How Much Does The Philippines Need Us?

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Art2ro
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What sucks in the Philippines is that they are still a 3rd world country with a 1st world class taste! So, how can they justify the high tax on everything, because the Philippine government can do whatever they wish and have done so since the beginning of their new found democracy and trying to live by the white man's hand me down principles of greed and corruption! The poor will always stay poor, the rich will continue to get richer and the middle class will survive or move up to the higher status of the well to dos from earnest hard work weather or not foreigners are present in their country! Just babbling here and don't really know where my comments are going, but if I had a choice to live anywhere and could afford it, it would be on any island in Hawaii, it's our only paradise in the U.S. of A., where everyone speaks American English except for those other foreigners who don't!

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sjp52
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I have been on this forum and one other cebu forum for 2 years now. I have spent 8 months total in the Philippines in that period. What I have noticed is quite a few of the foreigners that have made a go of it here and lasted for quite a few years are throwing in the towel and going home. Some reasons stated are wanting to raise their kids in a 1st world country but most of them are just sick of being frustrated with the system here and it not being so cheap any more. As prices rise here and its not such a deal to live here any more I wonder how many more will up and leave. I think you will see less people coming hear as stories of cheap living in the Philippines stop. Now I have not lived in the Philippines long enough to be total frustrated but I worry about that in my future. Thats why I will not invest in the Philippines ( buy a house or condo )It would have a small impact on their economy ( no more foreigners ), But can they afford even a small blow as there are so many poor already and people in high places with empty deep pockets to fill. I think if they could reduce the corruption that money could be going to the right places. You will see less money coming in from ofw as the cost of living rises for these ofw to live ( less money to send home ) ex. http://globalnation....-cost-of-living, They will be getting less hand outs as other countries will have to worry about their own people in these financially strapped times. If stories like this start to happen http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=711936 they will be in deep do do

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FlyAway
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As for the govenrment caring if 'we' stopped living there.... In the past year the government has tried to get off the human trafficing list as it effects toursim and other areas, all related to money. If you look at Philippine Air and the number of passenges they fly between the US and Manila and the same of Korean Air, it would be a HUGE dent in their bottom lines if they only had their citizens as passengers. If they did not care, they would not care if they were on the trafficing list or not.
I was looking at it from the point of Expats living in the country full time. If all the expats packed up and left, would they really care considering all the money that comes in the form of foreign aid, OFW's, family in other countries, and tourism.
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sjp52
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As for the govenrment caring if 'we' stopped living there.... In the past year the government has tried to get off the human trafficing list as it effects toursim and other areas, all related to money. If you look at Philippine Air and the number of passenges they fly between the US and Manila and the same of Korean Air, it would be a HUGE dent in their bottom lines if they only had their citizens as passengers. If they did not care, they would not care if they were on the trafficing list or not.
Bruce, I think they are getting off the human trafficking list because if they didn,t the US said they would cut off hand outs. I think I read that some where. If they really cared about tourism they would start to clean up their act on dealing with tourist, and what you get for your money and the garbage on their beaches
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sjp52
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As for the govenrment caring if 'we' stopped living there.... In the past year the government has tried to get off the human trafficing list as it effects toursim and other areas, all related to money. If you look at Philippine Air and the number of passenges they fly between the US and Manila and the same of Korean Air, it would be a HUGE dent in their bottom lines if they only had their citizens as passengers. If they did not care, they would not care if they were on the trafficing list or not.
I was looking at it from the point of Expats living in the country full time. If all the expats packed up and left, would they really care considering all the money that comes in the form of foreign aid, OFW's, family in other countries, and tourism.
If you lost 1 or 2 percent of your income would it bother you ( yes if it was an easy fix ) I,m not sure if its that high, Probably not. I have noticed in a lot of the stores that they don,t look for a return customer, Only the sale. If they were smart or cared they would send some people to other successful countries and observe what they are doing to be so successful. Problem is, If they didn,t think of it its not worth doing in their eyes .With that being said, A lot of Filipinos are poor and all they really have is their pride, They are under educated and no hope for the future ( governments fault ) I might rant about the way they do things but if I was raised in the Philippines under their circumstances who knows what I would do. Most of them are a happy caring people and I appreciate that. I am just frustrated with their broken system and so are a lot of Filipinos. Edited by sjp52
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Dave Hounddriver
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I have been on this forum and one other cebu forum for 2 years now. I have spent 8 months total in the Philippines in that period. What I have noticed is quite a few of the foreigners that have made a go of it here and lasted for quite a few years are throwing in the towel and going home. Some reasons stated are wanting to raise their kids in a 1st world country but most of them are just sick of being frustrated with the system here and it not being so cheap any more. As prices rise here and its not such a deal to live here any more I wonder how many more will up and leave.. . .
I agree, except I would not call it throwing in the towel. I like the area around Victoria, BC and the islands there. If the price of living in the Philippines rose to more than my cost would be to live there then I would move. I think its just basic economics.
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sjp52
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I have been on this forum and one other cebu forum for 2 years now. I have spent 8 months total in the Philippines in that period. What I have noticed is quite a few of the foreigners that have made a go of it here and lasted for quite a few years are throwing in the towel and going home. Some reasons stated are wanting to raise their kids in a 1st world country but most of them are just sick of being frustrated with the system here and it not being so cheap any more. As prices rise here and its not such a deal to live here any more I wonder how many more will up and leave.. . .
I agree, except I would not call it throwing in the towel. I like the area around Victoria, BC and the islands there. If the price of living in the Philippines rose to more than my cost would be to live there then I would move. I think its just basic economics.
Oh yea, Victoria very expensive. That is a nice place. I visited friends there a long time ago. They lived on the island. I think if the Philippines becomes as expensive as Victoria you will only see Gilligan and the Skipper staying in the Philippines Yes I guess that is bad way to describe them going home. I did not mean any thing by it. I respect their choice.
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Garpo
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While many of us could never return to our original home home country and expect to live for the same or less, there does seem to be a trend of expats now going to live in different counties that they feel are just as cheap or even more cheap than here in the Philippines. I really have not done much research on these places but I here about Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and even some in Asia. One of the things that was in the back of my pea brain when I first stated thinking about this was if it would be possible for us Expats to put pressure on the Philippine Government on certain issues. The main one being to help keep the peso exchange rates in line.

