Your Best Advice?

Accomodation:

I would not buy (in the name of any girl) land here in the Philippines unless you consider this a donation to her and the Philippines. If your plan is to move to the Philippines start with exploring the Philippines. There are many places where foreigners live. If you like big cities, Manila and Cebu might be the right joice to rent a condo for a longer period to see if you like it there. If you are more the island type, Boracay got many condos for rent or to buy.

Releationship:

Agree with the girl to a fixed amount of pocket money for each month (eg. 15000 - 20000 PHP). Never ever give a big amount to her.  She might use the money without your knowledge to buy things for her kids, to pay back debts, to buy some land, ... All Philippinas I know are dreaming from their own land and their own house. They might not have a problem to stay with you in a condo for some time (as long as you give her money) but it is still their dream to own their own house. As everywhere in the world there is good and bad.  Some girls are gold diggers and others want to go with you abroad. So you need to listen to her history before you start a relation with a girl which might be 20+ years younger than you.  There are a lot of single moms in the Philippines. Sometimes they have 3 or more kids but the husband (boyfriend) has left them and does not pay any money for those kids. The chance is low that they can find a new boyfriend from the Philippines and so they go for foreigners. If you can get such a girl she will stay with you (no matter how old you are and how you look like) and all what matters to her is that there is a money flow to her kids who are most likely with her parents or her sister.

Andy from Boracay (8 years in the Philippines and married with a Philippina girl)

Take your time for sure, even if you buy  a place in both you and your wife's name if she dies her part is covered by Filipino law and the foreigner is not the first on the list of heirs, I have had a few apartments in Davao city  in the range of 4 to 5 thousand a month small but nice

`

Perhaps of interest here ..

Top Ten Reasons Why Expats Leave the Philippines

By TJ, August 23, 2024 https://www.expatkings.com/why-expats-leave-the-philippines/

I've been living in the Philippines for over 7 years and have seen countless expats come here for a while only to pack up and go home because they can't make the Philippines work for them.

I wrote extensively about why I became a Passport Bro and moved to the Philippines from America. However, I didn't mention reasons why passport bros and expats might want to leave the Philippines and go back to America (or their home country).

Why do expats leave the Philippines? There are many, many reasons why expats leave the Philippines and it would be impossible to cover all of the reasons.

I thought about all the things I hate in the Philippines and put together this list of reasons not to move to the Philippines or consider retiring there. This is my personal opinion so don't attack me in the comments.

Why I'm Leaving the Philippines in 2025

Table of Contents:

No Money

Bad Health

Humid Weather

Crime

Scams

Pollution

Natural Disasters

Language Barrier

Traffic and Crowded Public Areas

Insects

No Money

Running out of money or going broke is the #1 sin in the Philippines. It could happen to anyone including my friend from Virgina (USA) who lost everything to a Filipina romance scam and ended up homeless in Angeles City.

This doesn't apply to everyone because some of you guys have good pensions or retirement. Perhaps you served in the military and received a monthly check. Veterans have a major advantage over civilian expats because going broke in SE Asia happens more than you think!

I make money online as a digital nomad in the Philippines but other guys don't have that luxury. A lot of foreign expats run out of money here and go back home to work again. It's a very common cycle that makes saving money for retirement difficult for many guys.

A lot of younger expats work in western countries such as America then live in the Philippines off of their savings. It doesn't work so well over the long run because your savings goes down each month unless you start a side hustle.

If you want to make more money then moving to a more productive country makes a lot of sense. Being around good people in business can make a big difference.

Bad Health

As you age, you must take health care more seriously. The Philippines doesn't have a stable health care system for foreigners. You can't use American health insurance providers in the country so every medical expense must be paid out of pocket in cash.

What's more heartbreaking is that many Filipinos die from preventable illnesses due to lack of universal affordable health care. It's even more evident as you venture in the more poor areas of the country.

Everything from basic checkups to dental care is non-existent to most Filipinos unless they are covered by insurance via private payments or employment.

There are world class private hospitals in Manila and Cebu but you'll pay a lot more than most locals could ever afford.

Even if you're an expat, you may prefer to leave the Philippines for all of your medical needs. Many guys fly home immediately when they get sick.

