Need advice about where to live in Philippines

Kolonial wrote:

Thank you. I appreciate your frank opinion. I am assuming that you are from Australia yourself? Thanks again n regards.

I'll be more generous with an opinion that the member in Concepcion, Tarlac. The expat site he quoted is a good one but at the same time one needs to give the Philippines a fair chance.
I've been living here now for over 14 years and in no way share his opinion of not being wanted here by the locals. Quite the contrary and I also live in Central Luzon about a 30 minute ride from him.

Granted this is a 3rd world country and it is important that you make several trips here before making a final decision on a move. Be prepared for a slower and less efficient way of life. But what the heck, we're retired so who cares?

The only truly cool place in country to live is in Baguio City. Problem is there is the lack of a usable airport. Bout the best you can do is forget a cool climate and use air conditioning. Manila is horribly crowded and polluted but the int airport is close by. Next best place for a quick departure airport is Angeles City or most locations close to it in Central Luzon. Plenty of malls, restaurants, and hospitals here.
It's important to bring a copy of your medical history as doctors here will not request it from your doctor in your home country. There are good doctors here but you must hunt for them thru trial and error unless someone can recommend one. Also check The Filipino Doctor site for ideas.

Again, make a trip or two and be sure this is where you want to live. If so, finding a place is not difficult.

samangelevski wrote:

That was interesting, I left my Job to live here with out to much toughs to it, with my saveings and what I know about Philippines and what my Wife has tolled me, it was plenty of my saveings and with her working at the time, to keep us going for number of years, but not all is to the plan, yes she said it is cheap life stale here, only if you eat rice, but I am not one of them, got my self in straggle even now I am always on look out what is what, when our kid come along every thing changed, one income gone, it was left to my savings, well how fare can that go, even after we build house bought new car and invested in rice farm, saving no more, went back home for holiday, had to put my house on leas, one of the hardest things i had to do, as that was my life there and was hopping for all of us to live there, but she is to much involved with family, this part I do not  like very much for many reasons, they  all value family haha joke right, family here as I see they can steal from each other, or borrow and never return it back, I don't know about most people here from Over Seas, but I know I can live 100% batter where I come from, but if this is what i must do for short time so be it, you right Navajo pension will be great it will help more then I can dream about, but I am 10 years away from there. but said that this Country is not for me, I see and watch things around me, non I like, and soon will be time for my kid to go to school, well we all know about schools here, even my Wife's sister is a teacher, but knowledge of teaching wow so poor, when I ask what is capital of Australia they have no idea, my parents are form Germany and Macedonia, they have no idea where that is, all they know is China, Japan, Hong Kong, and all the places where where Philippines work, so they you go.

Rice,,, I still hate rice! Back home I'd eat rice maybe one a year when ordering Chinese food out somewhere. I did eat a lot of it though over those lean years but very little now.
Yea I'll bet there are a lot of us that up and quit our jobs to move here. The cost of living in the States is out of sight and society even back then was changing and on a downhill slide. So for me, it was not a big decision to make the more when the time came.

In many ways the family interdependence here is or can be good. In the very poor families it's about the only way to make it really. Our kids are being raised to be independent so they won't have much difficulty adjusting to life in the States if that's where their future takes them. Someday when they are old enough to retire they may decide to move back here too-who knows?

I agree on the teaching here. The teachers themselves don't know near enough plus they use books with errors if not only spelling but mistakes in facts as well. Plus in most schools the kids are so misbehaved the teachers can't maintain a teaching environment.

I had one good friend from OZ. He lived in Collinsville in Queensland. He had told me that the Australian old age pension will not pay if out of the country more than six weeks at a time. Bad deal. Luckily, the US Social Security does not do that. It's good at the regular amount so long as I'm alive.

So what are you all going to do, pack up and move to OZ? How easy is it for you to get a married visa for your wife and dependant visa for your child? Hopefully it will be doable otherwise you'll have to learn to like it here better I guess.

samangelevski wrote:

Hi and good morning, Navajo, not sure why this Oz guy tolled you this, but it is not true, old pension is fine for Philippines they can bring it with them not a problem, maybe he was on something else, I have friend here close to me, he is on old pension and been here for 4 years, never gone back yet but he is missing his Country, but then again he got nothing to go back to, just the way it is I guess, 
My Son was born in Australia, he was on some type of Government incentive, what they run there for children, and when we come over it got cut off after 6 weeks, maybe true for some things but not for old pension, for me is ok to move back Home, I have every thing there as well, it is like living two life's at the same time, I never completely let it go, who knows what future will bring, safety first i say, for my Son no need Visa he is Australian, my Wife we have applied for permanent Visa in March 2017 that is coming soon I hope, here I applied for my Permanent Visa and for my Sons Citizenship of Philippines, you right about Kids to make their own mined later in life, but I am sure your kids or mine they will enjoy modern Country and advanced one at that. Hey I don't like rice too, but Wife's family they said I can make money from it, haha what ever now, I should have know batter, at the time I was learning about Philippines, so people could tell me any thing I would believe it haha, any way there is no money in rice farms, but then I see people that working for me and they have food for family to feed them, maybe then it is ok for me, but if I was to get in real struggles then I will sale it, it is like a some type of backup for me here, by the way I am Sam, where are you in Philippines ?? maybe we can catch up for coffee if you close by..

