Pseudo Vs The Real Philippines

[Mr Lee]

I lived in a squatter area for a month on top of a hill, and that was interesting. I loved playing ball with the local kids on the lower, dunkable, hoop. I liked the stars at night, and the jungle feel of the place. Felt a bit like Rambo. Didn't like 10 people are so eating breakfast with us in the morning. Didn't like the lack of privacy, but didn't mind the occasional drinking get-together at night. It was nice chatting up poorer Filipinos and hearing where they're coming from. It was really hard to sell them my story of being "relatively poor" by Canadian standards! lol... I gave up on that. We're moving to Leyte in November and have a few ideas of where to live. The first thing we'll do, probably, is set up a decent quality nippa house on our farm for 30~50k. They tell us 30k, but I imagine it'll reach 50 or 60. Then we'll decide if we want to do one of those rent-to-own schemes in a sub-division near Tacloban, or build a house on her lot in the small town near our farm. The other possibility is to rent for a while in the city, but the wife's against it. I wouldn't mind. I'm not sure I want to live in her hometown, however. Small town life seems like it'd get a bit sketchy. From what I hear, they like to gossip a lot, and if someone is doing well, the others like to try and bring them down. On top of being violent, she's not really selling me on the town, aside from we already own the lot. Oh yeah, and without question, there are a select few who will try to borrow from us at every chance. What do you guys think? House on her lot in the small town or rent to own in subdivision or rent in the city for a while? Whether we live there or not, we'd like the nippa hut on the farm for the occasional overnight stay.

My answer would depend on how long you have been married, and if you trust your wifes motives 100%. Many men think they know their wives and some do and some do not. It seems to be that most Filipinos dream to own their own home but IMO if your wife loves you totally, then she would be willing to be wherever you decide is the best place to be for you. My wife and I picked the city which is at least 2 hours from her closest relatives and while I like to visit them at times, and I do not mind some coming to visit us with our permission, I like our privacy and would not wish to live tooooo close to family or have anyone just drop in, and that is not because most are a problem but because some can be. 

[UZI]

I lived in a squatter area for a month on top of a hill, and that was interesting. I loved playing ball with the local kids on the lower, dunkable, hoop. I liked the stars at night, and the jungle feel of the place. Felt a bit like Rambo. Didn't like 10 people are so eating breakfast with us in the morning. Didn't like the lack of privacy, but didn't mind the occasional drinking get-together at night. It was nice chatting up poorer Filipinos and hearing where they're coming from. It was really hard to sell them my story of being "relatively poor" by Canadian standards! lol... I gave up on that. We're moving to Leyte in November and have a few ideas of where to live. The first thing we'll do, probably, is set up a decent quality nippa house on our farm for 30~50k. They tell us 30k, but I imagine it'll reach 50 or 60. Then we'll decide if we want to do one of those rent-to-own schemes in a sub-division near Tacloban, or build a house on her lot in the small town near our farm. The other possibility is to rent for a while in the city, but the wife's against it. I wouldn't mind. I'm not sure I want to live in her hometown, however. Small town life seems like it'd get a bit sketchy. From what I hear, they like to gossip a lot, and if someone is doing well, the others like to try and bring them down. On top of being violent, she's not really selling me on the town, aside from we already own the lot. Oh yeah, and without question, there are a select few who will try to borrow from us at every chance. What do you guys think? House on her lot in the small town or rent to own in subdivision or rent in the city for a while? Whether we live there or not, we'd like the nippa hut on the farm for the occasional overnight stay.

My answer would depend on how long you have been married, and if you trust your wifes motives 100%. Many men think they know their wives and some do and some do not. It seems to be that most Filipinos dream to own their own home but IMO if your wife loves you totally, then she would be willing to be wherever you decide is the best place to be for you. My wife and I picked the city which is at least 2 hours from her closest relatives and while I like to visit them at times, and I do not mind some coming to visit us with our permission, I like our privacy and would not wish to live tooooo close to family or have anyone just drop in, and that is not because most are a problem but because some can be.

It seems that there are too many 'not knowns' at the moment for a commitment to buying. Rent until the picture is clearer & you know as much as possible, that it is the right choice.Uzi

[ekimswish]

I lived in a squatter area for a month on top of a hill, and that was interesting. I loved playing ball with the local kids on the lower, dunkable, hoop. I liked the stars at night, and the jungle feel of the place. Felt a bit like Rambo. Didn't like 10 people are so eating breakfast with us in the morning. Didn't like the lack of privacy, but didn't mind the occasional drinking get-together at night. It was nice chatting up poorer Filipinos and hearing where they're coming from. It was really hard to sell them my story of being "relatively poor" by Canadian standards! lol... I gave up on that. We're moving to Leyte in November and have a few ideas of where to live. The first thing we'll do, probably, is set up a decent quality nippa house on our farm for 30~50k. They tell us 30k, but I imagine it'll reach 50 or 60. Then we'll decide if we want to do one of those rent-to-own schemes in a sub-division near Tacloban, or build a house on her lot in the small town near our farm. The other possibility is to rent for a while in the city, but the wife's against it. I wouldn't mind. I'm not sure I want to live in her hometown, however. Small town life seems like it'd get a bit sketchy. From what I hear, they like to gossip a lot, and if someone is doing well, the others like to try and bring them down. On top of being violent, she's not really selling me on the town, aside from we already own the lot. Oh yeah, and without question, there are a select few who will try to borrow from us at every chance. What do you guys think? House on her lot in the small town or rent to own in subdivision or rent in the city for a while? Whether we live there or not, we'd like the nippa hut on the farm for the occasional overnight stay.

