What do you like the most in the Philippines?

Anyone there who under go for spouse visa in Belgium
Just finished my interview today
After the first interviewed when I passed all the documents
She gave me the reference stub
Then after that I answered all the questionare I think it was 10 pages. 
I am expecting there is another interview on the consule to pass all the pictures on the wedding and other supporting documents needed even my nbi they dont asked for it...
After the questionare
She told me to keep my phone open and active email address so they will notify me regarding my application
I'm a bit worried coz I'm expecting a lot when I go there
They said it's case to case basis
But still I'm getting paranoid huh...
It seems when you applied and waiting the results
It give us to much pressure specially with my husband
Anyone there who applied for the same visa spouse visa
We have the same procedure that we encounter
Thank you guyzzz

Christine wrote:

Hi,

Living abroad, expats discover and enjoy a new environment.

What do you like the most in the Philippines?

What seduced you when settling and living here?

Share with us your favorite part of living in the Philippines and the reason why you enjoy your expat life here.

Thank you in advance,

Christine

Oh there are so many things that attracted me. One and the biggest was the currency exchange. The other being the weather. Also the ease of adaptation being I'm English speaking. The single life is awesome for an Expat... So I'm hooked on the Philippines

The best thing I like about the Philippines was getting my last love and leaving after 4 1/2 years of continuous disappointments...Will only return for vacations and for my beautiful wife to visit her family...

What were the disappointments?

In the U.S. mostly work, but here in Cebu , you get to work and Play. with the nice beaches around, it is my Florida, i love Seattle, but i Love Cebu WEATHER more. Islands around, great road trips around the corner. Food and Beer is cheaper.
Actually if you would like to retire in the florida of the Philippines, without the Hurricanes, Head over to my site for more details.

I am a teacher of Gurdjieff and the 4th Way.

Most of my activity is study and Work application.  But, I learned while teaching college in USA, that Filipinos seemed special.  Something in their hearts made them excellent care givers.  I have never seen people with such lovely essential essences.

I am here to find these special Filipinos as students.  I have a school in Cebu City where we explore the Truth of the Great Masters.

There REALLY is a spirit of Truth that can come into your physical body, into your mind, and your whole being.  There is a such a thing as a Genuine Spiritual Experience.  My students have experienced this here in our School.

Respectfully,
Dr. Max

The best part is getting on a plane and getting out of here for a while as Angeles stinks however when i get out of Pampanga things are fine Pampungans are a problem right throughout the Philippines s most well know!!!

***

what i like the is ofcorse my wife he .
but the climat ,the sea and the beaches,the fishing ,swimming and the relax atitude of the ppl,it took me a wile to unstres from the western ways but now i dont wury about beeing on time i dont even were a watch anny more ,the food is a problem as i win weight , its to delicious hahaha my personal expieriance is that the ppl are very welkoming and frendly the only thing i regret is not to see my grandkids grow up but skype and face book compensate on that.
so what i like about the Philippines ?
i love the Philippines its ppl and al that comes with it .
i hope that answers the question he .
and for the critics who wil comment on this raving about the coruption and other things that coold inproove ,i agree , but , i prefere not to complain and enjoi what i have ,so , i feel blessed to be here ,that's itt.

greets Dirk

dirk c wrote:

the food is a problem as i win weight ,

That's Interesting, I lose weight when in Philippines, which is a good thing.

am not wuryd about the weight ,  as soon we move to the province an i wil be away from the city food temptations , am building down on my cola adiction and we wil begin building a house witch wil be a great change on my sedatif life style i had up til now ,and once i finish building a boat i wil be fishing a lot more not to forget the swimming and snorkeling that wil be done a lot more ,so he , in no time i wil be in great shape again so i can enjoi Philippine life even more

greets Dirk

Alzayas ,man were have you been living ?in Davao i have never been aproched by prostitutes or scammers
is it such a hard thing to bring along some toilet paper wen traveling ?i lurned that the first day .
not once a person here has been rude to me at the contrary al the ppl i met were over polite and frendly ,maibe you choosed to live in the wrong part of town ,probaly the naiborhoods i avoid as i have no need for prostitutes i dont go were they opperate he
one soold do serious rechearch before imigrating ,i knew about the charges to renew my visa nthe coruption the hectic trafic and so on before coming here ,did you?
or was you just hoping to find some cheap trils so you coold feel superior ?
man returning to were ya came from seems the right desision for you .
and i woold advise you , not to emigrate any more , it looks as if this is out of your leage .

dirk c wrote:

one soold do serious rechearch before imigrating ,i.

