Trying to decide where to retire in the Philippines

My wife is from Ilocos Sur so it gets my vote.  Living 15 klm from the capital city, Vigan, suits us well.  We have a good dentist at 600 pesos/visit.  Have avoided medical help, doing all that through Medicare summers in PA.  We can get by on local food shopping,  but with not much else happening going to Vigan once a week accomplishes most all we need.  Some fine restaurants in Vigan, do all our banking through BDO.

Well I've spent almost all my time in the Central Visayas and what I can say is it has a lot of variety of things to do and places to see. The large, central city of Cebu is very congested, but the rest of the island is not, nor are the others nearby - Bohol, Negros Oriental and Occidental, and those in the Eastern and Western Visayas. There are tons of small beautiful islands, resorts and diving areas nearby.  Many mountain areas also. Both Dumaguete and Bohol are nice, have lots of expats, and are easily accessible to Cebu City.

I kinda noticed there are more members living in the Visayas compared to the Ilocos region. If I am reading it correctly, the Filipino wife, gf or partner are a big part of where one lives. Not so much about the weather or whatever it is in the water.
Even in YouTube. In case the site name gets erased: the site where you can post your videos. There more about the Visayas.

What is your wife's background and interest in moving or snowbirding?

She's from Quezon City. Grew up in the city. She likes to see the mall once in a while. She wanted to open a coffee shop, a pharmacy or a business to keep her busy.  Metro Manila not in my list.

We live in Silang on the edge of Tagaytay just off the beaten path.  Reliable utilities, plenty of  malls, lots of restaurants, about 2 hours to the beach and medical facilities close by with the Asean hospital about and hour or so away for critical care. There are also plenty of home centers for home building and maintenance.
The scenery is beautiful and with Tagaytay being a tourist town, the traffic on the weekends is horrible, so we go out during the week.
Tagaytay itself can be expensive, though there are deals to be found once you established a base so you can look around.  The areas surrounding Tagaytay are quite reasonable with plenty of expats living in the area.  Those areas include Silang, Amadeo, Indang, Laurel Batangas, Mendez and Alfonso. With our area being considered upland (higher elevation), the summers are definitely a little cooler than lowland areas, though we still run AC during the hottest part of the day in the summer season.

There are also a lot of expats in the Olongapo area near Subic.  Close to the water, close to Clark airport, malls, hospitals and recreation.
I hear very few complaints about utilities from them with the exception of internet, which can be an issue about anywhere you live.  It's worth checking out the connection in advance of your decision to as to where you are going to call home.
The area is lowland, so obviously it will be hotter and may run you a little more for utilities if you are running your AC.
The area being on the south China sea side of Luzon has little in the way of storm problems (typhoons), though as with all areas, you need to check out whether the or not the spot you choose to live in is flood prone or sits on fault lines.

Good night everyone,god bless.

I'm living in La Union (ilocos region) in a town named Naguilian mainly because my wife is from here but I'm 5 miles from the South China Sea...Lots of restaurants as i go out to lunch quite a bit. San Fernando is the capitol of La Union and i'm 45 minutes from Baguio City which has a big SM mall../ They are building a new Robinsons Mall near me as we speak...lot of building going on here...San Juan is about 15 miles away and is the surfing capitol of Luzon (so they say)

my vote is for you to buy my house and retire here in visayas hahaa

pnwcyclist wrote:

Well I've spent almost all my time in the Central Visayas and what I can say is it has a lot of variety of things to do and places to see. The large, central city of Cebu is very congested, but the rest of the island is not, nor are the others nearby - Bohol, Negros Oriental and Occidental, and those in the Eastern and Western Visayas. There are tons of small beautiful islands, resorts and diving areas nearby.  Many mountain areas also. Both Dumaguete and Bohol are nice, have lots of expats, and are easily accessible to Cebu City.

