Philippines 2019 for new expats

[cerox]

Thank you kekalot for the honest feedback.

Also thank you for everyone else for sharing your experience. I know that many of you do not have  immediate health effects neither in Chiang Mai nor in other Asian cities, but that is not a good indication for me. I will go myself and see. Keeping things flexible with no rented motorbike and only hotels makes sure, I can quickly hop to the next city.

 

For now I could still stay in Chiang Mai and go out yearly for 3-4 months. But the trend how three things are developing is not good (value of the THB, immigration trend, pollution (getting worse) trend), so it is kind of mandatory for me and many others to think about alternatives. The girls are a good point for many singles, Philippines will surely be exciting here.

[Destiny1990]

Don’t relocate to Cebu for expecting better air quality than in Thailand but consider it for other reasons already clearly mentioned in this thread.

However Infrastructure overall  is simply behind with Thailand.

In Cebu just uncountable dirty jeeps there are also nowadays busses but not yet sky trains or subways etc.

These jeeps have to go out of Cebu that would make a big difference.

Bohol is up and coming its nearby and i think the OP will give an update about that air quality soon. Btw not the whole island of Cebu have bad air problems in-fact its a very huge island several times bigger then Phuket and lot of areas are ok especially the ones out of the city center.

[Small Joke]

On 4/4/2019 at 1:36 PM, Thaiwrath said:

 

I would suggest that the 'many' are correct.

Your target audience will be the ones who cannot prove the necessary income here, and those who don't trust Thai banks (????) with 400/800,000 baht. Most others seem happy, and settled here.  

 

I tried it. I tried several islands, I checked out Cebu (and Mactan island) five times. Both are holes, unless you have serious money to live in a gated community.

Anything livable there, is more expensive than Thailand, the supermarkets, even good ones, don't come close to Thailand in terms of western products, the same price gouging applies. Only alcohol is cheap. Fresh fruit and veg at the street markets is always half rotten. 

Traffic is gridlocked from 6am till 9pm.

If you think Thai post and Thai tradesmen are bad, you'll enter a whole new level of hell in the P.I.

I tried 6 months in Angeles, not for the bars, but because it has the best expat infrastructure by far, of any other city. (it has at least one good hospital, easy airport access, reasonable internet, best selection of western goods in Clark Freeport zone.)

The internet in most other places is as reliable as dial up.

In the end I literally walked away, I left the lease, the deposit, and everything id bought and added to the little one-level-above-shanty-style Baringay place, believe me it was a bargain compared to renting from that well known white property baron that leases smaller less secure shitboxes to most expats for three times the price.  What I left behind included a brand new washer, extractor fan I fitted in windowless toilet (how anyone lived there before that alone, is beyond me) all to the girl I'd shacked up with. She was the best thing about the whole experience.

It is cheap for a reason.

Also immigration is a comparative breeze, but beware, those costs recur every two months, it's not a stamp for 'free'.

 

Beyond English being widely spoken, Thailand, with all it's woes, is still a far better bet, for me anyway, for now.

 

Ironically, I feel more at home here, keeping to myself among Thai neighbors, than I ever did going out every second night, in a town packed with like-minded westerners my own age.

 

Anyone thinking about it, should at least visit three locations, before deciding.

 

 

 

 

[ExpatPH]

55 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

Anyone thinking about it, should at least visit three locations, before deciding.

 

 

Absolutely agree. Many other options as well. Laos. Vietnam. Cambodia. Malaysia. Indonesia ......

 

With todays 'Braking news' in Thailand about yet another new requirement, this time 

Mandatory Health Insurance for long stay,

 

More people need a Plan B, for next destination.

 

 

[cerox]

Keep us posted please esp. about pollution and Internet speeds in Bohol.

 

With the health insurance as far as I understand it is not clear whether and when it will be implemented - but for those above 50 it is another reason to do research.

 

[Deerculler]

Is it okay if I chip in here and ask about the medical in Ph?


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[Destiny1990]

Well what is kinda confusing at least for me is that this thread started with all the reasons why we should be consider relocating to Cebu example Visa wise, English, friendliness locals etc all of this was mentioned in depth.

