If you are interested in living, retiring, traveling or doing business in the Philippines, this is the place to learn from expats living here, Filipinas and Filipinos.
The Philippines is the only English speaking country in Asia, a culture known for the hospitality, low costs, beauty and warm and friendly people. It has the lowest prices in the world for a high quality standard of living. And that means with loyal low cost live-in-maids and helpers, the cheapest taxis in the world, rent in fine homes in quality neighborhoods, so low you will have a hard time believing, and night life and entertainment from golf to beaches beyond compare. It also has many intangibles to bring you joy for no money at all.
This is a unique site. In addition to the information you can get from this site there is a free Yahoo discussion list with almost 2,000 members who post "on topic," messages, not just a affinity list, with a lot of "Hey, John how are you?" We exchange substantive, important information that you need to fully enjoy yourself and profit, here in the Philippines. We do have our off list chats where many friendships are made. Many are foreigners living here, some are travelers who are here now, some have traveled in the past and will be traveling here again, maybe even to retire here and do business, or to just take advantage of all of the tourist attractions, abundant in the Philippines. Many of these members who will answer your questions, have the same point of view as you do, as a foreigner considering the Philippines as a living, retirement, travel or business option.
Some like me, have done it and will share their experiences. There is a lot to learn, to fully enjoy the Philippines as the hospitable paradise it is. The first order of business is a trip here. And you can get prepared by reading this site and joining this list if you still have an interest in the Philippines.
A few of our list members are married to Filipinas and some to Filipinos. Most are not. Some of our members live here, some have lived here, and some want to because of what they have heard, and have not even been to the Philippines. We are totally non commercial, free, giving away free advice about living, retiring, traveling, doing business here, in the land of smiles. This was one of the best kept secrets in the world. I have lost some foreign friends here by telling others about "their paradise."
Living, Traveling and Retiring in the Philippines as an foreigner or "expat," is a dream come true for me. Beaches, sea and mountains are both at my doorstep. The sun almost always shines here where I live out of the northern typhoon belt.
Almost all Filipinos and Filipinas adore foreigners, expats who live, retire, or just travel in the Philippines. And nearly all of them speak English. And, my retirement money goes so far that I still do not believe it after 12 years here. When I first came here as a tourist in 1980, I knew I would be back, but it took ten years. And you, whether you are living, or retiring in the Philippines or just traveling through this picture-postcard country, can bask in its sunshine and its smiles.
As a man, I love to see the beautiful Filipinas smile. I even enjoy the smile of the men, coming from their hearts. I know many foreign women find the Filipino men polite, romantic and attractive. Many foreign men are attracted to Filipinas, marry them and some retire here or take them to the States, and some come back later to live, retire and even more to visit. The place is addictive.
I am a former U.S. Peace Corps staffer, retired, with a modest pension, a little Social Security and some savings. I am living a fine lifestyle, at low cost, with hospitable Filipinos and friendly expats. I live in Cebu, the Paris of the Philippines and its second largest city. I rent a six-bedroom, four-bathroom house in a 24/7 guarded compound (don't know why it is guarded, it certainly is safe here,) near midtown and huge malls. For this house, which is way too big for me, I pay $280 (U.S.) a month. In many areas of the Philippines, housing is much cheaper. In Manila it can cost much more, and not worth it.
I have also lived in a small beach town in the north, on less than $400 per month here, and it was delightful. Even in Cebu, living a very good life, it is hard to spend more than $1,500 (U.S.) a month on living costs. And in the U.S., I never had such a wonderful time.
My two live-in maids make me feel like a king. I can't remember when I have not had breakfast in bed. I pay the maid and cook $40 per month each (above average in the Philippines) plus the cost of their food. I spend less than $200 a month on food for me, my fianc�e, and my sweet Filipina maids are getting fat. I do not eat much meat. I just don't like steak, other cuts of beef and bacon so much. I will do a burger occasionally, when at the mall. And the bacon is excellent as are other meats so those who eat them tell me. KFC and other fast food chains including excellent world class international restaurants, do a brisk business.
I have all the amenities: cable TV, two telephones, fax, Internet connection, air-conditioning, exercise machines, a flower-filled yard and a dog. But, the best thing about living in the Philippines costs nothing: the legendary friendliness and hospitality of its people. Filipinos and Filipinas know how to have a good time, and they want to share it with you. There is no place on earth where a stranger is welcomed so quickly and sincerely.
Generosity is part of the culture in the Philippines. Getting to know this culture will greatly enhance your living or traveling experience. But it is not something you have to do. Filipinos and Filipinas are very tolerant of foreigners? culture and customs.
You need an steady income or investment money and business skills to live here. This is a capital starved country. With just a little capital and a lot of study you can double your money every year and a half in the provinces, in two to three years in the Cities. See the link on Investment and Business.
