Retirement

[Sheriff2144]

Hi All,

And sorry for the questions as the forum probably has had these questions a lot.

 

My wife and I are looking at the Philippines to retire. Firstly, any suggestions as to where? My research so far says Dumaguete, Davao or Subic as being the safest from crime and typhoons. any thoughts greatly appreciated. 

Thanks

Mike

[Jollygoodfellow]

Yes question is asked a lot but first tell us about yourself. Have you been to the Philippines before? is your wife Filipina?  

As for safest are you scared? I have lived in Cebu city for 6 years and no one I know personally has been a victim of crime other than the usual rip off that can occur anywhere.

As for typhoons can happen but more likely to be a victim of flooding or landslides but who knows what's around the corner anywhere. 

[OnMyWay]

6 hours ago, Sheriff2144 said:

Hi All,

And sorry for the questions as the forum probably has had these questions a lot.

 

My wife and I are looking at the Philippines to retire. Firstly, any suggestions as to where? My research so far says Dumaguete, Davao or Subic as being the safest from crime and typhoons. any thoughts greatly appreciated. 

Thanks

Mike

I live in Subic so if you have any specific questions, fire away.

We have kids so different factors come into play.  We are probably moving to Angeles next year.  More school choices, more variety in shopping and entertainment.  Close to Clark Airport.  I like Subic a lot because I enjoy the relative peacefulness, but it does get kind of small after a while.  We have been here almost 10 years.  Angeles / Clark / New Clark City is a booming area so many new things to do are springing up.

We visited Davao as a possible place to live.  It was fine and several members live there.  However, I love to drive and do long drives for short holidays.  I don't think I would be comfortable driving my family outside of Davao.  Others may differ with me on this.

[HappyJack]

54 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I live in Subic so if you have any specific questions, fire away.

We have kids so different factors come into play.  We are probably moving to Angeles next year.  More school choices, more variety in shopping and entertainment.  Close to Clark Airport.  I like Subic a lot because I enjoy the relative peacefulness, but it does get kind of small after a while.  We have been here almost 10 years.  Angeles / Clark / New Clark City is a booming area so many new things to do are springing up.

We visited Davao as a possible place to live.  It was fine and several members live there.  However, I love to drive and do long drives for short holidays.  I don't think I would be comfortable driving my family outside of Davao.  Others may differ with me on this.

I thought I read that you were moving back to the States?

 

OP...Where u live depends on what type of lifestyle you are looking for.  More info on yourself and the Mrs is needed.

[OnMyWay]

40 minutes ago, HappyJack said:

I thought I read that you were moving back to the States?

Yes, but that is on hold indefinitely.  I can keep the visa applications open indefinitely.

Without getting too political, I will just say the U.S. is such a mess right now it would not be wise to move, for financial and social reasons.  And unfortunately, my retirement investments are way down right now, making me feel poor.  I'm not selling anything at a loss and expect that they will come back in a year or two.  I have been through this before.  The original plan was to pay cash for a house, and that is out for now.

[Sheriff2144]

Thank you for your replies,

More on us...

We are both Australians with no dependants, and looking at an earlier retirement 61/57yrs old.

Scared - No, I have learnt through travelling to be respectful of the country you are in but also not to take unnecessary risks either.

I guess we would like somewhere to live that is not the hustle and bustle of the large city life but neither the remote country lifestyle either.

Before Covid hit we had explored Thailand, visited a number of areas and met up with the local expat community there. We also tried Malaysia, Penang and did not feel that we would fit in there at all, 

We have not been to the Philippines yet but are looking at taking a trip there to explore as we did with Thailand. Reason for exploring this option is that the visas to retire in the Philippines appear to be more favourable, and importantly we would want to feel accepted and become part of the community.

Ideally an area for a relaxing lifestyle but also has the option of entertainment. Smaller city areas perhaps where the rat race is not like western countries.

Good Internet connection is also high on the list

Thanks again for any replies.

[Old55]

Sheriff,

With what you have experienced in those other countries and what you said below I'm sure you would do well in Philippines.

"No, I have learnt through travelling to be respectful of the country you are in but also not to take unnecessary risks either."

