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Where is the best place to live in the Philippines

bmasters150665
I have been living in Thailand for the past 17 years and getting really sick of it so I'm thinking of moving over there any help places that have a great vibe and plenty to do without the poverty

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Coz Huang
@bmasters150665
BGC-city life (condo)
Alabang Town center area-mid level city life (house and condo)
coach53
Well. There are posh guarded subdivisions in Manila where some rich CRAP people live   :)
And some condo complexes.

BUT much better vibes among e g poor tribe people at Palawan   :)
And there are much to do too, because e g there is a big need of adding jobs there   :)
As an American do there and he say its the safest and best place he has ever lived. I have started some too there recently.  In difference from many people elsewhere, who dont even say "Thank you", these tribe people are used to be abused by Filipinos and mining companies and they are very greatful for even small opportunities they get and they work much better too if geting the chance.  Well two in "my" team prefer to take some more breaks and earn some less than the others   :)  but they are honest about it and when they work they make good quality.
When the business start earning, we think of sponsor something as perhaps basketball teams for kids, not decided what yet.    ((One of the sports I have been playing coach at in Sweden is basketball.))
And I have some plans adding a fiesta there similar to Swedish Midsummer  - the family DAY part   :)

I dont understand people who have problem to find something to do undepending where living.  People with such problems I tell they can get some of my hobbies   :)     (Before I got injuried I countied even all hours wouldnt be enough for only my hobbies even if I would skip sleeping. (But I have some less I can do now, because of a sports injury. Otherwice I wouldnt have time to be in this forum   :)
Enzyte Bob
coach53 said:  There are posh guarded subdivisions in Manila where some rich CRAP people live   smile.png
Well coach, I've replied to you, post #77,  under: New Members of the Philippines Introduce Yourself Here-2022.

WHAT SAY YOU?
coach53
coach53 said:  There are posh guarded subdivisions in Manila where some rich CRAP people live   smile.png
Well coach, I've replied to you, post #77,  under: New Members of the Philippines Introduce Yourself Here-2022.

WHAT SAY YOU?
- @Enzyte Bob

I have answered every BS post I have seen from you    :)

while you - but mainly Lotus Eater - have never answered when I have asked for FACTS of what you claim I am wrong about,  only got BS answers...  :)

tpiro
OMG... guys really... sa ?   We are in this together and no need to start BS sessions for others to read.  Gives us a bad wrap.. so let's be nice and help one another.

Be safe and be friendly..   Tony in Cebu Mactan Is.
mahi948
@bmasters150665  in my opinion most Philippine city's are a mess when it comes to infrastructure .
I like the smaller less populated areas .
But then they can lack products and if your single might lack the night life ,social interaction with people.   
I thought ,siguijor was nice  kinda small . But decent .
I Iike Santa Fe ( bring your own girl)   bohol is ok to visit .I wouldn't want to live there .
Cebu city is congested . Polluted shit hole but lots of places to go as far as eats and bars and girlies gallore .
It depends on what life stxle you like .
Cherryann01
@mahi948 Yeh I would agree with that. I think the important thing is decide what is important to you, maybe make a list of what is most important running down to what is least important and go from there. So for me, coming from England, a cooler climate is up near the top of my list.

Most things though you will be able to do little or nothing about, People on this forum have pointed out to me that a move to the Philippines is a trade off, better weather, a cheaper lifestyle, etc against the noise, pollution, litter and missing little home comforts. Many people have told me you get used to the conditions over there in time and if they have, I am sure  I can do the same.

I intend to visit, not just to see my beautiful girlfriend and daughter but also to see new places, maybe meet a few expats. go for a beer or meal and get some first hand info.

Dumaguete seems a popular choice and I intend to visit there to take a look around. Davao I liked when I visited also.
Cheryl
Hello everyone,

Please note that some off-topic posts have been deleted from this thread.

It would be nice if you could all stick to the topic.

