’t fall into this trap; you’ll regret it after a few years living isolated from any community and with no visitors good or bad!
Security wise, choose a private subdivision on the edge of a major city close to a mall or better still an SM establishment.
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Old Feb 25th 2011, 5:44 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Hi sunnydays, I am new (the very first post) to the BE, came across your post while googleing, I am looking for a warm inexpensive place to retire to, the cold in Canada is getting to me, thanks for the "very" candid info it will be something I'll keep in my mind.
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Old Feb 25th 2011, 11:25 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by CRS
Hi sunnydays, I am new (the very first post) to the BE, came across your post while googleing, I am looking for a warm inexpensive place to retire to, the cold in Canada is getting to me, thanks for the "very" candid info it will be something I'll keep in my mind.
Thankyou for your response on this rainy day, but its the first rain we've had since Christmas !!! Temp is 25 during the night but climbs to 30 in the day. Ironic isn't it we flee from chilly countries where we hibernate during the winter and in the Philippines we hide under the shade.
We have a Canadian friend about an hours drive away from here, nice chap with Filipino wife and family......huge house with a hectare of land down to the sea.
You are very wise to read up on forums from retirees ..pays dividend.
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Old Feb 25th 2011, 11:31 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by sunnydays
Thankyou for your response on this rainy day, but its the first rain we've had since Christmas !!! Temp is 25 during the night but climbs to 30 in the day. Ironic isn't it we flee from chilly countries where we hibernate during the winter and in the Philippines we hide under the shade.
We have a Canadian friend about an hours drive away from here, nice chap with Filipino wife and family......huge house with a hectare of land down to the sea.
You are very wise to read up on forums from retirees ..pays dividend.
I am soooo envy, temp is 25 during the night but climbs to 30 in the day.
Right now we are -5*C during the day and -12*C to-night.
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Old Feb 26th 2011, 9:04 am
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by CRS
I am soooo envy, temp is 25 during the night but climbs to 30 in the day.
Right now we are -5*C during the day and -12*C to-night.
I met a young lady in the Seychelles once who was married to a Canadian chap for a couple of years then returned home because she could not stand the winters. From living at home where she spends most of the time outside to living in a cold place where for 6 months she is isolated in a house under 6feet of snow. Obviously better off in Canada but the living style she couldn't stick. I don;t think I'd want to live in the Seychelles, nothing much to do, bored to bits. The British Embassy staff there are allowed extra travel allowance to cope with the isolated life style existence.
Hot weather and sunny days 24/7 can be boring unless you have something to occupy your time with. Having the extra free time for outside pastimes need some careful planning for retirement purposes.
There are some expats who arrive here, build a beautiful house, find a new wife, own a new 4by4 and then resort to drinking because they have nothing else to fill their time with.
In the Philippines the house will not be owned by yourself unless its an apartment so if your wife wants to stay here then you are snookered
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Old Feb 26th 2011, 12:56 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

>In the Philippines the house will not be owned by yourself unless its an apartment so if your wife wants to stay here then you are snookered<

Thanks
That part I know about in my research on the net, if I were to move to PH or any other places I definitely will not buy any real estate. Like some posts I read on some other forum they were saying "don't buy anything that you cannot afford to walk away from".

BTW, roughly which part of PH are you located?
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Old Feb 26th 2011, 11:28 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

on some other forum they were saying "don't buy anything that you cannot afford to walk away from".

Good advice for a start anyway. Another.....don't sleep with someone you wouldn't marry if it you had to.

We are in the Batangas area. Originally because of my interest in boats and the sea, I planned to live in the Cebu area but then I met my wife who is from San Pablo city. Since the local language in Cebu is not understood easily by my wife I made the decision to move here. For interest we chose to be in the Taal area close to the sea and not far from the Taal Lake round the volcano where a few yacht clubs are situated.
Having lived here for 4 years we realise that Mila's family will not be a financial burden and are moving to San Pablo during the year.
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Old Feb 27th 2011, 3:16 am
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by sunnydays
Hot weather and sunny days 24/7 can be boring unless you have something to occupy your time with. Having the extra free time for outside pastimes need some careful planning for retirement purposes.
That is so very true.
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Old Feb 27th 2011, 4:39 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Sunnydays, so you are in the northern part of PH right?

