All good Charlie.
As said there are many visa types, on a visitor visa here you need to do a visa run every 3 years unlike Thailand, many friends there fly out in the evening and return the next day.
Here the visitor visa costs me around P22/23K per year or say US 400 bucks. As for extensions it depends on the immi office you visit, here they only do 2 month extensions as they are only 40 minutes away I stick with them and visit 6 times a year and most times I'm the only one there so a 10 minute process. Bigger offices offer up to 6 month extensions or there is always the SRRV program with the PRA, if married then a Balakbayan or 13a visa. (google will be your best friend when it comes to visa types).
English is a blessing here as I have travelled all over the world and comms can be a big issue, here after 13 years I have a very basic grasp on Tagalog and my area Ilocano but like you say difficult for a constructive conversation. Our caretaker/cleaner that lives here is as bad with English as I am with Ilocano but it works and he is a good dude.
As for acquired taste here I suppose it depends where you live, Big cities are not for me with traffic and pollution etc. others love city life while where my better half's family live 40 minutes down the road, so much traffic, so many poor people but the worst is the stink from the semi open drainage in the street, all sit on the street as the houses are too hot. There are so many areas that are perfect and you will love but you need to look and look well to find a decent retirement location so you don't regret it later. Yapping dogs, crowing roosters, noisy traffic, smells, unsavory types and burning trash but also proximity to services.
The food is fine but tends to be over salted, too much vinegar etc. etc. Give me Thai food any day. They don't have voice mail here while most countries have had the service for 30 plus years, you call someone here and can't leave a msg, have to keep trying.
The bureaucracy and ineptitude can be second to none but I have learnt to smile and deal with problems that arise,,,,,,, constantly
Living here with banking was never a problem coming from Australia, same with all companies I used to deal with, informed them my phone in Oz was going to be turned off so email comms only. I always for 30 odd years notified my bank I was travelling to xyz countries for this period, never a problem, even Amex. When we moved back permanently 5 years ago I let my banks know my new number in PH for one time passwords and has been perfect for shifting funds and living here.
Have fun Charlie.
Cheers, Steve.
. I stayed with my gf out in the province with mostly reliable electricity (only about 5 brownouts during any given week) but close enough to town to have wifi (90% reliable) and a trickle of running water (except saturday mornings).
. Diving is relaxing, even with the black eye and other significant injuries. 
