I’m a Canadian who lived in Manila for several years before returning to Canada. But not one of the big four cities. I’m in Edmonton.
It is better than Manila.
In Manila this was the view from my balcony, that I paid about $500 USD/m for:
I took vacations here twice a year:
or here:
I can hear you say now, “you’d rather live in Edmonton than there? What is wrong with you?”
Well because, while this a great it is also a small slice of what living in a developing country is like.
Let me explain the other side.
I work in education, which means I need fairly regular criminal record checks.
In Edmonton: Fill out a form online with the Edmonton PD, pay the fees, have the results emailed to me the same day. If I need fingerprints (every five years) I go down to the local station, give them my ticket number, and they scan me. Last time I did it was in November and I was in the office for less than fifteen minutes.
In Manila: Go to the NBI Clearance Center at 8am and get in line. Wait 30–40 minutes to get to the front to register. Then wait another 45 minutes to get my prints done (with ink). Then wait another 30 minutes to pay. Results in 2 weeks.
Schools
My son goes to a Catholic Elementary School in Alberta that is part of the public system (it’s the Alberta curriculum plus classes in religious studies, Catholic history etc). His school includes free lunches and lasts from 9–3. There is also a school bus option for only $50 an month. That $50 is my only fee (besides taxes of course). The school has a large gym, a library, regular field trips, a music room, a crafts room, and of course large, well maintained classrooms.
His Kindergarten in Manila? Okay only 12 students per class, but it was small. It had some facilities that his current school has, but we paid about $2000 USD/y for it. Now this was private but not international. Had we stayed in Manila we would have needed to put him in an international school by about grade 4. The fees? Add a zero to that first number. $20,000 USD/y for a school comparable to a publicly funded school in Alberta. Also they cancelled classes almost weekly for weather. I couldn’t figure out why for a while, until it was explained to me that the infrastructure in low lying areas is so bad that even a couple of inches of rain can cause flooding. Poorer students can’t get to school so the government forces all schools to close rather than have poorer kids miss class. My son’s school has never cancelled a day. Ever. In Edmonton winters.
Don’t even get me started on the state of public schools, where teacher’s quit to go make more money being domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
I want to stress this last point: I get International School quality education just with my tax dollars.
Getting around
Edmonton roads have been poorly plowed this winter, and our new Mayor has had to ban comments on his social media to avoid the backlash. Recall petitions have been discussed, though at the mayoral level that is a challenge. Suffice to say next year should be better. But overall roads are great, traffic is never that bad, and there are public transit alternatives, albeit not amazing ones.
Manila:
yeah. No complaints about Edmonton.
But when we do need to complain we do, and things get better.
Zoning and Regulations
In Edmonton, if I wanted to set up an open air, unlicensed motorbike repair shop and karaoke bar I would face some opposition. Not in Manila. You can be woken up every morning at 5am to the sound on drilling and banging, and kept awake til 1am by drunk Uncle Alberto belching out his favourite karaoke hits from fifty years ago:
“Hoooooooold da liiiiiiiiiinnnneeeee. LLLLLUUUUUB isn’t alwaaaaaaayyyyyy (hic) sON Tiiiiiiiiiime”
- on time or in tune apparently.
Government
I can’t believe I am about to write the ‘good civil servants’ line. But.
In Manila we needed two pieces of ID for my wife so we could set up a joint bank account. But the Philippines has no national ID and so this can be surprisingly challenging in Manila.
So we bought by wife a driver’s license.
Now look back at those traffic pics.
EDIT
I completely forgot about taxes. In Manila you file taxes quarterly, and you require seven different forms, all of which you have to chase after or fill in. For two you better get in a long line at the tax office. Also being that the top tax bracket starts at about $8500 USD a year, I had some hefty tax bills. If you do get a rebate you can’t collect it, it is just rolled over. If you owe… pay now. In that 2 hour line.
In Edmonton? Forms mailed and sorted. I rarely owe much, and if I do I can pay it online.
Pollution
That balcony. Once a week I’d have to go out with wet naps and clean the railings. The napkins would be black by the time I was done. Vehicles that fail Air Care tests in Canada (or in this case probably from Japan) are sent to the third world where they belch out smog. Factories bribe their way out of pollution fines. Plastic waste is just everywhere. That sort of pollution can damage your lungs in ways comparable to being a light smoker (two packs a week type). That beautiful purple sky in the top pic. That sunset is pollution. I have a few pics like that. beautiful, but man…..
Edmonton? A person who throws their Tim Horton’s cup on the ground, or people who don’t pick up their dog’s poop, are basically Hitler.
Poverty
Edmonton has issues with junkies. The area along 97th st. near Rogers Place is gross. But it is one area, mostly contained, and really only occupied by drug addicts. That doesn’t make it okay, but with our robust safety nets and developed banking systems most people are okay if they make even reasonable life choices.
Manila:
This picture isn’t great (I took all of these and I dislike poverty tourism). What you can’t see is the mother and three kids living under some boxes on the right. You can certainly see the power lines and trash everywhere. On the riverbank there will be men burning trash and sorting bottles. They live under old billboard posters. This is five minutes from my building. I’m living up there, and this is literally going on below me.
So What is Better?
There are days I really miss Manila. The chaos, the adventure, the ability to drink litro bottles of Red Horse and order BBQ at Kuya’s Food truck, having the entire evening run us $12.
I could see myself retiring and spending every winter in Manila. I really do like it in short bursts. Canadian cities are as dull as advertised. Even the bigger ones. Vancouver can’t even throw a single fireworks festival. Here is Manila on New Years Eve:
Of course I miss this. The lights, the food, the weather.
But that dullness of Canadian cities is also what makes them a great place to raise families and live without the stress and noise of a Manila.
Manila has highs of ten. But day to day it is a 3. Edmonton is a solid and unwavering 7.
If you want a family, solid savings, and good education, drivers who actually know how to use a turn signal, working government, and air fit for human consumption: Edmonton.
No amount of money changes that reality.
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