New members of the Philippines forum, introduce yourselves here - 2021

Hi,

I have been married to a Filipina for 41 years and have lived in the PI some sixteen years since my first visit in 1967.  My wife and I came back to the States for a visit and are now awaiting return. We will likely return to Tacloban; my wife’s home, where we have lived before, and have family and friends.
My wife and I are both career expats; she a human resources specialist and I a management consultant. We have enjoyed living and working in the US, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and in the Philippines. Prior to our marriage, I worked in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Iran.  Both of us have lived more time outside our home countries than inside.
By April 13, 2021, my wife and I will have gotten our Covid vaccinations and be ready to travel. I understand we may not be able to enter the PI until May or June. She is a dual citizen, but I am not a permanent resident; since our marriage I have always been Balikbayan.
I guess we are not looking as much for information on living in the PI as we are on re-entry, quarantine and travel during this pandemic. I also realize the evolving nature of government decisions.

Bob

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum. Hope things settle down here with C-19 and you get back soon.

Cheers, Steve.

Welcome Bob! Sounds like a good life with lots of adventure!

I'm also currently stuck in the States, having made it out of PI last year mid-March.

pnwcyclist wrote:

Welcome Bob! Sounds like a good life with lots of adventure!

I'm also currently stuck in the States, having made it out of PI last year mid-March.

You left, well done. I arrived 15th March 2020 from Oz with a 2 night stay in in our regular hotel to a bl**dy lockdown and had to leave/flee Manila that night at 10:30 pm to miss the midnight highway closures/lockdown and got home (to our house in Bacnotan La Union) at 5 AM. The traffic leaving Manila was manic.We did sleep well with the A/C running when we got home.
2 week Quarantine at home but I never left the property for nearly 4 months, well stocked larder with advice to the better half from me seeing what was happening from Australia over a 2 week period before I returned, constantly questioned by Ben, please listen to me. 1 year on? Groan. Getting into the second wave here because of ignorance and stupidity, what's new.

Let's see where we are in another 12 months, longer? Perhaps then we can go back to Italy or visit (first time) Costa Rica or simply return to Australia to visit family and friends,,,,,,,,,,

Cheers, Steve.

Right, Steve. It was quickly becoming apparent last March that one needed to be where one would want to be, possibly for a long time.. and with my property here, upcoming doctors appointments, etc etc.. I felt I needed to get back. Set things up for them first - cash, fully stocked, masks, etc, flew out 3/12. Even so, I had no idea it was going to be for more than a year.

Here stateside I was able to continue pretty much business as usual, with exception of travel out of area to see friends, and no dining out or gym. Haven't had a haircut in a year! Do it myself, lol.  Just had to stick close to home and wear the mask when running errands - no problem for me, I believe in science. I even went camping on the motorcycle in October for 10 days, to Colorado.

Only downside, and a big one - I have now been separated from my girl and the boys for a year. Really miss them, even with daily video chats. Def not the same. So at least you have been able to be with your loved one - a big plus in my book. And you have stayed safe from the virus there, where I think they have done the best they could overall, with limited tools. Thank God it didn't turn into a Brazil-type situation.

Been quite the year. Grateful all in my immediate and extended families are still healthy.

Hang in there my friend.

-- John

Very happy it has worked out for you. I to am happy to have daily video chats on Skype and WhatsApp. My wife went up to San Jose area to stay with her sister. Glad the condo is paid for... LoL. But I have expat friend looking after it once wife left for her sisters. She is looking forward to moving to a new home in Boracay above station 2 with beautiful ocean view. Only 15 minute walk to the beach next to The Lind. I always stayed there before buying. Anyway not all bad just the missing of family.

Hello I am new here in the Philippines.

I live here in a condo in Bacoor.

I have been loving my stay here.

Welcome Lucas!  How long have you been in country? Some members might be interested in how you obtained a visa and traveled to Philippines if it was recently. Are you Filipino or related to one?

