Retirement for me and my wife

[Serrada35]

Hi all, 

My wife and I are starting to think about our retirement plans. Not there yet but not far off. 

We were wondering if anyone here moved as a couple. We've mostly heard from single men moving there looking for a partner.

We are very happily married and still very much in love after 19 years. We are really enjoying growing old together. Really! 

My wife is from Hawaii. Born and raised in the US, former USAF. She doesn't speak Tagalog etc. but she is filipina ethnicly. Culturally she is definitely more Hawaiian and east coast for the past 20 years or so. 

I'm just wondering what it will be like for her. I've heard a lot from the male expat perspective but would like to hear from some US/Couples/female expats. 

My one concern is discrimination. She has a very dark complexion. I hear that does seem to be an issue there. 

I'd be very interested in what you all have to say. 

Thanks! 

Brian 

[Old55]

Welcome to the forum Brian.  We are pleased to have you and your wife join us.

Have you both visited Philippines before? If not spend some time in country before making any serious plans. 

Filipinos are not overtly racist. There is a slight stigma (class structure?) that darker skin means someone from a poor background may work in the fields or whatnot. Skin whitening lotions are big there. 

Very quickly your wife would be recognized as American Filipina and "rich". She would then be seen as slightly important by having perceived wealth. LOL, the only "discrimination' is she and you will sometimes be over charged due to the fact you are Foreigners. You wife will easily find new friends there. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Old55

[fototek1]

Good evening and welcome Brian. I am in the Boston area as well and looking at retirement in the Philippines with my Filipina wife as an option too. How much time have you spent in the Philippines? Pre Covid, my wife and I went for a month every year. I think the hardest adjustment for us will be the lack of organization and convenience found in American life. You will get lots of great advice from members of this forum. I look forward to seeing what they have to say.  

[Serrada35]

4 hours ago, fototek1 said:

Good evening and welcome Brian. I am in the Boston area as well and looking at retirement in the Philippines with my Filipina wife as an option too. How much time have you spent in the Philippines? Pre Covid, my wife and I went for a month every year. I think the hardest adjustment for us will be the lack of organization and convenience found in American life. You will get lots of great advice from members of this forum. I look forward to seeing what they have to say.  

Hi, 

We are looking to take a trip as soon as the travel craziness lets up. We haven't been yet but we are pretty well traveled. We are both very comfortable with the island time and pace. Fortunately at this stage in life, I really don't mind waiting for things and we are definitely looking forward to the cultural immersion (especially the food) 😊.

The Philippines seems perfect for us. For my wife to learn more about her heritage and we are both filipino martial artis practitioners and instructors, so the benefits and education will be immeasurable. 

I have spent lots of time here with both 1st and 2nd generation filipinos and love being around them. 

My father in law goes frequently and knows a lot people there. So, we plan to do a fair amount of traveling there before we make any firm decisions. 

So, thank you for your reply! I might ask to pick your brain a bit before we go to prepare as much as possible! 

Thanks! 

Brian 

[manofthecoldland]

What island/province/language (s) area (s) do most of the Pinoy kinfolk live in ?  Maybe that is not a factor, but it might help since there may be expat members living there who can provide you with more targeted and specific  information it that is a relevant concern.

[scott h]

7 hours ago, Serrada35 said:

We were wondering if anyone here moved as a couple.

My Filipina wife of (at that time) of 19 years retired and moved here in 2012. With the exception of a few minor bumps, we are very happy that we did. Our pensions go so much further here. We usually (before covid anyway) took a road trip once a week just to go out for a meal, and would visit a resort for a few days every month or so. There are so many within driving distance from Manila I dont think we will ever run out.

8 hours ago, Serrada35 said:

She has a very dark complexion. I hear that does seem to be an issue there. 

Not at your age and situation. The only color people will care about is the color of your money. Being a "dollar earner" you are already considered to be on of the "upper class" (whether true or not ). So that would be the least of my worries.

Having painted such a rosy picture, let me talk about possible downsides.

Your wife probably has relatives here (assuming that is who your father in law visits) but is not close to them. I am sure that you will want to visit them. I suggest that you do so, but depending on their circumstances I personally would keep them at arms distance for a while. Families here are infamous for expecting "rich" relatives to help them financially.

Lastly, the Philippines is not for everyone, I visited with my wife for 2-3 weeks over an 18 year period before we made the disicion to retire here, and even then I was shocked about several aspect of living here,,,,vacations are a LOT different than setting up house. So if you are in a position to visit for an extended period before selling up and making a move, I would strongly suggest that. There are lots of condos for rent that you can set up temporarily depending on where you are interested in.

We are a pretty laid back group here, so just start asking questions,,,but please start a new topic for each question. We do tend to be a bunch of wind bags and rarely stay on topic after the first reply or two 

[JJReyes]

My wife and I have been married 50 years and we are considering moving to the Philippines after the independent living retirement stage.  Our background includes 30+ years on Oahu as transplants with our younger son still there as a teacher at Nanakuli High School. 

The Philippine location should be close to a major hospital for medical services.  Another is nearby restaurants offering international cuisine, a Western style supermarket, and a wet market.  We may need 24 hours in-resident caregiver services which is inexpensive compared to Hawaii.  At the time of my research, cost for caregivers on Oahu was between $60,000 to $150,000 a year.  Our budget for the Philippines for live-in is less than $20,000 a year.  

Social networking requires just a little effort.  Join a church group, hobby group or look for an expat community that meets on a regular basis.  If either one of us are still independent, the plan is to volunteer.  Perhaps offering conversational English practice for high school and college students.  Volunteerism will also result in social networking as you get to meet parents, school administrators, etc.