The driving force of your expatriation in the Philippines

I am Scottish originally, I lived in Hong Kong and had a business there. I visited the Philippines many times on Business and I liked the people, the weather and the whole experience. Which is why when I retired I chose to move to, and live in the Philippines. I have a Filipina wife that I met here and have NO regrets about my decision. I have been to over 40 countries in my life, on both business and travel, and I am very happy living here.

As 19yo I got angry at the Swedish Tax office. I had a business (since high school) which had some profit, but they didnt let me deduct the material costs for a prototype I had made of a invention/construction, which could be used to show possible customers too.  (It was an alarm in frontline back then for common villa price level use, but very unmodern now many years later
That made I decided
-By they didnt let me deduct, then I will not make them get any tax income by it neither   
Its still in my storage     as well as all my other invention ideas, I never made any commersial use of any of them because of that stupid Swedish tax law..
That made me also thought seriously at emigrating to Australia or Canada, but during research period,  I got a serious sports injury, which took some years to finnish the surgeries and rehab. During that period, when I ciouldnt move more than minimum, I did spend much time studying Swedish tax laws - and loopholes       which made I could tax much less when I started an other business in Sweden when I were 24yo.
Some later I found my dream home location and planned to stay there in Sweden for ever.

But later my old sports injuries started to get problem by the cold weather in Sweden, so I started researching which warm country I want to move to.  I had predicted around 1995 "western" countries will get economic trends down and countries as e g SE Asia will get trend up (in comparings) because the rich countries cant go on having so big part of product production elsewhere than in home country.  (Shown e g at since then has USA got lowered credit classification.)
First I eliminated some countries and regions as candidates as I did with latin America, because I dont want to risk geting in danger drug cartel routes.
Some countries I eliminated of political reasons, I want a country where I can start business. 
Natural for Swedes is Thailand by good relations (with the old now dead king) and communications.  But after research I found Thailand isnt made for foreigners except short time tourists.  (Very inconvinient - or expensive - to get Visa to stay long time. And much restrictioins against against foreigners concerning land and business, so I started checking other countres.
By I like inland much better than beaches I went on checking mainland SE Asia.  Of course not Myanmar.  Both Cambodia and Laos still have danger rural by not exploded mines (Cambodia) and American bombs droped in Laos during VietNam war!  It seem VietNam has allowed more now, but not enough back when I started researching. 
So then there arent many alternatives left      so I started researching the Philippines and found there are foreigners allowed to do much more both concerning Visa options, land and business    But when I had decided to move to the Philippines my injury had got to much worse so I had even problem to move short distances in Sweden.  Then it got some better by I did move minimum, but idiot doctors havent done the missing part  (=surgery)     for me to manage to travel without geting to much worse.
This made I got much time to research and make plans.  When I noticed I will not get the needed surgery, I thought it would be wasted to not use any of my ready plans.

So now I have moved to the Philippines in my mind anyway      and started one of my business ideas in the Philippines.  (A business not so complicated to lead at distance.) I wouldnt have tried if I hadnt found a good business partner, which I did after years of searching.  Second business is started a bit too by "accident"  by I got some Business consulting requests.   (But my planned to be first to start business idea isnt started (yet) because its complicated, need testing in place to see IF my lower cost production method idea can make same top quality as the much more expensive method.  (It sure can make "ok" quality but I want to make top quality      Left to see if I will try to start that at distance anyway.  Perhaps I will want to gamble some trying anyway with future profits from the allready started.)

My motivation was pretty simple. After 35 years of enjoying our lives to the fullest (travel, dining out regularly, accumulating stuff), my wife and I were not in a position to enjoy our style of life in retirement in the US. We can do that easily in the Philippines, and PH was our primary choice because my wife has a large family here. We have been in our new home for 1-1/2 years and have settled in nicely. I'm pretty happy -- lots of ex-pat friends and their filipina significant others, golfing a couple of times a week on a really nice course (Pueblo de Oro), lots of good places to eat and drink including a regular hang-out owned by an Australian. The only stress, and the only thing that I can foresee pushing us to move, is the needless stress my wife feels with her family. I think they're all great, and they are great to me. The only thing missing, of course, is the travel. Once we can do that easily, life should be close to perfect.

