Philippines final destination!
 

Hello all,
Just registered this forum... Good to see many people helping each other.
Just wanted to share my experience and also see if I could get some ideas out of this community.

My wife is Filipino born (now British national) and I am Chinese ( ILR ).
Went to Philippines last sept to meet her family and I truly enjoyed the culture... It's so much identical to the Chinese culture with strong family bonding, plenty of leisure time and slow life.... Something which I completely miss in London.

This April I got married in Philippines (Batangas) and ever since I have been back to uk, I have been very demotivated to live here anymore...
Currently we were able to get a mortgage for a house and a car in the Philippines under my wife's name for which we paying about £400 a month.
I would ideally want to move to Philippines for good after 5 years... By that time the car finance finishes (5 years) and I can pay off my house mortgage...

Problem is I don't know what I am going to do after that...
We have a few plans of opening a car wash or a small cafe or catering business or maybe a student visa consultancy firm .. But don't know what type of capital I am looking at and what returns...
I have a masters degree but I am not sure if there would be any jobs for me as I am very bad in speaking Tagalog (I would be on spouse visa so visas no issue)...

Any sort of comment would be appreciated. Thanks

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

do not go into business here until you have been here for at least 12 months and really get to understand the market that you are in. this is a very tough and over regulated market with taxation on small enterprises way out of line when compared to bigger operations.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

I have been offered endless business oppertunities as partner in just about everything from a Sari-Sari store to importing cars and rice, there was one comon thread that followed all these oppertunties, they did not understand the difference between "income" and "profit".

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Also be aware that you can not own a business in the Philippines, the nearest would be for your wife to own it.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Any reason why I can't own a business ?
I will be staying on a spouse visa with a legal alien card which allows me to drive, open bank Acc. Etc and work as well so why should it not allow me to do business?
Why would it be difficult doing business in Philippines? I mean it terms of law, I think it's very flexible ... People even open business in their houses without any restrictions... I have seen so many general stores, bars etc in people's houses .. Therefore how hard can it be to open a business ...

Interms of success ... Well all around the world it's a hit and miss

I might be wrong with my points ...

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

BECAUSE YOU ARE A FOREIGNER

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

As you said at the beginning you are new to this forum. Keep reading this and other forums where there is a wealth of information to be found. Just keep an open mind and remember many thing are done differently in the Philippines, and yes it often doesn't make sense to foriegn eyes.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Legally speaking you can only own 40%..
If your Mrs opens a sari sari store then I doubt that you will know whats going on in there anyway on a day to day basis so who really cares who owns it!
There are lots of laws here that are not favorable to foreigners on a legal basis in regards business,but most Mickey mouse operations will not be noticed if they are kept low profile and you are not a show off!
We live here totally on Pesos generated here with no cash from abroad but if anyone here asks..I`m receiving income from the U.K. (money tree in my British garden)

Just about anything is possible here if you are sensible and not too proud to plead poverty.
Stay humble,keep your gob shut and everything will be fine!
The most important thing depends on how sensible and thrifty your other half is.
IMO.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Thanks for your detailed reply. I just stayed in Philippines for 3 months and got my wedding done in the church... Had to go through many docs so I know how things work under the table lol ...
Anyway, yea the business can be in my name or wife's name that's not too imp. For me... She grew there and moved only until she was 18years ...
About the sari sari store, I was thinking about a halal store or maybe car wash ...

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

You may want to rethink the halal store. You would need to operate in a predominantly muslim area to get any business ie southern Mindino. Unless you are non white and a muslim I would not recommend this area for a long and healthy life. A car wash may work although I've never seen one but that's probably because the provincial areas I'm more familiar with can barely afford a car let alone afford to pay for it to be washed.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Agree entirely with Gazza-D. Travel to mindanao is on the UK & USA foreign Office "don't go there" list. Kidnapping of foreigners is rife.
Car wash and detailing is a possibility - we have a few near us and they charge 50 - 100 pesos depending on size of vehicle. Have to say tho' I've only ever seen one vehicle at a time in any of them!most people who can afford good cars here also have staff who wash the cars. Our driver washes our cars at least twice a week.

Re owning a company - Unless you are a Filippino citizen then as you have been advised the max you can own is 40% , the 60% have to be Filippino citizens.It makes no odds what visa you are on. The stupidity is that the company Bank account can be in the sole name of the foreigner! go figure , as our US friends say!
Again, as said, any "profit" is looked on as spending money - no thought to buying new stock etc. Plus it will take you forever to work out why you are not making any profit - the locals are brilliant at coming up with excuses. Mind you, they are probably supplying their families out of the store since as a foreigner you must be able to afford it.

come, look around, keep your head screwed on and don't be ruled by your nether regions!There are trustworthy and loyal folks here, it's just so difficult to sort the good , from the bad , or the ugly.:lol:

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

The reason for the foreigner being able and sometimes encouraged to be the sole name on the company bank account is that when the company goes t*ts up the only person expected to pay everything is the, you guessed it, the foreigner.

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Was not going to mention that! now you've spoilt the surprise. :(

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

Agree entirely with Gazza-D. Travel to mindanao is on the UK & USA foreign Office "don't go there" list. Kidnapping of foreigners is rife

Sorry But I disagree.

I have spent many years of the last 12 in Mindanao and felt safer there than in Manila or parts of london!!

Kidnap for Ransom takes place all over the Philippines. More kidnap for ransom takes place in Manila but is not as high profile as parts of southwest Mindanao and its islands.

The embassy warnings will cover parts of mindanao and in an effort to protect themselves.

There are parts of Mindanao that I have not been to in the Southwest. The rest of Mindanao from Dapitan round the top coast and back to Gen san I have done on my own up through cotabato and marawi city. I was never at any time threatened or made to feel unwelcome.

I would have no issues retiring to Dapitan and surrounds as a preference to Manila

Re: Philippines final destination!
 

I hope to be visting Mindanao shortly, we have relative in and around Davao. What I was suggesting was that to do business with a halal store you would probably need to be within the AARM region. Are you suggesting that area is completely safe for foriegners