If We Can't Own A House In The Rp Then We Aren't Moving There

[Mr Lee]

Over the years I have gotten numerous emails and pm's from members and friends basically saying that and who also said they would like to make the Philippines their homes but they will not move there unless they could own a home...... Seems they have had their own homes their whole lives and they just do not wish to live in a multi story townhouse or a condo since they are getting on in age and want to live in a one story home of their own and know that they do not have to live at the whim of the landlord. Many of these same people have mentioned how easy Panama makes it for foreigners to move there and I have to wonder how much better the Philippine economy might be if many more foreigner were living there full time, part time or visiting regularly and spending their retirement checks monthly....... I personally think it would make a big difference and so do some of the people I have spoken to and who seem to be in the know in the Philippines and who tell me that we have gotten through to many of the government officials with our ideas and that change is in the making, but we all know that things often take a lot of time to change in the Philippines and if expats cannot even agree on many things, how would the people in government of a country agree, so it is for us to tell them just how many people would like to move to and retire in the Philippines if it were only easier to own one home and not have to jump through the hoops with the BI to stay there and that way maybe they can see that the benefits might outweigh their concerns.So that is two changes that we would need, simpler ways to stay for those who do not have a lot of money and who are not married to a Filipino citizen and a way to own a one story home of their own. :SugarwareZ-037: Any one else have any other ideas that might make foreigners want to move to the Philippines?

[Guardian]

Over the years I have gotten numerous emails and pm's from members and friends basically saying that and who also said they would like to make the Philippines their homes but they will not move there unless they could own a home...... Seems they have had their own homes their whole lives and they just do not wish to live in a multi story townhouse or a condo since they are getting on in age and want to live in a one story home of their own and know that they do not have to live at the whim of the landlord. Many of these same people have mentioned how easy Panama makes it for foreigners to move there and I have to wonder how much better the Philippine economy might be if many more foreigner were living there full time, part time or visiting regularly and spending their retirement checks monthly....... I personally think it would make a big difference and so do some of the people I have spoken to and who seem to be in the know in the Philippines and who tell me that we have gotten through to many of the government officials with our ideas and that change is in the making, but we all know that things often take a lot of time to change in the Philippines and if expats cannot even agree on many things, how would the people in government of a country agree, so it is for us to tell them just how many people would like to move to and retire in the Philippines if it were only easier to own one home and not have to jump through the hoops with the BI to stay there and that way maybe they can see that the benefits might outweigh their concerns.So that is two changes that we would need, simpler ways to stay for those who do not have a lot of money and who are not married to a Filipino citizen and a way to own a one story home of their own. :SugarwareZ-037: Any one else have any other ideas that might make foreigners want to move to the Philippines?

I have been leaning in that direction as well, I like condos but I might like to own a home someday and I would not want to put it in a new wifes name. I also wish the one year visa that they offer would really be a one year visa and not just a multiple entry for a year. I am not that good with remembering to do things and I hate the thought of having to report or have someone file for me every 59 days and I would much rather have the option of paying it all at one time and hopefully getting a discount for paying for the year in advance, or not. One other thing that bothers me is the language barrier. I think it would be nice if the Philippines taught all classes in English from day one and while I respect them wanting their own language, I think they would prosper more if everyone spoke English.

[daisy]

Three months ago our group invited a PAG-IBIG http://www.pagibigfund.gov.ph/ representative during our monthly meeting. One of the questions that we raised up is the issue on house ownership because most of the guys are sensitive about this issue because of the wife's name appearing in the Ownership of Title and the Income bracket requirement! For those dependent on overseas pension like most us, we are advised to ask in the BIR office to ask for the Certificate of Non Taxable income of the husband. The foreigner also will be named as co-owner with the wife if ever they will apply for the loan of the house.I am an old PAG IBIG member but I now have mine under the Expats' Ladies Charities group. Some of the wives signify their desire to avail of this government program and I will update you if through ELCI we could in fact get the housing without the usual requirement of Employment Contract or any kind of income sources. Why rent if there's a chance that we could own througth this program which does not need that much equity provided we will be able to oblige the 2 year minimum membership.By the way even if one could afford to buy it in cash, just consider it "rent to own" scheme, at least whatever happen to the member who is the wife and you've not finish paying it, all the right will be given to the husband as owner and no family in laws can get that right from you even if you are a foreigner! If in any case this will solve the problem of ownership and the husband being considered as one of the owners then maybe this could be fair for all...We will just wait and see maybe by 2010 when one or two of us will apply!

