Hi I'm New - Help!!!

i guess you mean hear?   what part of philippines are you considering retiring to?.

Legazpi City

Hi Barry
If i am not being so rude can I ask you why you have chosen the Phillipines? I have live there and can give you some info but I am interested in your story, so If if you need help I would be
glad to help. Also if you think I am being to rude just tell me to mind my own bussiness.

Peter

Boy that's some question
No mate don't think you're being rude but would take a few nights over a few beers to tell you the complete story
Basically
Have far East connections
Stationed in the RAF in Malaysia for 2.5 years
Spent a fair bit of time in Bangkok,Pattaye, and Kaon Kean (excuse spelling please)
Have a Filipino girl freind
Almost a pensioner and hence a reduction in assetts

is that any good for starters?
Barrie

Hi mate I was stationed in butterworh myself back in 1974 I was with 6rar I was there guarding the airforce base for 12 months. I to have Phil girlfriend also and have lived there for awhile, I find the place to full of poverty and expensive to rent anything of quality, or even buy.I lived also in Thailand for 2 years and I am thinking of going back there (ChiangMai) but I have recently been doing a lot of investigation into Cambodia. It is an up and coming developing country with plenty of bussiness oppurtinities, and as well it is so so easy to get a 12 month bussiness visa on arrival at the airport which enables you to work if you feel inclined, plenty of english language teaching jobs available to make some spare cash as well, my problem is I have to convince my Phil girlfriend to come with me. accomadation there is very cheap you can get a very nice appartment on the beach or by the river for 200 per month the food is very westernised because of the French influence average meal at a restaurant $4 all kinds of cuisine, and beers are only 50 cents,. Anyway thats just my thoughts on my future,as I cant see myself staying in the phil  much longer.If your are open minded go to youtuble type in ( jc in cambodia ) have a look at all his videos see what you think for yourself.I will leave it with you for now and if you want any more info on the phil dont hesitate to contact me.

Regards
Peter.

Hi! Barrie,

if you're going to settle, I think you wouldn't need more than a $1000 per month as a living budget.

Well of course, if you want to buy a a house, and you have other hobbies, for some, the most expensive is the medical treatment. Healthcare is quite expensive in the Phils,

but other than that, I am sure you'd enjoy your stay, as long as you live a simple lifestyle, just the basic necessities... and Legazpi city is beautiful as I heard... although you might have more storms/hurricanes per year compared to manila as you would be nearer the pacific.

i dont think medical treatment is expensive here in the phil. I had my kidneys stones removed at st lukes (top hosp.)1 year ago al up it cost me $1500 The same proceedre in Aus. 3 year ago cost me $5000 and a dose of blood poisioning which nearly killed me

That's a blast from the past
Was stationed at Butterworth for a few months in 69/70
If I remember correctly it was fried egg sandwiches from the Malcolm club
Then transferred to Penang - RAF Gulgor (spelling has gone sorry)
I was there for about 2 1/2 years. Until the Brits pulled out.Had a great time but seem to have forgotton a lot
i was a copper guarding something Does 33 Sqdr mean anything?

Anyway if your still in Phil I should be over end of April beginning of May
I have a Filipina girlfriend. Perhaps we could meet up for a drink and catch up on old times

Barrie

Hi Jericho
Thanks for your reply
Any Idea of the price of housing.
How is the best way to 'own' property in Phil

medical wise I'll try and stay well but are there insurances

Barrie

Hi Phann2000,
yes it is less expensive than in AUS, i agree, but that is because your income comes from AUS, but if if the source of your income is in the Philippines alone, it is expensive relative wise.... I am just happy you are well now... and yes, st luke's is one of the top hospitals in the country...

Hi Barrie,

i grew up in Manila, I have no idea about the price of housing in Legazpi City, but right now a sqm of land costs from 15,000 PHp (suburban) to more than 50,000 per sqm (in the city)

in the country, you might get as low as 1000 Php per sqm (or lower).... you might get a farm because the land is good for agriculture in that area...

it is easy to own property there in the philippines, Just stay with legal ways... and pay cash, you could save lots....

about insurance, we can discuss more in the private message, I have a very trustworthy insurance underwriter (my mom) who is based in Manila. She can help you with all your insurance needs, she's with PhilAm Life- American Insurance Group (AIG), maybe you are familiar with that one

