Living in the phillippines

There are quite a few Irish living in my neck of the woods so to speak, weather is great life is easy, but if you are concerned about political corruption the  Philippines is number 19 on the world list. and you can't vote anyway so you won't be affected.
I am in Cebu.

Why not to try...

Hot and humid compared to Ireland. Much cheaper to live here.  I know 2 Irish here. They seem to like it here.  First few months is rough here. Get out get around learn how to shop is the big thing so you don't pay the tourist tax on all. Make friends and it is a good life here.  There is were most fail. They don't get out and learn the area they live in and make friends here. Or how to shop and save. Do that and you will live very well here.

thanks for the rapid responce,i dont care less about politicans but looking at the sceaneary and the country in general i really could live there is it safe ? i would imagine in manilla (like any major city ) it would be dangerous but the outskirts/country would be o.k. and do the locals mind foringers or do they mistrust us ? just trying to think on the causious side ( excuse my spelling !! )

try what?

tom mc cormack wrote:

thanks for the rapid responce,i dont care less about politicans but looking at the sceaneary and the country in general i really could live there is it safe ? i would imagine in manilla (like any major city ) it would be dangerous but the outskirts/country would be o.k. and do the locals mind foringers or do they mistrust us ? just trying to think on the causious side ( excuse my spelling !! )

Cannot over emphasize how important it would be to become friends and gaining the trust of the locals no matter where you are.  The cities may be more dangerous, but out in the province everyone will get to know you are there because you will stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.  If you are a single male this will give you a better chance with the local maidens but also make you a target of scams.  Coming from the west you will also be viewed by some as a walking bank.  For me it worked best back in the 1990's to write to many penpals before I came to Manila by myself, only knowing the people I was meeting.  Today you can do the online thing, realizing that there will be scammers playing many men at once.  As mentioned, most men who follow simple directions can fit in and enjoy themselves on less than they would at home.  Also arranging to meet some expats would help you ease into the situation.  I do not think you should burn all of your bridges in Ireland before ever setting foot in the Philippines, for on here you will hear nothing but success stories, since the ones who were not successful will probably not be on this blog.  GOOD LUCK!!

Test the water first; stay for at least a month! See if you will really like to stay in the Philippines; but I warn you you really might want to!

sounds like good advise and i would definatly want to meet the locals and try to learn the language,stay away from the cities,travel and eventually find a nice quit place to stay and live a relitivaly quiet life
one of the main things that i dislike about ireland is the weather,we dont have regular seasons at the moment it is very windy,wet,cold and grey and will continue like that until the end of next march ! and after that only slightly warmer and not as wet and our summer might consist of 2 or 3 weeks of sunshine and ive had a lifetime of that !!!

tom mc cormack wrote:

sounds like good advise and i would definatly want to meet the locals and try to learn the language,stay away from the cities,travel and eventually find a nice quit place to stay and live a relitivaly quiet life
one of the main things that i dislike about ireland is the weather,we dont have regular seasons at the moment it is very windy,wet,cold and grey and will continue like that until the end of next march ! and after that only slightly warmer and not as wet and our summer might consist of 2 or 3 weeks of sunshine and ive had a lifetime of that !!!

Please remember the weather you will get will be hot and humid, followed by a rainy season with floods and typhoons.  If you come this time of year until February you will find it very pleasant, but not an indication of the March to October life here.  Not sure you know what the quiet life here means, for the cities have the usual noises of all cities, while out in the provinces you will not need an alarm clock, there are plenty of chickens and dogs, plus an occasional cat, to make sure you are up before the sun.  Starting at 5:30 AM we hear the bells of various venders selling food products roaming through the barrios   When the children are in school afternoon naps are the norm, it is just a matter of adjusting yourself to the locale you have chosen..

well i wont burn all my bridges im thinking of going for 1 or 2 months to "test the waters " as it where and reading some other blogs would put anyone off moving there or anywhere else for that manner ! still every one is different and have different opinions and by quiet life i mean far enough from the hassel of modern life to live quietly and peacefully.and yet having the means to commute to a large town or city

When I migrated to Canada I found it to quiet; there were not much people compared to the Philippines; now I am thorn, I miss  the quietness, the organization, straightforwardness of the people there in Vancouver; though I also feel lucky that 12 months in a year I can wear summer clothes! So really it is up to the person!

