Retirement in The philippines
May 11th 2009, 6:33 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 63
Retirement in The philippines
Hi,I am retiring in 2-3 years and have been thinking about retiring to Tagatay or Baguio in the Phil.Does any ex-pat have experience of living/retirement anywhere in the Phil?
May 12th 2009, 5:57 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: sidcup
Posts: 46
Re: Retirement in The philippines
Am sure there are a few BE regulars who are resident/retired in the Philippines(RPI), so be patient, am sure they will show up soon.
If you havent been to RPI before or just stopped over/stayed in a resort, would strongly recommend a recce trip or two to size up the areas of interest.
Am sure you can find a place to live if you go on your own but if you have any sort of family ties there, thay can be a great help as long as they are
switched on ie they may be trying to help you because that is the nature of the people but beware the sharks and well intentioned but out of their depth friends/fixers etc etc
It is a great place and you can have a good quality of life but you must have your eyes open.
Do not take all your wordly wealth, would advise keeping your UK place and renting a while to see if it suits.There are plenty of well intentioned and badly intentioned folks who will happily spend or take your cash-it is a very poor country.
That aside the pros for me would be the people, the climate and just the sense of living somewhere where the human spirit isnt ground entirely down by corporate BS.There are "first world" amenities, hospitals, dentists,hotels,malls etc
The UK state pension recieves its annual increase in RPI and its not difficult to get your banking and communications done. Housing relatively inexpensive and so is health care.So lots of pros and easily navigated cons but I think most seasoned observers would advise having an income from abroad and not transferring all your assets, also not to fall into trap of propping up a bar-unless of course you want to. There are plenty of sensible things to see and do to occuppy your time, from travelling around the country, festivals, historical and natural sights to learning the language, a new skill etc many community gropus, faith groups, charities etc.
Visas are pretty straight forward also.
RPI also excellent base to explore Asia very cheaply-flights go everywhere and the three main cities(Manila, Cebu, Davao) are all served by international airports.Good luck with your research.Live in the Philippines by Bob Martin (easily found on internet)has lots of good advice and posts from Brits and other expats who are already on the ground.
I am not living there yet but my wife is from Davao/Manila and have been visting RPI frequently since 2003.
If you havent been to RPI before or just stopped over/stayed in a resort, would strongly recommend a recce trip or two to size up the areas of interest.
Am sure you can find a place to live if you go on your own but if you have any sort of family ties there, thay can be a great help as long as they are
switched on ie they may be trying to help you because that is the nature of the people but beware the sharks and well intentioned but out of their depth friends/fixers etc etc
It is a great place and you can have a good quality of life but you must have your eyes open.
Do not take all your wordly wealth, would advise keeping your UK place and renting a while to see if it suits.There are plenty of well intentioned and badly intentioned folks who will happily spend or take your cash-it is a very poor country.
That aside the pros for me would be the people, the climate and just the sense of living somewhere where the human spirit isnt ground entirely down by corporate BS.There are "first world" amenities, hospitals, dentists,hotels,malls etc
The UK state pension recieves its annual increase in RPI and its not difficult to get your banking and communications done. Housing relatively inexpensive and so is health care.So lots of pros and easily navigated cons but I think most seasoned observers would advise having an income from abroad and not transferring all your assets, also not to fall into trap of propping up a bar-unless of course you want to. There are plenty of sensible things to see and do to occuppy your time, from travelling around the country, festivals, historical and natural sights to learning the language, a new skill etc many community gropus, faith groups, charities etc.
Visas are pretty straight forward also.
RPI also excellent base to explore Asia very cheaply-flights go everywhere and the three main cities(Manila, Cebu, Davao) are all served by international airports.Good luck with your research.Live in the Philippines by Bob Martin (easily found on internet)has lots of good advice and posts from Brits and other expats who are already on the ground.
I am not living there yet but my wife is from Davao/Manila and have been visting RPI frequently since 2003.
May 17th 2009, 4:16 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 63
Re: Retirement in The philippines
Am sure there are a few BE regulars who are resident/retired in the Philippines(RPI), so be patient, am sure they will show up soon.
If you havent been to RPI before or just stopped over/stayed in a resort, would strongly recommend a recce trip or two to size up the areas of interest.
Am sure you can find a place to live if you go on your own but if you have any sort of family ties there, thay can be a great help as long as they are
switched on ie they may be trying to help you because that is the nature of the people but beware the sharks and well intentioned but out of their depth friends/fixers etc etc
It is a great place and you can have a good quality of life but you must have your eyes open.
Do not take all your wordly wealth, would advise keeping your UK place and renting a while to see if it suits.There are plenty of well intentioned and badly intentioned folks who will happily spend or take your cash-it is a very poor country.
That aside the pros for me would be the people, the climate and just the sense of living somewhere where the human spirit isnt ground entirely down by corporate BS.There are "first world" amenities, hospitals, dentists,hotels,malls etc
The UK state pension recieves its annual increase in RPI and its not difficult to get your banking and communications done. Housing relatively inexpensive and so is health care.So lots of pros and easily navigated cons but I think most seasoned observers would advise having an income from abroad and not transferring all your assets, also not to fall into trap of propping up a bar-unless of course you want to. There are plenty of sensible things to see and do to occuppy your time, from travelling around the country, festivals, historical and natural sights to learning the language, a new skill etc many community gropus, faith groups, charities etc.