However now on the other side the OP starts to warn us about the toxic air in Cebu as it is even similar deadly then in CM?? He even says he has much more respiratory problems in Cebu then in Thailand?

I lived in both Countries I didn’t notice any respiratory differences between the 2 locations but heck its personal of course.

Anyway Maybe the OP should have started with the Cebu his bad air quality comments first in this thread.

Edited May 14, 2019 by Destiny1990

[Destiny1990]

18 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

Is it okay if I chip in here and ask about the medical in Ph?


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To reassure you yes there are hospitals in the Phillipines. 

[ExpatPH]

17 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

Is it okay if I chip in here and ask about the medical in Ph?
 

 

Sure, welcome to join in.

 

Medical has been mentioned early in this thread. Very short version, acceptable for minor things, less than average to horrible for serious medical conditions. 

Expats fly to Singapore or Thailand for serious illness, if even possible, else suffer here.

Even private hospitals are lack of staff, lack of medicine, lack of follow up.  Not comparable at all to Thailand.

 

[kekalot]

1 hour ago, ExpatPH said:

Sneeze, and the content is grey or darker.

that has happened to me as well and only when I was in Cebu city

I mostly avoid cities nowadays, but it wasn't grey when i was in MHS last year with AQI of 400s.

I think the difference is Cebu most of the pollution was the jeepneys and MHS it was from burning around.

 

both very bad but i'm not sure which one is worse to be honest..

[ExpatPH]

8 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Well what is kinda confusing at least for me is that this thread started with all the reasons why we should be consider relocating to Cebu example Visa wise English, friendliness locals all of this was mentioned in depth.

 

8 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

However now on the other side the OP starts to warn us about the toxic air in Cebu as it is even similar deadly then in CM?? He even says he has much more respiratory problems in Cebu then in Thailand?

 

Anyway Maybe the OP should have started with the Cebu his bad air quality comments first in this thread.

 

No.

I said I would be balanced, and I said this thread was supposed to continue over weeks.

First I mentioned the advantages.

Then I mentioned the negatives.

Balanced all the way.

 

I plan to continue write about Bohol, and I'm sure a new stay at hospital are coming up as well, for more negative about hospital care here.

 

It's called balanced.

 

Feel free to start your own new topic and write it 'your way', if you're not satisfied.

[Destiny1990]

37 minutes ago, ExpatPH said:

 

 

No.

I said I would be balanced, and I said this thread was supposed to continue over weeks.

First I mentioned the advantages.

Then I mentioned the negatives.

Balanced all the way.

 

I plan to continue write about Bohol, and I'm sure a new stay at hospital are coming up as well, for more negative about hospital care here.

 

It's called balanced.

 

Feel free to start your own new topic and write it 'your way', if you're not satisfied.

Can you briefly explain us why you still have chosen to continue living in Cebu instead of living in Thailand with the better medical facilities and the less respiratory problems for you?

Edited May 14, 2019 by Destiny1990

[ExpatPH]

13 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Can you briefly explain us why you still have chosen to continue living in Cebu instead of living in Thailand with the better medical facilities and the less respiratory problems for you?

 

1. 800k requirement in Thailand. Have more than 800k, but expenses back home put me below 800k to transfer.

2. Have child here in Cebu.

Bohol might be next permanent residence.

 

[Destiny1990]

4 minutes ago, ExpatPH said:

 

1. 800k requirement in Thailand. Have more than 800k, but expenses back home put me below 800k to transfer.

2. Have child here in Cebu.

Bohol might be next permanent residence.

 

Several Cebu expats i know have relocated recently to Bohol none of them wants to return to Cebu City.

 

[Small Joke]

2 hours ago, ExpatPH said:

 

Absolutely agree. Many other options as well. Laos. Vietnam. Cambodia. Malaysia. Indonesia ......

 

With todays 'Braking news' in Thailand about yet another new requirement, this time 

Mandatory Health Insurance for long stay,

 

More people need a Plan B, for next destination.

 

 

Yes, and I'd like to Point out, I contracted Pneumonia in Cebu. Ended up in hospital in Clark. 

There were complications. 

