I have the chance to move and work in Manila - would mean all the family moving out for a couple of years, wife and 3 daughters (11, 6 & 6). We have just started researching and would appreciate any help/advice from families out there. Things on our mind are:
- Where to live (looks faily expensive in the 'villages') but that looks like the place to be?
-How much would you expect to pay in rent?
- Is it safe for kids? What are the risks/dangers?
- Looks like the British School is the preferred choice - just worried about waiting lists.
- Cost of living looks cheap (from what I read) - is it?
- Would be good to hear views on adapting to the culture, heat, general living.
- I am reading tax rates are 32% - sounds better than UK, what are other hidden costs.
If anyone can help with any of these or general advice, I would really appreciate it.

Hi.

My name is John, i have lived in Philippines for 3 years, most of the time in Cebu but I'm now living in Malate in Manila permanently.

I own several medical clinics within some big malls here so i kind of know the ropes.

I can give you some advice no problem.

Firstly, As any major city, life can be quite stressful & manila is no exception. one of them factors is travel. There are too many vehicles here & consequentially Traffic in the city is just a nightmare, it can take literally hours to travel only a few miles.

Suggestion:

If it's possible for you, i would suggest living near your work. I live almost next door to my main clinic, it takes only a minute to walk the distance!

Let me know what area your work is and i will send you some suggestions on places to live.

What you and i call housing estates, the Filipinos call Sub-Divisions, they really are the best places to live, for no other reason that they are well secure and a safe & fun environment for you and the family.

I would think a big 2 bedroom house would suit you in a large sub-division, cost in rent will depend on obviously location and also the exclusivity of the area. A popular area for Ex-pats to live is Alabang, it's about half hour out of the main city but it has an abundance of sub-divisions. Not sure what your budget is but you will easy find a nice house for 35-40k pesos per month (450 pounds) On top of that you will have monthly electric, which is quite pricey here, for a large family and using the aircon and things, you will be paying 5-6k pesos per month (80 pounds). No council tax here, but you may have a small dues to pay for the up-keep of the sub-division, around 2k per month (30 pounds). You will need a maid, it's how people live here, it's part of life. everyone has a maid, your house will come with a small basic maids quarters where she will live, just put a little bed and a cupboard and she will be well happy. She will cost 2500-3000 per month (35-40 pounds) She will wash all the family's clothes, fetch shopping and do general cleaning. Teach her to cook English grub or she will just assist you in the kitchen.

Adjusting to life can be difficult, don't expect things to be done quickly, when it comes to Filipinos, they will get the job done, but it might take a while. Bless 'em. You just need to adopt a little patience.
The heat can sometimes be a drag, but as long as you can afford to run the aircon, you have a place to escape from it. Shopping and eating out and general hanging out is done at the malls, its a malling culture, Philippines has the biggest malls in the world, stay all day, they have everything!

Just thinking, i think it would be best to find a nice big sub-division to live in, that has already loads of people living in, the kids will soon find friends to hang-out with.

Manila life can be a bit boring, it's mostly all concrete and cars, but, a couple hours drive south and you will be able to visit the fantastic beaches of Batangus and mountainous regions of Tagaytay. Stunning scenery that will blow you away.


I can't help you with regards to schools, i only know some in Cebu.

Filipinos are very friendly and you get the feeling they really like us. But, not all are so nice. Don't forget, this is a third world city where poverty is rife, some will do anything to get money and danger can be ever present. I have been robbed while living here, and also pick pocketed but i am living in the main city, all cities in the world can be dangerous.
Common sense is the key, don't walk around with expensive gear on, or nice cameras hanging from your neck, or fancy watches, only change money in the malls and don't start walking the back streets at night, stick to the major malls for shopping and socializing in the classy areas like Makati and Quezon City.

Traveling around is easy, white metered taxis are everywhere, they are cheap and convenient, but you will get ripped off by them, as soon as they seen a white face there eyes start spinning with Dollar signs, they have hit the big time! Anyway, don't worry, its all part of the experience, & you'll soon learn it all.

Regarding taxes, i'm not sure what your situation is, but i myself am self-employed, my book-keeper deals with all my tax issues, i'm sure your company or whatever will look after you on that issue.

Cost of living:
Unlike the UK, the things we all enjoy, like eating out, drinking beer, wine clothes shopping etc etc are very cheap in Philippines.
For example:
Casual dining Restaurants like Pizza Hut, Yellow cab, Teryaki Boy, for main course is around 3 quid and a bottle of beer will be 50 pence, bottle of water 25 pence, fruit shake 60 pence, chicken main course 2 quid large pizza 4 quid.

Find a native restaurant and the price will be half that, easy.

Grocery shopping; Around a third of UK prices, you can get pretty much everything you want, don't expect to find fresh milk though, or fresh mushrooms, sausages, pies or lamb its just Not around. You can buy nice cheddar here though and plenty of good bread, cereals, no problem although the imported stuff like cornflakes and rice krispies can be pricey. Try to buy local stuff.
A good idea is to buy whole hot roasted chickens, they are cooking all over manila on any street corner, they cost about 1 quid 70 pence. A good feast for the family!

My god I've gone on, i will leave it now but any questions just ask.

Regards,

John

Thanks John, this is really helpful - appreciate the detail and advice.

A couple of questions ....

Alabang is very near where I will be working so you were spot on. I would need something bigger than a 2 bedroom though, I was thinking 4/5 plus a maids quarter - what do you think I would be looking at? 100K peso?