Visas are pretty straight forward also.
RPI also excellent base to explore Asia very cheaply-flights go everywhere and the three main cities(Manila, Cebu, Davao) are all served by international airports.Good luck with your research.Live in the Philippines by Bob Martin (easily found on internet)has lots of good advice and posts from Brits and other expats who are already on the ground.
I am not living there yet but my wife is from Davao/Manila and have been visting RPI frequently since 2003.
If you havent been to RPI before or just stopped over/stayed in a resort, would strongly recommend a recce trip or two to size up the areas of interest.
Am sure you can find a place to live if you go on your own but if you have any sort of family ties there, thay can be a great help as long as they are
switched on ie they may be trying to help you because that is the nature of the people but beware the sharks and well intentioned but out of their depth friends/fixers etc etc
It is a great place and you can have a good quality of life but you must have your eyes open.
Do not take all your wordly wealth, would advise keeping your UK place and renting a while to see if it suits.There are plenty of well intentioned and badly intentioned folks who will happily spend or take your cash-it is a very poor country.
That aside the pros for me would be the people, the climate and just the sense of living somewhere where the human spirit isnt ground entirely down by corporate BS.There are "first world" amenities, hospitals, dentists,hotels,malls etc
The UK state pension recieves its annual increase in RPI and its not difficult to get your banking and communications done. Housing relatively inexpensive and so is health care.So lots of pros and easily navigated cons but I think most seasoned observers would advise having an income from abroad and not transferring all your assets, also not to fall into trap of propping up a bar-unless of course you want to. There are plenty of sensible things to see and do to occuppy your time, from travelling around the country, festivals, historical and natural sights to learning the language, a new skill etc many community gropus, faith groups, charities etc.
Visas are pretty straight forward also.
RPI also excellent base to explore Asia very cheaply-flights go everywhere and the three main cities(Manila, Cebu, Davao) are all served by international airports.Good luck with your research.Live in the Philippines by Bob Martin (easily found on internet)has lots of good advice and posts from Brits and other expats who are already on the ground.
I am not living there yet but my wife is from Davao/Manila and have been visting RPI frequently since 2003.
May 18th 2009, 9:19 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: sidcup
Posts: 46
Re: Retirement in The philippines
Agreed,there are usually a good load of expats advising in a more brutal form that the bars/night life/girls can be deadly on the wallet/health and morals so am quite surpriesed at the lack of replies.As am sure you are aware there are many more things on offer in RPI.
As per some of my previous limited posts I am a big fan of Davao.
Its far safer that most believe, including Filipinos who have never been south.
Pros - outside the typhoon zone
- excellent transport links
- cheaper and friendlier than Manila
- possibly safest place in RPI
- excellent festivals
- if you are willing to live a short ride from the city and get up into hills
you can find micro climates just like Tagaytay with a cooling breeze,
and be closer to the city.
- fruit basket of RPI
We are not considering moving back for a good few years until we are getting first sniff of a pension and have finances sorted.Also I have no wish to sell up everything to go sooner-not very adventurous I know but want kids(pending) to have GB passport assured first and to pay off UK mortgage so we have a fallback/something to pass on as we could never get back in to London property market. Hopefully the UK property would generate some extra income when we do retire. The thing that has been most apparent after years of dreaming is just how prosperous the UK is and how much we take it for granted and also how damaging it is to retire without something to occupy your time.
I think that RPI offers lots of good opportunities to remain involved in having a life on retirement and in spite of the falling pound considerably more opportunities to try new things than UK on a retirement budget.
The best of luck with your plans.
As per some of my previous limited posts I am a big fan of Davao.
Its far safer that most believe, including Filipinos who have never been south.
Pros - outside the typhoon zone
- excellent transport links
- cheaper and friendlier than Manila
- possibly safest place in RPI
- excellent festivals
- if you are willing to live a short ride from the city and get up into hills
you can find micro climates just like Tagaytay with a cooling breeze,
and be closer to the city.
- fruit basket of RPI
We are not considering moving back for a good few years until we are getting first sniff of a pension and have finances sorted.Also I have no wish to sell up everything to go sooner-not very adventurous I know but want kids(pending) to have GB passport assured first and to pay off UK mortgage so we have a fallback/something to pass on as we could never get back in to London property market. Hopefully the UK property would generate some extra income when we do retire. The thing that has been most apparent after years of dreaming is just how prosperous the UK is and how much we take it for granted and also how damaging it is to retire without something to occupy your time.
I think that RPI offers lots of good opportunities to remain involved in having a life on retirement and in spite of the falling pound considerably more opportunities to try new things than UK on a retirement budget.
The best of luck with your plans.
May 24th 2009, 7:07 pm
#5
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: N.Ireland
Posts: 28
Re: Retirement in The philippines
This site would be of great help to you;
www.livingincebu.com
Mainly guys from USA now living in the Philippines
Jun 29th 2009, 10:08 pm
#6
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2
Re: Retirement in The philippines
Hello Pinoybill,thanks for the reply I appreciate & agree with everything you say as I have been to several places in the Phil since 1997 through to 2001having been married to a Filipina,during that time.The bottom line is I must do more serious research to check out the locations with a kinder less humid climate, affordable accomodation and access to the services we take for granted in the UK.I had hoped to have had a reply or two from retired Brits living the good life in the Phil,guess I`ll have to wait a little longer