Humid Weather

I love tropical weather BUT it does start wearing you down after a while. I grew up in Washingon, DC where we have 4 seasons each year. DC summer is as hot as Africa but you get a nice break from the heat during the winter months. Washington DC winters are cold but fun! 

BUT The Philippines is hot and humid all of the time. You must stay hydrated and cool all of the time or else you could suffer from heat stroke.

Living in SE Asia isn't easy for a lot of expats so they pack up and go home after being sick of the terrible sticky hot weather every day.

Now, the weather outside of the big cities such as Manila and Cebu is much better. Puerto Galera has the cleaniest air I've ever experienced in the Philippines. It's not so hot and humid if you leave the crowded cities and live in the province.

The problem is that most of the interesting expats live in the cities plus most of the good schools and jobs are there, too.

Crime

When I first arrived in the Philippines back in 2017, I only noticed petty crimes happening to foreigners. I would estimate that over 90% of the crimes are pickpocketing or cell phone snatching.

However, I noticed that Filipinos have become more hostile to foreigners since the Philippines reopened its borders to tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic lock downs.

There are several stories of Americans getting killed in the Philippines so far in 2024:

      American tourist was killed at a Cebu nightclub

     American found dead at Cebu Hotel

Higher cost of living is putting financial strain on a lot of Filipino families, which forces the breadwinner to do whatever it takes to provide: steal.

Manila is full of snatchers who target tourists looking to steal cash (and lots of it). Angeles City is getting more dangerous as well. I saw young Filipino boys robbing Black American tourists early in the morning just outside of Walking Street.

Don't underestimate how high prices are forcing Filipinos to steal in order to survive. That includes Filipina girls who will steal stuff from your room if you aren't careful.

Desperate Filipina girls will steal from you if you don't lock up your valuables and get too drunk.

The Philippines is a poor country so crime against foreigners will always be a problem. Some expats get sick and tired of getting robbed all the time that they leave and never come back.

Scams

Scams are on the rise in the Philippines. Let's face it: many Filipinos think scamming is the only way to get ahead. The Philippines police shuts down tons of illegal scam operations each year but seem to keep popping up in the country.

These scams come in all types of different ways including:

Romance Scams: Everything from fake online dating profiles to fake marriages solely to obtain US residency and a green card. You can learn more about the most common Filipina romance scams to protect yourself.

Rental Scams: Foreigners must pay a big deposit on a rental unit then fail to receive their deposit because of too many “damages”.

Overcharging for food and taxis: Food sellers and taxi drivers charge foreigners the “Foreigner Tax” unless you speak a bit of Tagalog.

Passport & Visa Scams: Promising a 2nd passport or work/study visa if you pay a certain sum of money.etc

Fake pregnancies scams are growing in the Philippines. I didn't experience a single one until 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic. Filipina girls will pretend to get pregnant by you after you have sex with them. I met one of these scammers on and she told me she was pregnant after only 2 weeks!

They will do anything to keep the lie going including sending photos of their pregnant belly to convince you to send her money!

Personally, I've been scammed enough times that I assume if there is money involved it's a scam.

Those are the most common scams in the Philippines but you can find a lot more if you search Google long enough.

Pollution

Pollution kills. Elon Musk started Tesla to help fight pollution and climate change with the invention of electric cars. It's no secret that pollution in SE Asia is terrible.

I walk around with a facemask everywhere to prevent toxic carbon particles from entering my lungs. Car pollution kills over a million people annually and can lead to serius long term health issues.

As I turn 40, I really want to live in a country with cleaner air as I approach older age. There are too many older expats in the Philippines who look run down from all the poluttion. You can hear it in their voice when they speak.

Now, the air is MUCH better in the province so I highly recommend getting out of Manila if you plan to live in the Philippines permanently as an expat.

Cavite, Tagaytay, or Puerto Galera are nearby cities with much cleaner air and less pollution.

I need fast WIFI to run this blog so living in Manila works best for me even though I hate the pollution and weird smells.

Natural Disasters

The Philippines is a beautiful tropical country .. but:

Earthquakes

Typhoons

Flooding

Landslides

Collapsing Buildings

The Philippines is located in an area of high typhoon activity and receives over 25 typhoons annually. It's not a big problem if you live in Manila but gets more serious in the Southern parts of the country.