That is correct.  Do not JUST listen to people saying how great it is.

I wonder if the expats or visitors that say Philippine people are not polite are the people who hang out at girly bars or areas. every country has proverty areas instead of complaining give a little or do a good deed once in awhile it will give you a good feeling inside. Scammers are everywhere on the planet so education before traveling and also ask locos I find they will be generous for info about ripoff"s  for me I like hot weather, love the ocean for healthy activites the the philippines is very affordable and the people are beautiful. traveling is great to learn something new and share your experiences with new friends.

Good,
because the only disappointment with the Philippines is some people that are complaining all the time.

'extremely rude people' The way people treat you is a statement about who you are as a human being.

The thing i love about the Philippines is my lovely wife and family. There is nothing outstanding that i am not used to as i lived in paradise on the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia. But i enjoy learning about a new simple culture and it's certainly more affordable.
What I don't like is Ex Pat's constant whining and whinging about everything, from the people, the weather and the government. How stupid are people that complain about the weather, it's the tropics, for Gods sake's.
If you want everything to be the same as where you come from, just stay there and those that are disgruntled, you know where the airport is? You guys sicken me with your attitude and you just give the rest of us foreigners a bad name by association.  And yes, Americans are the worst by a long shot, namby pamby momma's boys that can't live without their McDonald's culture.

Hi Christine,
I'm a pretty smart, educated person, so I can't go for any factory worker.
On my last visit I was pleased to have joined some meetup groups in Manila, and I had a ripper of a time.
Went to the 12 Monkeys in Century City, saw some really good 'original' bands. Joined the Humanist society, where I had conversations befitting a high class, educated society, rather than the undeveloped, laggard attitudes I was mostly accustomed to. I was not alone. There are 55,000 members of this group on Facebook. Another world, but it is all one ever needs.
I'm happy to say that I could live in the Philippines now. That said, I don't need to. I spend 7mths a year in NZ, 1mth in Australia, 2 months in Tokyo and 2mths in the Philippines. You have to love the technology that makes this possible.
I carry my Surface 3 Pro and Note 3 with me everywhere. We will die together! lol
So in conclusion, it is the Philippine people who I appreciate about the Philippines, but I prefer the smart educated ones, as much as I can say I like almost all of them...even the tragic ones who are unreliable workers, who are complete dramas. But first place still goes to Tokyo expatriates. Philosophy & economics conversations over a beer...priceless. I hold out hope for the Humanists though. After a few beers, I'm sure I can shake them from their left anarchist ways.

My GF

Nice n cultured people

Affordable cost of living

I like the friendliness of the people in general. Secondly I like the easygoing lifestyle I live here.  Unlike many men from the USA I met and married my Filipina wife in the USA. After many visits to the Metro Manila over 10 years and the economic downturn in the USA, we decided to move here.
My wife decided to return to the USA after we'd lived here 1yr. I stayed.
Being single and White American I started getting a lot of attention. I travel whenever the mood hits me. I meet so many people and make so many friends.
I'm careful to avoid the type who look at me like an ATM machine that spews out $$'s.
I'm honest about my situation and still I have companionship whenever I desire.
I budget my money and make it clear I'm not interested in a live-in relationship. I lease a house for a year in a different part of the country. I'm scouting for my 4th location now.
The rent and utilities are well within my means. I even dabble in small business  and use my education and experience to deal with some of the major differences and issues that are inherent.
Overall I'm seldom bored, I am fair and honest with my Pinoy associates. I always keep in mind that I am a foreigner and behave in ways that I believe reflect positively on my White American heritage, I always thank the friendly and generous Filipinos I meet for their hospitality.

jasonkennedy wrote:

What were the disappointments?

