Moving to the Philippines just before the crisis

I had been making plans for years to retire to the Philippines. I first came here in 1978, as a young serviceman. I was stationed in country for 9 months, and met and married a visayan woman. Although the marriage eventually didn't work out, I was enamored with the people and country. I have lots of OFW Filipino friends in the states. As I got older and neared retirement, I found that I wanted to see how much the country had changed since the late 70's, so I booked a 10 day vacation to Makati in 2013. I was astonished at the Metro, and delighted by the friendliness and hospitality of the people I met. That little trip put the first thought into my head about retiring here. However, I went back to work and started doing internet research.
Circumstances brought me a unique opportunity. The company I was working for at the time decided to close my manufacturing plant. That company was an excellent workplace, however, and they gave us a years notice, and a very generous severance package if we stayed on until the end, which I did. Now unemployed, but with the financial resources to live for a couple years, I decided at age 57 to actually try living for a year in the country to see if everyday living on a fixed income was possible and enjoyable for me. So, in July of 2014, I moved to a small apartment I had rented near SM Molino near Alabang.
I was miserable for the first week, didn't know anyone, the area my apartment was at was not really near anything, I was hesitant about going around at night. But gradually I expanded my world. I bought a motorcycle, and found Alabang town center, but I still found myself missing the metro.
On my first trip to Immigration to extend my tourist visa, I made a detour and spent a day walking around makati. I felt so comfortable there. Luck or Divine intervention led me to Rada street, where I found a rental agency in the ground floor of an apartment/condo high rise. Shortly, I found my new home for the next year, a furnished studio apartment on the 18th floor.
I spent the rest of the year making some new friends, and I cemented my plan to retire here.
Returning to the states, I found a new job, and finally retired for good in late 2018. On January 3rd, 2019, I moved for good to Cavite. The first year was nice, we took a trip to Boracay, and generally settled in. However, 2020 changed everything. From the Taal eruption of ash in January, to the start of the pandemic, through the lockdown, which was especially hard on seniors, (which is STILL hard for those over 65 to this day), it has been a difficult, boring challenge.
Before the pandemic, I enjoyed riding buses and jeepneys, now I'm afraid to do that. I used to enjoy interacting with strangers, now I'm cautious for fear of exposure. It's like life has been put on pause. Can't eat a meal inside a shop, can't travel, life has devolved into the internet and tv.
However, I made my decision to spend the rest of my days here, and I'm resolved to stick it out with my adopted country, for better or for worse. May God bless the Philippines.

When and under what circumstances did you move to the Philippines?
I left USA for Philippines in July 2018 n remained til Novemeber 2020 before and after the pandemic..
I went for month and didnt plan to stay....i had a personal case where my children were abandoned during a vacation from the mother..i didnt think i had to stay longer than time to get their american passports n get them out...i had issues without the mothers aid in signing passports..really long n sad story..anyways..after i found out i had to stay til i find mother n get her to sign passport..i chose to cancel my return flight and had my business partmers manage my nightclub business i left behind in Houston...i gave up control n majority stake..fairly...then so happy to be with my children..i chose to make the  best out of our experience..I traveled with children  to each tourist destination since i enjoyed the traveling pricing compared to the USA..meaning planes , ferries, taxis, motorbike rentals , jeepneys, etc..etc..  i made my children happy traveling enjoying becahes n enjoying our explorations.. we walked at times we rested in hotels some resorts some cheap hotels..as in some areas u have to gte a room while available..i Noticed many backpackers have tours that at times can occupy many rooms in certain area..or drive price up..the Pinoy n pinay (filipino people) are mostly welcoming n good hearted..they are dependable when it comes to something they know..like labor..or cooking their food.they need aid in some advanced skills due tothe country not wantimg their people to be smarter..they dont have libraries or public computer centers..i be,ive the government wants it that way..

To manage better n get people to follow..i see a positive future there..the land is beautiful, its a country full of islamds..its mentality and humbleness that will get u the full experience of the true beauty of philippines..i went to many islands..i traveled philippines more than the people that live there and most youtubers..i been n stayed nights in over 55 towns n cities..i became friends woth people in many areas..even the presidents son..in Davao.