Not when ferries are shut down due to the Chinese Virus.

agreed...we can't even go from province to province in north Luzon where i am in ilocos without PNP permission and a doctors note

If your wife is from Luzon she may feel more comfortable in that region...there is a cultural difference that you need to consider.  Perhaps spending some time in the Visayas In different parts with your wife so you can make a better assessment.  I personally prefer the Visayas and it is less prone to Typhoons and has less crime.

Due to to some age difference between the spouse and I, we are trying to decide if I can retire at the appropriate age but but early for her from SSS benefits point of view. She has a full time job.
If we do early retirement for her. We would be somewhere not close to relatives. I can say I'm protective of her in the event I pass on. She WILL have finances to see her through.
The hardest part for me is to get comfortable if there is enough to support her.

She's going to have to work until at least 62 or you will be sacrificing a lot of benefits. I bought Laurence Kotlikoff's book a few years back which was helpful to me but more on point he delves into several ways couples can maximize the SSA benefits, for example by retiring and suspending one person's benefits, and several other methods.

Zeke1 wrote:

I'm living in La Union (ilocos region) in a town named Naguilian mainly because my wife is from here but I'm 5 miles from the South China Sea...Lots of restaurants as i go out to lunch quite a bit. San Fernando is the capitol of La Union and i'm 45 minutes from Baguio City which has a big SM mall../ They are building a new Robinsons Mall near me as we speak...lot of building going on here...San Juan is about 15 miles away and is the surfing capitol of Luzon (so they say)

How's the population density in Naguilian? Does Naguilian have a good elevation so it is cooler? Do you have water supply all day on your tap?
I know Baguio is crowded, or maybe I am misinformed.

pnwcyclist wrote:

She's going to have to work until at least 62 or you will be sacrificing a lot of benefits. I bought Laurence Kotlikoff's book a few years back which was helpful to me but more on point he delves into several ways couples can maximize the SSA benefits, for example by retiring and suspending one person's benefits, and several other methods.

I think this might be around jnb913's expertise.
The expat from California.

Jackson4 wrote:

Zeke1 wrote:

I'm living in La Union (ilocos region) in a town named Naguilian mainly because my wife is from here but I'm 5 miles from the South China Sea...Lots of restaurants as i go out to lunch quite a bit. San Fernando is the capitol of La Union and i'm 45 minutes from Baguio City which has a big SM mall../ They are building a new Robinsons Mall near me as we speak...lot of building going on here...San Juan is about 15 miles away and is the surfing capitol of Luzon (so they say)

How's the population density in Naguilian? Does Naguilian have a good elevation so it is cooler? Do you have water supply all day on your tap?
I know Baguio is crowded, or maybe I am misinformed.

Yes Baguio is crowed mainly because it's a college town...Naguilian is a small town but a friendly one...it's too low elevation wise to be cool so it does get hot and no the water does not run all day every day but it runs enough to be able to get things done...and the restaurants I go to on the beach always seem to have a nice breeze even on the hottest days

Jackson4 wrote:

I know Baguio is crowded, or maybe I am misinformed.

You are well informed.  We visit once a year so I can watch the lowland Filipinos zip up their jackets in 68F "cold".

Health care can be a concern outside of Manila, Cebu, or Davao.  With Covid 19, I am unable to see my endocrinologist in Cebu.  And, here in Ormoc, the laboratory cannot test my Cortisol levels, which means, basically no medical care.

moonunit0103 wrote:

Health care can be a concern outside of Manila, Cebu, or Davao.  With Covid 19, I am unable to see my endocrinologist in Cebu.  And, here in Ormoc, the laboratory cannot test my Cortisol levels, which means, basically no medical care.

I don't know about those particular tests but here in La Union we have a couple of good hospitals

My wife's childhood friend, an otherwise healthy 31 year old, died of a stroke last night.  He had surgery last week to relieve pressure and stop the bleeding.

I can't help but think if he had been in the US instead of Cebu, he would still be around.

The doctor offices I have visited here are practically overrun with patients. With Covid 19, I am basically self-medicating.  Medical care here is probably 25-30 years behind the developed nations, for the most part.  For broken bones and run of the mill things, it is OK, but for anything out of the ordinary, it can be tough.  Maybe that is why the endocrinologist asked when was I going back to the US.