Im an American. I am adventurous by nature. I want some new scenery a change of pace a cheaper cost of living and ill be honest The beautiful woman in the Philippines is definitely a huge plus 😎😎

All well and good my friend.. and the best of luck to you.  Filipino people are proud people..  just don't be a chickbóy over there.. they do not take a liking to that.  Thought I'd give you that heads-up.

Why did I decided to live in the Philippines, hummm. To explain this I have to relate an incident that happened to me back in 2006 in India. My Filipina girl friend and I were trekking in the Himalayas near Srinagar. We had some guides and things were moving along but we did not climb as quickly as the guides, so we were still climbing after dark. They had not brought any torches so no light except for my flashlight. I was worn out but my GF was ok, 14 years younger than me, age do take a toll. Anyway I got to a place and just sat down, the lead guide, the that spoke English, came back to check on me. Not wanting to hold everyone up I told him to just go on and I would catch up. He looked at me a little worried and said. Sir, you can not wait here the lions will get you. I looked at him a few minutes and then it really hit me; I'm so used to living in the USA where you can get a helicopter or a rescue team within a few hours and this was not the USA. Those preconceived indoctrinated notions about the realities of life had totally messed me up. Actually the Filipina GF took change then, she took the flashlight and walked head with one of the guides and showed the way and kept doing this until the guides from the camp came down with some torches. I realized that I wanted to live where I did not have the security of western society, I wanted to feel alive and not coddled. I also learned that I needed to make my GF my wife, she was a keeper for sure. So the Philippines because it fits the above needs for me and it's where my wife is from.

Thanks for sharing Michael... great story.

Let me add my part, firstly I am a South African, I left South Africa in 2004 to start an expat journey in Saudi Arabia. Although South Africa is a beautiful country, maybe some members have been there, unfortunately over the last few years the country has been on a downward spiral of crime and corruption and to be honest I will no longer feel safe there, hence no pan to go back. After Saudi moved to Bahrain and then Dubai. I met my wife in Dubai 10 years ago, she was working as a PA with one company I was dealing with. That time she was just my GF, then I had to move to Australia and we both thought that this will be a test of the relationship as she did not join me. After 4 years I came back to Dubai and we happily got together again, eventually tied the knot in Tagatay. I have been to the Philippines many times for holiday and work, attended my wife's family reunions three times at different resorts, which is a big thing for them as they are quite big a family. She had bought a piece of land years ago and we decided to built our house which is completed now. To be honest I really enjoy the Philippines and people, here in the Middle East you can imagine there are thousands all over, mostly in the F&B business, hospitals and house maids. I cannot say I enjoy all the Pilipino food, it is sometimes overcooked and lack taste, that is why we are creative and mixing cultures in food, I also enjoy cooking. I am also a keen biker and there are beautiful roads to and scenery to ride a bike especially towards the North. Challenge and frustration sometimes is the traffic and tricycle's as they do not move out of the way on the road so the trip from Manila to Lopez is only 370 Km's but can take you 6 hours to drive. Besides that, if you want a simple life the province is the place, and as many said before just keep a low profile and accept that things move slow, you have to wait in cues, the imported food is in the big cities which again is ok because it becomes a family trip and we make fun of the trip. So conclusion, I love the Philippines, wife's family has also welcomed me as part of the family, they are not draining on my finances as others have experienced, so I am lucky to have my wife and family. We are still in Dubai and moving in June to PH to retire and start a sideline business, already done the risk analysis, it is more like hobby than a real business. Anyway good luck to all who are in the Philippines or those who want to move there, it is a great place with great people.

Beach and babes (something about the mix of oriental, polynesian and hispanic features that just gets me).

Oh and the 2 predominant religions there -- Christianity and Basketball. 