I lived, but $17000 dollars later, I was glad I had renewed my insurance a mere month before. They paid in full less a tiny $100 excess.

I'm 58 which is very relevant to the discussion.

So:

1. Cebu is toxic.

2. Insurance is a good idea whether the govt. mandate it or not.

3. Be aware YOUR HOME Government will NOT accept you are a 'resident' of the PI on an indefinite tourist visa. You'd have to revert to the ten grand residency option.

This may not be a problem for some, until it is, then it's a BIG problem.

4. Want to get married? They don't accept divorce in the PI, you can divorce in your home country, even online, if you're Australian, but if you live there, divorce is just not how they roll.

5. Opiates (for chronic pain like Cancer) are all but impossible to find or have prescribed, I understand less than ten doctors nationwide are licenced, thanks to their all pervasive drug paranoia.

All valid points for older guys with inevitably deteriorating health.

 

 

[ExpatPH]

This evening worst air pollution area Dumaguete.

 

 

 

[ExpatPH]

2 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

I contracted Pneumonia in Cebu. Ended up in hospital in Clark. 

There were complications. 

I lived, but $17000 dollars later, I was glad I had renewed my insurance a mere month before. They paid in full less a tiny $100 excess.

I'm 58 which is very relevant to the discussion.

So:

 

1. Cebu is toxic.

 

2. Insurance is a good idea whether the govt. mandate it or not.

 

3. Be aware YOUR HOME Government will NOT accept you are a 'resident' of the PI on an indefinite tourist visa. You'd have to revert to the ten grand residency option.

This may not be a problem for some, until it is, then it's a BIG problem.

 

4. Want to get married? They don't accept divorce in the PI, you can divorce in your home country, even online, if you're Australian, but if you live there, divorce is just not how they roll.

 

5. Opiates (for chronic pain like Cancer) are all but impossible to find or have prescribed, I understand less than ten doctors nationwide are licenced, thanks to their all pervasive drug paranoia.

 

All valid points for older guys with inevitably deteriorating health.

 

Excellent post,

I personally was in pain worse than hell and all a top private hospital

had was morphine tablet, nothing stronger!

It was a night in extreme pain.

 

How I wish I knew what doctor who would give stronger pain relief, next time.

 

[Small Joke]

17 minutes ago, ExpatPH said:

 

Excellent post,

I personally was in pain worse than hell and all a top private hospital

had was morphine tablet, nothing stronger!

It was a night in extreme pain.

 

How I wish I knew what doctor who would give stronger pain relief, next time.

 

I hear you, the waiting list to get a script for serious pain control is so long, with so few pain control specialists in Manila, that the rich Pinoys just fly to Bangkok for treatment if they are well enough! It's understood that Du30 is a fentanyl addict, he started on the drug to treat back pain, by his own admission. But his people can whistle Dixie if they think they'll get any sympathy from the junkie who kills junkies.

This is covered in at least one PI expat forum at length.

Edited May 14, 2019 by Small Joke

[cerox]

Can someone tell me why the small city of Dumaguete has a much higher pollution than Cebu?

Everyone burning trash etc.?

[Deerculler]

Thanks all of you for the useful information.



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[Mike Teavee]

12 hours ago, ExpatPH said:

Philippines best beaches.

 

https://www.philippinebeaches.org/30-most-beautiful-beaches-in-the-philippines/

 

https://www.detourista.com/guide/philippines-best-beaches/

 

https://usa.inquirer.net/20262/our-top-picks-best-beaches-in-the-philippines

 

Thanks for the pics, I think anybody who doesn't agree that the Philippines has much better beaches/cleaner waters than Thailand or the neighboring countries simply hasn't visited the real Philippines (AC & Manila don't count).

 

I remember my 1st trip to Cebu 12 years ago, stood neck deep in the water & could see my toes and all of the fish swimming around...

 

Really am tempted to give up on the Thailand Dream (only 1/2 committed at the moment as I'm still working) & retire to somewhere in the Visayas or Palawan...

 

Queue comments about the food sucks (I love Japanese & Korean food so no worries there), personal safety (a risk where ever you live) etc... 