Hello All,

I am a retired US Army vet and have been married to my wife for 11 years.  At 51, now I have decided to retire from the workforce.  Wife and I are discussing going to the Philippines to live.  Her family is in GMA, Cavite.  In the US we have a nice little farm and would like to get 6-10 Hectares and raise our animals.  If anyone has experience with doing farm animals in the PI, I would enjoy chatting with you.  I have to have something to keep me occupied. 

I look forward to maybe getting to know some of you.  I will definitely enjoy the knowledge that I gain from you all.

Thanks,
Dean

Welcome Dean!

I've no experience with farming but some members so -  if you post in the general Philippines forum I'm sure you will get some replies, might take a few days.

John

Thanks so much.

Im not living in Jeddah Saudi Arabia. Im here in my country from Philippines. I would like to looking a job.

Hi everyone, I'm Chris Harder Siennick, I'm an expat living here in Iloilo. 

Not necessarily an expat, I am a dual citizen of both the US and PH. 

Now I did come to this website and forum looking to discuss finances of some sort.  Employment maybe, tbut employment here sucks.  I was abartender in the US making $20+ an hour, highest job I ever had and here they are making $6 a day even at the busiest and biggest.

Now I worked at call centers a couple of times but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels here.  Now I know in here there are other foreigners, and maybe using some capital we can do something a little bit like securing a loan to create a factory of some sort? Shoes? 

I really want someone to collaborate with some wealth generating resources because the people here need it and don't have the opportunity to experience a whole lot.


Thanks for checking me out, please by all means, let's get together. And if you have a company here, I'd love to check you out.

-Chris

Paul Harder wrote:

Now I did come to this website and forum looking to discuss finances of some sort.  Employment maybe, tbut employment here sucks.  I was abartender in the US making $20+ an hour, highest job I ever had and here they are making $6 a day even at the busiest and biggest.

Now I worked at call centers a couple of times but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels here.

Well. A few extreem specialits earn good. But people with English as father's language have earned ok teaching Call center Filipinos, who can speak Enlish allready,  American/Autralian/UK accent.

Paul Harder wrote:

Now I know in here there are other foreigners, and maybe using some capital we can do something a little bit like securing a loan to create a factory of some sort? Shoes?

I believe you think correct about some type of production       (although something where big investments don't have to big advantage.)
BUT Phils banks don't function as "western" banks, because they DON'T lend out money in startups, when it's most needed, they demand the business kind of succeeeding before they think of lening out any!!! 
Even worse - Some before covid there was a special program from the parlament to assist poor Filippinos with start capital. To get loan fom that the demanded collateral!!!   

Paul Harder wrote:

I really want someone to collaborate with some wealth generating resources because the people here need it and don't have the opportunity to experience a whole lot.

(Before covid.) If having capital it's rather easy to earn by financing projects where others do the work as for instance "Harvest sharing".  It's NOT lending , it's as temporay partnerhips. Such benifits both by the poor get chance to earn more without geting in dept.
So it's OTHER than the crazy high "5-6" lending make dept trapss for the poo, so I'm much AGAINST such. Some get rich by it - or get killed.  A big part of the foreigners, who have got killed were loan sharks.

If starting own busines, it's big risk to many will copy it - except if not to many can't by they don't have the knowledge and(or the capital.    Or are not interested   
Knowledge:   I have researched business alternatives situations in Phils seveal years.. There are 184 business idea  in my list with things I can consider starting, but by researching I have eliminatied all except a bit over 10  of different reasons

Beside knowledge, capital is very important, much more in Phils than in "western" countries.  In Phils is capital much higher valued compared to work, which can make it a good deal for both capital and the poor, compared to their other options.   (As I'm starting at Palawan adding jobs there.)

Paul Harder wrote:

by all means, let's get together..

Well. What do you have in mind you can do?   
I suppouse you don't want to become worker in my business     the pay is low even when I pay them more than they are used to, and I have a Filipino busines partner allready, leading things in place.

But if you have some capital, I PERHAPS have some suiting ideas which can benifit both you and some poor.  (But my favorite ideas I will keep for myself   

coach53 wrote:

But if you have some capital, I PERHAPS have some suiting ideas which can benifit both you and some poor.  (But my favorite ideas I will keep for myself.

