Retiring in the PH

[Nomad]

Hi! I'm 38 and single, moving/retiring in BGC (that's the plan now, but may change), and looking for advice!  I love to go out and meet new people and party, but I also love to walk and explore the town.  Is there anything I should prepare before I move?  I've got medical covered, I've found a traveling mailbox subscription that I plan on purchasing, is there anything else that I should prepare in advance?  I have about 3 suitcases worth of clothes and other things, should I balikbayan box something, or should I just pay a bit extra and fly with them?   Is there anything from the US that I should bring that maybe hard to get there?  Is BGC a good place to live (I see BGC has some of the nicest condos, and I want a condo that has a ton of amenities to keep me busy, since I'm not going to be employed)?  I'm trying to ship my computer over, but not sure the best way to do so.   I'm single so would love to find some good places to mingle and meet new people

[BrettGC]

Welcome to the forum Nomad.  

They upped the age for a retirement visa to 50 a few years ago, so that's not for you.  Other options are either a 9a visitors visa which you apply for prior to departure and is initially for 59 days.  It's a physical full-page sticker in your passport and takes a couple of weeks to obtain. You can extend this 30, 60 days or six months at a time for up to 2 years.  

The other and most popular option is Visa on Arrival (VOA) which you allows you 29 days and can be extended for the same time periods as the 9a but up to 3 years rather than 2.  It's obtained at the airport on arrival, funnily enough. 

I've found paying for excess baggage to be more economical than shipping a box of gear unless you're planning on an entire household in a container.  Others may have had different experiences depending on the airline.  Personally, I'd check-in my computer as excess baggage and buy new peripherals on arrival.  

Make sure you have your 2-factor authentication for your banks, cards etc sorted before you depart; if you travel around to the more remote areas phone reception can be sketchy at times.  On that note, have more than one way to access your money; for example, I have World Remit, Send and Wise accounts as well as a secondary bank in back in Australia in case there's any issues.  Also, keep a stash of local currency for for emergencies.  Why? Where I live after a typhoon about this time last year, there was no power for 4 weeks so no ATMs.  I know in Metro Manila that's unlikely to ever happen, for that time period at least, but it wouldn't hurt just in case.  

I'd get a Gcash account after you arrive. It's great for paying if you don't want to carry a lot of cash.  There's very few businesses that don't accept it, even here in the "remote" province where I live. It's easy to set up, and you can transfer directly to it from something like Wise. The only requirement is a local phone number; hence the need for "after you arrive". 

As for BGC, never stayed there, but I'm sure there's others that can give you advice on that front. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by BrettGC

[JJReyes]

It doesn't sound like you are familiar with the Philippines.  Take it easy by traveling to different locations for one or two months before making a decision as to where to settle.  BGC for example, will be like moving to New York, London or Tokyo.  The lifestyle is high end and expensive.  If your goal is to make new friends, there might be better locations to consider.  Initially, you may want to consider a residential condo.  It's like a hotel with full services including daily housekeeping. 

My wife and I are retired nomads currently staying in the Philippines 4 to 5 months.  We travel with one medium and one small suitcase.  Why do you need three?  Just discard items and buy new one as needed while traveling.  The Philippines has the same or similar items as you would purchase in the US.  

[BrettGC]

18 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

The Philippines has the same or similar items as you would purchase in the US.  

Clothing can be an issue for a larger framed person.  I'm only 172cm and 80kg (5'7 and a bit, 180lbs - for the yanks and oldies) and I have problems finding clothes that fit comfortably.  Having said that, I do live in an area with limited options - I include Dumaguete as limited.  

[Jollygoodfellow]

55 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

The other and most popular option is Visa on Arrival (VOA) which you allows you 29 days and can be extended for the same time periods as the 9a but up to 3 years rather than 2.  It's obtained at the airport on arrival, funnily enough. 

Actually 30 days first on arrival , the next is 29 days then 60 if you want and after that upto 6 months  or something like that.  BUT the OP should tell us his plans of which it appears he has Goggled where to stay but clueless of anything else.