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Call me bubba
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I know that my wifes father is and has been an OFW for the past 18 years and only sent back home about a total of 150K peso in that 18 years. Now that his daughter is married to a foreigner he now says he is coming home to stay and wants us to give him 250k so that he can start his own business. He is a real piece, but that is for a different conversation. How many OFW really send that much money back home compared to what us foreigners bring in?
When I read this. I had to reread it twice,,,,this "ofw" who has worked overseas for 18 years, sent 150K to support his family.thats 8333 php or 198 Usd support per year.(based on a 42 exchange rate.) Has this man even saved any of his "earnings" for the past 18yrs?and he is asking/requesting that he is given 250k to start his own businessfrom his daughter who happens to be married to a non filipino .. either this man has been smoking some very strong "herbs" or he is.....(not posted as not to attack this mans thinking ability) 8333pesos per year for supporting a "family" this could pay for 2 months of groceries. 12 months of electric power. or 1 karaoke machine. most foreigners consume/spend at least $1000 if not more(much more)rent 250-350 usd. grocery 250-300usd .utilities 100-150usd. and that's just the basic ,not including everyday expenses .,,,,when I lived in Bcn,spain, I had the opportunity to make friends with the a Philippine who worked/managed the local office of a RP bank. i was able to observe the "workings" of a remittance office.most NOT all usually sent 4-5000 php .but no more than 14.000/15.000(200 euros)when it was Xmas, school enrollment the figures went up. .few was making "house payments" some even was "deposting" savings .yet that was few and far between.
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Garpo
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I know that my wifes father is and has been an OFW for the past 18 years and only sent back home about a total of 150K peso in that 18 years. Now that his daughter is married to a foreigner he now says he is coming home to stay and wants us to give him 250k so that he can start his own business. He is a real piece, but that is for a different conversation. How many OFW really send that much money back home compared to what us foreigners bring in?
When I read this. I had to reread it twice,,,,this "ofw" who has worked overseas for 18 years, sent 150K to support his family.thats 8333 php or 198 Usd support per year.(based on a 42 exchange rate.) Has this man even saved any of his "earnings" for the past 18yrs?and he is asking/requesting that he is given 250k to start his own businessfrom his daughter who happens to be married to a non filipino .. either this man has been smoking some very strong "herbs" or he is.....(not posted as not to attack this mans thinking ability) 8333pesos per year for supporting a "family" this could pay for 2 months of groceries. 12 months of electric power. or 1 karaoke machine. most foreigners consume/spend at least $1000 if not more(much more)rent 250-350 usd. grocery 250-300usd .utilities 100-150usd. and that's just the basic ,not including everyday expenses .,,,,when I lived in Bcn,spain, I had the opportunity to make friends with the a Philippine who worked/managed the local office of a RP bank. i was able to observe the "workings" of a remittance office.most NOT all usually sent 4-5000 php .but no more than 14.000/15.000(200 euros)when it was Xmas, school enrollment the figures went up. .few was making "house payments" some even was "deposting" savings .yet that was few and far between.
Yes, you read that correctly. This guy has stopped sending anything for years at a time and saying that it was so hard to have any extra money to send home to his family. He had to live and eat and never had any money. He came home to visit a total of three time in 18 years and when he did come home he often times would take things that his family had obtained from their own work and earnings and give it to other people and saying that he would just buy his family new stuff (which never happened). He also would use my mother in-law as a punching bag and even tortured her a few times (waterboard). I can hardly wait to meet this guy if and when he does show up. But just to stay on topic. He is why I asked how much do the OFW's actually send back to the Philippines? The families of the OFW's that I have talked to here, say that it is more the hope and wishes that the OFW will be able to get their family members out of the Philippines, than it is that they are working to support their family back in the Philippines. They almost all want to leave the Philippines so that they can live and work in a country that they have a better chance at a good life.
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