What impact did the restrictions have on your integration into the country? I was in before covid..i actually had flight on same day as lockdowns..that kept me there extra 7 months....they are brave when it cmes to dangerous labor risky work..but mentally  fearful people when it comes to covid or dengue..and christianity..they r reserved and not to open minded..they like to work consistently versus working smarter..rbey all want better lives..but dont take many chances unless ur providing for them..the visas r very profitable to the country so they charge alot when it comes to visas for extensions and all.but they r always possible to get..right now no tourist are allowed..amd at time no filipinos were allowed due to new covid strain..the government uses fear n tough on controlling movements..the foreigners have a bit of advantage due to more restrained when it comes to fines of passing the curfew or going out on days u werent scheduled to durimg the covid  hime stay orders..but they past..at that time u needed to buy essentials twice per week only..


Were you able to make new friends in your host country and get used to the new culture and environment?
I made many friends.thats easy..culture is fun..but they drink alot n eat n cook..like native elders..they need better education..one can grow loyal help if they spend time teaching..issue is commitment from them....if u have any specific questions feel free to ask? Im goingback in june..

It's an interesting story

Being NOSEY. To all of you that say its ok for Philippinos to be nosey well I had no problem the first few years but when it happens nearly everyday or everytime you meet someone it just gets old and annoying. Walking down the street with a bag of fruit they wanna know what you have in the bag. They wanna know how much I paid for the fruit/veggies.They wanna know how much money you make teaching English. So many personal things that most Americans dont care to reveal to just anyone. Why do they wanna know anyway? WEIRD! BUT I love the people here anyway. When they start up with all the questions I just smile and say"Take care and have a nice day" It works pretty good for me!

I've noted this in earlier threads, but here goes for the newbies. My wife (Filipina, married for 36 years, mostly in the US) and I decided in 2018 that we would retire in the Philippines in 2020 when we both turned 65. She has a large family in and around Cagayan de Oro (Northern Mindanao) and decided that would be our starting point. We bought a small piece of land in a gated community and contracted a builder. It went very slow for the next year, with problems getting permits, etc. It was supposed to be nearly completed in January of 2020, so we visited to check on it and were not very surprised to find it wasn't yet 50% completed. We fired that builder and hired a new one to complete the project. He promised to get it done by the end of May, so that became our planned mover-over / move-in date.

I went back to Florida at the end of January and my wife had plans to return there in mid-March. Her flight was scheduled to leave the day after they shut everything down with no warning. We tried multiple times to get her on a 'sweeper flight' but couldn't get a corresponding connection out of CDO to match with a flight out of Manila. So she stayed in a nice apartment, and it worked out well so she could better oversee construction.

Like blacksheepjuno above, my company announced a big layoff at the end of February (not Covid-related), and since my boss knew I planned to retire in May, he put me on the list - which provided me with a lot of extra cash that I hadn't been expecting.

My flight out of the US was canceled 4 times from May through June and finally got a PAL flight out of LAX at the end of June. They really didn't want me on the plane because I wasn't traveling with my wife, but I had all the necessary documentation (which they copied at every step of the process). The flight was diverted from Manila to Cebu where I took a Covid test and waited 36 hours for the results, then flew to CDO where I was forced into a 14-day quarantine. Luckily my wife was able to secure a separate apartment for me where she was staying to I could ride it out in relative comfort.

There were delays in our home construction due to local shutdowns and restrictions, but we finally moved in at the beginning of September. It's been great since then. Even though we are both 65 we have been able to move about freely (with masks and shields of course), we dine out a few times a week, we have made a lot of new friends, and I play golf twice per week with a group of other ex-pats.

So it was a struggle getting to this point, but very minor compared to the millions that have been impacted by Covid. Of that we are thankful and appreciative of how lucky we have been. Next challenge: where and when can we get vaccinated?

Yup...it always feels good when you are a big fish in a small pond.

manwonder wrote:

Yup...it always feels good when you are a big fish in a small pond.

I prefer to be a tiny person in a huge  forest  :with no other people   

I just came back stateside.
Looking at Peru or the Caribbean now as a possible destination for living abroad.

I retired early from Boeing, in Washington state, just over a month past my 60th birthday. My wife sold her car and I packed as much as I could into my car and drove to San Antonio, Texas to stay with our son and daughter who both live there. My wife flew down three days later. It was a temporary move.