[Freebie]

Plenty of ladies, in fact sometimes too many to keep you entertained.d BGC gals can sometimes be a bit used to the finer things in life and some, but not all expected to be treated as if they were more special then their Makati /Pasay/Pasig /QC sisters. Its the results of being spoilt by your predecessors.. or those who were in the line before you. Theres plenty of pay for play and those who pretend they dont play but are happy with nice gifts Plus theres regular girls too..but sometimes it takes time to work out which category a girl you meet belongs to.

I lived in BGC for several years in a nice condo . Nice area. You might need access to transport to get around... and as a tourist cant get drive licence here, nor can you convert. Intl licence will only last you 90 days i think. And as tourist you cant open a bank ....and this place is still 99% cash for everything so make sure you can access cash. None of these fancy wave or google pay on your phone  things here lol. ( except in a few places ).

Heck we dont even have pack your own bags and scan the payment yet....

for a young fella as long as you can keep getting the visa extended and you have cash and street smarts all will be well.... dont fall in love with the first girl, nor the second and dont beleive all the stories you get told by girls. And there are some wonderful stories.  As you will be finding out.......

[Nomad]

I'm pretty well traveled, I have been to the Philippines once before, but it was quite a while ago.  My plan is for the VOA, and getting it extended, which isn't ideal ( I have been considering moving to the Philippines for awhile, and sadly saw the news about the retirement visa having an age limit now).  As much as I would love to limit myself to 1 or 2 suitcases, I don't want to live out of a suit case. I am 5'10'' and 200 lbs, so I'm aware it's not easy to find clothes...  

[BrettGC]

5 minutes ago, Freebie said:

and as a tourist cant get drive licence here, nor can you convert.

Yes you can, you just have to show an extension past the 90 days your international licence is valid for.  I had no issues obtaining mine.  As for banks, again, yes you can.  Once you've been here long enough to obtain an ACR-I card, even the tourist stream, you can open an account.  However, there are some managers that won't allow it, but in my recent experience, most do.  Basically no ACR card, no account, if you have an ACR card, shop around until you find a bank that says yes.  BPI in central Dumaguete said no, but all other branches in the area said yes.  YMMV, as we often say (Your Mileage May Vary). 

[Nomad]

30 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Actually 30 days first on arrival , the next is 29 days then 60 if you want and after that upto 6 months  or something like that.  BUT the OP should tell us his plans of which it appears he has Goggled where to stay but clueless of anything else.

I thought I was pretty clear about my plans, what am I clueless about?  

[Nomad]

13 minutes ago, Freebie said:

Plenty of ladies, in fact sometimes too many to keep you entertained.d BGC gals can sometimes be a bit used to the finer things in life and some, but not all expected to be treated as if they were more special then their Makati /Pasay/Pasig /QC sisters. Its the results of being spoilt by your predecessors.. or those who were in the line before you. Theres plenty of pay for play and those who pretend they dont play but are happy with nice gifts Plus theres regular girls too..but sometimes it takes time to work out which category a girl you meet belongs to.

I lived in BGC for several years in a nice condo . Nice area. You might need access to transport to get around... and as a tourist cant get drive licence here, nor can you convert. Intl licence will only last you 90 days i think. And as tourist you cant open a bank ....and this place is still 99% cash for everything so make sure you can access cash. None of these fancy wave or google pay on your phone  things here lol. ( except in a few places ).

Heck we dont even have pack your own bags and scan the payment yet....

for a young fella as long as you can keep getting the visa extended and you have cash and street smarts all will be well.... dont fall in love with the first girl, nor the second and dont beleive all the stories you get told by girls. And there are some wonderful stories.  As you will be finding out.......

Any advice on a better place to stay?  Love to find the women who are true.  I've been around the block with Asian ladies, so I know how to weed most of the bad ones out, but would like to find the best.  Not trying to pay to play, or anything crazy.