Cheers,

Cheryl
Expat.com team
sekmet
What's an example of an off topic post?
pnwcyclist
posts not related at all to the topic of the thread, which in this case is ‘ best places to live in the Philippines’.
Cherryann01

@sekmet I see you are from Baguio so please could you tell me a little about the place? I know it is a cooler climate there but due to reading a comment about mud slides there, I am a little concerned. I am just trying to get an idea of where would be a suitable place for me to retire in the Philippines.

coach53
@bmasters150665
I like the smaller less populated areas .
But then they can lack products and if your single might lack the night life ,social interaction with people.   
Well. There are much better interaction places than common nightlife places  :)
I find most Filipinos easy to get contact with "anywhere" (them I want to)  although some can be shy having low self asteem.
I thought ,siguijor was nice  kinda small . But decent .
I Iike Santa Fe ( bring your own girl)   bohol is ok to visit .I wouldn't want to live there .
- @mahi948r
Which part of Bohol? There is a huge difference between southwest "tourist" and northeast halves (with the border just northeast of Chocholate Hills). My favorite place in whole Philippines was a lake lookalike dam there in northeast  - until an earthquake made big potholes at Bohol , then earthquake free Palawan became my favorite  (rural parts not disturbed by tourists nor mines.)
mahi948
@Cherryann01  I have been to dumigete . It has some modern amenities as in Philippines chain restaurants and other independent ones . 
.but I thought it was overpriced due to alot of foreigners 
Heavy traffic in town .no beach if you want that .
  We spent a week there and wasn't to my liking . It's over hyped in my opinion.
  But each to thier own
Visiting different places can be interesting..
mahi948
@coach53 ande beach was beautiful .  North and on the east side ..very quite though .. the local residents where not as friendly as people in Cebu though . probably just a shy since it's on the isloted side .
Pangloa was ok  .   The interior has natural attractions like the chocolate hills . Crazy high zip.lines  and several  water falls .
It's a nice place to visit .we stayed in tagbilsran for a month and traveled around from there in 2017
Cherryann01
@mahi948 Thank you for the information. My girlfriend and daughter currently live in Manticao so the first thing I would have to do is convince them to move but that is a long way off yet. The main problem I have with Mindanao is that the British Foreign Office have a warning against travel to most of the Island, some for all travel and some for all but essential travel. I have a nineteen year old daughter here in England and would be worried about her visiting me there.

Time is on my side hopefully so I will just have to explore more options.


kristopherryanwatson

@bmasters150665

At the end of the day, This is a rather subjective question.

Anywhere just outside of Metro Manila is great.  Pampanga...Clark....or even in the Rizal mountain territory, Antipolo City.

Cebu and Davao are also beautiful cities as they offer a lot as Manila does but certainly not on the same grand scale. if you like small cities, such would be great locales to look into.

bmasters150665
5hank you to everyone that helped answer my questions here, I'm pretty simple must have a nice beach with some bars or restaurants to have a cold beer at the end of the day also not interested in the bar girl scene hab enough over here but would like to know if there's any good Internet site to meet nice girls not bargirls if anyone knows, I think that Davo, Palawan, Dugmenti and Boracay might be what I'm looking for but anymore help would be much appreciated guys
mahi948
@Cherryann01 it's the south west side that muslims kidnap AND decapitat the victims when ransoms are not met.
Still going to Mindanao from cebu your luggage is checked like your a potential terrorist .
Because of the muslims actions in Mindanao .
  In 2017 .when dumb tourists stopped going there. The muslims went to bohal by banca to look for victims .but where spotted by locals .....fire fight . Dead people.
Pass on any where close to Muslim town
Cherryann01
@mahi948 I feel much better knowing I may be decapitated but what I find strange is reading online that Davao was voted one of the safest cities in South East Asia a few years ago.

I will stay away from the area you mentioned.
mahi948
@Cherryann01 Davao is on the south EAST side .I have never been there . But the east side is said to be safe..er
There was one wack adoodle in 2017 I think that bombed in Davao
He was caught .
Mindanoa seems to be cheaper for property and rent and is called the fruit capital of the Philippines .
Cherryann01
@mahi948 Yeh my girlfriend comes from Manticao, so according to British Foreign Office Travel Advise - advise against all but essential travel. The area you pointed out is coloured in Red, advise against all travel to that area.

However since we had a bombing in the Manchester Arena (Manchester, UK) also in 2017, it seems a little harsh to justify warning against travel to Davao.
bmasters150665

@mahi948 this is not the information that I'm looking for I already know about the Muslim problems and not interested in your blar blar blar I was asking for help in locating the best place to live in there with what I'm looking for

coach53
@mahi948 I feel much better knowing I may be decapitated but what I find strange is reading online that Davao was voted one of the safest cities in South East Asia a few years ago.
- @Cherryann01

Davao CITY had became safe by back when President Duterte was mayor there, he had killed or scared away all criminals  :)
(The only dangerous I know of happened in the city back during that period was a police (during not working) acted maniac.)