Jericho

Hi again buddy are u English? for some reason I had the feeling you were Aussie same as me , But  anyway Still nice to chat to an ex serviceman as myself, sorry mate its been 30 years this since I was there and my memory the same as yours is not the best, I was there guarding the Raaf planes we had there i remember rightly they were Hercules transporters And F1.11 fighters, vintage now, I am still in Phil now I live in a place called Tagiug, Fort Bonifacio. oppersite the main army barracks in Manila not far from Makati or Market Market, (do you know it) As far as being there in the end of April I am sorry but I have planned my recon trip to Cambodia then as It is the only time my best mate in Aust. can get free. Did  you have a look at Cambodia as a option for your retirement? If and  you do I think you will find you will be pleasently surprised and your retirement funds will go a lot further there than in the phil. Any way buddy enough for now and I am sure we will catch up for a beer in the future please keep in touch we can chat anytime
bye for now mate
Regards
Peter

Hi Jericho
Yes ur right for filippino it is expensive, but I was refering to Barrie whos income also comes outsid the phil.
thankyou for your kind words about my health and very nice to meet you.

Regards
Phann2000

you can own a condo.. but you can never own land in the Philippines as an expat.. so a single family home is out of the question unless you put it in your Filipinas wifes name

is that so tommieboy999 ??   but i thought the country has a special visa for retirees like Barrie,  i am not sure how that one works.

http://www.pra.gov.ph/main/about_pra?page=1

Hi Phann2000, nice to meet you as well, (virtually  )

yes, it is so.. look it up for yourself. or ask some other expats that have lived in the Philippines for many years.  you can own a house, but not the land it sits on. which is why most expats here choose to buy a condo

The Philippine constitution prohibits foreigners from purchasing land. Only Filipino citizens or corporations with at least 60% Filipino equity can acquire lands in the national territory. Corporations with the accepted foreign/Filipino equity stake percentages still must apply to the Board of Investment (BOI) for permission to buy, sell, or act as an intermediary in a real estate transaction. This normally takes 60 to 90 days.

Foreign corporations in general that are investing in the Philippines can lease land for up to 50 years, with a renewal option for another 25 years.4

Foreign investors can purchase up to 40% of the units in a condominium project. Foreigners can own these condominiums in their own names and this is the general practice.
Foreigners Leasing Of Philippine Real Estate Property

Leasing land in the Philippines on a long term basis is an option for foreigners or foreign corporations with more than 40 percent foreign equity. Under the Investor's Lease Act of the Philippines a foreign national and or corporation may enter into a lease agreement with Filipino landowners for an initial period of up to 50 years renewable once for an additional 25 years.

thanks tommieboy999 for clearing that up...

condominiums in manila are incredibly small and expensive..... although most are very accessible.

perhaps when Barrie gets married to his girlfriend, they would have less troubles finding a new home.

i would rather rent a single family home than to buy a condo.  many times living in a condo sucks if you have neighbors from hell. and you never know until you move in. been there, done that.  renting a single family home is cheap and gives you more freedom to move around from the city to the mountains to the beach and back to the city again if you choose..

I know they are expensive I pay 30,000 pesos per month for a 45 square metre condo in Bonifacio Heights

  that is one expensive space Phann2000,

but you chose the "it" place, "the place to be", i hope its worth it.

Hey Guys
you're going to fast for me
Never realized condos could be a pain
have always been against leasing on the grounds you have nothing at the end
However, in Phil it seems a better option.
Incidentally re: marriage - give me a chance
back to accommodation
I would like somewhere nice Not to big and hopefully reasonable neighbors
what sort of prices am I looking at
Assuming magie and I would like to settle in or around Legazpi

PS How genned up are you guys on the immigration laws

Barrie

i know nothing about immigration laws in the Phils, im a citizen...  

for leasing a house, with fenced backyard, one car garage, 3-4 bedrooms, from my experience is around 15,000 Php all the way to 50,000 Php depending on the neighborhood.

if you will buy in subdivisions (from developers) at least 4 Million pesos ($98,000)---- maybe lower if you pay cash out.

in my experience of renting a condo.. ive paid 15k and 21k in manila.  and in Cebu I paid 15k and 25k. I never rented a single family home in manila or Cebu coz its too expensive for me. however in surigao city I paid 8k for a two-story fully furnished home in a secured subdivision. in Cagayan de oro I paid 11k for a furnished 2 bedroom single family home in a secured subdivision.  if you rent a condo be sure you include a clause in your lease that will allow you to move out in one week if your not happy there..because I have had a few very bad experiences renting a condo in manila. noisy, disrespectful neighbors who were up all night partying and singing karaoke til 5am. unless you rent a condo for 40k and up, most of your neighbors will be Filipinos

im sure most expats will agree that living in a condo with all Filipinos is not like living in a 'foreigner friendly' condo..  most expats I know will not sing karaoke til 4 am.. slam doors for no reason.. stand on their balcony at 3am talking on the cellphone (loudly)...   for me, id rather meet Filipinos in the mall or the coffee shop. nothing against Filipinos, but in case you haven't noticed, there is a huge difference in cultures. I lived for for 5 years and I love it.. but when im home, I love my peace and quiet

i understand you completely, no offense taken..... that is also partly the reason why I enjoy living in Jeddah for almost 3 years now..... the peace and quiet times a plenty here....

