About retiring in the Philippines

In the Philippines you may find lots of US citizens, thousands of Europeans, Australians and people from all around the world.
Who and why do people come to the Philippines ??
Most foreigners, most likely retired, receive a pension and spend their most beautiful years of their life here. For people in Europe or similar places life may be easy at home while working at full salary. Once retired from a job and living from your pension – all looks very much different. However with the low cost of living and high quality of social life among friends and native neighborhood – all retirees enjoy a life, a dozen times more pleasant than at home. With houses starting around 100 US $ a month, or even beach front – with average rentals about 150 – 200 US $ monthly – here is a place to enjoy the evening decades or years of your post working life.
If you are a publisher, author, painting artist, freelance writer or photographer you may also find opportunities to do your work here in peace and among a natural ( wild ) environment …
IT professionals may have all connectivity to do their work from here instead of out of your usual (stinking) city office in New York, Paris or London.
Many retirees start a new life, new partnership / relationship, new recreational activities like sailing, fishing, boating, surfing, windsurfing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, bowling, billiard, singing, music, …
Pioduran, Albay, BicolHow or what to do when you think “may be …” Philippines sounds good for me ?
Read also my previous post HERE
Many foreigners make a common mistake, they arrive here at one place and immediately settle down, renting houses – furnishing houses, creating new attachments before even knowing part of the country. Some of them even like to start a business the moment they arrive.

Imagine a country with some 7100 islands and islets – almost 1000 nautical miles north – to south … with some 90 Million population … of almost entirely smiling people welcoming YOU …
If you like to find YOUR place – take your time, arrive, stay in one of the many resorts, hotels or appartelles. Most offer monthly rates FAR below average daily rates – specially if you arrive during off-season – i.e. during summer months (summer = March-April). Fully furnished apartments, cottages or houses – even inside a well maintained Hotel Resort offering convenience, security and logistic that you may need or wish for an active life may cost as little as 200 – 500 US $ a month.
Hence the best is to arrive, stay in a secured place with all logistics needed to gather more information, meet other foreigners and Filipinos and go traveling every once in a while – here and there – north or south, beach front or mountains, remote islands or tourist areas, quiet places or 24 hrs happy active life, all is possible – and you may love to see how or where you feel most happy and most comfortable.
Generally in all remote areas or islands you may encounter many locations without electricity – some hours of generator each day and the rest quietness and nature. But even in major cities such as Angeles city, Metro Manila or Baguio city brown outs and power failure lasting hours, half nights or all nights may occur frequently. In metro Manila less – but all other major cities I seldom spend a few days without one or several many hours lasting power failures !!
Hotels and all important larger business facilities usually are prepared with a generator that starts within minutes.

Sunset from our balconyBut .. just to keep you open and ready for the upcoming adventure into the Philippines …: If you are married to a (former) Filipino citizen You will automatically receive a 1 year “balikbayan” visa upon arrival at the airport.
If you are not: Most nationalities require no visa for entry as tourists. Most retirees are here on a tourist visa. You may want to check with the Philippine embassy in your country – but for most (all ?) Europeans, and US / Canadian / Australian / New Zealand citizens arrival with a valid passport is enough and you receive a 21 days visa free of charge at the airport.
Then during this 21 days – usually with the help of your Hotel / Resort – you easily extend to a full 59 days (from actual arrival) and after this first 59 days – tourist visa usually is 60 days at a time. Each such extension is approximately 40 – 60 US $ depending on what extension – 1st or 2nd or later each has a different price ….
You apply for visa extensions or similar procedures such as exit clearance at any immigration office in the Philippines – where ever you live ! Thousands of travel agencies country wide offer visa assistance – meaning THEY do all the work or waiting for you for a very nominal fee within a very few days – usually 3 or so working days.
Give yourself another chance in life - give your life another new content - start being happy after years or decades of most heavy work !! Learn to take care of your heart and soul – learn to smile and to love and be happy … many places to do so – here in the Philippines is one of the most beautiful to learn and enjoy the art of life !
Always remember that:
Retiring in the Philippines is a huge step and not one you should take lightly. It’s great to have a nice holiday and think: “Hey, I would love to live here”, but it’s another thing to actually live here and enjoy your retirement in the Philippines. Like everything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages on things and decisions you have to make. Retiring (read: living) in the Philippines is exactly the same.