Though business opportunities abound even with little capital, a job unless it is with a US company, is hard to find. And you need be married to a Filipina, not a bad idea for most send members of their existing staff, since Philippines is a plum assignment. There are many well educated, experienced English speaking unemployed Filipinos and Filipinas in the labor market who can't get jobs for even $3 per day. Only foreigners married to a Filipina or Filipino are welcome to compete with locals for the very few jobs available. Work permits are not necessary if you are married to a Filipina or Filipino. But if you get one do you want to work for $3.00 per day or less, 12 hours for some one day off a week, no benefits? Why do you think Filipinos and Filipinas leave this beautiful country and their love ones? They like everyone else, need to earn a living and other countries pay well and don't have the low employment problems here in the Philippines, problems that make even skilled labor cheap. Cheap Filipino/a labor is a big plus in living here. The few that have capital do very well if they take the time first to learn about the Philippine culture and Filipinos. Filipinas and Filipinos have to go abroad, often to some country where they are not welcome, where don't want to be, become second class citizens, though not citizens at all, to be maids, divers and helpers despite their education, sometimes with advanced degrees. And occasionally for they work for ignorant and even unkind wealthy and not so wealthy people.
It is better to have your own business, the only real option unless you are married to a Philippine citizen. Even then working for yourself in your own business or profession is the best option.
If you have a modest pension, you are okay too. And you can still probably save enough to run a small business for additional income and something to do. In a small city or town you can make it with few luxuries on as little as $600. A big city you will not be comfortable with less than $1,000 unless you don't have many materialistic needs. I lived by the beach, in the sea in a house nipa house on bamboo stilts, for $400 per month including food, and the few amenities I had, more than most. I did not have steady electricity or indoor plumbing, but it was a good life. I had music, TV when I had electricity and music from battery power all the time. I fished from my house into the ocean. And, I had many wonderful, loyal friends and a lot of happiness in my life. To live in Manila, figure you will need $1,500 to live expat style. And, you need to be careful with your money. In Cebu less will do. And Davao cost even less than Cebu.
You can learn much more about living, retiring and traveling and doing business in the Philippines by joining the Yahoo list, "Living in the Philippines". List members include foreigners Philippine expats who are living in the Philippines, like me, people who used to live here and plan to return, and people who have never lived here but would like to someday. The list covers a wide range of topics. One minute we are talking about ways to improve the Philippine economy. The next minute we are discussing building your dream house on the beach. The list is not just a great information source it is a meeting place for people who share a love for the Philippines, Filipinos and Filipinas. The camaraderie is extraordinary. The knowledge gained can make your life in the Philippines and your relationships with the Filipinos even more joyful. Even if you do not join the List, this website is full of a lot of the information you will need to get good a running start.
LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES LIKE A KING ON $1000/MONTH
(by: Don Herrington)
Want to save money on everything? My dollars go so far here in the Philippines even I don't believe it. And the quality of life is fantastic not only because of the prices but because of the people.
I am former US Peace Corps staffer, former owner of my own business in the US. I only have a small pension, a little social security and some savings. But I am living in good style, on a budget, with hospitable people who speak English good enough. I do feel like a king. And, I am putting away a few dollars every month.
My two live in web helpers and a maid each cost about $45 per month and of course their food. Of course having helpers really makes me feel like a king and take all the chores out of my life. They are helpers, but more like daughters to me and friends. My Filipina wife enjoys the freedom from housework and errands as much as I do. And she is free to study in her pharmacy course at college here. Her tuition is $230 per semester.
I pay $280 for a large six bedroom, four bath house with a nice yard in a great neighborhood. The maids keep it up with the help of the neighborhood kids. It is in the university area of Cebu City, the Paris of the Philippines, where the mountains meet the sea. It is the land of scuba diving and beaches, rain forest wandering, night clubbing and bar, hopping. And for a continuing education for you retirees there is DSL at $50 per month, maybe more expensive than the States. But with the low cost of other things you should be able to afford it. Dial up, 33K is about 18 cents per hour, not as convenient as DSL but a lot cheaper.
There are excellent hospitals nearby. My next neighbors are professionals. They are not rich, but the neighborhood is mostly professional, upper middle class. Even more fancy big houses in big guarded subdivisions with swimming pools and servant quarters can be had for about $1,000 per month. Besides the cost, I like the friendliness of the people in the more modest neighborhoods. Finding a house like mine as such a good price will take a month, maybe, but you could get lucky and find one in a day like I did.
Public transportation is great in Cebu City, a city of about 500,000 hospitable souls. It is not the only great one to live in. Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines, cool year around in the mountains is excellent too.