Go to "Problems for expats buying a house and lot"...I assure you won't be DISAPPOINTED !!

easyrider wrote:

I like the friendliness of the people in general. Secondly I like the easygoing lifestyle I live here.  Unlike many men from the USA I met and married my Filipina wife in the USA. After many visits to the Metro Manila over 10 years and the economic downturn in the USA, we decided to move here.
My wife decided to return to the USA after we'd lived here 1yr. I stayed.
Being single and White American I started getting a lot of attention. I travel whenever the mood hits me. I meet so many people and make so many friends.
I'm careful to avoid the type who look at me like an ATM machine that spews out $$'s.
I'm honest about my situation and still I have companionship whenever I desire.
I budget my money and make it clear I'm not interested in a live-in relationship. I lease a house for a year in a different part of the country. I'm scouting for my 4th location now.
The rent and utilities are well within my means. I even dabble in small business  and use my education and experience to deal with some of the major differences and issues that are inherent.
Overall I'm seldom bored, I am fair and honest with my Pinoy associates. I always keep in mind that I am a foreigner and behave in ways that I believe reflect positively on my White American heritage, I always thank the friendly and generous Filipinos I meet for their hospitality.

My kind of guy "a wife abroad and concubines on the fly" a regular gigolo living the muff diving dream...

Marrying my Wife and being with my wife is the best thing. Things are cheaper here and a less intrusive Government than the US although some would disagree with me there, but I grew up there and have watched the decline into a Dictatorship the US has now.

I am an English ex pat and I have lived in the Philippines for just over 8 years, 6 in Manila and the last two here in General Santos City and so I think I have some experience to comment here.
I should say I am married to a Filipina with whom I have had 8 happy years, having finally got married in April last year.
When I arrived here, the exchange rate was 100 pesos to one English pound and everything was great value for money. Over time, the rate has dropped by around 32%, coupled with inflation which has risen by around 42%. I live on my army pension which in fairness has risen 10% in the past 5 years so in reality, I am approximately 64% worse off. Fortunately, my wife works on line for a UK company that pays her every month whether she works or not which supplements our income but we are feeling the pinch.
One of the reasons we moved from Manila to Gensan is the cost of living. It is around 25% cheaper across the board but a world away from 'sophisticated' Manila. Because of the escalating terrorism problem, I am unable to go to certain areas alone. I certainly wouldn't recommend this area for any westerners as there are very few (my fault, failed to thoroughly research) and having put up with the place for 2 years, we are moving on.
The Philippines is a beautiful country and the majority of locals are really nice people and the climate is great but this just isn't enough to keep us here.
In 8 years, the internet has not improved one iota but the cost has doubled. Bearing in mind, this is an integral part of a westerners life and the government is desperate for western investment, you would think something would be done but constant in fighting between suppliers, oh, and cost of investment means nothing has improved. A little bad weather and hey presto, no internet. Fibre is virtually unheard of.
The international airport has been voted the worst in the world for years and despite airport fees totalling over 3 billion pesos per year being received, the airport has had no modernization and is staffed by corrupt customs and immigration personnel who, to supplement their pathetic salary do dumb things like plant bullets in luggage ( only westerners luggage of course) so you have to pay to prevent prosecution. CCTV cameras are always turned off. An hour or more queueing in immigration is usual.
As for driving, or taking public transport, you really are taking your life in your hands but maybe this can be said for most Asian countries? Traffic is chaotic and with no railway network, the road is the only option. There are regular ferry disasters and health and safety is virtually unheard of.
The banking system is stuck in the 80s and the banks even charge you to pay money in! A direct payment like my pension can take up to 9 days to appear in your account. Working days in banks don't include weekends and as there seems to be some sort of national holiday every month, this can also add to the delay.
The visa system is geared to making money. No other reason for making westerners renew a visa again and again.
Regular blackouts are also on the agenda, even in a metropole like Manila so imagine what it is like in the provinces!
Davao Citys mayor runs the place like a dictator. No drinks served after 10pm, no loud music after 10pm and a midnight curfew. Where next?
I saw an ad for a 3 night, 4 day break in Boracay. It was placed by the Philippines national tourism board. The cost was 50,000 pesos per person and included the transfer from Caticlan airport to Boracay which they said saved 3,000 pesos! The actual fare when I was there was 80 pesos including the boat. Three nights at the Boracay Regency, (walk in and you can get for around 4k a night) and return flights from Manila but no luggage included. This trip cost 20,000 at the most so even the government tourism site is ripping people off. Because the people are so poorly paid, ripping off tourists is endemic.
It has all got too much for us and much as we may regret it, we are moving to Cambodia with our two Labradors.
We have done extensive research and also visited where we intend to live (learned our lesson) and on average, it is 35% cheaper than the Philippines with a big ex pat community which I miss. Internet speeds are good and improving yearly due to investment, as are the transport systems. They are receiving a lot of western investment and a yearly visa is just $300 which can be obtained at the airport on arrival. Can you imagine that at NAIA??
I will always be very fond of the Philippines and I would never deter anyone from giving it a try. I have had some wonderful times here, met some great people amd married the most beautiful Filipina in the world but with the place regressing at an alarming rate, an increasingly corrupt government and the threat of muslim Malaya taking Mindanao and Palawan, its time to move on.
Good luck to all who come here. Have fun and try not to take it seriously to make the most of your stay.

