Sitting on the fence....indecision

Well... All depends on you... groceries in the U.S. have risen the last 2 years by an average of 30%... For us here in Dapitan, it doesn't seem like it has risen much at all... I would say last 2 years we have been here Maybe 10% or so... nothing at all like Washington state... I just went back for a 3 week visit, and wow... BIG difference... I will take my beautiful beach house here in Tag Ulo all day long than that Liberal Swampland in Washington State...  We did visit Dumaguete in January and we both did notice prices were higher there than here... Probably because the massive amounts of expats there... Here... if you go out for the day shopping in Dipolog, you may see one or two... there, it seams like it's almost 50%!!  ... anyways... rambling over... good luck with your decision. 

@@Crane10 We have been in Dumaguete/Valencia for 6 years and we have seen none of the changes you have seen except for the increase in fuel and food which are global problems. However, if that is your impression now perhaps your orginal impression sort of blanked out the bad. Dumaguete has become more beautiful in some ways, for example the Pantawan on Rizal. But I would suggest that your impression now is so terribly negative that Dumaguete is definitely not the place for you now.

@@Crane10 What you say is true in my neck of the woods also, but maybe not as bad. When we bought our property in 2008 there were no neighbors but now we have a few. I can't blame the people for wanting a place to live, overpopulation is a fact in the Philippines. During construction our property didn't look great with piles of sand, fill dirt and gravel out front. Now all that is gone and we have nice grass that we mow regularly and that seems to have shamed the less tidy neighbors into cleaning up a bit. The municipality began hiring people to pick up trash and trim the road side and the barangay is looking great. I wish I could take some credit for all that but it may be just how things are progressing.

I'm up at 4 am sometimes and I like to take a ride on my electric bike. I stop at the piers and talk to people and everyone is friendly. I see people along the way looking at me that don't appear to be that friendly but I always give them a polite "good morning" and they return the greeting. I think they look at me like I think I'm better than them but I try to show them that is not how I am and that is working for me.

I relocated to the Philippines 19 months ago. Personally I don't regret it but if you are on the fence and don't like the way things are shaping up in your area, I don't know what to tell you. You probably have to like it to be happy so looks like you have a tough decision to make.

Yes indeed,  perhaps it's the Hooping Cough and Diahrea thats clouding my opinion.  I did enjoy coming to Dumaguete years ago but this trip all I can see is filfth and garbage piled up along every street ,

@Moon Dog leading by example there Moon Dog, In Australia many years ago an old bloke started picking up rubbish , putting it in bags and others joined in, it just took off into a national movement. Now Clean up Australia Day is an institution........this ***** place needs a superhero.

@@Crane10 amen to that... Reminds me of a trip into Dipolog about 9 months ago with my plummer... We finished buying a bunch of stuff at the local City Hardware, and I offered to buy JollyBee on the way back to the house... we went through the drive through, and proceeded to drive towards back to Tag Ulo... as we drove and ate(plummer was in back seat)... I noticed as he finished, all his paper and cartons were thoughtlessly thrown out the window... like it was a totally normal thing... Philippines definitely needs a wake up call... some of the most beautiful, stunning places on this earth, and its trashed daily... my beach gets new plastic crap washing up all the time... it is a little disheartening.

@@Crane10 We take it you do not like Dumaguete. The people here are so sad about that and plead for you to change your opinion and live here 🤣🤣🤣

I remember purchasing one of my earlier Stateside 12” (yeah remember those) imports by the Detroit Spinners, known just as the Spinners in America, a catchy little number entitled ‘Split Decision’

The Philippines really is not everyones proverbial ‘cup of tea’ as we Brits say. I have been coming to Dumaguete since 2005 but just as a visitor and as such although I have seen changes am not as qualified in my reviews as other contributors who live there.

For me, permanent residence would be out of the question as I feel there are more cons than pros. And yes there are ‘cons’ in both senses of the word lol. To use the cliche ‘each to his own.’

