Living In The Philippines

[jetman51]

I am most grateful for these thoughtful replies. These are the kinds of first-hand impressions that do not always show-up in websites. And I agree that only on-the-ground experience will give me the necessary "feel" for things that a person should have.

I understand the healthcare situation better now. I will be ready to pay for such things out-of-pocket (subject to any reimbursement from any insurance policy I ever buy).

Given my English/Irish/Scottish/German heritage, it will not be a problem for anyone to spot me as a westerner. More seriously, I had thought about living in a gated area, although it also occurs to me that these would be magnets for anyone who is ill-intended. But the balance favors living there, I know. I had also thought of looking around Cebu City. It is more expensive, but there are good reasons for this.

I have been told that there are differences in culture as one goes farther north. Perhaps this is a reflection of who I have heard from -- most Filipinos I have met are from the southern Phils. They have counseled me to stay in the south (despite the possibly higher dangers there), but then this WOULD be their view!

It seems to me that one must simply realize that a westerner's decision to live in the Phils carries with it SOME increased risk, so it becomes a question of managing it. And there are offsetting benefits, obviously, which is what draws me there in the first place. The Filipinos I have known have been wonderful to me, just as you have described. Believe me, I have no interest in becoming entangled in Filipino politics. Aside from the potential dangers, I would have no place weighing-in on such matters -- for one thing, we do not exactly have the wisest politics or policies here, so who am I to preach?

One thing I do love is the outdoors, so I can see that I will have to think carefully about where I go, what I do, and with whom I do it.

The counsel about physical and mental activity is of course wise. I am physically active now, and I am sure that I will continue to be. As for mental activity, one thought I had is to volunteer to do things that keep one's mind in gear, such as teaching, maybe. Are there other things I should consider?

[Edwin]

Jetman, I think a person has to experience life there to understand more fully what the situations are. I have experience through other people, and what they have told me. Some of that is through family member, friends, and relatives. I have lots of connections in the Philippines, but my knowledge and experience is very limited. For some it has been great, for some it has not been so good, but it is an individual thing to know and experience. My friend, before I went to the Philippines, told me that it would be an experience to see life as it happens in the Philippines. In many ways it was an eye opener. I saw people laying on the sidewalk, sleeping right across the street from the nice hotel we were staying in. I walked with my friends in a rather dangerous area in Manila, being told to keep my eyes moving, and keep walking fast. My friend's filipina wife's brother told us about how someone would follow you watching for a time when you are vulnerable, then slip up beside you, putting a knife in your ribs, and then you would try your best to meet their demands. I have also seen wonderful, loving, generous people there. You just have to be aware of the risks, keep your mind alert, and make the best of it. I don't think there is any substitute for having some of them as your good friends who will look out for your best interest. The Philippines has to be experienced, and the only way to do that is to go there, and I will love to return when it will be right for me to do that!

[jadegil6]

One thing I have learned from my many friends in the Philippines is that one does not "flash" their valuables in public. Several of my filipina friends have been robbed at knifepoint both in Manila and Cebu City while riding in a jeepney. A couple of them were wearing jewelry and another was carrying a camera. When I was riding in a jeepney in Cebu City, I had a small video camera that I was using to video the streets as we traveled around, and my friend kept telling me to keep it inside the jeepney because there are too many snatch-and-run robbers around. I should point out that this is not a problem inside of the malls, and if you are traveling from hotel to restaurants or malls in a taxi, then you will not have to worry about being robbed. But using public transportation like jeepneys is a risk.
The smaller cities don't have those types of robberies because everyone knows everyone else, and the robber would be recognized. I have read in many yahoo groups that it is unwise to wear jewelry into public places. I don't have that to worry about because I have never worn jewelry. When I was married, I wore a gold wedding band, but that was over 8 years ago. The most valuable thing I carry is cash, but I try to keep it well hidden, and sometimes my camera and laptop and always a cellphone, which is a target of thieves. So far, I have been lucky against snatch-and-run robbers. But I have been targeted by a few scammers which is regrettable. I tend to trust people too much for my own good, but I think that was ingrained into my character by my upbringing.