My answer would depend on how long you have been married, and if you trust your wifes motives 100%. Many men think they know their wives and some do and some do not. It seems to be that most Filipinos dream to own their own home but IMO if your wife loves you totally, then she would be willing to be wherever you decide is the best place to be for you. My wife and I picked the city which is at least 2 hours from her closest relatives and while I like to visit them at times, and I do not mind some coming to visit us with our permission, I like our privacy and would not wish to live tooooo close to family or have anyone just drop in, and that is not because most are a problem but because some can be.

It seems that there are too many 'not knowns' at the moment for a commitment to buying. Rent until the picture is clearer & you know as much as possible, that it is the right choice.Uzi

I'm in agreement. We wouldn't have the money to buy or build a nice house at the moment anyways. So when she mentions stay on the farm in a nippa house, I think she's thinking one month, and I'm more realistically thinking 6 months! And I don't want to live in a nippa house for 6 months, so I'd just rather rent until we see how the farm goes and if we're making money off it. Have you heard anything good or bad about the rent to own places? I heard of one family that's in to a 20 year plan or something, but by the end of that they'll have paid double what the house is worth in straight up cash at the moment. Might work for them since I suppose they couldn't afford to pay all at once. But any scams or bad deals you guys have heard about?

[joeatmanila]

Hello to allI live 8 years now in a medium class sudbivision at the outskirts of Manila.Homes cost from 1-3 million pesos without improvements (meaning: fence, tiles, a/c, hot water, kitchen cabinets) Add up one more million to your final bill to make the house nice but not extended. These houses are from 50-80m2 living area on a 75-120m2 lots. Most of the houses are getting renovated and extended. The looks are from medium to ugly according to the taste and budget of the owner. In general is ok for me. My neighbors are 95% OFW, seamen, professionals with their own succesfully established businesses or medium to high level goverment employees.I have no complains what so ever. Yes there were people as mentioned on the first post but soon they disappeared as they were not to last long. Most are people as me who work and try the best for their family. Gossip is a kingdom but i wouldn't care less about it. I am used to it and it rather amuses me when they gossip me.Money no one is asking since they know i do not have to give. I have the everyday social relations with all my neighbors and participate to the community actively for the good things. E.G.: they raise funds for a basketball tournament, i never go to watch but i would give my 100p. I support healthy practices which flourish the community. It is a fenced subdivision with controlled (not too strict) entrance and roving guards. We have our swiming pools, basket, tennis, clubhouse (nice one!!!) and other amenities. I have seen way much better but for the what i paid and what i get i am more than happy.My kid plays on the street with all the other kids and i am worries free since for every 4-6 kids there will be a couple of maids watching them, mine the neighbors...and so on.The cars people are driving are similar type (i have a honda city 2006) and no one brags with the latest expedition or so. In my first year i was asked why i do not have this or that, i explained and showed them that i have what i need and is practical to me and not the what would show to them if i have money or not. They have accepted me in the community and they repsect me. My opinion to them is valid. Their opinion is valid to me too. I want to believe i live in the real world of the new filipinos who strive for their family future and trying to take away from their backs the weights of a culture that kept them down. it is a new subdivision (9 years old) and people came to live there from all over the country. They do not have relatives ates and titos around them (other than few or the ones who live in) and due to the size of the house there is no family with anyone else than the couple the kids and perhaps an elder or a borther/sister.When we have a fiesta (birthdays etc) we all do more or less the same kind of fiestas and we all have agreed on that. We can do less but no more, a modest middle class family fiesta. We all invite each other but there is the common understanding that we will not get drunk in their place and after an hour or so we leave so to leave the close family to enjoy as they like.They take place on fridays or Saturdays if they will keep late and that would be midnight to 1am, if in week day we all finish by 9-10pm so the ones who work in the morning can sleep.During night time you hear nothing even if it is a house next to the other. We watch each other houses, we take care of each other. We advise each other to what is better and how we can succeed by helping each other than competing with envy. We all have discussed these things. I am putting a business building and my neighbor is putting one too, we both looked the options of what i better to run according to our locations and advised each other accordingly and so we follow. I am there 8 years now, if it was a trap or a scam i would have felt it by now...No it is not.It is Philippines, yes it is.Now there is also the pseudo option one can choose or the real luxury and lavish life styles. I will try to give as an advise in few words. The places where genuine rich filipinos live are way too expensive for a foreigner to live in (who would pay a half or a million dollars to buy a house in Philippines?) and that is where you find genuine rich and lavish life style. The pseudo ones are where the ones who one way or another made a few bucks extra and want to be "upscaled" or class A citizens, something similar to the series of the desperate wives on the tv. Many wives do want to take us to live there, talk to them, show them, they do not know. Not that they are bad or so, simply they have over estimatighted a few values in life.