G'day, I'm headed to the Philippines for my third visit late May (Australian) for 59 days. After much research, I have chosen CDO as my destination to seriously start looking for my perfect match. Hopefully, I will find a woman suitable for a long-term relationship, and possibly marriage after subsequent visits. I'll try and find the Australian pub, and visit the Country Club. Perhaps our paths will cross...

I’m from USA working in UAE ( Abu Dhabi) and met a girl here from Davao. So we are going to go visit In March so I can see what it’s like. My biggest concern is getting my social security check to me in PI. That and what kind of cold beer they have. So I’ll be there March 15 for three weeks and meet her family. In August I’ll retire somewhere -maybe Alaska maybe PI? Maybe back to Texas?
What about bacon? I miss bacon here in the UAE?

G'day. The beer is cheap, and pretty good. Finding good bacon, a little more difficult... I love the Philippines, but after a couple of months, I need a break, and head back to the Sunshine Coast. The noise and pollution finally wears me down. My plan is to find a keeper, date her on two monthly visits for awhile,  perhaps marry in a year or two, and travel between the two countries. It's only an 8 hour flight to Manila. I hope everything works out for you, whatever your decision. Cheers, James

Daytripper wrote:

The noise and pollution finally wears me down.

Why do you go to the noicy polluted places then???   

There are a lot places opposite to that e g at Palawan.

If you find rural Palawan to much calm      you can try IloIlo region.  I havent been there, but several foreigners say peopke there are calm not loud, and Filipinos I know from there are much calmer low nice than e g Cebu city and CDO people. 
I had videocall to CDO once. The room behind was full with people SHOUTING to each other!!! The only quiet ones were the small kids!  Perhaps they had given  up trying to shout louder than the grown ups   

coach53 wrote:

Daytripper wrote:

The noise and pollution finally wears me down.

Why do you go to the noicy polluted places then???   

There are a lot places opposite to that e g at Palawan.

If you find rural Palawan to much calm      you can try IloIlo region.  I havent been there, but several foreigners say peopke there are calm not loud, and Filipinos I know from there are much calmer low nice than e g Cebu city and CDO people. 
I had videocall to CDO once. The room behind was full with people SHOUTING to each other!!! The only quiet ones were the small kids!  Perhaps they had given  up trying to shout louder than the grown ups   

I love both countries, planned my retirement prudently, and am able to afford splitting the time between countries. In case you haven't heard, we have some nice beaches in Australia also. 'Google' Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and you'll understand why I love it here. And, there's this place called the 'Great Barrier Reef' just north of where I live.

Daytripper wrote:

[
I love both countries, planned my retirement prudently, and am able to afford splitting the time between countries. In case you haven't heard, we have some nice beaches in Australia also. 'Google' Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and you'll understand why I love it here. And, there's this place called the 'Great Barrier Reef' just north of where I live.

Actualy when I were around 20yo, when  I got angry at stupid Swedish tax laws  (about inventions) then I though seriously of emigrating to Australia 

But that dont answer why you chose noicy polluted places in the Philippines when there are many places in the Philippines without these problems   

Hey dude, you know bacon is thin sliced pork belly. Lots of pork belly here...

I certainly wouldn’t consider retiring in Alaska. I live in Alaska and was born here. Own a home in Argao PI. The Alaskan winters are brutal esp for older people.  Nice place to be in the summer but the rest of the year not so much especially if on a fixed income. Very expensive here.  Consider the PI you’re money will go much further and the climate is easier on your aging body. Lol!

My main driving force is economics.

Morgacj2004 wrote:

I certainly wouldn’t consider retiring in Alaska.

I heard that, I had several assignments in Alaska. My last assignment before retiring was on the North Slope, about 60 miles from Dead Horse, a 52 acre pad at a place called Point Thomson. Nine months of winter and 3 months of bad weather. If it ever gets up to 50 F the arctic mosquitoes eat you alive. I did have some better assignments down in Kenai but the winters in Delaware were too cold for me.