Wife has an upcoming Visa interview and we will leave for Virginia once she gets her Visa.

moonunit0103 wrote:

My wife's childhood friend, an otherwise healthy 31 year old, died of a stroke last night.  He had surgery last week to relieve pressure and stop the bleeding.

I can't help but think if he had been in the US instead of Cebu, he would still be around.

The doctor offices I have visited here are practically overrun with patients. With Covid 19, I am basically self-medicating.  Medical care here is probably 25-30 years behind the developed nations, for the most part.  For broken bones and run of the mill things, it is OK, but for anything out of the ordinary, it can be tough.  Maybe that is why the endocrinologist asked when was I going back to the US.

Wife has an upcoming Visa interview and we will leave for Virginia once she gets her Visa.

Good Luck

Zeke1 wrote:

moonunit0103 wrote:

Health care can be a concern outside of Manila, Cebu, or Davao.  With Covid 19, I am unable to see my endocrinologist in Cebu.  And, here in Ormoc, the laboratory cannot test my Cortisol levels, which means, basically no medical care.

I don't know about those particular tests but here in La Union we have a couple of good hospitals

Lorma private hospital here in SFC is our local go to. 300 pesos for a doctors visit and 400 pesos for a specialist. Philhealth also gives access to this hospital. A couple of months ago I had some surgery performed on my foot, an infection I got while clearing the prickle trees on the beach,,,,, some of the thorns are 2 inches long and one got me big time, a month later surgery for the infection, large open wound, antibiotics etc etc. The surgery was AU 200 bucks.
An aside, in Oz I book an appointment with my doctor,,,,, here first come first serve but there are ways around that. Ben took off this morning to do a few errands, called into the Lorma hospital and booked me in, no. 3 on the waiting list @ 1PM. It works and the doctors and care from what I have experienced work well,,,,,,, I'm still alive and so is Ben. Another member mentioned a relative having a stroke, even in Australia when your number is up that's it, same for me and my faith in the newly adopted health system here.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl wrote:

even in Australia when your number is up that's it, same for me and my faith in the newly adopted health system here.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

If I'm reading this right, the fact when your number is up, it's up, and it's Amazing you have 239 persons whose number is up, all together at one time on Malaysian Flight 370.

I know for sure the number was up for the Pilot, I guess the other people just went along for the ride.

Money issues will make or break living happy anywhere.

Since I retired in 2014, my Wife and I have been dividing our life between Germany and Philippines.
Spending about 7 months Philippines and 5 Summer months in Germany. (Untill Covoid of course).
We chose to live in Bohol, as my Wife inherited land here, and have never regretted our decision.
Bohol is a nice Island. Not crowded and the people are very friendly.
Health care is the biggest problem. My Wife has "Philhealth"But I have no Insurance. We are both insured in Germany, so we take advantage of this when we are there. We also have travel insurance when we travel to the Philippines, but that only lasts for 3 months.
I always was a healthy person, and have never needed major medical treatment, when I have been in Bohol. Nor has my Wife.
Living half a year in PH means we manage to save money from our Pensions, even though we are maintaining two houses. Certainly enough to cover the Air-fares every year.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

bigpearl wrote:

even in Australia when your number is up that's it, same for me and my faith in the newly adopted health system here.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

If I'm reading this right, the fact when your number is up, it's up, and it's Amazing you have 239 persons whose number is up, all together at one time on Malaysian Flight 370.

I know for sure the number was up for the Pilot, I guess the other people just went along for the ride.

