For the latest information on bringing your vehicle to the Philippines, please visit this page. Do you have a favorite car that you are thinking of importing to the Philippines when you make the move to retire to the Islands of Paradise? Like the governments of many other countries, new laws are passed every year and things change. It is no longer allowed to import a … [Read more...]
Pearl of the Orient
I won't bore you with a lot of statistics and geographical information that you can easily search and read on the internet about the Philippines, however I want to share the real Philippines with you. The Pearl of the Orient. Twenty seven years seem like a long time to many people but it doesn't seem that long ago to me when I made my first trip to Manila, Philippines in … [Read more...]
An Insight Into Philippines Lifestyle
Can you live in a bungalow, a common style house in a gated subdivision, or do you require a highrise condo? Your choice of housing will be an important first step in determining your cost of living in the Philippines. Once you have settled on the type of residence you will enjoy during your Philippines retirement years, a lifestyle check may be in order. Can you eat a pork … [Read more...]
Getting Around Like A Local
Owning a private vehicle in the Philippines is not a requirement if you live in a mid-size city or in a large city. All forms of public transportation are cheap and readily available in many areas of the country. There are many taxis, jeepneys and tricycles, also known as trikes, which are the main means of public transportation within the cities. For those not in a hurry, … [Read more...]
Shopping For Favorites
Hunting and gathering is one of the favorite pastimes among expats in the Philippines. Do not be concerned, as you will not be actually hunting for your food with a weapon and gathering your kill for cooking. This involves going to the different stores and looking for your favorite food and beverage items from back home. It is a given that most people enjoy the food and … [Read more...]
Philippine Foodie Scene Looks Good
The foodie scene in the Philippines is not bleak, as the Philippines is much more than only fish and rice these days. More and more Filipinos are enjoying food that was previously looked upon as foreign food. The vast majority of the new restaurants that have opened over the past 12 months in Bacolod City, where I live, are not serving Filipino Cuisine exclusively. An expat … [Read more...]
Mountain Resorts of Greater Bacolod
When most people think of the Philippines, they imagine being on one of the beautiful beaches but the Philippines is much more than the beach. Are you ready for a spectacular view of Negros Occidental, the sea and Panay Island? You can see all the beauty from Campuestohan Highland Resort, which is about 40 minutes from the downtown area, located on the border of Bacolod City … [Read more...]
How to Minimize Culture Shock
The impact of culture shock when retiring to the Philippines can be greatly lessened in several ways. The most important way is to realize from the beginning that the Philippines is a developing nation and many Westerners refer to it as Third World. I live in Bacolod City and I don’t see Third World but I do see some things as still being developed. If you are from America, … [Read more...]
Healing The Natural Way
The Philippines has a long and successful history of Alternative Medicine practitioners and experts. With many people living in the rural countryside areas of the Philippines, where hospitals are often miles away, it seems every barangay or village has a number of experts with knowledge in treating illness naturally and without harsh medications. There are hundreds of … [Read more...]