Young Guys In Philipines With No Pensions

[PuppyDog]

I saw Travis' post about " How Do Some Of The Younger Guys Support Themselves" and just wanted to relate a story about an individual that once was a friend, and his story about his life in the Philippines.I met Chris on a Fil-Am forum that has long ago been deleted. He met a Filipina online, and joined that forum to gain knowledge prior to going over to meet his love. He got lots of advice, and seem to take it well. The first problem was the lady was still married, but separated and had one child. He was warned that the father could cause much problems that might cost him dearly - both financially and emotionally. He ignored all that.Well, he finally takes the trip to see her. Falls in loves and leaves her pregnant as he must return to the USA to try to earn some cash to live on. He had no savings, and no source of steady income, so basically he was going to earn a living in the Philippines.He returned 9 months later, just in time to see his new baby.He lived on Siquijor, which is a small Island with small population.This time he was going to stay for the duration and started searching for a source of income. All the while posting on the forum how it was difficult yet he had many money making ideas in the works, and how he was doing this and that. Most of his ideas were half-baked and costing him more than he was making. He tried farming, only to have her family ruin that. He tried internet businesses, claiming he was making a fortune, yet NEVER could give anyone the website, as it was secret, and didn't want people stealing his idea. If it was secret, how did people find it in the first place?He tried a restaurant. That was almost 24 hours of work for a few pesos, but he claimed to be making so much money.When people began to question him, he became defensive and had to lie to cover up that he was way in over his head.He wrote of his plan to build a bio-diesel plant to put the sole gas station out of business. When he was told of the many problems, he just became more defensive and almost pathetic the way he was trying to hide the fact that he was a liar.The stories became more bizarre as if he was having a break down. He claimed to be running a huge internet business employing many on the island, yet he could never tell anyone where it was or the name. It was always a secret, so no one could steal his ideas.As all this was going on, he now claimed to have married this lady. She was married to a filipino, and never had an annulment, yet Chris was now claiming they were married. Just more lies to make his image more presentable to everyone. His lies would eventually catch up to him.To add to his misery, the "wife's" family only saw Chris as a source of money. The little he had, was handed over trying to keep peace.Eventually the money all ran out, and one of the "wife's" brother wanted a huge sum, and when Chris could not produce, the brother told Chris that he was going to kill him. What was the point of having a foreigner in the family if they could not provide money, so if dead, no big deal.Chris realized the threats were real, as the brother probably had killed others.Chris and his family now had to abandon their home in Siquijor, and head to another city to live.What lessons have we learned about guys with no source of income trying to live in the Philippines?For me is that they have a need to prove that it can be done. They will abandon their integrity and lie just so the illusion of them having success will continue. The schemes that they proclaim will make them rich never transpire. They will always tell you they have money coming in with their ventures, yet NEVER will they tell you much about them. It always a secret, so that no one else will steal it.Reminds me of a certain blogger with his many schemes that never seem to pan out..... and his insistence that all is well, and making money to the tune of millions of pesos, yet can't afford a 18,000 peso table saw. Strange at best.He is constantly telling his readers of fish ponds, agricultural ventures, real estate rentals, internet cafes, sar-sari stores, container housing business, all making more than any others in his area. Strange that all of a sudden, he is making huge amounts, even more than the big establishments, This is all about image and the need to prove others wrong, as reading between the lines, he feels the need to put down others, to build himself up. Yes, living in the Philippines can be done, but doing little small time projects wont bring in much cash. If anyone tells you they have succeeded where the many have failed, it is probably more fiction than fact. If it was so easy, then there wouldn't be so many dirt poor filipinos.

[ekimswish]

