Need advice about where to live in Philippines

A place in the Philippines which is not near the beach, is cool in climate, not much crowd and near an international airport?
TAGAYTAY  ...  Do some research and see if this place suits you.

Thank you. I will look into your suggestion. God bless you. Regards

I will say for any Australian, stay home this is not place for you, before you do this move or change do research and do it well, all of it, read lots on Expat.com, here you will find most of it, nothing is easy here, it is not Home as you know it there, people really do not like other sides or westerner, and if some one tell you they like them, do not believe it, we are Australians and we do belong back home, I have tried it but I will give this a miss.

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

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.

Dear Navajo52,
Your whole message is entirely you... From top to bottom... kind and caring. Thank you for yur encouraging message. Yes definitely this is how I will do. Take trips and learn but I am not happy by myself here. Had enough. I do need to change the scenery. Life is short.
God bless you. Regards

Hello Kolonial
I responded to your first message by recommending that Tagaytay may be an option for you.   That was based on the criteria that you outlined for yourself.
Further in, I can see that you are looking for a change in your life and not necessarily in a community which may already have one of your feet already in your coffin!   That being the case, it might be more practical to take a month or so and plant yourself either in Angeles or maybe somewhere along P.Burgos St. in Makati.   Here you can emerge yourself in a variety of cultures, figure out much about the Philippines, iron out your wallet, and perhaps find a travel mate to show you around these other communities you might want to settle in the near future.....

Thank you Dear sir, I think this is I am going to do exactly as per your recommendation. Enter slightly and nearby Phillipines and with the help of a good map look around. I believe it will automatically come out from within where is a suitable place. I appreciate your assistance. God bless you. Regards

I thought Bali is where Australians go to, then you will find then in BBK Thailand, this is Australian destinations for what ever life they are looking for, then why not in your own Country, like Cairns,  Darwin, Broom such a beautiful places, but if money is the problems then yes look out side as every one else, if I had a chance to pick a place from my own experience I will chose BBK, ok of Hong Kong Islands, there are thousand of destinations to pick and live in, why you have lots of expats here, mostly are Americans they may like this kind of life, again not for Australians, but as some said come for holidays few times and see for your self, I bet after first time you will never come back again, I like you to prove me wrong ??? and if you come get in touch with me, any way if you close to Angeles City, I drive here have a car and tricycle too, by the way i am Farmer here mostly rice and corn, do I know people here you bet 110%

Kolonial,

be aware of a couple of things before you move to the Philippines.

1st, unless you are already on some sort of Gov pension which is guaranteed for life and not dependent on which country you live in.  You will not get the old age pension if you are a resident of the Philippines, when you become entitled to the old age pension. 

2nd You will also not be eligible for Medicare from Australia, as a non resident of Australia.

3rd, You will pay Australian tax on most assets/investments (Super is exempt, I think)  you hold in Australia and this tax rate is higher for a non resident of Australia.

4th if you are on a pension then the value of that in the Philippines will change depending on the currency rate.  I have budgeted for a currency rate of 34php to the AUD, if it stays where it is now at 37php I will be happy, if it drops to, say 30php you will be losing nearly 9% of the value of your AUD dollar.

5th inflation rate is higher in the Philippines than in Australia, (the Philippines government is forecasting and aiming for inflation of somewhere between 2 to 4%.  If you are on a pension of some sort in Australia it may well be linked to only the Australian Inflation rate.  If inflation increase here to 4% it will have a big impact on your standard of living.

6th don't forget to budget in return flights to Australia if you think that you will need them.

7th the standard of medical treatment here is not as good as Australia (for general visits to the Dr's it is cheaper but you pay for what you get) for medicine the drug companies don't discount to the Philippines, so you will be paying full cost of any pharmacy items you need (no Medicare discounts for pharmacy medication here)

In short you need to be fully self sufficient when living in the Philippines, unless you are already on some sort of Gov pension, or have a good amount of AUD or are not planning on living a long life, then think long and hard before you come.

Well said pej, maybe he is thinking he may find a nice Wife or GF here as most of us tried,  even that he needs to be very careful, it is terrible things to say about this nation, unfortunately all is true,  they have not learned how to respect, but they know how to make children, they are every way like little ants, they don't even know who the father  is, and in some cases not even the Mother, funny as they say they have family values, that in its self is a joke, I see many Mother drop kids to grandparents and move on to other man to make new family, some thing like animal will do, not what humans will do,
what can I say, I tried to get my 13A visa, funny thing about it I was in Embassy, got to seat down with one official, he said I have a 50/50 chance to get it and up to 3 months waiting, then he said if I like 100% and 4 weeks I need to pay him 30.000php I mean is this a joke or what, and all I need is copy of my passport, and nothing more, so simple and easy to buy Visa, I have not done it yet as I live by principals, but I think that may go out or the water soon, why respect some one if they do not respect them selfs,

I got lucky meeting, getting to know my now wife and marrying here about 15 years ago. We didn't rush into marriage but rather knew each other over a seven year period before taking the leap.

One of the other posters is right though. It is best to come here with some sort of savings and retirement benefits. I committed financial suicide by leaving my work to come and live here very early. For the first eleven years of our marriage we lived on only my wifes income of about $150.00us dollars per month! --- And there were counting me a total of 7 family members living in the home. Those were some lean years until our U.S. pensions started. Sure taught me a lot about how the other half lives and turned out to be some of the best and closest years. I had a friend back in California ask me in an email just the other day if I would do it all over again knowing what I know now. My answer was a resounding yes!

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.

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.

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..

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.

I must say I did not expect this from an Australian but said that you are right about every thing, I am not sure too about age pension, I know some people live in Bali as it is cheap there, they have pension but they have to go back one time in 5 years, I think to renew the pension, but then I thought if you get to that stage it should be for rest of your life, but maybe not.
For me is Australia, but who know that may change yet in time, when there we do not know the problems people, I mean Australians have out side their own country, but here is where you learn what is what, boat people what ever that is but it is a joke, they should sink them all, and long way from Australia, I think this is big conspiracy from Indonesian  Government, load up the boats and send down under, so Australia can deal with them, it is a big joke on Australia

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.

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.