There are many locations thirty minutes to an hour outside larger cites that would meet your needs. Farther out would be cheaper. 

Do ether of you have a medical condition that could require a good hospital nearby? Good hospital care is not so common. 

Good reliable Internet even electricity can be an issue but has improved over the past few years. Some areas are much better than others. 

Were you thinking of a condo, apartment or house? Located on a beach or an elevated sea view or up in the mountains taking advantage of cooler weather? Would you rather be somewhat near an international airport?

Do you guys SCUBA dive or want to learn? 

I know the Island of Cebu well and would recommend it but there are many other locations just as good or better.

 

[Freebie]

Take a long trip through Philipipnes. Every area different. Lived here on and off  for 15 years, and have been coming here since early 80's. For me Dumaguete is boring, with highly changeable whether.

Decide whether you want remote or city life.. they are enormously different. You will soon figure this out if you travel here. Dont go to fancy resorts, try cute airbnbs to get a flavour of things. Rent motorbikes as its easiest way to see the country. Even buses, as basic as they are ( aircon or no aircon ) can be fun and super cheap.

Crime...I live in Makati and once saw a necklace thief. That was back in late 80s....Easy to stay safe here especially if you dont flash the bling, have spatial awareness and walk fast and know your surroundings. no different to anywhere else in that regard.

[CebuAndy]

When good internet connection is required, you will rely on luck, or pay a lot for a service that very seldom deliver what they advertise. Philippines would be my last choice for reliable fast internet , unless you can afford 3 different ways to connect online. Lived in condo in cebu city with fiber internet, in reality was seldom able to use skype, netflix, or online banking. Reliable fast internet was one of my biggest irritations, when living there.

Are you both in good health? Health services and private hospitals are ok for general issues, but when a major serious medical situation comes, most expats try to run to Singapore or Thailand for better doctors and hospitals, if they're able to travel.

Prepared for major culture chock? Powerty, beggars, not easy to get used to, or ignore. Dust, dirt, exhaust fumes, breathing and lung problems is a concern for some. No electricity for hours a few times per month in many areas, this becomes a frustration. Minimum 1 year lease in most places, 6 pages lease contract, notarized, minimum 2 months deposit up to 6 months deposit in some places.

Frustrations: many things out of stock, no known date for next stock, this makes most expats stock up when what they need are available. Long lines in banks, long lines to see a doctor in the province, traffic jam many times a day.

Because the slow moving traffic on many island, it's relatively easy and safe to drive a motorcycle or car. Same as in many countries in south east asia, if involved in a accident the foreigner often get the blame, and have to pay for the other part.

Never met 1 couple where both was caucasians. To integrate in society and make new friends to sosialize with, can be a problem. Daily life without help from a native can become frustrating. Both Thailand and Singapore has a larger expat community where both spouses are caucasians, so easier to make new friends there, for a sosial life together.

If you both willing to adjust, I would try out both Dumaguete and Bohol. Although the later are one of the many epicenter for earthquake, Bohol scenery are beautiful. This was sadly devasted end of last year, but I hope the island is rebuilding fast, as this is my personal most idyllic place to live.

While I lived many years in both Thailand and Philippines,  Philippines still draw me back there again and again. Can't spesify a reason, it's just the people of the Philippines, and english widely spoken in cities. Dealing with immigration and police are a breeze, they're always polite and very helpful. As a foreigner, one feel welcome in the Philippines, less so in other countries in the region.

Visa and retirement, you can stay up to 3 years in Philippines on tourist visa, do a visa run and start over again. Alternative SRRV if you willing to deposit 20,000US$.

Thailand has retirement NON O renew yearly for only 1900 THB  and for a married couple that requires pension of 400,000 THB deposit in a local bank, and your spouse can piggyback on your application. Not having a pension, immigration have discretion to allow visa agents to help you with this issue for those over 50 years of age.

If I was in your situation, watch youtube to get a first impression about everything in the Philippines. Then stay at least 3 months in the locations you find most attractive. If you make the move, rent a property for at least 3 years, before make any purchase. Selling property often takes years.

[Guy F.]

Much good advice above. You should rent a car though, not motorbikes. Traffic is the scariest thing about the Philippines. You'll be safer in a car.