Lol.... I'll try to reply without taking offense, as a young guy in much the same boat in some ways. Those guys who feel a need to impress others are everywhere. What they tell me goes in one ear and out the other. The danger for them, is to live like that in the Philippines, with no social safety net. Talking big in the US or Canada is not a problem, since at least we have welfare! As I'm experiencing myself, business in the Philippines is tricky, and when you go in with such high hopes, tell people about it, even cautiously optimistic, and things don't pan out like they were supposed to, it's tough to own up to it. It feels like standing up in front of your friends in the middle of a party, and then announcing your business success by slapping a pie in your face. Yeah, jokes on you. It's tough to accept, especially when you're still holding hope that it won't be a complete failure, as I'm hoping now. I suppose business failure is embarrassing and shameful (feeling) wherever you live, even back home. In the Philippines, especially when most of your friends are on forums, it's easier to hide and make excuses, or just create stories. Your friends back home wouldn't know the difference. People in the Phils should be able to see it. But failing in a business is very soul-crushing, and I don't think it feels good wherever you live. I'm sure most people in that situation, hide the problem from their friends and family as long as they can. Me, I'm an open book. I could never bare that much weight, to maintain a lie and facade of success that wasn't real. I'm a horrible liar to start with, and I give people credit for being understanding and sympathetic. If they're not that type of person, then I really don't care what they think. I believe there's still hope for our business. We have made a profit with our last batch of pigs, though it really wasn't much, and there're still a handful of problems. Right now the biggest danger is the farm being flooded by heavy rains in Leyte. But we have 3 pregnant sows, and I'm hoping when they give birth in June we'll have a healthy batch of piglets, we can either sell or raise a bit ourselves. Three sows is a small number I can work with. It's affordable. I told my wife we are NEVER AGAIN buying pigs for raising that we can't afford. If I have enough cash in hand for the pig's entire feeding cycle, it's possible, but I won't buy a pig when I'm waiting on future salaries or future profits to pick-up the cost later. And I'm absolutely not buying more pigs until my credit card is back under control, and our local debts are all paid and cleared. Three sows I can handle, but I told my wife, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP THE MUSIC! Don't even mention money for pigs or farms to me EVER AGAIN until everything else is fixed, meaning the rest of our finances. And by the time we get everything else fixed, unless three sows can make a nice profit themselves, it will probably be time for Canada.

[PuppyDog]

ekimswishI do wish you the best of luck. Raising pigs can be hard work and has a small profit margin, assuming everything works out perfectly.I think what I saw with the man, Chris of whom I was speaking of, is that he felt the need to lie to friends. I wouldn't kick a person that is down, but when they betray your friendship and feel the need to lie and hide the fact that they are struggling, then the friendship is off. He played everyone as the fool, thinking we would believe the bizarre stories he was telling. All his friends were very well of how things worked in the Philippines. He was not fooling anyone, but himself. To me it was an insult.Of course it is hard to own up after you have told everyone that you plan to do something and it fails. But if you are truthful, your true friends will always be behind you and may even provide moral support so that next time you will succeed. Now when people tell me bizarre schemes, I just roll my eyes, and humor them. I had one guy tell me he was going to start a Cellphone provider company, not a cellphone store, but a provider, like SMART or GLOBE. I told him that foreigners can't own telecommunication companies, so then he quickly changed his story to a meat market. That failed miserably when he tried to sell frozen meat.My relatives live a few miles from Tacloban, and say that the rain has caused many problems. I had planned to travel there for my niece's high school graduation, but now that there are floods and travel is hazardous, I am glad I kept putting it off. I was looking forward to her graduation, as she will probably be the #1 top graduate. She passed the UPCAT test, and has been awarded a full scholarship to UP Tacloban. Needless to say I am very proud of her accomplishments.

[Mr Lee]

I have seen young guys who make it in the Philippines on the Internet or otherwise, but most have other sources of income that they won't tell others about. One such person is an American on social security disability and has a business as a front, so he really does not have to make too much money from his business, but it does give a front as to where this particular fellow is getting his money and gives him something to do with his time. I do not feel it is for us to judge because most people refuse to own up to their own failures, not everyone is honest like ekimswish and smart enough to know when he has failed and pick up and start a new plan. IMO business in the Philippines is tough to crack and especially when having to depend on some of the locals. I have always said the Philippines can be a paradise for retired people, but it is not really a good place to go into business IMO, yet many foreigners seem to be making a living, or even doing very well if they find the right niche and happen to be in the right place. Newbies usually fail, while those who have lived in the Philippines for a while, or have spent lots of time in the Philippines, tend to figure out ways to make a living by networking with others and seeing where the needs lie.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Perhaps Brucewayne will chime in on this one but sometimes a guy does not like to 'blow his own horn' so let me speak about him.He came here a few years before his pension kicked in and so had to support himself while waiting. He did what I would recommend to anyone, that is to stick with what you know best. In his case it was building or repairing computers. The other thing he did right, in my opinion, is not to try to make a fortune but give good value to his customers even though that meant he had to live very cheaply.So there are success stories, (well done, Bruce), but it ain't easy.

