Maybe your idea of paradise is living near the strawberry fields of Baguio? When many people think about the Philippines, they often conjure up an image of lounging on a beautiful white sandy beach with an ice cold tropical fruit cocktail. Others think about trekking around one of the breathtaking mountain resorts found on a number of islands. Yet, others visualize dancing with the exotic ladies of the Philippines in one of the many discos found in the urban areas. The Philippines has all that excitement and much, much more.
It has been said that one man’s paradise is another man’s hell and I certainly believe it! One size does not fit all and we don’t all enjoy wearing red shoes. I enjoy mountain resorts, provided I can drive my vehicle to the top and chill out without having to hike several kilometers. Trekking up a mountain on foot is just not my idea of paradise.
Pair A Dice
No need to roll the bones or hang onto tumbling dice to decide your luck and fate! Not many people are willing to pack up and move to another country without first spending quality time there and learning all about the culture. However, some do and many of them are back in their home countries in one year or less, moaning and groaning about how much money they spent for nothing. There is no need to make that mistake. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to travel to the Philippines to spend a few weeks or one month checking out the locations you are interested in retiring to.
One very important aspect of retiring to the Philippines is knowing that your final destination has the things available in life that you need to be happy. Not having the things you enjoy and the things that are important to you in being happy can be the game changer. It often is to many.
If you enjoy living in the countryside as opposed to living in the midsize and larger cities, it is important to realize that those areas are extremely limited in the availability of imported food items and services of convenience. Slow internet connections and lack of cable and satellite TV are the norm in many rural areas in the Philippines. Medical care is also limited in the countryside of the Philippines.
Attitude and the spirit of adventure go a long way concerning retiring to the Philippines. In attitude, I am referring to realizing before making the move that the Philippines is not North America, Europe or other more developed areas around the round world. What’s more, it won’t ever be, as the Philippines is not striving to be like those countries. Expats will never change the Filipino culture, the way business is conducted, the Education system, the court system, the laws or the overall management of the country. Concerning getting along with the local people, bashing the Philippines and Filipinos is never the way to make friends or live harmoniously in your neighborhood.
There is something for most everyone in the Philippines and it is up to each individual to find and stake out the area of the country that will be Paradise for them. It does not have to be a gamble. With proper planning, investigation and exploration in the country before making the move to the Pearl of the Orient, Paradise will never be lost.
Very well stated, Gary. It’s a cause of wonder that there are so many people who willingly move elsewhere, then seek to remake their adopted country more like the one they left behind. One of the appeals of The Philippines and some other nations (to me) has been that they’re NOT replicas of home.
Bottom line: Don’t make a life-changing move if you’re not willing to have your life changed. How does that make any sense in the first place?
Thank you much, Bruce.
It is true that retiring to the Philippines is a life-changer and it should be a great one! It has been for me. Several months before we made the permanent move to the Bacolod Area, we started the construction of our house and we bought a 1.8 hectare rice farm. We already had another 1.8 hectares of sugarcane planted and the lot for our house on the same property. From Day One, we were good to go. Furnishing the house and buying a family vehicle were the last things we had to do once the move was made. It was all fun!
We planned in advance and everything fell right into place, never missing a beat even 4 years later.
~ Gary ~
Gary good article about living in the Philippines. Or is that living in the Philippines. Some people live in the Philippines and some people LIVE the Philippines. I moved here to LIVE the Philippines as much as possible. Yes i have my limits and gripes about several things here, but hey don’t we all. And that includes Filipinos. I left the US and never looked back. I enjoy the freedom here. And the most important thing, happy, smiley, friendly people. Any excuse for a Fiesta. I can always do without the loud music though.
I violated the biggest rule that Xpats always try to promote. Live as far away from family as possible. There’s a reason for that as some families can really be a problem. Not so with my family and i’m lucky to live with my inlaws and other family. They’re really a lot of help. I also live in the barangay which is where i want to be. Because we have a little family coffee shop i have been able to meet many of the local people and old timers around here. Plenty of fish stories and they always have fun. Wish i could understand what they’re talking about…LOL Nothing beats fresh roasted ground coffee in the morning made the old way. I won’t miss the smoke. I have to admit i can’t wait to move into our own place around the corner where i can do things my way and not be so crowded. Oh and get away from some of the noise on this main road.
Dale
Kabankalan City
Excellent comment, Dale, and thank you for sharing your experience in Kabankalan City.
So true! Every family is not the same in the Philippines. We also violated the so-called Expat Rules by having our house built while we were not in the country. When we moved here in June, 2009, we did not have any problem with our house and no one stole us blind concerning the construction material. Our house was also completed on time for us to move in. Construction began in January and was finished in June.
Even when there is not an official Fiesta, everyday in the Philippines is a Fiesta to me!
Have a good one!
~ Gary ~
Dale , just trying to reconnect. Send me an email if you can. Kim gave up trying to find you. I got lucky and found an 11 year old you tube and followed some of the links. Hope all is well and that you fared well in the last storm .robertklouman@nullfrontier.com