But RURAL outside Davao city it was some dangerous back then too.
sekmet
@Cherryann01 I think you need to determine your must haves and your budget. Higher elevations are going to be cooler, but a beach town will have a nice breeze.

The more expats the more foreign goods in local stores, if that's important to you.
You can compare costs at numbeo.com

Never buy, always rent. Most condos have security.  Some subdivisions have security.

For a newcomer, I'd suggest dumaguete, davao, BGC, or Clark Freeport area
sekmet
@bmasters150665

LA Union
Cherryann01
@sekmet Thank you for that, that is what I am trying to do, just way up what I value most.
The two D's keep coming up though, Davao & Dumaguete.
kristopherryanwatson
@sekmet

Screw BGC. it's a beautiful place to visit with friends for the night life once in a while, but it's expensive, over populated and congested -  the least attractive offering for accommodations to live....no different than that of Makati.

The only difference is that it was designed to make you think you were living in a north american city.
Aeta Tribe

@sekmet I agree. Peaceful and clean.

Lotus Eater
@sekmet

Screw BGC. it's a beautiful place to visit with friends for the night life once in a while, but it's expensive, over populated and congested -  the least attractive offering for accommodations to live....no different than that of Makati.

The only difference is that it was designed to make you think you were living in a north american city.
- @kristopherryanwatson

Agreed. A succinct and accurate summation
kristopherryanwatson

@Lotus Eater

It's a beautiful place to visit and enjoy its nightlife and restos. a terrible place to live!

thedfords
No useful information in this post.  I thought it might provide some useful information.
kristopherryanwatson

@thedfords

well.... Surprise !

coach53
No useful information in this post.  I thought it might provide some useful information.
- @thedfords
Well. The topic starter got some suggestions but no details.
He want kind of opposite to what I like   :)   so I couldnt give him any info in his taste wanting to avoid poverty, as I have given - long :)  - answers to them, who want something else than him.

And there are other topics some similar - except the no poverty part - so perhaps them knowing such didnt wanted to answer again.
manwonder

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou … LWnXRD2p3F


Talking about safe??
I'm sure you would know by now that Davao is ranked as the 4th safest city in the world & not just in Asia.
I hope we expats do our part to keep it that way.

1f60e.svg
temploni
@Cherryann01 it is the areas of Mindanao like Sulu and maguindanao in the muslim areas that can be unsafe.
I've lived in Mindanao for 11 years. Travelled all the northern part of Mindanao ,central Bukidnon and down to Davao. Used private vehicles and local bus service and never had and problems.
PhilRes
where have you been living in Thailand to be getting sick of it and are you looking for a beach life / city life, etc?  Need to be employed & at what rate? Just too broad a question to be that helpful.
Lotus Eater

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou … LWnXRD2p3F


Talking about safe??
I'm sure you would know by now that Davao is ranked as the 4th safest city in the world & not just in Asia.
I hope we expats do our part to keep it that way.

1f60e.svg
- @manwonder


How does the saying go?: 'Lies, damned lies and statistics'  1f914.svg
Guest8754
@Cherryann01 We're living stateside now bu thinking seriously of returning...

Mindanao is bad news.  My Lady us from CDO.  Hate hate hate.  You turn and see a MURDEROUS stare...

We thought Sipilay was heaven AT FIRST.  Turned out the local expats were interstellar ass holes...

Frankly, Cebu was the best place we were.  But that (!)ING TRAFFIC!  I'm sure I'd be dead now if we stayed there - heart attack express - all ABOARD!

Dumaguete sucked - plain and simple.  There were some greman guys that were bullying everybody on 'the strip' while we were there.  The locals didn't like it...  We weren't there long!

On panay island we found Iloilo - a big and very rich city.  It was pricy.  We went all the way around.  Sna Jose de Buenavista is on the water and nice, in an interesting area, too.  Anitki, As I remember.  But there literally were no canos...  and in Roxas City, also very nice, there were even fewer.

Some have asked - what do you want?  Just to live out the remainder of my life IN PEACE and not be bored to death, in the process. 

So I add my voice to the question, 'where should we go?'

We could always stick around here and wait for the nukes to fall...
Arch Ian Jay
Guimaras Island is a quiet place to be. You have mountain areas with great beach areas. Disadvantage would be, few foreigners who stay. Most are for visit.

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