Safety first Jericho

John C.

Have a Filipina girl friend and UK immigration is getting impossible

Barrie

Same as Aus.These governments shit me, Asian governments a far more flexible than the pricks we have running this country. Aus is the size of the U.S and we only have 21 million here compared to the 300 plus over there, They are so fn selfish and want to keep migration to a minimum to protect a lot of bullshit that does not even really belong to them as they stole it from the rightful owners the AUSTALIAN INDIGINEOUS ABORIGINES and tell me who was born here,served my country, that I cannot marry who I want unless I leave the country. F them

Phann2000

Hi Barrie
We live in Naga City, same region, Bicol. Don't know about renting but model homes in Sub are quite Cheap
2.5m peso 2bed 2story, don't live too close to Mt Mayon (active volcano near Legaspi) but I will say fruit & veges very fresh and inexpensive here
enjoy
Pete

@Phann2000, oh, its safe all right, thanks... well not as conveniently safe to the lifestyle we're used to

@John C, why Philippines? because its more fun in the Philippines!... really!....

@Phan2000 and Barrie, i didn;t know you would still have troubles with migration, given the statuses of your countries..... that's new...

My country Aust is so stuck up and protective of something that they dont even really own, It is almost impossible to get a wife in here to look after you in your old age especially if there is an age difference. p.s unless u come on and old boat.

Hi Pete
Thanks for your reply; are the neighbours mainly European and/or American. Some of the posts have suggested that the Filipinos while very friendly can be noisy neighbours
Barrie

Hi Jericho
Thanks for your post. Immigration in the UK is very difficult and getting harder all the time. The latest idea is that immigrants should have some idea of the British way of life which means amongst other things the applicant needs to know about Henry VIII wives.

Hi Phann 2000
I was going to try to ignore this your post but I cant. I’m afraid I’m going to be controversial, but its just my opinion mate no more.
Definition of Countries
Countries are arbitrary decide by Human Beings and all the rules that go along with them. Personally, sometimes I think its mad but it does allow our lifestyle and keeps us relatively safe so I can’t be totally opposed to the concept
History
Weird point first – I like science fiction (or for that matter science) One argument is that there have been several ‘Big Bangs’.
Point  Who knows who the first settlers were or what atrocities they had created. We can say because we have kept records that the Aborigines were in Australia before us (Sorry mate I’m a Brit and hope you don’t mind me referring to us in this note) Who’s Land was it however, before the Aborigines and what atrocities did they cause.
At some point we have to draw a line under the past’ provided all people are now treated equally and fairly. That having been said I’ve now idea if the aborigines are being treated fairly so I may stand to be corrected
Current Immigration in the UK
I am 66 years old and as a child I used to live in Wolverhampton – home of Mr Enoch Powell. I remember as a child the problems there were then. There are still some areas in the UK where you will not see what you might call the normal indigenous people.
Do we need immigration control? Yes but it should have been dealt with much earlier and much firmer. I still believe however, that immigration is good for a country. From the UK’s point of view we need to understand that there are some very clever people outside UK who could make a substantial contribution to this country. But I believe such immigration should be restricted to that person their spouse and 2 children.
On a personal level and I agree with you totally Phann 2000:- I am an ex-serviceman, I have always been employed and I always paid my taxes (regrettably)
Now I’m considering settling down with a Filipina and unless she fulfils some ridiculous requirements, I will never be able to take her to the UK or to other Western countries for that matter. Finally and again it’s a point that you make:- My girlfriend is 30 years younger than me. She will probably look after me as I gradually age. Hence this will in turn save my country some money. But there is one final, unpleasant point to consider.
Some day we will have to leave this world, We may go suddenly or it may be drawn out. If it’s the later, where do we get treatment? If we decide to go to the UK for treatment and our last days – where will our Filipina be for those last moments.
Yes the current immigration laws suck !!!

Barrie
Yee Pinoys love to party when they have money but In the sub we live everyone is hard working, raising families and if there is a party we r usually invited, look mate life is very different in the Provences u can't compare with manila, if u like nite life its here but if u like quiet life it's really here
Pete

The quiet I like