Why I moved to the Philippines. My wife and I were living in rural Georgia and her parents were visiting on a tourist visa. I was retired but a metal building business and 4 rental properties kept me busy. One day my mother in law said "you should build a house in the Philippines" and I guess she said it in such a way that I thought about it for 10 seconds and said to myself "why not?" I talked it over with my wife but she wanted to keep our house in Georgia. I told her the only way I would do it is if we sold everything and moved to the Philippines permanently. She finally said OK, but only if we can bring our little dog Tikla. So my wife, myself and Tikla are now in the eastern Visayas. Oh yeah, we're adopting a baby so there are 4 of us. I'm still busy working every day but the end is in sight.

We've been here 7 months now and we have put the finishing touches on the house we had built. We demolished her parents shack and my wife and I designed a nice 75 sq, mtr. bungalow and had the crew build it. My wife put the bungalow on TikTok and so far received 1.5 million views and countless compliments, mostly from Filipinos wishing they could also build such a house for their parents. We are almost finished our landscaping project which required over 100 dump truck loads of fill dirt. I designed a 4 meter by 8 meter swimming pool behind our house and had the crew build it. I'm just waiting for the cement to cure for a couple more weeks before painting and that will be done. You can see it in the first photo.

Our last project in the cottage by the pool. You can see the 4 columns on the left in the first photo which is the current progress of the cottage. The short column in the center is for the table. The parents bungalow is on the right. The second photo is what the cottage should look like when finished. We have grass growing on most of the property now but you can see it is bare dirt around the pool. The farmer who owns the cow pasture you see in the back gave us permission to dig up sod so the crew will do that and plant it checkerboard style like we did the rest of the property. It fills in quickly here.

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I met a lady. (It's always about a lady, isn't it?) 21 years ago I just got divorced in Australia, and sought to travel the world and see things that I never had occasion to before. It was by random chance I visited in 2001. The Philippines to me was so wild and exotic. At the time, the cities and towns in Cebu island were under-developed, with more motorbikes and tricycles than cars, and not too many high-rise buildings. The people were curious and parochial, in the sense they seemed to have a naïve view of foreigners, who were all called "Americanos" in spite of their origins. They asked inappropriately personal questions. In particular the prices were incredibly inexpensive, seriously. On the island beaches, so idyllic and postcard-like, I spent my time in boutique (cheap) resorts for about Php 500/night - the type with bamboo railings, uneven concrete paths and lizards on the ceiling, while I drank potent cocktails on a dime. It was a carefree time, and a time of healing. For those months, of course I missed my two kids in Australia, so traveled by tricycle to town emailing daily. There was no Wifi in the resort, with  internet only available in "cafes" in the town center, although one couldn't get a decent cup of coffee anywhere - unless you like Nescafe, but of course I didn't mind as the cocktails at my accommodation were better. I met Analiza, a young lady 18 years my junior,  waitressing in a Cebu city restaurant, who wasn't too much interested in me at first. With a little perseverance, and because she was so polite, we became "textmates" in the days of analogue mobile phones and "passalod". Does anyone recall sending credit by text so they could reply? She was perfect, like a doll, toned and brown, completely unaware of how beautiful she was. Sweet-natured and honest to a fault - and from the province, of course, I found her worldview refreshing. By that time I'd spent my divorce budget, so it was time to go back home to work, but we emailed for 3 years. She came to like me. Eventually we got married. What a curious thing the wedding was, with hundreds of relatives and rituals, and food that never ended. I paid of course. For a guy who has made quite a few mistakes in my time, that would have to be the best decision of my life - to this day. Analiza is a great friend and lover and companion, a blessing, nothing less. We have a mango farm and guest house in Bantayan Island, have two open-minded, well-travelled kids. I'd conclude my life is richer now by far, and the Filipinos surrounding me are filled with energy, and drama, which I enjoy. In my sphere, they're finically needy, which I need to moderate, but incredibly helpful and fun, so I gain more than I give. It's a real pain when someone in the family get's sick, because usually they don't have a budget for medical treatment, and there's no-one else to help out. I have a sense of responsibility and dread every time there's a problem, because often it results in a request for assistance. Like I said, I am richer for this life, and this wife, and wouldn't change much all.