Sound advise, if all expats done their due diligence we would not have the amount of horror stories among us

Were I live it is safe. Very little crime.  Manila is a different story. Most smaller towns are very safe but you do without many things from the biger citys. Small market and all. Philippinios are easy to get along with. Just don't break the moral code here.  You live in a residentual area with kids around.  Don't have wild parties and a different lady every night in. You need set a good example. You want to party go to the area of town were they party.  No problem then.   So I would recomend a town oe 3/4 to 1&1/2 million people. Low crime, markets and malls, things to do, learn to take the bus out of town down the coast and every small town has a beach and what ever.  Many unknown never heard of beachs here that are very good. Most cost a quarter for the day. U,S, a hut for the day $6 U.S. up.  Good government park a hour by bus from were I live. You can walk the Mountains and jungle for day's there if you get lost.   Somif you enjoy a quit life a good place to live. If you are big city. Manilla,Davao,Cebu, I would recomend. Life cost more there as well.

sounds good to me but you say "town" of 3/4 to 1/2 million ? the total population of ireland is 4 million !! and comparing prices here in euro to the php or $ really puts into prospective the difference of the cost of living. how did you manage to acclimatise to the heat and humidity there ? (thats one thing irish never have to deal with  as for respecting the locals,as i see it if im living in their country ill totally respect their customs/ways and as im fifty years old my days of partying and messing around with women is long gone  to old for that ( well nearly )
thanks for the advise and if you got any thing else to suggest please let me know
thanks tom

just wondering how did that typhoon (hyanan i think it was called ) affect you or your locality seen it on our local sky news last sunday (10-11-14 ) seems to have devestated a very large area ?

The good thing about the heat here is it not that hot max is only 35c and with the humidity a fan is all you need, I say that after my wife the weather is the best thing about the Philippines followed by the cost of living. As for the typhoon, it came within 20km from us in Bicol, lot of damage to power lines, trees & bamboo huts but all modern buildings (concrete & steel) were mostly untouched and the winds were reported at 200km/hr.
Pete

The heat is no problem here in the Philippines; you can stay temporarily on those beach resorts when the heat becomes unbearable; or buy inverter air condition; or go to some high places in the Philippines in Baguio; tagaytay, Rizal; some part of Cebu

im sure i would acclimatise to the heat,i suppose it would be best to go in the "winter"and ease myself into the summer heat and go to higher altitudes if it gets to hot for me.how many people live in the town or city where you are ? and did you pick up any of the local language ? ( i.e tagalog ) ive googled it and it aint nothing like english !! allthough i would try to learn i imagine the locals would appericate that.

ONLY 35c the max ireland ever got in the last 100 years was 28c and most people were complaining ( but irish people spend a hell of a lot of time talking about the weather,you can strike up a conversation with anyone about the weather.there is no defined seasons you just take it as it comes and no matter what the alleged season is you always need a coat/jacket just in case ! ) and if it rains,snows to much the country grinds to a halt 

tom mc cormack wrote:

im sure i would acclimatise to the heat,i suppose it would be best to go in the "winter"and ease myself into the summer heat and go to higher altitudes if it gets to hot for me.how many people live in the town or city where you are ? and did you pick up any of the local language ? ( i.e tagalog ) ive googled it and it aint nothing like english !! allthough i would try to learn i imagine the locals would appericate that.

Tagalog is the most common language, but depending on where you settle you could be hearing one of over 30 dialects.  Even though I am on Luzon, the locals here speak Ilocano, not Tagalog, and some speak both.  The only easy think I have seen so far is that they count in Spanish.  Boondocks is the only Filipino word I know of used in English.

No need to learn tagalo because in only one off many, in bicol where I live most can't understand tagalo but all but the most uneducated speak English, I've been here 4 years and only know about 6 words.
you must select the area u will live on the climate for example where we live there is Mt Isagou the further up the mountain u go thr cooler it is, we have rode up there to visit friends on a very hot day 35c once there I check it was 28c

i have plenty of time to plan my move and another reason for moving is today like all week its 11c gray,overcast and very heavy rain from yesterday and forecast till sunday (also with localised spot flooding 

Ok Tom, I see ur point, but to be realistic the main reason all us expats are here is the wonderful filipino women, they are the gem of the female race, im 64yo an am happily married to a 41yo, bloody hell old mate better than exploring the world.
just get your arse over here an enjoy
Pete

blueoakey wrote:

Ok Tom, I see ur point, but to be realistic the main reason all us expats are here is the wonderful filipino women, they are the gem of the female race, im 64yo an am happily married to a 41yo, bloody hell old mate better than exploring the world.
just get your arse over here an enjoy
Pete

100% agreement here

tom mccormack:  Everyone who posted in response to your post pretty much covered much of what you need to know and consider before making that leap.  I lived in the Philippines for about 17 years....that is, grew up there, went to different schools there...and was even stationed there when I was in the U.S. Army/   Keep in mind...as you seem to focus on "weather"...that it isn't just the weather you need to think about.  Philippines has an interesting variety of weather conditions...some places nice and cool, and others are downright hot, humid...oppressive.  If you hang around Manila...you're in for some pretty miserable climate...hot, humid, dusty.  I know...I grew up in Manila.  Now, get away from Manila and you'll find some very comfortable places to live...in the provinces.  I've lived not only in Manila but in Baguio, Angeles, Subic, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa.   Two places I enjoyed most about the climate (Baguio used to be really great...but I heard it has gotten so crowded...and not as cold as it used to be), the people and overall environment:  Dumaguete and Puerto Princesa.   Dumaguete is a university town...famous for Siliman University...founded by an American.  I met people from many countries while I was there.  Love it.  Puerto Princesa...at the time I was there, I thought was probably the cleanest city in the Philippines.  I purposely walked around looking for trash and cigarette butts along the walkway and streets.  Didn't find any.  People are just super friendly...helpful   I had a snack at a bakery owned by a Swiss and his Filipina wife...and ordered some pastries to take to the hotel.  But I had just gotten there and was short of pesos to pay for the pastries.  The owner,  simply told me to take the pastries and told me to just pay him later when I get around to it.  He even advanced me some pesos for taxi.  Neither of us has met each other before this encounter.  Why would he trust me?
  Anyway...if you can manage it...make an exploratory visit to the Philippines...and go to other places besides Manila.
You'll probably have to land in Manila...so you can't avoid going there...but the sooner you can get out of the city and into the provinces...the better you'll enjoy it.  As suggested by others in this forum...make friends, get around and explore.  It's ok.  I felt much safer in the Philippines than I do in most cities in the U.S.  As anywhere else in this world...you'll find good people...and bad ones.   So far, in all the years I've lived in the Philippines...I've never been robbed, mugged or harassed.   In the U.S., just in the first two years living there...I have been robbed, nearly mugged and certainly threatened several times.  Yes, I am a foreigner in the Philippines....but I never felt like I was in all the years I lived there.  If you find the right place for you....learn the language.  Yes, I know...practically everyone speaks English.  But it would be a lot more fun if you can speak the local language (or dialect). 
  Well...best of luck to you.

thanks for the very good advice,i would not stay any longer than needed in manila ive been researching dumaguete and the main thing ive noted is that the health service seems to be excellent.the main reason im researching the philippines is that ive heard more pros than cons about it ( the cost of living,the friendly people,the many many islands to visit and the lifestyle )
p.s as im irish (and as most irish people do ) i complain about the weather ! ( a lot )

Hi everybody,

This is to inform you all that i have removed some inappropriate posts ( advertising posts) from this discussion.

Do note that advertising / promoting your own services is not allowed here. Everything has been said in the PHILIPPINES FORUM CODE OF CONDUCT.

Thanks

Priscilla
Expat.com team 

Tom,
Take a trip a check out the country
Dip your toe in the water for a few months..its much warmer than Ireland
A good start would also be to know that Philippines has one "L" as does Manila
unless the subject is about stationary supplies

hi puti
just shows how much i know about the philippines ! (just as well i have at least 1.5 years do some (well,a lot !)of research) at the moment im watching youtube clips from a guy called rickky and so far so good

tom mc cormack wrote:

hi puti
just shows how much i know about the philippines ! (just as well i have at least 1.5 years do some (well,a lot !)of research) at the moment im watching youtube clips from a guy called rickky and so far so good

So Tom, you are planning to visit the Philippines in April of 2016?  That's a lot of utube watching.

very funny  im just researching all aspects i.e climate,geography,economy and the general "lay of the land" like as if im going to live there ide like to know as much about the place before i go there 

describe a typical day in your life in the philippines  please (and i look up how to spell the name of the the place im thinking of moving to/retiring in ( its a start, o.k  )