The reason I visted Dumaguete in the first place was solely down to the fact that my Filipina neighbour is from Zamboanguita, a 30 minute drive south of the city along the coast. Essentially I spent most of my time in the dive resorts and would only occasionally take a jeepney from Dauin into town, enjoy a stroll along the Boulevard (very picturesque) and have a coffee.

In 2005 outside of the dive resorts there were very few resident expats. Of course with the advent of YouTube and various bloggers this has effectively generated millions of dollars worth of free publicity and advertising for the city. My prediction for what its worth is that these will be the downfall of what was once a sleepy charming little outpost in the country. Unfortunately to date,  this copious influx of expats has not lead to a significant increase in food outlets, restaurants, and decent bars - more of the ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ attitude from the local population.

The city has one of the most unreliable power grids in the entire Archipelago - yes the notorious ‘Brownouts’ In the month of January just gone it never stopped raining - January is supposed to be one of the drier months. Sadly there have been a number of serious incidents recently involving expats.

Crane if your budget permits have you considered splitting your retirement between Australia and perhaps somewhere like Iloilo which has much better infrastructure and better facilities all around?

Imho that ringing in your head, maybe it's a bad idea, will often reveals true. It's a beautiful country, you may find your corner...but there are many, many cons to consider. Healthcare just pops to mind but also the simpler daily life. Western expectations here don't work. It's all up to you. Would i settle in phil and die here? hmm, maybe not.

@@Crane10 amen to that... Reminds me of a trip into Dipolog about 9 months ago with my plummer... We finished buying a bunch of stuff at the local City Hardware, and I offered to buy JollyBee on the way back to the house... we went through the drive through, and proceeded to drive towards back to Tag Ulo... as we drove and ate(plummer was in back seat)... I noticed as he finished, all his paper and cartons were thoughtlessly thrown out the window... like it was a totally normal thing... Philippines definitely needs a wake up call... some of the most beautiful, stunning places on this earth, and its trashed daily... my beach gets new plastic crap washing up all the time... it is a little disheartening.
-@Wellsfry

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Good thing you did not stop for him to take a leak.

Imho that ringing in your head, maybe it's a bad idea, will often reveals true. It's a beautiful country, you may find your corner...but there are many, many cons to consider. Healthcare just pops to mind but also the simpler daily life. Western expectations here don't work. It's all up to you. Would i settle in phil and die here? hmm, maybe not.
-@Filot

Anybody who can say (quote from @crane)"... seems far more ***filthy and dirty*** than before..." (unquote) does not deserve to call Dumaguete home. What country in the world would like to host a potential expat with that kind of attitude?

Imho that ringing in your head, maybe it's a bad idea, will often reveals true. It's a beautiful country, you may find your corner...but there are many, many cons to consider. Healthcare just pops to mind but also the simpler daily life. Western expectations here don't work. It's all up to you. Would i settle in phil and die here? hmm, maybe not.
-@Filot

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Anybody who can say (quote from @crane)"... seems far more ***filthy and dirty*** than before..." (unquote) does not deserve to call Dumaguete home. What country in the world would like to host a potential expat with that kind of attitude?
-@danfinn

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Crane is not making a statement to the Philippine public at large. It is his thoughts addressed to this forum. It's his observation and it's probably a correct observation with a 4 1/2 year gap.

Now a message to Crane: Blood is thicker than water, you have to choose between your wife and not moving here. The wonderful thing about being human is the ability to adapt. Even more amazing we never realized that we have adapted given time.

@Enzyte Bob 😆 🤣

@Enzyte Bob "Crane is not making a statement to the Philippine public at large. It is his thoughts addressed to this forum. It's his observation and it's probably a correct observation with a 4 1/2 year gap."

Except it is not an accurate observation and I think it needs to be corrected. He was talking about Dumaguete and he said there was a big change here, ie that it turned into a filthy dirty town. We have been here for 6 years including the pandemic years. We have not seen any change like that. During that time a large,  beautiful park was added to the shoreline on Rizal avenue called the Pantawan which is extremely popular with people enjoying it every night. I have only seen improvements over those 6 years abd frankly I don't know what he is talking about. I know other Dumaguete expats who have stayed here agree.