Am I reading this correctly, your favorite ideas you will keep to yourself, but if the the OP has some capital, you have ideas that can benefit him and others.

Very generous offer Hahahahaha

My Uncle who had several business failures but always had money. He instilled in me, never have partners,  you don't want to go broke on their ideas, if you go broke, do it by your own mistakes.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

coach53 wrote:

But if you have some capital, I PERHAPS have some suiting ideas which can benifit both you and some poor.  (But my favorite ideas I will keep for myself.

Am I reading this correctly, your favorite ideas you will keep to yourself, but if the the OP has some capital, you have ideas that can benefit him and others.

Very generous offer Hahahahaha

Well. I will not tell the business ideas, which I have spend several years researchng and I'm starting now (one) and what I plan to start if I get there. That would be stupid to tell so others can start even before I can start, geting competors geting advantage over me with MY idea. Telling that would be showing bad business mind, and if someone else in such situation would tell, it would see that as bad busines mind, so I wouldn't trust his conclusions of what is good business ideas...        
With EXCEPTION of when it wouldn't make any important competition situation by geting a few more.  One such idea I told allready  =Harvest sharing.    I will probably do some such myselff temporary if I have money which I don't need in some months before I will use it for next own project. 
And perhaps there can be some more if they are started enough away from where I start, that's why I wrote "perhaps" in my earlier post   

Enzyte Bob wrote:

My Uncle who had several business failures but always had money.

How having money allways if having several business failures??? Was he scammer? 

Enzyte Bob wrote:

He instilled in me, never have partners,  you don't want to go broke on their ideas, if you go broke, do it by your own mistakes.

Actualy I have never failed at my ideas when I had the power  (except if counting when I did small "test starts" of something never done ass far as I knew, then I did spending just what a market research would have costed. If bad then just lost what a market research would have cost, but if good then part of start were done allready.)
But there have been failures when I have had business partners voting me down, so normaly I don't like business partners      (Except when it's cooperating whan each have OWN business, so theothers can'tscrew up my business so much.)
In Phils I have to make exception from that "Never again a partner" in same business rule by except for "export businesses" foreiigners have to have Filipino business partner.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

if you go broke, do it by your own mistakes.

Well.  I prefer to avoid that by learning from mistakes made by others   
although when it's ideas not known if ever done before,  then I made "test starts" .
E g some of my ideas the world didn't seem to be ready for      when I made "test starts"
and one idea, which I started, was "to good" so it was stoped fast     (=Send letters from abroad by the stamps to Sweden were cheaper there than Sweden to Sweden. Plus cheaper costs for printing and handling in the low salary country.  And only one day extra total distribution time. As it was from e g Estonia when I started such 30 yeears ago.) Not a failure by I didn't lose any money, but a missed success by it was stoped before it became a success   

Hi everyone, my name is Phillip and my wife is Lorna. Lorna is a Filipino dual citizen and we currently live in Iowa USA. For me I was born in Virginia, raised in very rural upstate New York, joined the Marine Corps, then through a series of events both good and bad ended up here in Iowa. I am currently a production supervisor at a meat slicing plant that slices meat for such companies as Subway, Walmart, Aldis, and Kroger.

Lorna was raised in Casile Dauin, left to work in Hong Kong and Singapore, finally ending up in this small town in Iowa where we met 7 years ago, and have been married for 4 years now. One stipulation I had before we got married was I had to visit the Philippines, because she wants to retire there, and I wanted to make sure I was going to like it. Needless to say I liked it.

Lorna had built a house in Casile while working in Hong Kong and Singapore. It was on her dad's land, and she shares the land with her siblings. She also bought a piece of land in Tubod Bacong from her mom and this is where we have been building our house together and where we will retire.

I am currently 53 and Lorna is 49, and we plan on retiring when I am 60. We don't want to rot our lives away working, already years of working have wrecked toil on our bodies. We aren't rich, but money can't buy happiness. It will require careful planning and budget living, but we should easily have the 60-70k pesos a month I have read we will need, especially because we have our own place and will not have to pay rent. We have bought a couple adjoining pieces of land adjacent to our land in Tubod Bacong and expanded the fence around it. About the only thing left for us to build is a pool and my mancave.This building will have my library, pool table, and dart board along with hopefully a TV and small wet bar.