[BobNChe]

Lol.... I'll try to reply without taking offense, as a young guy in much the same boat in some ways. Those guys who feel a need to impress others are everywhere. What they tell me goes in one ear and out the other. The danger for them, is to live like that in the Philippines, with no social safety net. Talking big in the US or Canada is not a problem, since at least we have welfare! As I'm experiencing myself, business in the Philippines is tricky, and when you go in with such high hopes, tell people about it, even cautiously optimistic, and things don't pan out like they were supposed to, it's tough to own up to it. It feels like standing up in front of your friends in the middle of a party, and then announcing your business success by slapping a pie in your face. Yeah, jokes on you. It's tough to accept, especially when you're still holding hope that it won't be a complete failure, as I'm hoping now. I suppose business failure is embarrassing and shameful (feeling) wherever you live, even back home. In the Philippines, especially when most of your friends are on forums, it's easier to hide and make excuses, or just create stories. Your friends back home wouldn't know the difference. People in the Phils should be able to see it. But failing in a business is very soul-crushing, and I don't think it feels good wherever you live. I'm sure most people in that situation, hide the problem from their friends and family as long as they can. Me, I'm an open book. I could never bare that much weight, to maintain a lie and facade of success that wasn't real. I'm a horrible liar to start with, and I give people credit for being understanding and sympathetic. If they're not that type of person, then I really don't care what they think. I believe there's still hope for our business. We have made a profit with our last batch of pigs, though it really wasn't much, and there're still a handful of problems. Right now the biggest danger is the farm being flooded by heavy rains in Leyte. But we have 3 pregnant sows, and I'm hoping when they give birth in June we'll have a healthy batch of piglets, we can either sell or raise a bit ourselves. Three sows is a small number I can work with. It's affordable. I told my wife we are NEVER AGAIN buying pigs for raising that we can't afford. If I have enough cash in hand for the pig's entire feeding cycle, it's possible, but I won't buy a pig when I'm waiting on future salaries or future profits to pick-up the cost later. And I'm absolutely not buying more pigs until my credit card is back under control, and our local debts are all paid and cleared. Three sows I can handle, but I told my wife, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP THE MUSIC! Don't even mention money for pigs or farms to me EVER AGAIN until everything else is fixed, meaning the rest of our finances. And by the time we get everything else fixed, unless three sows can make a nice profit themselves, it will probably be time for Canada.

Unless you can produce your own feed in some manner, then raising pigs here is like having a piggy bank. You only get out of them what you put into them. Good luck!There are many here who have made their way in business. But you will not meet them sitting on the forum, Get out and meet people here. There are lots of success stories, but they all worked very hard!!!

[Dave Hounddriver]

Unless you can produce your own feed in some manner, then raising pigs here is like having a piggy bank. You only get out of them what you put into them. Good luck!There are many here who have made their way in business. But you will not meet them sitting on the forum, Get out and meet people here. There are lots of success stories, but they all worked very hard!!!

I met YOU through a forum Bob. I would say you are a success story. And still on forums which is good to see. But I can agree with the second part, that coming to the forum alone is just not enough. One has to get out and meet the real people and see what they are doing to be successful.

[Art2ro]

Yeah, we all have seen all sorts of different people who have succeeded or failed in bussiness whatever it may be! It's all about circumstances inwhich one may go through that affects one's business due to unforeseen changes in our local or global economy and negative influencies from one's immediate family, circle of friends, business employees and or partners in one's business! It really takes a hard working smart shrewd business person to succeed in business or be eaten alive by ruthless people around him/her! Attitude, adequate capital, product demand, being at the right place at the right time, Span of control and know how is the key for any business to succeed! For a simple no nonsense person such as myself, I never had any opportunities in getting into any business to be self employed and gernerate my own income! Seems to me like too much work and lots of headaches! I've seen people age in a short period of time due to stress, suffer heart attacks or die from a brain hemerage due to high blood pressure at the prime age of 35! So, no thanks to going into any kind of business! Me, I just put in my 30 yrs of working for Civil Service and retired early at age 49 and immediately retired in the Philippines! 13 yrs later, we're still here and doing fine with all of my 4 U.S. Government pension! It's really grand when a plan comes together! Life is what we all make it to be!

[Jim Sibbick]

My experience with pigs is not to try and fatten them for sale but breed the piglets and sell the piglets. The profits are in the piglets. The only pigs I will fatten are the one's I will eat myself.All the successful Filipinos I know, do not make money off one business. They have multiple businesses. Foreigners need to do the same. I am involved with 3 businesses at the moment. - Barbecue in the jeepney terminal at night- Very very small karaoke bar- Pay day lending. None of them earn enough money to keep most foreigners. They don't earn enough money to keep me, which is why I have to work in Australia. But they do make money. Which I am happy about.Regards: Jim

[Dave Hounddriver]

I have actually made money on pigs by being the financier. I loaned the money to buy the piglets and collected a specified interest rate over a 6 month period, (hmmm its been a while and I cannot remember if that was a 4 or a 6 month period but it is definitely a fast return), with payments made whenever a pig was sold.It is a venture that still has risks and this is not a recommendation, (as in there are also good reasons for not doing it). It is something to think about if you are planning to invest in pigs. Why do all the work and buy all the feed if someone else will do it and you still get the profit? If the piggery is a good risk you can even offer to finance the feed.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Dave Hounddriver