[Guardian]

Three months ago our group invited a PAG-IBIG http://www.pagibigfund.gov.ph/ representative during our monthly meeting. One of the questions that we raised up is the issue on house ownership because most of the guys are sensitive about this issue because of the wife's name appearing in the Ownership of Title and the Income bracket requirement! For those dependent on overseas pension like most us, we are advised to ask in the BIR office to ask for the Certificate of Non Taxable income of the husband. The foreigner also will be named as co-owner with the wife if ever they will apply for the loan of the house.I am an old PAG IBIG member but I now have mine under the Expats' Ladies Charities group. Some of the wives signify their desire to avail of this government program and I will update you if through ELCI we could in fact get the housing without the usual requirement of Employment Contract or any kind of income sources. Why rent if there's a chance that we could own througth this program which does not need that much equity provided we will be able to oblige the 2 year minimum membership.By the way even if one could afford to buy it in cash, just consider it "rent to own" scheme, at least whatever happen to the member who is the wife and you've not finish paying it, all the right will be given to the husband as owner and no family in laws can get that right from you even if you are a foreigner! If in any case this will solve the problem of ownership and the husband being considered as one of the owners then maybe this could be fair for all...We will just wait and see maybe by 2010 when one or two of us will apply!

Again I want to thank you for the information. I would still like to own something in just my name and so far as I understand the law, this is not allowed and will need a constitutional change? Rent to own might be an option but as Lee said, the landlord has too much power to cancel the lease if the property goes up in value too much and then all that money is wasted and I am out in the street looking to start over. I am too old to be playing those games, so unless they change the law, I am not 100% sure I want to move to the Philippines. I guess I will see how things fall into place in the coming year or if when I visit I like the condos there so much that I buy one of those and stay in it. Thank you again for being a wealth of information. :thumbsup:

[tropicalwaste]

I dont have an issue with my wife owning the properties/land or even in my inlaws name. The problem I have is if any extended family laid came to things if something ever happened as a right of inheritance etc. Even if not won taking it to court could be an expensive one which sort of leaves me operating businesses and setting a nest egg for emergency exit at the same time instead of developing in the Philippines 100%. I hope things do change even if its a fraction that allows "married" foreigners shared ownership.

[Mik]

Presently, an alien cannot be listed on the title as a co-owner. The foreigner's name can only be referenced on the title as the spouse of the owner as a "married to". I would like to see the law changed so that a legal permanent resident could own one lot intended for his personal residence. Or even better would be to treat a legal permanent resident the same as a former Philippine citizen. It would be great if the government would just insert "or a legal alien resident" into the following: Any natural-born citizen who has lost his Philippine citizenship [insert change here] may acquire a private land up to a maximum area of five thousand (5,000) square meters in the case of urban land or three (3) hectares in the case of rural land to be used by him/her for business or other purposes. In the case of married couples, one of them may avail of the privilege herein granted (please see Republic. Act 8179, Sec 10). source: http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/FAQS-MAIN.htm#a1.

[twostrokes]

Presently, an alien cannot be listed on the title as a co-owner. The foreigner's name can only be referenced on the title as the spouse of the owner as a "married to". I would like to see the law changed so that a legal permanent resident could own one lot intended for his personal residence. Or even better would be to treat a legal permanent resident the same as a former Philippine citizen. It would be great if the government would just insert "or a legal alien resident" into the following: Any natural-born citizen who has lost his Philippine citizenship [insert change here] may acquire a private land up to a maximum area of five thousand (5,000) square meters in the case of urban land or three (3) hectares in the case of rural land to be used by him/her for business or other purposes. In the case of married couples, one of them may avail of the privilege herein granted (please see Republic. Act 8179, Sec 10). source: http://www.philippin...AQS-MAIN.htm#a1.

I'm not sure this law makes much difference any more since Filipinos who lost their citizenship by becoming a citizen of another country can now get it bacfk with "dual citizenship" . This gives them all the rights back that they had before becoming a citizen of another country. One thing that i keep in mind is that we must all remember that the top 100 families do not want anything to change. They have all the money and they want to keep it that way. I don't really think the care if one single expat lived and spent a dime in the PI. And they control the pupit government who lets them steal every peso they can from the economy. And the elected officials get to steal most of the gov't to gov't aid and other monies...without being brougt on charges that stick....Look at Emelda Marcos....as an example....So the only people that care at all about laws pertaining to expats, are expats....and the laws concerning property ownership is just a way to make sure that if they are married to a Filipina and want to dump her, or her him, she gets to steal...or I mean gets to keep everything owned in the PI.....Because afterall expats are just cash cows no matter how you word it.How much you wanna bet that if the US decided to match property rights and resident's rights line for line with the philippines, and required all the Filipinos to divest themselves of all properties within a year of the law changed, that all the laws in the PI would change first.