For the last year or so I have been looking at Central America as a possible retirement destination, I even try taking some Spanish lessons, but after the first two lessons I soon realize that I am just too dumb to learn another language at this late stage of my life.

That is why I start looking into Philippine and Malaysia since, from what I heard at least I’ll able to get by doing the basic daily business with English.

I started with PH first b/c it fit my budget better. From all the reading on the net I think Bohol, Negros Oriental or maybe Palawan would be good place to look into.

I know we are different, I am into gardening so absolutely have no interest in the bar scenes. To me sipping on a good cup of coffee and watch the sun set over the water while listening to Sarah Brightman music is my cup of tea or should I say my cup of coffee.

I am just wondering are there any expat(s) in this forum living in those areas?
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Old Feb 27th 2011, 10:38 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Yes I did S America on a shoestring.......well, suitcase and visa card! No one speaks any English but an interesting experience for 2 months. I tried the Spanish language when we lived in Puerta De Santa Maria for a couple of years. Like you my mind has given up learning, did so many technical courses in my career that it switch off on retirement.
Before meeting my Wife in Hongkong I did the tour of the Philippines and returned many times during my trips overseas when I'd downgrade my business class fare to go via Manila on Economy.
Did the road trip across Mindanou by coach and at one point was ankle deep in corn husks
Many of the places have a similarity and you need to stand back and review your needs. Definitely worth renting and feeling the water.
My main hobby is landscaping but you will miss the spring flowers. Germinating the choice plants from upper hemispheres will need an Aircon greenhouse.

The expat group of Yahoo called "Cebu Brit club" is worth following for info or WOW Philippines.

Last edited by sunnydays; Feb 27th 2011 at 10:41 pm. Reason: extra info remebered
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Old Feb 27th 2011, 11:17 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by sunnydays
My main hobby is landscaping but you will miss the spring flowers. Germinating the choice plants from upper hemispheres will need an Aircon greenhouse.

I've to totally agree with you about the spring flowers, but at this stage when it is still -12*C out there, I really don't care , I would rather be able to grow plants outside year round. You see, that was one of the reason I am looking for a warm place beside for my old bones, is be able to grow thing year round not just 4 months at the best.
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Old Feb 28th 2011, 7:03 am
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Despite the cooler climate in our home countries there are more varieties of plants and flowers to see and cultivate than here. The stock of nurseries round the Philippines is limited and lacks the brightly coloured bedding plants that we in the UK provide for summer bedding. Some of them will grow here and I've had success with Petunias but many others don't like the heat. I love the large leaved "jungle type" foliage plants that grow here and of course the exotic climbers. I just love being outside amongst the plants.
There is a strong group of Orchid growers in Manila and they display at Los Banos. Although I only tried once to grow a couple in the UK and failed, I will join the group and have a collection. Here they grow them like bedding plants on wooden poles embedded in concrete feet.
There are some good forums run by Americans, one is PLIP which I followed for a few months on Yahoo.
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Old Feb 28th 2011, 2:47 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Hi Sunndydays, I look at "Cebu Brit club" they stated they are only open to British so my guess Canadian are not welcome.
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Old Feb 28th 2011, 10:35 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Originally Posted by CRS
Hi Sunndydays, I look at "Cebu Brit club" they stated they are only open to British so my guess Canadian are not welcome.
But there is some useful info worth reading, "posting" needs to be a member. Maybe the other American forums would be more suitable, I joined the PLIP (Philippine Living Island Paradise) years ago when I got started and this group is for anyone. There are other breakaway ones and all of them do give info on the Philippines. I found answers to most of my queries from the American forum.
Its also nice to be a part of something from near your homeland and you could meet up with some one who could become a good friend.
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Old Apr 19th 2011, 12:49 pm
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Default Re: Choosing where to live in the Philippines

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum but I'm a member of several Philippines forums. I currently work in Hong Kong but my wife is from Cebu and we have a house there in Cebu City (in Banawa). I will be retiring next year and we will split our time between Hong Kong and Cebu. I find Cebu a very pleasant place. It's totally different from Hong Kong of course and while it lacks some of the comforts of life I find it more manageable and friendly than Manila, for example. Though I'm still in holiday mode when I'm there I find there's enough to do to keep me occupied and being someone who enjoys the heat the climate is certainly to my liking. Cebu is not cheap but it's not expensive either. There's quite a large expat community of different nationalities. If I can help with any information please let me know.
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