Above is a picture of our condo. It’s the tallest building, center left of the frame.
The Pros of living in the Philippines are:
- The favorable exchange rate - Our U.S. dollars go much further here. So much so, that I was able to retire at 45. This saved me 15 years of work. I have very little stress and can exercise regularly now. I went from 176 pounds to 150 pounds in about 3 months after moving here, and have been maintaining it for almost 8 years.
- The Filipino people - In my experience, Filipinos are the friendliest of the Asian races. While I was attending the University of Houston, I ended up joining the Filipino Students Association, even though I’m a Vietnamese-American born and raised in Vietnam until I was 9.
- The low cost of living - My family of 3 are able to have a very comfortable standard of living here, even with 1/6 as much money as we used to have, while both my wife and I were working in the U.S.
- Affordable college tuition - We can pay for our son’s undergraduate degree, then hopefully medical school, without having to take out a loan or withdraw from our savings. A year of undergraduate tuition for medical technology at my son’s college costs about $2,000. I think medical school may cost an extra thousand or two.
- Most Filipinos speak English - You don’t have to learn the language in order to live and assimilate here. The street signs, most television shows, and most radio stations are in English. Of course, like people from all foreign countries, the locals will appreciate it if you try to speak a few words of their native tongue to them.
- The weather - This is obviously very subjective, but I prefer a warmer climate in my old age :) I’m currently 53, and have been here since February 2012. My customary attire is shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops.
- Living in a majority Asian country - This is just for me. I haven’t lived in a city or country where everyone looks like me since 1975, after we immigrated to the U.S. It’s nice not having to deal with the occasional racist anymore, whether it’s covert or overt. This is not a slight towards the U.S., it’s just expected when a country has so many diverse races, ethnicities, religions, etc…, living together within its borders. Unless those in the majority group are all doing well economically, they’ll end up blaming their failures on the minority groups.
- Respect for the elderly - Similar to other Asian cultures, Filipinos respect their elders. Growing old is a blessing and is a normal part of life. It’s nice to receive respect from your family and community. Unfortunately in the U.S., the majority look at the elderly as a nuisance and no longer as contributing members of society.
- The beaches - There are many beautiful beaches within driving distance or a short and affordable domestic flight.
- The mountains - There are many mountains nearby where you can hike and enjoy a slower-paced environment.
The Cons of living in the Philippines are:
- The traffic - The traffic in metro Manila is horrendous, and lasts from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. We adjusted to this by trying to drive between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. whenever possible. Thank God we don’t have to work here. If you have to work here, then I recommend that you rent a condo or apartment near your workplace.
- The terrible drivers - Due to the lack of roads and large population, which contributes to the terrible traffic. The drivers here do not follow the traffic laws and are very bad drivers. Filipinos are generally very courteous and polite, except for when they get on the road. I’m certain that their selfish driving behaviors are caused by the horrendous traffic.
- The typhoons - Due to its location and global warming, the Philippines is hit with an average of 20 typhoons per year. This is why I recommend expats live in metro Manila or other metropolitan areas where it’s more developed. In 8 years, we haven’t had many issues with flooding and other problems due to typhoons.
- The lack of infrastructure - There are just not enough roads to serve the people. This is due to the endemic corruption here. Everyone hates it, knows it’s happening, but just accepts it as a normal part of life here.
- The corruption - It doesn’t affect expatriates living here. I just feel bad for the masses of poor Filipinos whose lives would be improved, if the people’s taxes were used for services for them, instead of going into the politician’s pockets.
- The poverty - It’s everywhere and right in your face. It hurts your heart to see so many, including young children and babies begging and living on the streets. This is the result of the endemic corruption here.
- The government bureaucracy - They don’t seem to care about wasting your time here. Things that take 5–10 minutes in the U.S., can drag on for over an hour here. Try to do as many things as possible online. I linked my electric, cable, internet and water bills with my Filipino bank, then pay them online in the comforts of my home when they’re due.
- The air pollution - Environmental protection is not an important matter here. I see so many diesel vehicles here, which spew black smoke all day long. We permanently leave the air control switch to recirculated air, so that we don’t breathe in the outside air as we’re driving.
- The trash - Once you leave your gated community, you’ll see trash littered all over the streets. It’s too bad that some Filipinos don’t seem to care about keeping their neighborhood and cities clean.
The pros of living here definitely outweigh the cons for me and my family. When I was 38, my wife and I decided to retire, then move to the Philippines once I turned 45. We did a lot of research in order to get as much information and be as prepared as possible for our move here.
It’s a little scary leaving everything you know and moving to another country. However, the Philippines turned out to be everything we thought it would be. Moving here was one of the best decisions we’ve made.
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