@Wellsfry I've found if you prick their Pinoy pride and point to the garbage strewn across there streets they sulk like children.  Like it's not their fault.

@danfinn ignorance is bliss Danny Boy.,you fit right in.

were we live there are not manny foreigners (westerners) and in the streets here we see no littering done as the comunity frown uppon that.there is weekly garbige colection .

not to go living among other expats was a wel tought of choise ,i did not come here to listen to the complaining of not wel adepted others ,but to change my life style as i was not happy there and i am happy here . this on a personal note

before one becomes an expat one sould deeply think if he or she have the ability to adapt to a different culture and often way of thinking ,wen you see the bad over the good i wood advise to stay were you are.

please be not insulted or take this post the wrong way ,i know that honest opinion is not always apreciated and i dont want to step on anny toos but hey if you ask for opinions be prepared to get them .

wen i see the social unrest in western countrys ,the strikes ,demonstrations and so on ,i'm happy to be far away from al of it were it is a quite and peaceful life ,after almost 9 yrs here i do know that i will not go back ever as a take the good before the bad and choose not to complaine about it.

@Enzyte Bob said . . .  "Crane is not making a statement to the Philippine public at large. It is his thoughts addressed to this forum. It's his observation and it's probably a correct observation with a 4 1/2 year gap.

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danfinn said . . .

Except it is not an accurate observation and I think it needs to be corrected. He was talking about Dumaguete and he said there was a big change here, ie that it turned into a filthy dirty town. We have been here for 6 years including the pandemic years. We have not seen any change like that. During that time a large, beautiful park was added to the shoreline on Rizal avenue called the Pantawan which is extremely popular with people enjoying it every night. I have only seen improvements over those 6 years abd frankly I don't know what he is talking about. I know other Dumaguete expats who have stayed here agree.

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I'm talking about Dumaguete also . . . He is addressing members of this forum, not Filipino citizens of Dumaguete, Dumaguete are the public at large.

Certainly he can see the difference. He visited 4 1/2 years ago, maybe sometime in 2018. He comes back now and says "Boy, this place has changed since I've last been here".

Dan with your day to day living seeing subtle changes is difficult see or feel. Do you think in 4 1/2 years things would not change for better or worse?

@dirk.c. Good observations Dirk, your correct with your points in regards to accepting other cultures, after all life is what you make it to be.

Dumaguete is a very nice city - mostly clean and peaceful compared to other areas I've been in the Philippines, especially Cebu. Good schools. But yeah, way too many expats. I'm in Siquijor right now, and it's gorgeous, and amazingly clean and tidy. No litter or trash anywhere. Just had lunch at a fantastic Italian restaurant. Staying in an Aussie owned resort. Western standards..  This is the thing.. I could never retire full time anywhere in the Philippines.. it's just too much of a cultural shift.

It's primarily the thinking, or really the lack thereof. The acceptance of mediocrity and inane behaviors. The constant burning. The noise. On the way back from lunch some idiot shot right out front of me from a side street without looking, and if I weren't an experienced motorcyclist he would have been T-boned.. Happens frequently. If the OP doesn't like it here, there's plenty of others who agree, and other places to retire. I will probably end up Spain or Portugal, as I also won't stay the States indefinitely. The thinking there is crazy in a different way, lol.

@pnwcyclist

I'm in Siquijor right now, and it's gorgeous, and amazingly clean and tidy. No litter or trash anywhere. Just had lunch at a fantastic Italian restaurant. Staying in an Aussie owned resort

And I know which one - Coco Grove Beach & Dive Resort in Tubod. Say hello to Joy the manageress and Mike the owner

@danfinn ignorance is bliss

Spoken by one who knows, eh?

Danny Boy.,

you fit right in.

True, without reservation. We look forward to your permanent absence from the neighborhood.