Shouganai wrote:

The philippines has this annoying requirement to have a flight out, l.

So with Japan you must fly out very 90 days, to get a free visa
With Philippines it is every 1,095 days that you need to fly out, but pay about 3,000 pesos every 60 days.

ABCDiamond wrote:

Shouganai wrote:

The philippines has this annoying requirement to have a flight out, l.

So with Japan you must fly out very 90 days, to get a free visa
With Philippines it is every 1,095 days that you need to fly out, but pay about 3,000 pesos every 60 days.

Yep, its not perfect. That's why I like to spread my time around. Why stay in one place. I'm not retired, but I can travel often. If retired, I'd add Japan to my shopping list. No question, the Philippines is cheap. But so is rice, but I'm not going to live on that every day.
I go to Japan once a year before Philippines. Cebu Pacific now starting long-haul flights is cool too.

Shouganai wrote:

No question, the Philippines is cheap. But so is rice, but I'm not going to live on that every day. .

A decent steak can be pricey...  A decent steak at my local in Brisbane was $15, here the same quality is $27

Rice is a bit cheaper:  Australia $1.80 = 57 pesos.  Philippines 47 pesos

Alcohol is cheaper though, much cheaper, same as Cigarettes...  Pity I don't smoke or drink much

Cheese is one of my favourites, but I'll wait till I get back to Australia again.  I can't afford it here.

neh as i understand it i can stay here for 3 yrs and then we have to leave the country for a wile so in 2 yrs we wil take a vakation to Cambodia an visit Angkor Wat (this is on my wish list from wen i was a boy hahahaha) an we'l see what the vakation destination wil be 3 yrs later hehe afteral we have 3 yrs to think on it he hahahaha

