My Top 5 Criteria For Living In The Philippines

[Dave Hounddriver]

My Top 5 Criteria For Living in the Philippines This is my own top 5 list to help me decide when and if is time to leave the Philippines. So long as I can continue to score 50 or more points on my personal 'Must Have' scale then I am sure I am in the right place. If you want to 'score' yourself, feel free to let us know what you get. 1. Sex drive. My top criteria for living in the Philippines is the fulfillment of my sex drive. So long as I have the appetite and ability to perform I shall enjoy living here. To score this one, 30 points means a strong appetite for frequent sex with no problems in the perfomance area. 0 points for being unable to perform and uninterested. I rate myself as 25. Explanation: If I was unable and/or uninterested in sex then the recreation and lifestyle available in a first world country would start to look pretty darn good. 2. Funding. My next criteria is my budget. Unlimited would be nice but at this point in time I score this one as: 25 points means a budget of $2,000 US a month or more. 10 points means a budget of $1,000 US a month. 0 points for a budget of $800 US a month and negative 1 point for every 10$ a month below the $800 mark. I rate myself as 20 points. So far I am scoring 45 out of a possible 55 points. Explanation: If I did not have enough money to support myself here, then the jobs and social security system are much better in a first world country. 3. Alcohol and social life. Social life means, to me, carousing with other people of similar interests. A lot of the socializing revolves around having a drink or 3. Lots of friends and a healthy tolerance for alcohol would score 15 points on my scale. Alcoholism, or health problems resticting intake of alcohol would mean losing a few points. A rating of zero means no friends, not even Jack Daniels. I score myself about a 10. Explanation: I have more in common with the expats here than with the average guy my age in my home country. It is just a fact that the social life here revolves around a lot of alcohol. It is also a very cheap activity here. 4. Health Issues. Health issues that require trips to the hospital or expensive specialists are a big issue. So long as I am healthy enough to avoid major medical expenses and headaches then I score 15 out of 15 on this one. The scale slides to zero when my budget is being eaten up by medical expenses and slides into the negatives on a subjective basis, if and when my health becomes a major obstacle. Explanation: I come from a country that has socialized medecine. It would be foolish not to take advantage of it when the time comes, 5. Miscelaneous. This could be anything from family problems to hobbies. The bottom line is: Am I having fun. If yes then I score 15. If no then score 0. Keep in mind that having fun is not directly related to where we live but is sometimes influenced by it. My score is 10. So I personally score 80% on my Top 5 list and I am in no danger of moving away from here any time soon. How did the rest of you do?

[MikeB]

75 for me!

[Old55]

~60 points. I don't live in Philippines and we don't plan on moving there in the future.

[Dave Hounddriver]

~60 points.I don't live in Philippines and we don't plan on moving there in the future.

But, even though you have no plan to move here, it sounds like your heart is willing. Actually, there is one more criteria that is important and I forgot to mention. The ability to put up with bad odors, loud music, (loud noise in general), and inefficiency. I find that my ability to put up with things like that changes with my mood so it would be hard to alter my lifestyle criteria based on my mood of the week. So the conclusion is to leave it the way I posted it.

[Art2ro]

I scored an 85! Maybe it's because I'm a Fil/Am and content with life here in the Philippines, for now at age 63! If I were a Kano, it would probably be a 55! Too complicated to expand on the reasons why, because there would be too many unknown factors to consider, like would I still be married, do I still have other family ties in the U.S., what will my financial status be, what's my medical health condition by then, will I need to work to make ends meet? Sounds depressing IMO, to move back and live in the U.S., which is a possibility depending on the negative circumstances that may befall anyone living overseas! Just remembering why we're here in the Philippines! I lived and worked in California my entire young adult life and I did't have anything to show for it when I retired at age 49, but fortunately my other pensions caught up when I got older and made our life here in the Philippines a lot more comfortable, financially stable and stress free! But as one gets older, the major factor that can affect anyone's life in here the Philippines are those huge upfront cash outlay for medical costs or even getting adequate medical care! Being a retired military member with 30 yrs of service, I may fall in a same scenario mentioned in a Stars & Stripes article here: http://www.stripes.c...e-care-1.161832

Edited November 30, 2011 by Art2ro

[Jake]

Hello Dave, Obviously you gave this post much thought and I find it thought provoking. Let's see: item 1 -- perhaps a 10out of 30 for me. I still have a strong appetite (which is being satisfied) but with a dismal performance due toED for the last several years. Personally, my score in this category will not be affected, no matter where I live. 2. Funding: Based on my military pension plus SS retirement, my score would be 25 out of 25. 3. Alcohol and social life: Me and San Magoo or pitchers of MoJo would have me around 12/15, with hookingup more with the locals. 4. Health Issues: At my age of 61, I do have health issues: diabetes type II and enlarged prostate. But so far,they are kept in check due to my diet and playing hard tennis almost everyday. In the Philippines however,I must purchase a private health insurance like Blue Cross (thank you MikeB) and not rely on Tri-Care (thankyou Art and United Army) to give me a comfort zone of 10/15. 5. Miscellaneous: Plenty of sport hobbies and relatively few family problems. My score would be 12 out of 15. Total of 69 -- what a co-ink-ka-dink, that's a happy number, I think........he, he. Respectfully -- Jake

[Curley]

A very interesting way of looking at things, i like it. I don't live in the Philippines yet but would score it like this:- 1. I love it and enjoy it full on. Full 30 points please 2. A nice pot of pensions and cash Full 25 points please. 3. I like a drink but do not really enjoy tipping drink after drink down my throat, I think there'll be other forms of socialising like golf, bowling and others. For that reason probably 7 points please. 4. No major health issues, will have to buy expensive health insurance no doubt but if the alternative is to remain in Europe and get it free,...... no thanks. 10 points please 5. As I'm not living in the Philippines yet I cannot really answer this one but I feel sure that I would enjoy myself, retired with no real money worries and a pretty girl by my side....how could i not enjoy? OK the odd annoyances with illiterate waiters, shop attendants or whatever but a small price to pay. 12 points please 84 points at least, I may have been too harsh on the social points but what the hell, it looks as though you've confirmed my desire to sell up and get out there. Thank you Dave

[bows00]

My priorities would be slightly different. 1) You gotta have your health. Without it, nothing else really matters... 2) Next is money. With money, the women will follow... and everything else will fall into place...

[Art2ro]

My priorities would be slightly different. 1) You gotta have your health. Without it, nothing else really matters... 2) Next is money. With money, the women will follow... and everything else will fall into place...

Yes, as always my motto too, besides good health: "It's Always A Matter of Money"! It sure helps having an adequate source of income no matter where one lives! And yes, everything else will fall into place! "Life Is What We All Make It To Be"!

[Bruce]

Well Dave, looks like I am gonner! Sex is sex, but after so many years in OBGYN and seeing the 'less than atractive side' of the human female, I am far more selective and less active then I ever thought I would be. Money is money and people tend to live with in their means no matter where they live. Alcohol has no interest for me (see sex above, women are a lot less attractive IF you have not been drinking) as I don't drink alcohol drinks. Health while very important, is not really that big of a deal as long as you are stable. Why live in a place where you don't want to, dreading your next heart attack and missing out on what the Philippines has to offer? Stay as long as possible and die with fond memories. Speaking of health, I did not know you were Canadian.... So for me, it is not so much a choice A or B as to where to live, but more of a summer home / winter home type of thinking. But it sounds like you have decided to die in your home country and will ride it out in the Philippines until your see the end coming faster than you would like. Which makes sense. Usually called an exit strategy. Just don't lie awake at night planning too much.