The Philippines is the truly the only English speaking Christian country in Asia, so communicating with the driver is not a problem. Taxis are air-conditioned, new, and readily available. You can go to anywhere in town for $2.50 and a long trip to the airport is about $6.00. Make that even less with the recent continued devaluation of the peso. Yesterday I went to visit a friend and my taxi fair was 25 pesos. I gave him 30 pesos, .75 US cents. He chased me when I got out of the car to give me the change, about .10 cents. He could not understand why such a big tip, or a tip at all. I guess I am just a spendthrift. I do not recommend buying or driving a car here. BTW, today's peso rate was 56.25 to 1 US dollar. Today is November 24 here, 8 hours ahead of the States.
Jeepneys (elongated locally made jeeps) are the way most people travel. They are ornate, loud or gaudy, depending on your taste, jeep style vehicles that carry from 14 to 22, seats on each side. Two ride with the driver �shotgun.� Those seats are reserved for the disabled. They have flags, decorations, colors, family and nicknames, logos from everything imaginable, mud flaps, and other ornaments covering them. And they even altars on the dashboards. The shotgun seat is best and reserved for the disabled. You can travel across the whole city for about .05 US cents. Jeepneys are harder to get at rush hour, though there is not too much rush here. Have you heard of Filipino time? Jeepney travel is a good way to meet a lot of nice local folks. You sit with them face to face. They do love Americans and all foreigners here, perhaps to a fault. You can do no wrong, if you are a guest in their country. Jeepneys and taxis are safe. In fact Cebu City is a lot safer generally than most places I have lived in the States. You can walk the city streets at 3:00 in the morning and have no problems, male or female or in-between, in almost all parts of the city.
I got a haircut and short massage yesterday from my best barber in his air- conditioned shop for .80 cents. My dentist has put caps on my teeth for $70 per cap. He practiced in the States, Century City, as a cosmetic dentist for five years and brought all his equipment back with him. That is why he is so high, compared to other dentist here, he says. I can't let him know how outrageously low I feel his prices are, now can I? A face lift, the works, eyes up and down included, is about $3,000 including three or four day stay in a quality hospital. And the many tests required are included in that cost. They are test you must have prior to qualifying for this elective procedure.
Airfares are low to get here, especially off season, so if one is considering dental work or cosmetic surgery, they could save a lot of money by visiting here. The saving would more than pay for the airfare and other expenses you will have. Now if you are only going to have one gold heart implanted in a tooth, it may not be a good idea. But I don't know recent US dental prices. It may pay.
There are many mammoth shopping malls here with everything you can get in the USA. Some of the imported good are higher priced but some are lower. New books, reprints for sale only in the Philippines, can be very cheap. There are local markets that are more "old Filipino" in nature where a lot of bargaining goes on. At the malls the prices are fixed price. The local markets are much more colorful. But you have to be a skilled in bargaining local style to get the local price. Southeast Asians are known for their bargaining abilities. And they know the �nibble.�
If you want American food it is all here, from Shakey's, McDonald's to the Marriott Hotel's best restaurant I have ever eaten in. The Hyatt is upscale and good too. Radio Shack just came here and other discount US retailers have just gotten permission to move in, including some banks though Bank of American, Citibank and HSBC have been here for a long time.
To get rid of your money, there are Casinos, all the latest movies (movies are about a dollar fifty for the best, in English) and thousands of computer diskettes for just a couple of dollars, though not quite legal, I feel sure. PlayStation games are less than a buck. But the local machines only run on the 220 voltage. I trained one of my maids who was formerly a cook for a group of Japanese students how to cook American. She is pretty good. And I get my hot whole wheat bread fresh from the oven every day made to my specs.
Filipino men are very handsome and romantic, and very polite especially to foreign women. The women are stunningly beautiful and a delight to be around. My 26 year old Filipina wife is a prime example.
Nightlife is fantastic and cheap and abundant. I guess the Philippines is known for that, more than anything else, but there is so much more. I don't do so much nightlife because I married one of these beauties three years ago. She is certainly the best thing that has happened in my life, except maybe moving here.
Universities abound in Cebu and other major cities. It is an excellent place to get a very cheap but very good education. You may know of the many Filipino MD's, nurses, CPA's, lawyers, etc. working the States on their Filipino credentials after taking a US tests for certification. The courses here are geared to the US requirements. Computer schools are everywhere in the last few years. A private tutorial on Corel Draw or PhotoShop or some such by a local computer school teacher is about $50. If they come to your home: about $5.00 less if you go to them. Language lessons, if you want to learn any foreign language tutors are about $1.00 per hour.
There were some political and economic problems, but they do not seem to be a threat to me here since the new government has stabilized things. But the peso continues to weaken and the dollar gets stronger every time some radical group makes a bomb scare in Manila. But they very rarely happen. It is more dangers and more restrictive in the US than here I feel sure. visit and find out for your self or joining our mailing list and ask others.
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