Making a new life in the Philippines

[sonjack2847]

I came here to live 8 years ago and have been here ever since.It has not been an easy transition as i had to get used to how things are done here which seem to be stacked against us. This now does not bother me as if I think something is going to be stressful I pay a local to do it. 

I was having problems a few years ago and I was pissed off, I then thought about it and realised that 95% of my problems were from the UK. The rules there can be more harder to follow than here when you are living here. 

After 5 years here  I sold all I had left in the UK and decided to look out for my wife and Daughter and stuff , in many instances the UK.

A lot of the problems I had were from government employees who don`t give a toss and you end up with the crap that follows because they did not do their job. I have on several occasions made an official complaint and 3 times have been compensated for the behavior of workers in the UK.

We now have 4 rentals and so far 1 tenant who seems ok ,time will tell, and life is so much better now. Life  is now settled and I only have to deal with idiots in the UK once or twice a year.

So how was your transition moving here did it go smoothly or did you have problems, are you still having problems.

[GeoffH]

I haven't had a huge number of problems in the Philippines but I've had recurring issues with Australian departments.

The state government changed the taxation rules for non-resident owners of property in the state lumping them in with foreign owners of property so that if I don't spend at least 6 months and 1 day in Australia I get charged a big land tax bill on my rental properties in Australia.  I'm currently getting one ready for sale and the other will be done after that.

The child support agency require information from tax returns lodged with the Australian Tax Office and they won't send information except by paper mail to an Australian address so last year I got fined for not lodging my tax return with them in time (even though it was lodged 2 months before the tax office due date).  The letter (and return envelope) that they sent to me was sitting in Australia when I wasn't and so was the warning notice.  When I rang to ask to have the alerts sent by email (no can't do that) or sent to an overseas address (no can't do that).

The city where I live also refuse to send rates accounts by email, they have to be sent in paper.  They will send by paper but because I'm currently spending half the year here and half there I'd have to keep notifying them of the changed mailing address.  And even if they sent it to CDO it wouldn't reach there before the rates notice was due and I'd get late payment penalties.

Yah... so I'm giving up on having Australian property (but that will take some time).

 

[expatuk2014]

I can agree with you regarding the idiots in the UK ! Mainly the Pension service ! And one of my private pension companies. Seems they couldnt care less about us not recieving our pensions, and trying to explain to some of them that we dont get the proof of life forms they send us ! And they dont understand how the Philippines postal service works !

On first arriving here in in Phil in 2011 i was warned about the different ways of working here in phil.as my filipina wife was a ex gov employee but things have worked out ok. Life here is good and nothing will make me go back to the UK ! We have already bought our burial plots here !

 

 

[Tommy T.]

12 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

So how was your transition moving here did it go smoothly or did you have problems, are you still having problems.

Hi... I have been here for three and a half years. I find mainly that I just need to be patient - more patient than I am used to being. Everything seems to require mountains of paperwork, lots of signatures and a lot of time... but I get though it and get it done. It seems sometimes that I take one step forward, then one step sideways maybe one step back before I can try to take another step forward. Sound confusing? Yeah... that's how it feels.

But most people are very friendly although not always helpful or efficient. The store employees usually seem to have little idea of what they sell in their stores - but I saw that in USA too, just not as much. I remember just shopping by phone to see if stores have something in stock to save running around. That is difficult here due to language problems and there seems to be some laziness too? They seem quite pleased (yet with mournful face) to say, "Sorry...out of stock." These are generalities - of course there are some exceptions that leave me with nice thoughts...

However, I still enjoy life here - so much slower (except for traffic sometimes) - and my partner and I have a wonderful relationship.

[Balisidar]

11 hours ago, GeoffH said:

and they won't send information except by paper mail to an Australian address

Not to hijack the subject but Geoff don't they have mail service companies in Australia?  They will send you your mail either as an email (cheapest) or forward your mail to you.

Back to the subject, I don't anticipate any problems in transitioning to the Philippines because I had already lived there for several years and have returned often.  I've made valuable contacts with a couple of lawyers in such matters as real estate.  Any problems will no doubt be caused by the U.S. government and will be related to processing my retirement paperwork but I hope to mitigate that by having all the paperwork the lazy suckers at OPM require.😂

Edited July 7, 2019 by Balisidar
Spelling

[GeoffH]

52 minutes ago, Balisidar said:

Not to hijack the subject but Geoff don't they have mail service companies in Australia?  They will send you your mail either as an email (cheapest) or forward your mail to you.

Forwarding it as an email won't help because it would have to be answered and then the answer printed in Australia and put into the addressed, required envelope because they wouldn't accept my response as an email.  I can't mail it from the Philippines because it would miss the 3 week deadline.

 

Sorry if this is off topic people... I'll stop now.

Edited July 7, 2019 by GeoffH

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I have been here over 6 years and doing fine - but I was also fine in the US.  

Most of the guys  I know with problems here usually bring their own problems with them.  We all have to learn to be happy, and a location or another will not make that much difference. The happiness has to come from within.  (I think Nelson Mandela would agree)   

[Tommy T.]

15 minutes ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

Most of the guys  I know with problems here usually bring their own problems with them. 

Agreed. I knew a guy who always bitched and complained about everything here. He almost got himself arrested at the airport on his way out of the country by his bad behaviour there. Nice guy, but socially a bit mis-directed...

[virginprune]

I've been here 4 years now and though there have been things to get used to I have had no major issues. I tied everything up in the UK before I moved and so far have had no problems. However, at the end of next year my state pension will need setting up, looking forward to the money but not necessarily the process, we'll have to see.

I can honestly say that I consider the Philippines my home and have found happiness here generally, despite some frustrations, that you can get anywhere really.....just roll with it is the best advice I give myself and it works.

[bastonjock]

Ive still got one capital.asset that i need to off load before i can move to the Philippines,  im still a bit nervous about it all , ive sold my house etc given the kids some funds , my plan is to split my time between the Philippines and the uk , i am close to two of my kids and have one granddaughter 

I can easily earn enough money contracting to finance my life here ,even if the pig farm takes a nose dive , i dont want to start pulling in my pensions , im.saving them in case i loose the fitness to work , its another 5.5 years before i get the gov pension 

Im of the opinion that the Philippines can be a great place to live , you the foreigner have to adjust to their way of life , it takes a bit of working out , im hoping to establish friendship and build on my relationship with gf