There are a lot of publications on moving to and retiring in the Philippines and most tend to gloss over the reality of retirement in the Philippines. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is another US state or European country, because it is not. Make sure you have enough money to get you by, because once it runs out you will be hard pressed to get a job locally, especially when the going wages are less than $ 5 per day! So bottom line here is, don?t run out of money. Aside from that, without a permanent resident visa you will never get a working permit, unless a company who wants to hire you is assuring the gouvernment that the job cannot be done by a Filipino.

Infrastructure issues
You must not forget that the Philippines is a third world country and the infrastructure is nowhere near as efficient or dependable as you are used to have in your home country.
Now, talking about infrastructure I’m referring to transportation, public utilities like electricity and water, telephone, internet and mobile phone reception and access, and not to forget the postal service. While all is widely available in the Philippines it does not always function consistently and in a manner you’re used to.
It is not unusual to have regular brown-outs or black-outs (power interruption), if you find it a problem: you have to get yourself a generator.
Public transport leaves and arrives when it does, no use trying to understand why, that’s just what happens.
The highways are not like the motorways back home and fitting two cars into one lane is..? normal. Also bicycles, tricycles and pedestrians are using the so called high-ways. Jeepneys and busses do actually stop everywhere to load or unload passengers, even on the middle of the road.
In a lot of areas mobile or cell phone coverage is far greater and reliable than land lines.
Outside of the major cities high speed internet access is just not available.
The future of the Philippines, laughing children !

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Earlier comments:

Phil Wicks
phil.wicks@sbcglobal.net
Submitted on 2009/03/25 at 6:46am
Hi Jan,
Liked your posts. I am interested in traveling to Philipines for extended stay.
I was wondering about two things- first I read on another website that expats in Cebu were installing security systems, training guard dogs, getting robbed on the streets, etc. . Is crime a serious issue in the Philipines or just in Cebu?
Secondly, I can live very modestly and don?t plan on having a car, I also have limited budget of about &1000 U.S. a month is that enough to get by in most cities in the Philipines?
Thanks in advance for any comment- Phil

Jan’s answer

Hi Phil,
I don’t have knowledge about Cebu, because I haven’t been there personally yet, but I’m planning to go there this year.
If you are conscious that you are in a 3rd world country, where people have to manage their live with (sometimes) less than $ 5 a day, you can imagine that there?s pickpockets and beggars in the streets. So don’t show your money in public and spread it over your pockets.
If you live in a house what is not locked very well, even when you are inside, burglars might come in and steal what ever they can get. You even might get robbed in the street. That?s why I?m advising: don?t go into smaller streets and slum areas, especially at night. If you have to go there for some reason, always try to bring one or two Filipinos (good friends or family) to guide you and take care of you. See it as a kind of body guard. White people like us are always seen as “rich” people, if you are or not. Read all my blogs and you’ll find more tips on how to behave and where to live.
A budget of $ 1000 will do for most foreigners. A lot don’t even have that budget. But all is depending on your life style and your personal needs. If you have more questions ? I’ll be happy to answer them to my best knowledge.

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usreader
nyca96@yahoo.com
71.108.108.30 Submitted on 2009/04/06 at 7:03am
just reading and so interested to retire overseas.
envy you man!
good luck and best wishes!
from CA, Los Angeles

Jan’s answer

Thanks for commenting on my site.
I hope my site is useful for you to make a decision and come to the beautifull Philippines. I’m still collecting information for those people who like to make this step too, and to make it easier for them. Come back from time to time or subscribe to my newsletter.
Good luck to you too!!

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Emmanuel
mindyourasset@yahoo.co.uk
Submitted on 2009/04/07 at 1:50pm
my visa expires in about 1 month and i have to exit and re-enter the country after 16 month. i would like to know if it is possible to travel to Malaysia by boat from zamboanga for 2 days and re-enter the philipines in order to avail for 16 months stay? thanks my email
my visa expires in about 1 month and i have to exit and re-enter the country after 16 month. i would like to know if it is possible to travel to Malaysia by boat from zamboanga for 2 days and re-enter the philipines in order to avail for 16 months stay? thanks my email

Jan’s answer

Emmanuel,
I assume that when you are leaving the country, if it?s by boat or plane, you have to pass the customs area. I guess that you need a stamp in your passport that you are leaving the country. After a few days you can come back again and have to get a new stamp for the entrance. But to be sure you better ask a travel agency near by your place.
I would appreciate if you let me and other readers of this blog know about your experiences in this.
Have a nice time in Malaysia.

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