In 2015 while i was working building my house i heard a woman wailing and saw everyone slowly drifting toward the plaza. i headed that way asking what was going on,nobody answered. got there and saw a little boy about 2-3 all wet ,they had him bent over a small barrel pulling on his feet... like rolling his belly back and forth across the barrel.
I quickly realized the kid was drowning and they were doing something you would see in an old black and white popeye cartoon to save him!
I yanked the kid off,laid him on his back tilted his head to the side and swept my finger in his throat to check if something was stuck there and started giving him mouth to mouth, after several times of seeing his chest rise he threw up and i tilted his head to let it come out then resumed breathing for him, i have not had cpr training since i was 20 years old and never had to perform it in an emergency. i did not know if i was doing it right but it sure seemed better than watching what they were doing to him, at least he was getting oxygen in his lungs which i deemed the most important thing.
several others in the crowd pulled him from me as i saw his eyes open and roll back in his head and he acted like he was going to throw up again.
they resumed holding him upside down by the feet and shaking him, pushing on his stomache etc..
i was yelling he needs oxygen!
a motorcycle pulled up and the crowd forced me onto the back and pushed the kid into my arms and the driver took off! i tried to blow into his lungs as best i could as we sped toward the nearest clinic in culaba. at one point his eyes opened and i yelled to stop, i laid him in the grass and gave him another 10 breaths or so and felt a heart beat. but he was not responding or breathing on his own so we got back on the motorcycle and rushed to the culaba clinic as i blew in his mouth best i could.
when we arrived the male nurse there looked freaked out as i laid the boy on the table and said he's drowning, the guy got a bag of glucose and started poking a needle in his arms and wrists and legs and feet trying to find a vein as i blew in his mouth and gave chest compression, i told the guy am i doing this right ? do you have an ambu bag?
he pushed me away and several people held me back as the kid shit his pants and choked on his vomit while the "nurse" spent the next 40 minutes poking him all over with needles.
i yelled  'tilt his head he's choking!'  'do you have an ambu bag?!'   'he needs oxygen!'

the kid drowned right in front of us on the table. the "nurse" never found a vein after 40 minutes of trying,  no oxygen that long i had little hope for his brain anymore.the mother and father never even showed up at the clinic.i heard later they put him in an ambulance and took him to naval hospital 2 hours away.for what i dont know.


i guess his number was just up, when its up thats it.

(side note- i was by there a month or so later and looked in the window where the kid died,i saw poop marks still running down the side of the padded table where he was laying...waiting for the next customer)

Soonretired wrote:

i tilted his head to let it come out then resumed breathing for him, i have not had cpr training since i was 20 years old and never had to perform it in an emergency. i did not know if i was doing it right but it sure seemed better than watching what they were doing to him, at least he was getting oxygen in his lungs which i deemed the most important thing.

Thanks Soonretired for sharing this, it may lead for someone else  to be saved by a member of this forum.

A very sad story indeed. 

It takes a special person to step up and take control of a bad situation. You're that person.

Several companies that I worked at paid for CPR classes. I never realized about turning the head to the side. Thanks to your post I will always remember this.

I do admire you for your courage...but best to be aware of your surroundings too.
Life goes on here like the padded table waiting for the next customer or the dangerously hanging electric cables all over/dangerous winding roads/foot paths/sea beach sections that are not made out of bounds & the many other dangers that lurk everywhere you turn. (I make it a point never to leave home after 8pm unless for emergencies because of these dangers as my visual/hearing just ain't like it used to be..especially in our underdeveloped brngys...but do pse ensure your own safety first at all times unless its a matter of life and death for your own kin or someone you know.
Omho

if i had it to do again i would have yelled get the f''k away and kept giving him air.. on the spot ...til he responded. i feel guilty of my shyness to this day. never let stupidity stand in the way of reason... in other words never let native peoples stop you from what is right.
and just because  some expat lives in a rich place etc and lives his dream retirement dont expect that to be the norm , its not.... living in a bubble allows you to give bubble advice.

Soonretired wrote:

if i had it to do again i would have yelled get the f''k away and kept giving him air.. on the spot ...til he responded. i feel guilty of my shyness to this day. never let stupidity stand in the way of reason... in other words never let native peoples stop you from what is right.
and just because  some expat lives in a rich place etc and lives his dream retirement dont expect that to be the norm , its not.... living in a bubble allows you to give bubble advice.