Why I chose the Philippines? Cooler weather where I live and decent cost of living. Had 4 seasons all my life until settling in Baguio. Been to many cities in this country. They were just ok. All too HOT for me.I did like Puerto Princessa it cooled down just a bit in the evening. Have traveled all over Asia, Paris, Australia, and won't live anywhere else than here in Baguio. May do some more traveling to see the many islands here later. International travel is done! At least at this time.Too many restrictions! Too risky! May God bless the Philippines!

I went through a really rough time a few years back. I lost my daughter to cancer and it tore my family apart.  My wife and I got a divorce and I was dying from a deadly infection I got during an operation in a dirty hospital performed by an incompetent doctor. Five operations later and many months on IV antibiotics, a new doctor saved my life.  After recovering somewhat, I started dating.  But all the women I was meeting were psychos.  Then, one day I got a message from a beautiful Filipina lady.  We talked for a few weeks and I realized I would never meet another woman like this, especially in America.  So I booked a flight to the Philippines and asked her to marry me.

We have a house in the U.S. and in the Philippines.  We are currently in the U.S. because my step-daughter got into Juilliard.  But we will be moving to the Philippines as soon as she graduates.

I have never been happier.

I like your view of life, keep it up.

gsturdee wrote:

I met a lady. (It's always about a lady, isn't it?) 21 years ago I just got divorced in Australia, and sought to travel the world and see things that I never had occasion to before. It was by random chance I visited in 2001. The Philippines to me was so wild and exotic. At the time, the cities and towns in Cebu island were under-developed, with more motorbikes and tricycles than cars, and not too many high-rise buildings. The people were curious and parochial, in the sense they seemed to have a naïve view of foreigners, who were all called "Americanos" in spite of their origins. They asked inappropriately personal questions. In particular the prices were incredibly inexpensive, seriously. On the island beaches, so idyllic and postcard-like, I spent my time in boutique (cheap) resorts for about Php 500/night - the type with bamboo railings, uneven concrete paths and lizards on the ceiling, while I drank potent cocktails on a dime. It was a carefree time, and a time of healing. For those months, of course I missed my two kids in Australia, so traveled by tricycle to town emailing daily. There was no Wifi in the resort, with  internet only available in "cafes" in the town center, although one couldn't get a decent cup of coffee anywhere - unless you like Nescafe, but of course I didn't mind as the cocktails at my accommodation were better. I met Analiza, a young lady 18 years my junior,  waitressing in a Cebu city restaurant, who wasn't too much interested in me at first. With a little perseverance, and because she was so polite, we became "textmates" in the days of analogue mobile phones and "passalod". Does anyone recall sending credit by text so they could reply? She was perfect, like a doll, toned and brown, completely unaware of how beautiful she was. Sweet-natured and honest to a fault - and from the province, of course, I found her worldview refreshing. By that time I'd spent my divorce budget, so it was time to go back home to work, but we emailed for 3 years. She came to like me. Eventually we got married. What a curious thing the wedding was, with hundreds of relatives and rituals, and food that never ended. I paid of course. For a guy who has made quite a few mistakes in my time, that would have to be the best decision of my life - to this day. Analiza is a great friend and lover and companion, a blessing, nothing less. We have a mango farm and guest house in Bantayan Island, have two open-minded, well-travelled kids. I'd conclude my life is richer now by far, and the Filipinos surrounding me are filled with energy, and drama, which I enjoy. In my sphere, they're finically needy, which I need to moderate, but incredibly helpful and fun, so I gain more than I give. It's a real pain when someone in the family get's sick, because usually they don't have a budget for medical treatment, and there's no-one else to help out. I have a sense of responsibility and dread every time there's a problem, because often it results in a request for assistance. Like I said, I am richer for this life, and this wife, and wouldn't change much all.