Hi Samangelevski,

In regards to the Government old age pension for Australian's.  One thing I am sure about is that if you are not already on it when you become a resident in the Philippines (not all countries are treated the same in regards to the old age pension) then you will never get it.  If an Aussie heads back to become a resident in Aust after living overseas as a non Australian Resident then there is then a 2 year waiting period for.  Once you do get it you can then go back overseas, i.e. at the age of 65 plus

Some things I am not sure about, but have heard discussed with older Aussies is that the there is some time out of Aust time frame that has just being introduced, and then reduction of the old age pension (there may be different rules for different ages), once you are out of Australia .  Update I just did a quick search:  https://www.humanservices.gov.au/indivi … -australia

Of course there are more rules around the Old age pension and the number of years you worked in Australia.

Also consider that the Aust (government) has a different definition for a "non resident" for:  Medicare, Taxation and social security.  So one needs to be careful when searching for definition of resident.

Yep bless the bloody Australian government, bless their hearts, they want to lock us all up in Australia and have no freedom and then starve us to we having nothing left.  For me I hate the Aust government for the despicable way it treats its elderly.   Yep I am an Australian, born and bread.

One of the best things to do if some one wanted to head back to Aust is throw away their passport get on a boat and arrive there and get given lots of money, that used to be spent on Australians.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, - Screwed, Screwed and Screwed.

Sorry mate if I got a bit carried away in this post, I just hate the bloody Aust government, all of them.  Hence the reason I am here in  the Philippines.

Mixknight wrote:

All of you guys sound like fun. Most I am sure know my former story about the phillipines and being scammed for about 2 or 3 mil php. That was until I found someone who really Love's and shows their love for me and our son everyday. I guess I still consider myself lucky because I was scammed at a time I could afford it. I say that because at that time I had a monthly income without pension of 6k USD per month. Now I have retired and down to about 3k USD per month which is great for living here. I did have to return to the USA last year for a 9 month hospital stay. Back now with my lady and 2 kids (DNA confirmed ) and getting better learning to walk again. To me the Phillipines is what you make it. Some lessons are hard taught and costly some are not. But for me now it was all worth it. That is my 2 cents.

Howdy,

Looks like you've been on the forum a lot longer than I have. That must have been a lousy deal having to go back to the States for so long--especially for medical reasons.
Seems as time goes by and the world is on the internet 24/7, there are a lot more guys being scammed by some of the gals here.

We had a neighbor close to our other house that had 4 or 5 guys on the internet string all the time. Each one engaged to her and sending her money for everything from the mother needing surgery to who knows what else! In reality the gal was legally married and with two young kids. She was simply using guys overseas as a source of income.

I've lived here many years now and like you got lucky with a good wife and raising four children. Advice for guys that think they are in love with a girl over here: don't make the move right away. Believe on 10% of what you are being told unless or until they can prove the rest.

Glad you're back in paradise and enjoying life.

samangelevski wrote:

Hi and good morning, Navajo, not sure why this Oz guy tolled you this, but it is not true, old pension is fine for Philippines they can bring it with them not a problem, maybe he was on something else, I have friend here close to me, he is on old pension and been here for 4 years, never gone back yet but he is missing his Country, but then again he got nothing to go back to, just the way it is I guess, 
My Son was born in Australia, he was on some type of Government incentive, what they run there for children, and when we come over it got cut off after 6 weeks, maybe true for some things but not for old pension, for me is ok to move back Home, I have every thing there as well, it is like living two life's at the same time, I never completely let it go, who knows what future will bring, safety first i say, for my Son no need Visa he is Australian, my Wife we have applied for permanent Visa in March 2017 that is coming soon I hope, here I applied for my Permanent Visa and for my Sons Citizenship of Philippines, you right about Kids to make their own mined later in life, but I am sure your kids or mine they will enjoy modern Country and advanced one at that. Hey I don't like rice too, but Wife's family they said I can make money from it, haha what ever now, I should have know batter, at the time I was learning about Philippines, so people could tell me any thing I would believe it haha, any way there is no money in rice farms, but then I see people that working for me and they have food for family to feed them, maybe then it is ok for me, but if I was to get in real struggles then I will sale it, it is like a some type of backup for me here, by the way I am Sam, where are you in Philippines ?? maybe we can catch up for coffee if you close by..

Evening Sam,

I've been off the forum for a few days. Yea, this stuff dealing with immigration can take some time. I've noticed though that over the last year or so they seem to be getting better. Hope all will work out so the it's done and you can just settle down to a normal life.
We live over close to Magalang Town. Yea a visit sounds good. Make mine chocolate milk and ya have a deal..