Don't be hard on yourself, you are not part of EMS (Emergency Medical Service). If you were in the states somebody would have called 911 while you were doing resuscitation and help would have arrived in time.

All can say, under the conditions you did the best that could be done, stop feeling guilty over being a good Samaritan. If I had a medical emergency I hope somebody like you would be around.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

Soonretired wrote:

if i had it to do again i would have yelled get the f''k away and kept giving him air.. on the spot ...til he responded. i feel guilty of my shyness to this day. never let stupidity stand in the way of reason... in other words never let native peoples stop you from what is right.
and just because  some expat lives in a rich place etc and lives his dream retirement dont expect that to be the norm , its not.... living in a bubble allows you to give bubble advice.

Don't be hard on yourself, you are not part of EMS (Emergency Medical Service). If you were in the states somebody would have called 911 while you were doing resuscitation and help would have arrived in time.

All can say, under the conditions you did the best that could be done, stop feeling guilty over being a good Samaritan. If I had a medical emergency I hope somebody like you would be around.

Agreed with all due respect.
I never wanted to live in a bubble here...but you are in a way right...I tend to create my own safety bubble (locals  here may think i'm a jerk) nor that I am filthy rich nor living a carefree life as some as you had mentioned. I do always take the extra effort to ensure my kin/friends in my company are well taken care of (believe me I have prevented many an accident & saved the life of loved ones too..All made with the knowledge that I do feel totally responsible if things do go wrong & would never put them in harms way the best as I can.

in retrospect, and returning to the original topic of this post...i have to be frank, the best place to retire here is anywhere you are as far as possible from any locals.have walls and fences and gates and SPACE between you and the nearest native person, and dont make or attempt to make 'friends' with anyone within 10 miles of your wall.
if you hire workers, get them from 10 or more miles away and pay them extra for their travel.
if you DO have 'friends' that are from here, meet them far away from your home on a weekly basis or whatever at a bar or eatery,but never let them know exactly where you live.
try to develop expate friends. who share the same morals and ethics with you.

when you see people while coming and going from your home be polite and say good morning and hello and never let it develop any further.

if you do these things you will eliminate %90 of the problems in life you will have retiring here.

and thats the truth speaking from 11 years of my experiences here.

i wish to god i knew this before i retired here.

I have seen people here in the US who live out in the sticks because they want to be away from people with different ideas than their own. They sometimes think they're better than anyone different from them.

The ugly American

Soonretired wrote:

in retrospect, and returning to the original topic of this post...i have to be frank, the best place to retire here is anywhere you are as far as possible from any locals.have walls and fences and gates and SPACE between you and the nearest native person, and dont make or attempt to make 'friends' with anyone within 10 miles of your wall.
if you hire workers, get them from 10 or more miles away and pay them extra for their travel.
if you DO have 'friends' that are from here, meet them far away from your home on a weekly basis or whatever at a bar or eatery,but never let them know exactly where you live.
try to develop expate friends. who share the same morals and ethics with you.

when you see people while coming and going from your home be polite and say good morning and hello and never let it develop any further.

if you do these things you will eliminate %90 of the problems in life you will have retiring here.

and thats the truth speaking from 11 years of my experiences here.

i wish to god i knew this before i retired here.

Omo...I think you have been hurt/disencanted
because you assumed way too much & maybe felt that you were still living in a 1st world environment where decent long term employment comes with a min wage, workers safety protocols, benefits & prospects / decent housing, feeding & educational institutions that are in place that provides for all as well as for the underprevilaged (well nearly all) & the other previlages including that of being treated with justice/equality (well nearly) with certain morals and ethics being shown to one another (well nearly); which is again specific for the previlaged country you may have came from. (They had your backs/well nearly).
Dude not so here (by far)...especially in the provinces...Its each man/family for himself so if/when you come live here you need that complete mindset change...It is sad but somewhat true how someone may feel & the best way is to communicate with fellow expats share experiences & to seek some normality.
I still see it as a great place where I can live my simple life real cheap/tax free/cheap land/cheap house/cheap car/cheap smokes/cheap booze/cheap local food all of that with my smart beautiful loving sexy young woman....the rest I can/will accomodate...thats till the winds of change start blowing again.
Omo (well nearly)