If anyone enjoys reading like I do, I will have a small library of mystery books. Right now I have 925 books from various authors, both hard and soft covers. They are all second hand books, bought at auctions, yard sales, Goodwill, and many from our city library sales.I also have 2000 book in ebook format, but I much prefer holding an actual book in my hand. I will continue to try and round out my physical book collection so I have as complete author series as I can, but am realistic enough to know it will never truly happen. Thank God for Atlas Shipping, $75 a box ships a lot of books for me.

I guess that's all for now, this at least gives you an idea of who we are. I look forward to perusing the forum and learning from those fortunate enough to already be living life in the Philippines.

Welcome to the forum Phillip and Lorna, enjoy.

Cheers, Steve.

Hi All

My name is Matt, and I'm in the process of being transferred from our Johannesburg office to Manila (although I might have a brief secondment in Singapore first). I'm heading over on an open ended contract, but I'll probably be in the Philippines for 2-4 years.

Came here looking for some advice on renting, cars/transports, sports/fitness activities, general cost of living etc.

And if there are any other South Africans here I'd love to know what your experience has been here!

Cheers
Matt

Welcome Philip and Lorna!

You can start a library with that many books, haha, Sounds like you have a great plan. Keep in mind inflation is higher in the Philippines so that 60-70k will be at least 80k by the time you retire.

Welcome Matt from South Africa!  Glad to have you onboard. 

Any questions, post them up in the general section of the forum. I see you posted regarding the need for a car already, some good answers. Manila is extremely congested. I would live withing walking distance of your work location if possible. If not, then scooter/motorbike.

Bazatt wrote:

My name is Matt, and I'm in the process of being transferred from our Johannesburg office to Manila (although I might have a brief secondment in Singapore first).

Will you get in?  If so - How?

The Philippines opeened for  SIRV  (=Investors VISA) last november but have stoped that possibility.
Plan was to "send" in February one from Sweden to check my business and show them in place a part, which is some hard to show at distance, but we had to cancel that.

Thanks. We will actually have around 100K without touching the IRA or 401K.  Once Lorna gets to SSI age, we will add another 50k. The first few years will be rougher while I wait for the age of 62 to roll around, but it is good. We own our own place, will have all the improvements we want in place before we retire. There are always a couple surprises, but we expect that.

coach53 wrote:

Will you get in?  If so - How?

The Philippines opeened for  SIRV  (=Investors VISA) last november but have stoped that possibility.
Plan was to "send" in February one from Sweden to check my business and show them in place a part, which is some hard to show at distance, but we had to cancel that.

So I'm busy getting a Pre-Arranged Employment Visa (9G) but I have no idea how long the process is going to be, local HR and a visa consultancy are handling all of the details, I just get sent forms to sign.

The general feeling is that this won't be a quick process which is why I'm probably going to be waiting it out in Singapore until everything has cleared. I'll be working with the Philippine office from our Singapore offices until I am able to get in country which will be much easier than doing so from Johannesburg given the time differences.

Bazatt wrote:

coach53 wrote:

Will you get in?  If so - How?

The Philippines opeened for  SIRV  (=Investors VISA) last november but have stoped that possibility.
Plan was to "send" in February one from Sweden to check my business and show them in place a part, which is some hard to show at distance, but we had to cancel that.

So I'm busy getting a Pre-Arranged Employment Visa (9G) but I have no idea how long the process is going to be, local HR and a visa consultancy are handling all of the details, I just get sent forms to sign.

The general feeling is that this won't be a quick process which is why I'm probably going to be waiting it out in Singapore until everything has cleared. I'll be working with the Philippine office from our Singapore offices until I am able to get in country which will be much easier than doing so from Johannesburg given the time differences.