We had sold or donated most of our belongings to charity. We packed several boxes and shipped them to the Philippines using LBC. About a week before Christmas 2020 I was checking out the Philippine Bureau of Immigration website to learn about the most current travel restrictions. I found out that people born in the Philippines like my wife were allowed to return home for Christmas.  You will need to show a marriage license to prove you are married. Spouses, like me, were allowed to accompany them. So, we got tested for Covid and bought two tickets to Clark International Airport in Angeles City, Philippines. The Bureau of Immigration website said in order to be granted entry into the country we "had to have return tickets in our possession."  It did NOT say we were required to actually use those return tickets. I just wrote it off as a necessary expense, part or moving overseas.

Right after News Years Eve, I went to the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) Office in Angeles City to get the required forms and a list of documents, requirements for applying for an SRRV visa (Special Resident Retiree Visa). At this time I have filled out the form, gotten a physical, a chest X-ray and I am waiting for the Philippine government to open up applications for immigration visas so I can be near the head of the line.

Both my wife and I have made multiple new friends in our neighborhood in the last 4 months. I had been stationed at Clark Air Base in 1983-1985 and my wife was born in Bacolor, Pampanga. in the Philippines. So there really wasn't much of a culture shock. We knew what to expect. As for culture, I think the Philippines is a lot like the United States was back in the late '50s and early '60s. Family is VERY important in the Filipino culture. That is one of the reasons we wanted to retire here. My wife comes from a family of 9 children and we wanted to be near them again.

Almost everyone you meet is extremely welcoming and friendly. We can't leave the yard without at least one neighbor waving and saying hello. Just this week an older lady I have talked to about three times waved, greeted me by name, and wished me Happy Birthday. I was shocked she knew my birthday but pleasantly surprised.

Having lived in the Philippines before I have had the opportunity to explore. I've been to two beautiful waterfalls, 100 Islands National Park, now called 1,000 Islands National Park, and Mount Arayat National Park as well as the city of Bagiou. My current list of places I'd like to visit includes hiking to the summit of Mt. Pinatubo (once restrictions are lifted), Banaue rice terraces, The Callidera mountains for a multi-day hike, returning to 1.000 Islands National Park, Pangasinan Falls, and the Chocolate Hills region.

Do I feel "at home?" I'm living in a tropical PARADISE! Great food, incredible people, laughing, singing, dancing, drinking my favorite beer, San Miguel, at will. I CAN'T STOP SMILING!!! Yes, I feel "At home". My only regret is that I didn't do this two or three years sooner.

One more thing I'd like to mention. We have cut our monthly expenses by over $2,000. We own our home in the Philippine outright, so we don't have a mortgage or rent payment and we don't have or need a car here. Public transportation is cheap and you can get a jeepney or tricycle to take you wherever you need to go for $1 or $2.  No more $350+ per month car payments. No more high maintenance costs.

Wow I can't wait for it to open back up we are DJ excited to come ..how do I find the message you sent with your email again

I found your email I'll be writing soon

Thanks for revisiting your story. My wife's family is mostly in Zamboanga del Norte, I'm retired Boeing engineer. We have a house we build 5 years ago in Sindangan, some the family members there are from your Provence. She came here to Washington State 2 1/2 years ago. She received her permanent GC a few months ago. Our original plan was to split time between here and there. But We've changed our minds and going to spend the next year pulling up all roots here and selling everything. We already have a modest rice farm and sari store that her family manages. We're planning to go there for 59 days, November 17th  to January and find that beach front property. (We have some family owned properties for sale we can buy). I've been to the Philippines 15 times and traveled around a lot but never more than 30 days. My current concern is a) navigating the Covid restrictions on our way in and b) getting the 59 day visa. We are both vaccinated now got her Philippine passport renewed last March in San Francisco. Europe is planning to open up to the vaccinated soon, my hope is more of the world will be moving in that direction too. I've gotten some helpful advise here about the extended stay visa and will also interested about a door to door small container move next year.
Cheers - Mike and Elisa

coach53 wrote:

manwonder wrote:

Yup...it always feels good when you are a big fish in a small pond.

I prefer to be a tiny person in a huge  forest  :with no other people   

If you find an internet connection there, can you let us know where that place is?😁