[UZI]

Hello to allI live 8 years now in a medium class sudbivision at the outskirts of Manila.Homes cost from 1-3 million pesos without improvements (meaning: fence, tiles, a/c, hot water, kitchen cabinets) Add up one more million to your final bill to make the house nice but not extended. These houses are from 50-80m2 living area on a 75-120m2 lots. Most of the houses are getting renovated and extended. The looks are from medium to ugly according to the taste and budget of the owner. In general is ok for me. My neighbors are 95% OFW, seamen, professionals with their own succesfully established businesses or medium to high level goverment employees.I have no complains what so ever. Yes there were people as mentioned on the first post but soon they disappeared as they were not to last long. Most are people as me who work and try the best for their family. Gossip is a kingdom but i wouldn't care less about it. I am used to it and it rather amuses me when they gossip me.Money no one is asking since they know i do not have to give. I have the everyday social relations with all my neighbors and participate to the community actively for the good things. E.G.: they raise funds for a basketball tournament, i never go to watch but i would give my 100p. I support healthy practices which flourish the community. It is a fenced subdivision with controlled (not too strict) entrance and roving guards. We have our swiming pools, basket, tennis, clubhouse (nice one!!!) and other amenities. I have seen way much better but for the what i paid and what i get i am more than happy.My kid plays on the street with all the other kids and i am worries free since for every 4-6 kids there will be a couple of maids watching them, mine the neighbors...and so on.The cars people are driving are similar type (i have a honda city 2006) and no one brags with the latest expedition or so. In my first year i was asked why i do not have this or that, i explained and showed them that i have what i need and is practical to me and not the what would show to them if i have money or not. They have accepted me in the community and they repsect me. My opinion to them is valid. Their opinion is valid to me too. I want to believe i live in the real world of the new filipinos who strive for their family future and trying to take away from their backs the weights of a culture that kept them down. it is a new subdivision (9 years old) and people came to live there from all over the country. They do not have relatives ates and titos around them (other than few or the ones who live in) and due to the size of the house there is no family with anyone else than the couple the kids and perhaps an elder or a borther/sister.When we have a fiesta (birthdays etc) we all do more or less the same kind of fiestas and we all have agreed on that. We can do less but no more, a modest middle class family fiesta. We all invite each other but there is the common understanding that we will not get drunk in their place and after an hour or so we leave so to leave the close family to enjoy as they like.They take place on fridays or Saturdays if they will keep late and that would be midnight to 1am, if in week day we all finish by 9-10pm so the ones who work in the morning can sleep.During night time you hear nothing even if it is a house next to the other. We watch each other houses, we take care of each other. We advise each other to what is better and how we can succeed by helping each other than competing with envy. We all have discussed these things. I am putting a business building and my neighbor is putting one too, we both looked the options of what i better to run according to our locations and advised each other accordingly and so we follow. I am there 8 years now, if it was a trap or a scam i would have felt it by now...No it is not.It is Philippines, yes it is.Now there is also the pseudo option one can choose or the real luxury and lavish life styles. I will try to give as an advise in few words. The places where genuine rich filipinos live are way too expensive for a foreigner to live in (who would pay a half or a million dollars to buy a house in Philippines?) and that is where you find genuine rich and lavish life style. The pseudo ones are where the ones who one way or another made a few bucks extra and want to be "upscaled" or class A citizens, something similar to the series of the desperate wives on the tv. Many wives do want to take us to live there, talk to them, show them, they do not know. Not that they are bad or so, simply they have over estimatighted a few values in life.

:th_interesting:A well written post. Your observations are spot on IMO. It seems that you have found that happy medium of living on a sub division while still getting to experience the REAL Philippines ie:

When we have a fiesta (birthdays etc) we all do more or less the same kind of fiestas and we all have agreed on that. We can do less but no more, a modest middle class family fiesta. We all invite each other but there is the common understanding that we will not get drunk in their place and after an hour or so we leave so to leave the close family to enjoy as they like.They take place on fridays or Saturdays if they will keep late and that would be midnight to 1am, if in week day we all finish by 9-10pm so the ones who work in the morning can sleep.We watch each other houses, we take care of each other.

And for sure you hit the nail on the head with:

The pseudo ones are where the ones who one way or another made a few bucks extra and want to be "upscaled" or class A citizens, something similar to the series of the desperate wives on the tv. Many wives do want to take us to live there, talk to them, show them, they do not know. Not that they are bad or so, simply they have over estimatighted a few values in life.

Uzi