-@@Crane10

Holy f*ck, there are 10 Cranes? The multiverse does have its cons.

I mean, it's a bit dirty yeah but dumaguete is pretty nice, cmon haha, there is WAY worst , manila or cebu now that's dirty haha

@pnwcyclist Actually I am in Siquijor right now too. We have two homes, one on the Eastern side of Siquijor and one near Dumaguete so we split up our time in borh places. As far as living here here permanently, what if someone has an SRRV permanent resident visa and goes home (to the US) for 2-3 months every year, has a voter card and D/L in the US but intends to spend most of the year here, every year, for family reasons? I think many people do that, they don't just pull up stakes and live here permanently, never to reside back home again. Instead, we spend substantial time in our home countries. I do know of a few who did come here permanently and never to return but that was because of having financial issues in paying to go back. So I cannot say we live in Duma or Siquijor "permanently", just "mostly, and by choice".  If it ever did get as bad as people here say, which it isn't, then we would have the option i.e. to go back home. Going to another country is off the table for us.

@pnwcyclist Actually I am in Siquijor right now too. We have two homes, one on the Eastern side of Siquijor and one near Dumaguete so we split up our time in borh places. As far as living here here permanently, what if someone has an SRRV permanent resident visa and goes home (to the US) for 2-3 months every year, has a voter card and D/L in the US but intends to spend most of the year here, every year, for family reasons? I think many people do that, they don't just pull up stakes and live here permanently, never to reside back home again. Instead, we spend substantial time in our home countries. I do know of a few who did come here permanently and never to return but that was because of having financial issues in paying to go back. So I cannot say we live in Duma or Siquijor "permanently", just "mostly, and by choice". If it ever did get as bad as people here say, which it isn't, then we would have the option i.e. to go back home. Going to another country is off the table for us.
-@danfinn

We were on the schedule  flying into Manila every October and then flying back to PA every April until the pandemic struck.  We hope to get back on schedule this October   My wife is a dual citizen I just arrive as Balikbayan.   I like avoiding rainy season every year, spending the summer in Bethlehem PA.  Plenty of free music and baseball.  Glad we have the security of having the USA to fall back on.

We

DanFinn sounds like you have a great setup. We rode around the island yesterday on the motorbike and the eastern side is gorgeous like the entire island. There are many stunningly beautiful places in the Philippines to visit and live, and I apologize to the group if I was negative about certain aspects of the culture in my post yesterday. Sometimes I let things get to me, and my ego starts complaining. For many, including myself at times, this place is paradise, and it's easy to see why. Every place has positives and negatives, one just has to weigh them out as they apply to you personally.

Well firstly @Crane10, welcome to the forum and no members here are backward in coming forward as you can see by the plenty of disagreements on many expat sites,

What I can only observe is in your OP you stated looking with rose coloured glasses and we all did that, OMO but 12 odd years coming back and forth, living here for 4 years I can see the changes happening and they are for the better with regards to rubbish, pollution and sanitation both Manila and my little backwater province in SFC La Union.

Though I have never been to your neck of the woods I do see here that education is slowly paying off, sadly what I don't see is the monopolized malls nor Manipal's not installing more rubbish bins for the punters  spending money in their establishments/Barangays. It's ok to employ armed guards with AK47's but no rubbish bins

12 years on our area is cleaner and chatting to the nephews and nieces there is a clear path within the education system with regards to rubbish, burning trash and flagrant disregard to environment and the consequences we are all now facing.

Blind side your problem and simply live here and enjoy, I live on the beach and the Mayor and governor pay the kids to clean up the area, part of their civic duties and spreading a few pesos to the locals.

My workers here all 10 of them I slap every week for throwing their rubbish on the ground,,,,, our lot and house, 4 months on they learnt.

It's not just your neck of the woods but everywhere, no matter the country, as you know you can't fix stupid but if you have the balls? Embarras them. google will be your best friend.

Good luck with your choice but never forget this is a 3rd world country not having the same expectation as 1st world countries, different but beautiful.

Cheers, Steve.