Soonretired wrote:

in retrospect, and returning to the original topic of this post...i have to be frank, the best place to retire here is anywhere you are as far as possible from any locals.have walls and fences and gates and SPACE between you and the nearest native person, and dont make or attempt to make 'friends' with anyone within 10 miles of your wall.
if you hire workers, get them from 10 or more miles away and pay them extra for their travel.
if you DO have 'friends' that are from here, meet them far away from your home on a weekly basis or whatever at a bar or eatery,but never let them know exactly where you live.
try to develop expate friends. who share the same morals and ethics with you.

when you see people while coming and going from your home be polite and say good morning and hello and never let it develop any further.

if you do these things you will eliminate %90 of the problems in life you will have retiring here.

and thats the truth speaking from 11 years of my experiences here.

i wish to god i knew this before i retired here.

I have to agree with you based on your previous posts of the good things you've done for your community and the difficulties you encountered being the good guy.

Done in a first world country it would be appreciated, done in a third world country it's an open invitation, just looked to the skies and see the birds flying around looking for their next meal.

Maybe in America it would be one bird once in a while, in the third world a flock of birds waiting for their next meal.

To quote Lee Iacoca who developed the Ford Mustang & Ford Pinto and his reward was being fired. He went on to save the bankrupt Chrysler with the development of the K-Cars and Mini Vans which Henry Ford II saw no future in.

His quote: My failures seemed a good idea at the time. So Soonretired path for 11 years consisted as a good idea at the time.

Some of his advice is good for some and some of his advice is good for others.

jackson4 -

i am not one to "live out in the sticks" and certainly not one who "wants to be away from people with different ideas than their own" by any means.
i am certainly not a person who "thinks they're better than anyone different from them". I enjoy different opinions and ideas and am far from perfect and have never considered myself 'better' than anyone..ever. thats just not who i am.

as far as-  assumed way too much, felt that i was still living in a 1st world environment where decent long term employment comes with a min wage, workers safety protocols, benefits & prospects / decent housing, feeding & educational institutions that are in place that provides for all as well as for the underprevilaged...
i visited here for 5 years in a row twice a year, i did not assume any of those things,certainly not that long term employment with benefits etc existed here.i was well aware that this was a 3rd world country.

however "being treated with justice/equality (well nearly) with certain morals and ethics being shown to one another "
-i did think the people here were just poor but i thought they would still understand kindness and generosity and have some sort of morals and ethics they showed to one another and would perhaps show me as well,at least some measure of consideration in exchange for my trying to 'fit in' and 'be helpful and a good neighbor'. in THAT i did assume too much.

the differences here are far greater than being poor or uneducated as opposed to middle class and somewhat educated. it would take many long winded stories to explain it and even then you may feel it was only my opinion and experience and yours will surely be different, since you are so open minded and accepting of other cultures, and your attitude is so positive, surely you will not notice the deeper differences in your new neighbors or suffer any ill effects from them and bridge that culture gap just fine..you sound like me 12 years ago.

as for a 'privileged country having my back' -it may have, but i have never received any aid from my government and have never accepted an unemployment check in my entire life. i have struggled many times but managed to get by and prosper to some degree.

"I still see it as a great place where I can live my simple life real cheap/tax free/cheap land/cheap house/cheap car/cheap smokes/cheap booze/cheap local food all of that with my smart beautiful loving sexy young woman"--- I TOO see that, and agree! my advice was to assist in creating a safe environment here where that could happen and avoid some pitfalls.

i grew up poor, poor i understand.

mugtech wrote:

The ugly American

i know, sad but true. i have been struggling with myself against becoming that for 5 years now,even as i slowly inch by inch ,became...the ugly american.