My days consisted of getting up about 5:30 AM with the roosters and dogs and using an electric hotplate to boil water for coffee and instant oatmeal available in the local store.  I am usually on my battery powered laptop getting updates of news and expat posts.  Sun is up by 6AM and about 6:15 I take a walk up to the National Highway and then walk a mile, cross the road, and walk back, the trip taking 30 minutes.  There is much traffic as the kids are going to school and others are going to work.  Many are out sweeping their property.  In the two mile stretch I walk, North 1 mile today, South 1 mile tomorrow, I pass 21 Sari-Sari stores, few of them open so early.  I usually wave and say hello or good morning to about 100 people on school days, about half that many Saturday and Sunday.  Sometimes I stop in at the Barangay basketball court and shoot a few hoops, but by 7:15 AM the sun has been up over the mountains to the east and the court starts baking.  Sometimes I buy pandesal(rolls) from locals who bring them around, ringing a bell on a bicycle, starting about 5:15 AM.  The rolls are the three bite size and sell for 2 pesos each, usually buy 10.  back at the house at 7 AM my wife is usually up by then and we have a cup of coffee and discuss the plans, if any, for the day.  About every third day I take a 5km tricycle ride for 20 pesos with my wife into "downtown" Santa to buy the Philippine Star newspaper and any other little items required at the store.  Once a week we take a bus, 25 pesos each way, for a 20 minute ride into Vigan to do major food shopping.  We usually have lunch at Chow King or a traditional Filipino restaurant, with 200 pesos each being the max we spend.  The JTC Super grocery takes credit cards for everything except beer, and most everything, including the world's best mangoes, can be purchased there.  We also go to Two Brothers Store to trade USD for pesos, getting a better rate of about half a peso per dollar than at the banks.  I do a lot of relaxing and reading in the afternoons, trying to keep it quiet as many like to nap before the children come home from school.  Once the children raise the noise level my wife starts preparing dinner on our gas stove.  The kids are fun, usually eager to learn or show what they learned plus they love hide and seek.  Dinner means time to break out the stereo music, and we hardly ever eat by ourselves.  Usually at least one family of relatives joins us, and they are grateful for any meal that is more than rice.  The sun is down by 6 PM and most of the activity ceases after dark, although we often do not eat dinner until 7PM or later and then sleep time.  On weekends we usually go to a nearby beach, which is very rocky and little surf.  One of the great things about that is we usually buy coconuts there for about 10 for a dollar (45 pesos).  If we go up the coast about 30 minutes there are beaches with actual waves, and the younger children are terrified by the surf. Other days we take a 5 minute walk to where the local river meets the sea for some beautiful sunsets.  Many family members live within walking distance, so we are sometimes invited to their places, plus we like to inspect the local family vineyards, hog farms, rice farms etc.  Karaoke is also big, so often it becomes the local entertainment, with everyone, no matter how horrible, expected to participate at least once.

Hi there,
I Am Belgian and live in the Philippines, married to a Filipina .
We are with a group of foreign friends here, mixt nationalities(English, Swiss, German, Austria, Belgium)
We come together a few times a week in a coffee shop here in Manila.
All is married to a Filipina and live here permanently.
Honestly spoken, non of them(include me)like to live here in the Philippines.
My wife and myself preparing to go back to Belgium.
The only  thing what is good in the Philippines,is the cost of living(its cheap)
The corruption is out of proportion, there are no rules, everybody do whatever he like to do.
I just advice you to try to live a few month here, and look what you think of it.
Its easy to come here,buth difficult to go back (believe me)

Well u know this bloke makes a lot of sense,  cost of living is great but corruption is out of control, I won't bore you all with the problems in our subdivision and it's impossible to fight
the homeowners are in court constantly
Peter

Hi there,
That's also the reason why we move back to Belgium ,because of the problems in our subdivision, such
as barking dogs, loud music, party's ,drinking in the street, when homeowners arrive in the night they use there car horns so the maid can open the gate, and go one, and one...........................
We live in a top class subdivision with the most annoying people in the world, and that's the same what my foreign friends experience  here.
And its correct, when you complain in the barangay about all this, they don't like to here you.
Personally can say nothing good about the Philippines, even my  wife who is Filipina don't like it here anymore (this say enough, don't you think so?
Werner

sad but true

what do you mean "difficult to go back " ?