Personal Items

Greg-Is there anyone here in PI you can fully trust? You have to be sure about that. If so, you might leave the items with that person. Make a list of everything and their approximate value and show it to the local police and tell them you are entrusting someone here to watch your stuff. That may or may not work.  Police can keep a copy of the list of items and you will have your copy.. You can also check with a shipping company and see what the cost of the shipping fees are. Depending on what the items are if the cost of shipping the items is less than what the items are(6000 USD) then ship them. Also-the non-essential items you can try selling here before you go. Seems like a catch 22 and you will lose money either way. I don't know if they have storage places here in the PI like they do in the USA where you can store it for a monthly fee, If they do, that would probably be your best bet. After the pandemic, I plan on traveling and living in Europe for a few years as my permanent visa allows me to do that as long as I am here to renew my ACR card every 5 yrs. I don't need to check in annually to immigration here. Apartments where I live I have probably less than 2000 USD worth of furnishings and have lived here 9 years same apartment so I can just leave everything here in good hands with the American owner and his Pinay wife. I wouldn't lose anything as looks like you might no matter what you do(except if you can find a storage unit to rent). This is certainly a tough situation for you. Hope it all works out for the best. Good luck!(Time to put on your thinking cap. There's usually a reasonable workable solution to most problems)

Capricornrising, yeah, leaving items with relatives here in PHP was my fallback but probably the best option considering.

Thanks for your feedback!

It is the best option. Anything else and the items may be lost, stolen or otherwise diminished in value.  Shipping will be prohibitive.

Just give them to the relatives.

Hello Gregorkjones
Capricornrising is right with the cheapest would be to leave it with some trusted friends, next would be a secure storage unit but you would still have to worry about rats, mice and cockroaches destroying your belongings Shipping them to America and then back if you return would be too expensive. As you do not know how long you are going to spend in America helping your parents and by that time if you wish to return here or investigate somewhere different. That option means sell eveything but personal effects like photos, documents etc. to take with you.
regards  Bruce

You should contact a shipping company in Cebu and ask about shipping in a container. It'll take weeks to arrive, but sometimes are reasonable. Also look into balikbayan shipping schemes where u pay for the box, fill it with rocks or feathers (they dont care, as the price is fixed...) then call them to pick up the boxes. They will end up being grouped with others into a container, then broken out and delivered in the US.

You can return the same way, but living in an area with Filipinos around, the companies will be there. Unlikely in smaller towns or cities though.

Best to snoop around, ask lots of questions of the companies so that you are knowledgeable.