[Edwin]

Yes, Sir Michael, I am also a person who trusts too much, and I think you are right about the upbringing. I have been burned, cheated a few times because of over trusting! Each time I think I learned my lesson and I will not allow them to take advantage of me again, and then here it comes, and it happens all over again. But, maybe I will become wise one day! I purchased a rather large camera for Carol in the year 2006 when she went to the Philippines. She took it with her, but she was okay as she was with the friends that I went to the Philippines with four years later. Then she was with her brother and filipina sister in law the rest of the time, so she was well protected.

When I went to the Philippines I took this same camera with me. When I was traveling on the airlines and from there to the hotel, I carried the camera in my carry on back, which was a leather bag type brief case that our daughter gave to me for my birthday present. In Manila I was carrying this camera on my neck and riding in the jeepneys. My friend's filipina wife and her family told me that was not safe. They said what might happen is someone would cut the straps, take the camera and run, leaving me with the camera straps! Teddy Roosevelt talked softly and carried a big stick, well this filipina was a small woman, and she carried a large purse, so she was so nice to insist on carrying my camera in her purse when we were traveling in the jeepneys, then I would ask her for it whenever I needed to take a picture.

[Smiley]

Back about a gazillion years ago,I was walking with a shipmate in Manilla .I was wearing a pair of jeans that didn`t require a belt. My wallet was a biker style,or trucker style with the chain that attaches to your belt but as I was not wearing a belt i just stuffed the chain and wallet into my back pocket.
Well,I quickly wore a small hole in that pocket and the chain ended up going down my pantleg. We ended up getting swarmed by a whole gang of guys trying to sell us something or go to some girlie bar or whatever,I don`t really remember the details anymore ,but all of a sudden I became aware that the chain was being pulled up my leg.I had inadvertently discovered a great pickpocket alarm!
The evening got pretty weird after that but I survived and kept my wallet and most of my money(the cops took some).The picpocket probably considered a new line of work

[Edwin]

Smiley, that was good that you had that chain going down your pant leg! In Manila we were also swarmed with people trying to sell jewelry, watches, and change money. It was a little worrysome for me, because I knew we were in some danger, walking fast, keeping our eyes moving, and it turned out okay, and the people selling these things may have been good honest people just trying to survive, but knowing it was a bad area, and not knowing the people gave rise to some fear. My Dad when I was little warned me about pick pocket people at the carnivals, so I got into a habit of having my wallet in my front pocket, and I still do that, but carry my check book in my back pocket, and my kids sneak up behind me and pull it out for a joke!

[m&m]

An average kilo of rice now is 40. A sack of rice is 2000 and that is really a bad news. Just last week it was 1700. The price is expected to rise up to 50 per kilo until October,\

[Edwin]

I am sorry to hear about the escalating prices for rice! My friends that have families in the Philippines, buy a large sack of rice for each of their families except for one family that is richer in the Philippines than my friends are in America. Not everyone in the Philippine is poor, and not everyone in America is rich. My brother in law who is now dead from cancer worked all over the world inspecting ships, writing repair orders, and then he also did the exit inspections to see that the work was accomplished properly. He made lot of money doing that, and became a lot richer than any of the rest of us, allowing him to build his own little heaven in the Philippines and making his filipina a rich woman. His filipina widow sends us money periodically, and that is a switch for a person from the Philippines to send money to a person in America to help them financially! I would love to spend the rest of my life living in the Philippines, but Carol has no desire to do that, and she is afraid to fly, so it will just be me flying to visit, and I don't know about my dreams to live in the Philippines, but you never know?

[Dewey]

I have met many foreigners living in the Philippines and one thing I hear again and again is "the only way you will have any money in the Philippines is if you bring it with you". The point being, it is very difficult for a foreigner to earn money in the Philippines and if they do earn any, it is far below what they could earn in their own country usually. So make sure you are set up financially before you come and be prepared for the unexpected

[Edwin]

Yes, I think it is a good idea to have enough money to get by well if moving to the Philippines. A foreigner does not want to be there living close to the edge. One of my Bible College instrustors was talking with someone in the 1960s who was interested in going to one foreign country on a missions' trip, and he told that person, "You make sure you have a return ticket as well as a way to get to the country, and it is as important now or more than it was then. I have heard this too about making sure a person does not run out of money in the Philippines!