Is The Philippines For Me

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riburn3
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Cebu is nice because you get a little bit of everything without the same level of chaos that metro manila offers.  The beaches suck too, but there are plentiful resorts with half-decent man made beaches.  If you can make your way to Daanbantayan (2 hour car ride) in northern Cebu there are nice beaches, and Malpascua Island, which is part of Daanbantayan, is a very up and coming resort area with great beaches and affordable pricing.  Totally worth it for a visit.  The area is also a nice place to park it and live.  It's one of the only first class provinces in Cebu and is home to a decent chunk of OFW's and Expats.  The local government is also surprisingly proactive.  

 

That said, I would really only recommend provincial living if you have a partner so that you can own where you will be living (to install necessary creature comforts), you still have access to major utilities, are still close to a major metro so supplies are easy to come by, and it has something that attracts you to living there other than being cheap (ie good beaches, beautiful scenery).  If you sacrifice too much you will end up just being bitter and having a terrible time.  One of the appeals of the Philippines to me is that if you can live a comfortable lifestyle in the US, you will live in relative luxury in the Philippines.  If you are barely getting by in the US, the Philippines isn't going to be a fun picnic.  

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Jake
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I think the location of where you plan on staying is also going to play a large role in how much or little adjusting you need to do, and how much you enjoy yourself.  The closer you are to a major city, the less adjustment it's going to take.  

 

Change that over to when we stay out in a Cebuano province (which in terms of infrastructure is still better than many other rural areas of the Phils and my wifes family is relatively well off by Filipino standards), and it's still really hard to get used to.  Shower heads over the toilet seat, intermittent AC, cold water, bad internet, seatless toilets, stray dogs humping in the streets, roosters going off at the buttcrack of dawn.  It is a bit of an adjustment, but I really love my time out in the province now.  It's a great way to slow your brain down from the hustle a bustle, and it's absolutely beautiful, but it took me a while to appreciate it.  Had I not been broken in by being in the big city with all my western amenities nearby, I probably would never have wanted to go back. 

Hello Riburn, 

 

Must be a Texan term -- at the buttcrack of dawn and I like that.....he, he.  I believe you're the first person to really give us a slap in the face reality check.  In order to really appreciate the Filipino culture, one must venture out and actually live out in the boonies for awhile.

 

Well done sir!

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riburn3
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That is so true and yet I never gave it a passing thought before.  Its like people who think they have been to Canada because they have seen Toronto or Niagara Falls.  This puts budgets in a whole different light too.  Many threads comment on how much it costs to live in Philippines and we cannot reach agreement as it depends so much on where you plan on staying (in addition to lifestyle choices of course).

 

Good post.

 

 

 

 

Exactly, cost of living is going to be hard to peg for anyone on this forum because just about everyone is in a unique area and situation.  Some like to live large in the big city, others like to be frugal and hang out in the province.  I know when I'm out in the province living is VERY cheap by western standards, so I understand when posters say that their cost of living is drastically reduced compared to back home.  Overall, cost of living for a parallel living situation in the US is going to cost less, but that doesn't mean it's going to be cheap.  

 

If you're from Manhattan and sell your very basic 1 bedroom apartment for $500k and parlay that into a housing situation in the Philippines, you're going to be able to build yourself a mansion in most places above and beyond anything you could imagine in New York and have a lot left over.  Heck, even selling your $150k home in Toledo, Ohio is going to get you a good housing situation in the Philippines.  

 

I know some expats that never take a meal out and their only indulgence is to hang out at the bar every once and a while, making their cost of living next to nothing.  On the other end, there's some like myself that enjoy eating out on a daily basis and treating it like I'm on never ending vacation, which is obviously expensive.  Everything is relative to what one wants out of their living situation and lifestyle. 

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riburn3
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Hello Riburn, 

 

Must be a Texan term -- at the buttcrack of dawn and I like that.....he, he.  I believe you're the first person to really give us a slap in the face reality check.  In order to really appreciate the Filipino culture, one must venture out and actually live out in the boonies for awhile.

 

Well done sir!

