Retiring in the PH

[Reboot]

Be careful 

 

[Nickleback99]

As for shipping boxes or paying extra for additonal baggage on flight, depends on what or how much.  Those BB boxes hold a lot of stuff And basically no weight limit....I've no idea how a Filipina can get so much stuff in there that by the time it's done, might weigh 150 lbs as one of ours did.  Airlines mostly still have an upper limit to check excess baggage by weight, but generally not by number.  Another thing to consider, depending on airline, is to bid on upgrade to Biz Class.  PAL has a bidding system,, which you get an email solicitation from them about 5 days before flight if they have extra BC to try and sell,  which I recently bid the lowest I could and bid was accepted about 36 hrs before I flew out, allowing me to adjust some bags for weight, since coach allowed 50 lbs, but BC allowed 70 lbs at no added charge.   All in all it cost me $580 I think to upgrade (And well worth the added attention, meals and drinks and huge reclining bed seat, etc on a 14+ hr flight); so, I figure really cost me $380 since didn't need that extra bag fee of around $200(?).    Your mileage may vary depending on airline.  Good thing too on the PAL flight out of Vancouver is arrives about 0430 and allowed me a full day of daylight that for me always makes the jet lag not nearly as bad as when I arrive at night.     Anyway, best of luck and at your age, I'd say you're one lucky guy.  Although I lived and worked here in my early 30's, and Enjoyed every free moment of it, I'd probably have really lost my "testosterone driven mind" if not working at all. 

[Avalon]

I've lived here since 1997 - since 2007 in Concepcion, Tarlac with my wife of 15 years - just a few random ones:

Living in the province - our town has 135,000 people and is a farming town 20 minutes from Clark and Angeles.  We get the shopping for difficult stuff and the nice restaurants when we want it - a quiet friendly town when we prefer to stay home.  We live in a middle class ungated local subdivision and have zero problem with neighbours or noise.  As a small town with few foreigners I'm a novelty and very quickly got to know the Mayor, Police Chief, Brgy Captain and the bank manager, store owners etc etc.  They make us very welcome and if I need something I know who to contact to ask politely and it just happens.  You'll never get that in a big city location like BGC.  Oh and I have 400Mbp internet which is essential for my work.  Decent 3 bedroom house with proper fences and carport and garden etc can be had for P6K to P10K - no condos here however.

Visas - despite being married I never applied for my 13A - was too easy being a tourist and extending for 23 years straight.  I got a drivers license, a BDO bank loan for a new car, served on the board of an NGO, opened bank accounts - adopted my daughter through 6 years of court hearings - did all I needed as a Tourist although at times a little creativity was needed.  Only glitch was the 3 year maximum on extending came during Covid lockdowns so I had to get the 13A which now is Permanent status so all cool.

The condo market is in a slump - easy to buy and rent but hard to sell in most places - I'd try before you buy but your call of course.

Merry Christmas to all

[hk blues]

12 hours ago, Avalon said:

I've lived here since 1997 - since 2007 in Concepcion, Tarlac with my wife of 15 years - just a few random ones:

Living in the province - our town has 135,000 people and is a farming town 20 minutes from Clark and Angeles.  We get the shopping for difficult stuff and the nice restaurants when we want it - a quiet friendly town when we prefer to stay home.  We live in a middle class ungated local subdivision and have zero problem with neighbours or noise.  As a small town with few foreigners I'm a novelty and very quickly got to know the Mayor, Police Chief, Brgy Captain and the bank manager, store owners etc etc.  They make us very welcome and if I need something I know who to contact to ask politely and it just happens.  You'll never get that in a big city location like BGC.  Oh and I have 400Mbp internet which is essential for my work.  Decent 3 bedroom house with proper fences and carport and garden etc can be had for P6K to P10K - no condos here however.

Visas - despite being married I never applied for my 13A - was too easy being a tourist and extending for 23 years straight.  I got a drivers license, a BDO bank loan for a new car, served on the board of an NGO, opened bank accounts - adopted my daughter through 6 years of court hearings - did all I needed as a Tourist although at times a little creativity was needed.  Only glitch was the 3 year maximum on extending came during Covid lockdowns so I had to get the 13A which now is Permanent status so all cool.

The condo market is in a slump - easy to buy and rent but hard to sell in most places - I'd try before you buy but your call of course.

Merry Christmas to all

Excellent post and again confirms that it's horses for courses where each choose to live.

A Merry Christmas too to you and yours.

[JJReyes]

I have a question.  It sounds like you are financially independent with sufficient assets or a steady annual income to last a lifetime.  Why the Philippines?  There are other places in the world that would be welcoming.

[hk blues]

On 12/24/2022 at 3:19 PM, JJReyes said:

I have a question.  It sounds like you are financially independent with sufficient assets or a steady annual income to last a lifetime.  Why the Philippines?  There are other places in the world that would be welcoming.

Why not - sounds like he's living the dream!

[fillipino_wannabe]

On 12/24/2022 at 3:19 PM, JJReyes said:

I have a question.  It sounds like you are financially independent with sufficient assets or a steady annual income to last a lifetime.  Why the Philippines?  There are other places in the world that would be welcoming.

Not many other places he'll get a good looking girl 10-15 years younger than him though.

[Possum]

6 hours ago, fillipino_wannabe said:

Not many other places he'll get a good looking girl 10-15 years younger than him though

Sure their are. If financially independent one can accomplish the same thing in the UK or any other country.  Short and long term rentals are readily available in any country. There are even rent to own arrangements for the gullible.

[Kingpin]

On 12/24/2022 at 3:19 PM, JJReyes said:

 

I have a question.  It sounds like you are financially independent with sufficient assets or a steady annual income to last a lifetime.  Why the Philippines?  There are other places

 

Other places don't admire you just for being White, and even if they did, they don't speak English or celebrate Christian holidays. Add the nice weather and the real question becomes why not the Philippines?

 

[hk blues]

7 hours ago, Greglm said:

Sure their are. If financially independent one can accomplish the same thing in the UK or any other country.  Short and long term rentals are readily available in any country. There are even rent to own arrangements for the gullible.

It's true that it's possible, and indeed happens but a walk around a shopping mall in the UK compared to the same here will confirm it's much more the norm here than there. 

That said, there are other places where it can work but I don't see why the Philippines wouldn't be high on any list.