Typhoon weather sucks and it rains for days non-stop. I never had any serious problems but many expats suffer from flooding, blackouts, and power outages.

Language Barrier

The truth is Filipinos speak good English in comparison to most other Asian countries. I visited Japan, Thailand, and China before stepping foot in the Philippines. Filipinos have the best English in Asia hands down.

Of course, this all makes sense because the Philippines is a former American colony.

BUT I don't think most Filipinos comprehend what foreigners tell them in English. They nod in accordance but in reality most don't really get what you mean (especially outside of Manila).

Over time, it can make living in the Philippines difficult unless you make an effort to learn Tagalog. Speaking Tagalog is the only way to survive in the Philippines long term without going crazy.

Refusing to learn the local language means you will most likely be heading back to America or somewhere else eventually.

You don't have to be 100% fluent but at least study some basic Tagalog words to improve your Filipino vocabulary.

Traffic and Crowded Public Areas

According to Tomtom, Manila has the worst metro area traffic wait times in the world.

Manila traffic sucks so bad! I hate waiting for hours in traffic.

You need to leave hours in advance just to get anywhere on time. Did I mention it's nearly impossible to book a Grab or hail a taxi during rush hour? I cancelled my dates and appointments thanks to Manila's insane rush hour traffic.

Manila Traffic

Manila traffic is a big problem. What's the solution? If you hate traffic then living in Manila isn't possible for you.

Other 2nd tier cities including Cebu. Angeles, and Davao don't have nearly as bad traffic.

Not only is the traffic annoying but it seems like everywhere in the Philippines gets crowded.

You see lines of people waiting everywhere because most businesses are shortstaffed.

Employers are greedy and don't want to hire enough employees to boost net income and profits.

Crowds are everywhere in the Philippines. Be prepared to wait, wait, wait!

I once waited over an hour at the SM Clark grocery store in Pampanga just to buy a bag of peanuts.

Sorry folks but customer service sucks in the Philippines.

Go to America or any other decent country if you miss excellent customer service.

Insects

The Philippines has a major insect problem. You will find cockroaches, rats, and bugs crawling the streets of Manila day and night. That's because a dirty city attracts rodents,

Singapore does a great job of cleaning its city daily to keep the insects away.

Unfortunately, the Philippines doesn't have the resources nor the execution to keep the places clean. It doesn't help that foreign countries such as Canada dump their trash in the Philippines, either. It's impossible to stay in the Philippines if you are allergic to insects or bugs. You need to live in a clean country for better quality of life.

Why I'm Leaving the Philippines in 2025

I want to stack up money and travel to Europe next summer. I don't think the Philippines is as good as it used to be.

I don't like all of the new feminist laws that appeal to modern Filipino women. I told myself I would leave if the Philippines legalized divorce. It's not good for the moral of the country and I'm not sure how foreign expats will be affected by this.

I'm also homesick and want to visit the rest of my family in America. I've never been away from home this long but the good news is that my family visits every year.

--

If your are visiting Europe next summer I can highly recommend Portugal, Central Europe including Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and Germany and the Baltic Countries. I love to travel and have would not mind visiting Baku in Azerbaijan and Tbilisi in Georgia,

Well talk about war and peace P1.

I acclimatized to all you have mentioned and honestly prospered since living in PH. Personal growth. It's even easier with the right partner and choosing friends wisely.

Said it many times the Philippines is an acquired taste and definitely not for all, many move on to what may or may not be greener pastures.

For me I love it, this is my home now.

Cheers, Steve.

Steve writes ..   
"I acclimatized to all you have mentioned and honestly prospered since living in PH. Personal growth. It's even easier with the right partner and choosing friends wisely.
Said it many times the Philippines is an acquired taste and definitely not for all, many move on to what may or may not be greener pastures.
For me I love it, this is my home now.
Cheers, Steve."
-@bigpearl

Yes you sound well BP and happily anchored for the long haul

See Steve here folks, happy Philippine years can also be yours!

Rule no.1..

Never invest more money (property.gf. etc) than you can afford to walk away from.