Phils has closed for investors, which they opened in november, so it's some odd if Phils let employees in but noot investors...   Perhaps I can get in by my business partner employ me 

Bazatt wrote:

The general feeling is that this won't be a quick process which is why I'm probably going to be waiting it out in Singapore until everything has cleared.

Haha life is rough! Envious here. I love Singapore.

Enjoy it. Hopefully the per diem is commensurate.

Welcome to the forum Limnonerd, glad to have you. I'm sure you have lots of insights to share based on your previous experiences here. Feel free to post at will, haha.

Welcome to the forum Limnonerd
...looks like you've been around the block a few times.
Maybe we all can learn a lot more from your insights.
As for me I'm trapped here too, but now it seems like i'm in no hurry to leave either.

I am a SINGLE retired American male English teacher 17 years teaching experience and currently living in Baguio City N.Luzon since 2012.Wanting to make friends,acquaintances.

Welcome on board

Hello, My Husband, Mike and myself are planning to retire to Cebu. We would love to move earlier then retirement but with your help maybe you can tell us what is expected of us to stay in the Philipines... do you need to bring over a certain amount of money? How do you become a permanent resident?

Ruth Mincer Callaway wrote:

Hello, My Husband, Mike and myself are planning to retire to Cebu. We would love to move earlier then retirement but with your help maybe you can tell us what is expected of us to stay in the Philipines... do you need to bring over a certain amount of money?

Depend of what you aim at.
Now I'm talking about WHEN it become possible to get into the Philippines again and IF rules will be similar then as before covid. 
Here are the main:
/SRRV  ="Retirement VISA).  They have announced chamge. Perhaps only concerning work permit because that was the abuse they noticed.  If so - two common was minimum 10 000 USD deposit if having retirememt pay, 20 000 USD deposit if not geting.  BUT these can be used e g to buy a condo. There are somewith lower too, Ibelieve only availble for Americans.
/ISRRV  =Investors VISA.".  I believe this will be available FIRST because they openedfor such last november bit closed when it became worse mutations  of covid.    Minimum 75 000 USD to be invested.
/TOURIST Visa.   Many live long time with such. Low amount to enter but cost more in the long run and more inconvinient. Need to leave Phils within 2-3 yeeas but that can be just a short travel abroad and back a day later, then the max stay time start counted from zero again.

Ruth Mincer Callaway wrote:

How do you become a permanent resident?

I have forgot     but I believe it include a test which can be done in English.

Welcome on board

Thank you

Thank you kindly for the information. Looking forward to it opening back up

Hello I am a "returning newbie" I don't know if that counts for much.
respectfully Andi

Welcome back Andi, returning to the forum or the Philippines?

Regardless, enjoy.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl wrote:

Welcome back Andi, returning to the forum or the Philippines?

Regardless, enjoy.

Cheers, Steve.

Thanks you Steve
I've been here in Cebu a long time , just looking back into the forums again

Hello, I'm Carl Isom an expat retiree from Washington State. My wife and I moved to Angeles City in December 2020 to be near her family.

I was stationed at Clark from Nov. 1983 to May 1985. That's where I met my wife. She has put up with me for 36 years. We got to Clark on Christmas Eve day and went into quarantine. We were pleasantly surprised when we were told at 3 p.m. on Christmas day we had been released from quarantine. BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT I EVER GOT!

Why did I choose to retire in the Philippines? Multiple reasons.
1. The people are much friendlier here than in the states. We've been here 4 months and our neighbors already know our names. They wave and greet us EVERYTIME they see us outside of our yard.

2. Living in Pampanga, the local food is the best of anywhere I've been in the Philippines.

3. San Miguel! Need I say more?

4. Lower cost of living than in the Seattle suburbs by about 35%. Here we don't have a car payment so we save about $350 a month on that. Plus our home is paid for, NO MORTGAGE, YEAH!!! We save about     $1,700 a month on that.

5. Healthcare costs about 60% less in the Philippines than stateside and many of the doctors were educated in America. Here the doctor actually listens when they ask you questions. You don't get rushed out the door after 15 minutes. They actually CARE about your health.

Thank you can’t wait to get there