How safe is it when you are out of the Sub-division or malls etc. I am thinking if you are out with the family at the beaches and that sort of thing?

I have heard a lot of people talk about having drivers - any idea how much that costs?

How does the healthcare system work - all private I guess, I see this is your specialist subject!! Whats the cost for insurance etc.?

I guess there is no problem with the language etc.?

How hot/humid does it get, does it get comfortable outside at night - whats the deal with the rainy season, is that a problem?

Do you tend to find the expats socialise together, I have heard about a few clubs and the like?

Thanks again for your advice - very helpful.

Regards.

Craig.

Dear Craig..

You will easily find a "Des-Res" with 100k per month, in real money that £1500 almost. You won't have a problem.

My advice to you all is check into a hotel for a week & do some house hunting. Nothing worse then getting desperate and settling for something not quite right.
These 3 websites are all you need to find the right pad:

Ayosdito.ph
sulit.com
adpost.ph

These websites sell anything from cars & trucks to land and house rents. if a landlord wants to let a home, he will place the ad on one of these sites.
Just do a search "house for rent Alabang" peace of cake.

The used car market here is very strong, unlike UK anyone can pick up a nice motor for even £1000. Not here.. If it starts and moves its worth £2000 right away! I would advise you get a 4x4. I just brought a Ford escape 2005 model it cost 430k, in real money that's £6000. The cars are always low miles here compared to UK.

You can get a driver no problem, they will even live in but be warned, you don't really want a strange man living in your house, it's bad enough having to have a maid, my friend just had her house cleared out by her maid, took all her jewelry and cash, they caught here, you know what the punishment is here for aggrevated theft? 1 year for every 1000 pesos stolen! They caught her, she is behind bars and will remain for another 35 years!
Just vet the prospective maid well, ask for the previous employers details, if she is forthcoming about giving them, then there may have been some conflict before, try to get a maid recommended by a friend from the sub-division and try to get one that is single (its usually the boyfriends who encourage the girls to thieve) and also make sure they don't have kids already as often deperation can lead to dishonest behavior.
Remember this and you won't go wrong: They all have the capacity to steal, it's innate in them, just because they are all staunch catholics does not mean they are god fearing and honest, for some reason stealing from foreigners is an exception.. So, don't give them the opportunity, never leave money in your pockets, always check receipts, keep an inventory of jewelry.

My friend rewards the maids for honesty, and tests them by leaving a 500 note down the sofa or in a jeans pocket. If they hand it in they get a reward, if not, well.....

Saying all that, maybe you can find a part time driver. he will cost 350 (£5) a day + a bit of food.

You can use your UK driving licence here no problem.

Traffic violations: Your gonna make them, its all left hand driving and on the otherside of the road, you will get lost and make mistakes. If you make a mistake in front of a traffic cop, they will not fall for " oh sorry officer, i'm new here" The correct procedure is usually for your licence to be confiscated and to get it back you must sit in a 2 hour lecture at the local police station about traffic right and wrongs. You don't want this, nor does the traffic cop. He will prevaricate a little and hang around, this is because he wants a little dinner money. Just slip him 200 or 300 pesos, say thats for "ka-in" (food) and he will smile and send you on your merry way.
Worst offence possible, not having your licence with you, always have it with you!

Beaches and the nice parts of Manila are very safe, you will not have a problem strolling around QC or Alabang that's for sure, just stay away from the poorer areas that's all.
I'm afraid there is no let up from the heat even at night, it's a thing you will all get used to, if you are walking outside try to walk slowly so not to break out in a sweat, flip-flops and shrts are the standard dress here, loose fitting clothes.

Language is not a problem, even the slightly educated speak some english.
Healthcare: Get yourselves covered, the most popular insurance here is MaxiCare. it's not so cheap but worth it.
For a broken leg, food poisoning or a general accident this is great but for any real illness, get back home! I know first hand of the horrors of philippine healthcare, my father suffered with cancer here before he died in UK.
I used to have and still do, many friends in cebu where i used to live, but here i have not met many foreigners.
If you find some places where they hang-out let me know!

It's rainy season right now, & you think you have seen thunderstorms? Well prepare to be amazed, nothing quite like a tropical storm!

Hope all this helps..

John

Hi there,

We move out end of December for a couple of years and are busy planning, we will be in serviced appts first to allow us to look around for a house. We also have 3 girls (13, 2, 1)

We were lucky enough to have a weeks look-see trip a month or so ago - although it's hard to see everything in a week, we did manage to visit some schools, houses (in various villages), shopping malls etc.

We also managed to get some advice from other expats living out there - they all seemed very friendly and willing to help - think most of them have been there before and understand what it's like to be the newbie

Anyway good luck with your planning - as you will be there before please do let us know anything you think we sould be aware of

John,

You are a star - your advice is invaluable.

Just one more - we are likely to have to kit out our new place with everything - furniture, electrical etc. how do the prices of this type of stuff compare to the UK?

Quite a few places rent out furnished - so that is one option.

Also, if you hook up with the expat crowd (e.g. British Womans Association), you'll find plenty of second-hand stuff going cheap from people repatriating. New furniture can be quite expensive althouh (paradoxically) custom-made high end stuff can be a bargain if you are willing to wait for it to be made.

I have some friends from the US in the call center industry who went to Manila to see their outsourcing options & from their experience, I would be cautious to up-root my family no matter how good the money was.

what was their experience?