 

 

Thanks!  I agree that you have to spend some time out in the province to really appreciate Filipino life and culture.  It's too easy stay in a big city and never be really out of your comfort zone.  Although I love being in the City, my first few visits to the Philippines where I fell in love with the country and the people were out in the province.  When I took my friends from the US they all said the same thing.  The city is fun, the province is where you learn to love (or hate) the country and get a real taste.  

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Jake
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My original plan was to start in Cebu and look around from there.  Not a very original plan ha ha.  A lot of expats start in Cebu because it is big - but not Manila big.

 

Of course I met a girl... and ended up in Iloilo, never even made to Cebu.  I had never even heard of Iloilo before.  Most of the expats in the area seem to be here because of a woman.   No one really planned on Iloilo.  It is a really nice area though.  Lot of growth, most of the Western amenities are available.  Our Mayor is rated, by a worldwide mayor's association as the #5 top mayor in the world (I don't know... but he seems ok).  I know some guys online that live in the condos in Manila and would not live anywhere else.  For them it is good - I would just as soon stay in the US.  Maybe when I am older I could see more benefits to condo living.  I do love the city living though, but i was a city boy in the US too.  I tell people I am not really from Texas... I am from Dallas.  It ain't the same.

 

The area you pick will make a huge difference.  My biggest issue with Iloilo is our beaches suck, and there is no diving within hours of us (no air, no dive shops, nothing).  Other than that it is pretty good.  We are moving, in 2 days, back out of the city.  Only 17 Km out but as far as infrastructure goes it may as well be the province.  No rent, so that is nice, but an hour by jeepney to get to the mall. 

 

We were out near the new house, eating at Mang inasal, today and I had one of those odd moments.  Looking out the window I saw jeepneys, some shanties, the cock fighting ring, and tons of people... and I kind of was confused where I was for a second.  Doesn't happen often and does not last long, but it is the closest to being homesick I ever get.  Just a touch of "disconnectedness".  Then the waiter offered me another scoop of rice and I was ok again.  Being 8,000 miles from friends and family is probably an odd way to live, but I enjoy it most of the time  :tiphat:

Triple LIKE Tim!  Also, really enjoy reading your blogs:  https://expatinphilippines.wordpress.com/logs

 

Respectfully -- Jake

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Tukaram (Tim)
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I do like the concept of the province but not the reality ha ha....   Way too loud!  I had to move to the city for peace and quite.  My theory is that in the city more people have jobs - and need their sleep - so there is less loud music. Also, the apartments are so small who has room for the "mini sound" wall of speakers.     :tiphat:

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Dolby
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We all know and have experienced that living in the Philippines means...

- Noise ... no privacy whatsoever! You can get Vidioke, cats, dogs, neighbors, construction sounds or anything any time!

- No infrastructure ... who hasn't walked between cars coz there was no where else to go? When it rains, MUD ever where! Broken concrete, pot holes and you name it

- Very crowded! ... who hasn't seen a two lane road (when there was one) with jeepneys stopping parallel and clogging traffic?

- You have a car? Who wasn't stopped by corrupt police for whatever reason and had to fork out some money to escape the jail? I am not going to talk about the condition of jails!

- Who managed to get a decent Doctor? One would look, search and ask without finding any?

- Kano pricing as soon as they see you from afar!

- Chinese products that last only a day?

- Hot water and no brown outs? You must be dreaming!!

- etc...

 

Now I ask, why would anybody like, love and embrace such a thing? Why not try to adapt back home??

Or 

Is it the low budget that makes one talk this way? The mind has no choice but to adapt, love and like or else?

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Jack Peterson
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Is The Philippines For Me?

 

If it wasn't I wouldn't be here. post-2148-0-76289200-1440134352.png

 

JP :tiphat:  :cheers:

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Dolby
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I don't know if you live in the Philippines or not?

ALL the above points were collected from this and another Philippines forum but more importantly is what I have experienced after living here and in a big city! God knows what goes on in a province!

I guess those points, and more, are just in my imagination and not posted above or anywhere?

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