Greets dirk

ps and stil, i love to live in the Philippines haha

see this is an other thing i love about the Philippines ,i almost never eated cheese in Belgium any more but here a few times a week i eat french cream chees from " the laughing cow" brand ,as i kid i loved it an here this love is renewed hehe ,i tryed the austrailan cream cheese very a like taste but quit more in price
and than there is milk on one of the first days here i discovered bearbrand milk ,this brand is the best milk i drunk sind s i was a kid ,i know not cheap but he i am a spoiled kid as i am the youngest of 6 hahahaa .at times i hold back as i see my wife raise eyebrows hehe ,and i realise i (we) spend a lot of money on food every month buth i think it is better to enjoi life becorse here an now is reality once we'r gone ,we'r gone ,to my heaven or hel is how we live so i choose heaven ,the climath is warm enoughf to me so i dont need the heat of hell haha,i love the philippines becorse here i can live a nice way with little or no wury's is that not wy most of us choose to live here ?not to forget ower beautyful spouses be an other great reason to love it here he
an as ABC mentioned the alcohol and sigarets are so cheap here, now am a moderated drinker but i love my smokes (i hope one fine day i love to hate them so i can loose that nasty habit)hehe
,for steak i by at the slaughterhouse the beef and cut it myself ,i was raised a country boy and we did al ower slaughtering ower selves so i know how to cut meat so it is not ruined as manny meat in the shops here is becorse of badly trained butchers ,sad but i kan live with that , al ower meat we by in large peaces so i kan cut it up in to quality proportions ,once we move to the provonce i wil alredy have a good meat grinder so i can make my own sausiges and minced meat to make meatlove or burgers  or patee and that wil come from ower own raised life stock .

greets Dirk

make your own sausages...yummy !

Hello everyone,

Just to inform you that this thread has been reviewed and several off-topic posts have been removed from it. 

I invite you to contribute only on the following topic and to exchange in a respectful manner.

Christine wrote:

Hi,

Living abroad, expats discover and enjoy a new environment.

What do you like the most in the Philippines?

What seduced you when settling and living here?

Share with us your favorite part of living in the Philippines and the reason why you enjoy your expat life here.

Thank you in advance,

Christine

Best of luck,
Bhavna

Bhavna wrote:

Hello everyone,

Just to inform you that this thread has been reviewed and several off-topic posts have been removed from it. 

I invite you to contribute only on the following topic and to exchange in a respectful manner.

Christine wrote:

Hi,

Living abroad, expats discover and enjoy a new environment.


so did ya reaky readed some of the things or did ya just removed a few ?i dont see Dr Max or shouganai saying anything about what they love about living here i only see them making advertising on what them are selling ,
maibe you soold read the posts realy before desaiding on what's proper folowing the topic he
or are those frends of you and you want to do them a few favors ????

i think i posted manny reasons wy i love living here
the 2 i mensioned did post not one ,strange you did not removed there posts he


What do you like the most in the Philippines?

What seduced you when settling and living here?

Share with us your favorite part of living in the Philippines and the reason why you enjoy your expat life here.

Thank you in advance,

Christine

Best of luck,
Bhavna

i gues i hit a few nerves an woold not be surprised this has negative consequences but i dont care
coruption exists in manny forms an as long it exists it wil ceep the country and the ppl back from propper developing ,and as long as the example we the expats set is against coruption it can be only an advantige to the country we love to live in
i love living in the Philippines so mutch that am not afraid to make sacrifices

Nailed it, Dirk C !!! Enjoy The Phil.

MikeandCo wrote:

Nailed it, Dirk C !!! Enjoy The Phil.

thanks Mike

Hello Norm, Being a proud American expat  living here in the Phil.for the better part of 2 years  , i take issue with your shallow insults, and condemnation  towards American expats in general  living here. I believe you have deeper jealousy issues with us "namby pamby momma's boys" from the USof A. I have eaten at Mc Donald' s twice in 2 years here.   I  enjoy my life here  in the Phil and living among the Filipino population.So next time you choose to insult, and include a whole group of expats with your rude comments, think twice....................................................................................................................................... "You guys sicken me with your attitude and you just give the rest of us foreigners a bad name by association.  And yes, Americans are the worst by a long shot, namby pamby momma's boys that can't live without their McDonald's culture."

Scott
I said much the same thing to that jack off, no response, none, but anyway well said!! I commend you for it

Thank you Madhatter, Maybe an American expat stole his Filipina girlfriend. hahaha  He needs to lose the chip on his shoulder towards American expats.  .................................................................................................................................


Scott
"I said much the same thing to that jack off, no response, none, but anyway well said!! I commend you for it"