 

 

 

[Scott]

Bickering, baiting posts reported and removed.   Continue and you will face a suspension.  

 

[Mike Teavee]

12 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Hmmm you make it sound very dramatical and in Pattaya all was top notch for you or?

I can't speak to Pattaya (Have been several times & spent 1 month there once, never noticed any problems with air pollution) but 4-5 years ago I paid for a 30 day stay in a Condo (Trendy on Soi 13) & lasted a week before I felt like my chest was collapsing so jumped in a Taxi to Don Muang, spent the night in an airport hotel (Amari) & went back to Malaysia (Outskirts of KL) next morning.

 

NB I've since got a Condo in On Nut Bangkok & have no such problems in this part of town, which just goes to show that 1 area of a town may be bad, but another area perfectly clear. 

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[Mike Teavee]

24 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

I remember walking (stupid I know) from my digs, up near the golf club, to that little clutch of decent restaurants nearby IT park, and seeing the dust/fumes so thick they rendered opaque, the headlights of the oncoming traffic, and made me want another shower by the time I got to my table.

 

I remember dining at the delightful and seriously good bistro run by LA trained Chef Jane, next to the Mactan Yacht Club, and the unexpected deathly stench of Cebu City's answer to 'smokey mountain' wafting across the sizeable seagoing channel so frequently, it eclipsed the world class food being served.

 

I remember spending 15 days in Mexico City, (the one in America) that same year, often condemned as a pollution hell hole, with no such issues, granted, it wasn't the alps, but it was cleaner than Cebu!

 

I stand by my condemnation of the filthy city that almost killed me.

 

 

Stayed in IT Park for a couple of weeks, no problem there... Certainly no problems at one of the resorts on Mactan Islands or away from Cebu City, e.g... CarCar-to-Tarlac & around the horn to Maolboal....  Beautiful beaches, stunning seas & great air quality 

[Small Joke]

17 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Thanks for the pics, I think anybody who doesn't agree that the Philippines has much better beaches/cleaner waters than Thailand or the neighboring countries simply hasn't visited the real Philippines (AC & Manila don't count).

 

I remember my 1st trip to Cebu 12 years ago, stood neck deep in the water & could see my toes and all of the fish swimming around...

 

Really am tempted to give up on the Thailand Dream (only 1/2 committed at the moment as I'm still working) & retire to somewhere in the Visayas or Palawan...

 

Queue comments about the food sucks (I love Japanese & Korean food so no worries there), personal safety (a risk where ever you live) etc... 

 

 

 

AC don't have a beach.

 

But that aside, and based on anecdote alone, I'd suggest that Thais are less litter prone in general, than the PI.

 

Or maybe Thai sanitation is more organised? Either way, the results are what count.

 

While Du30 famously shut down some tiny Island, flew in twice -but  I can't remember the name now, for 6 months spring cleaning (a good thing in my book) you will know there are 7000 plus islands there, and most are really hard to get to en masse, vs Thailand's easy to get to coast.

 

You also fail to mention many of these beaches are 'gated' and charge a fee for non-resort residents, most Thai beaches can still be strolled on for free. Which means litter, sadly.

 

Pattaya is not representative of most Thai beaches. Comparing Manila Bay to Pattaya is the only fair comparison. And Manila Bay is a global disgrace, I'd drink Pattaya seawater before I'd swim in Manila Bay!

 

Furthermore, foreign tourists to Thailand must bear some blame, they are often low class litterbugs, the.news stories here of their other charming antics bear that out! and the PI is just too far/costly a flight,  for many of them, so they dump on Thailand instead.

 

I'm not denying there are some lovely beaches there, but you're being a little economical with the reasons why they're beautiful, in spite of the locals best attempts to literally shit on their own doorsteps.

[ExpatPH]

Cebu isn't heaven, or hell. I posted many news articles regarding air quality that local goverment and news stations find alarming. Something also international news have confirmed. This is not hysterically, this is facts.

 

Traffic jam and lack of roads vs number of vehicles, are another well known problem in news and local forums. Exhaust fumes from jeepneys, trucks, building boom, dust,  have all been reported in the news, for many years. Breathing problem in common,  and pneumonia.

 

Infrastructure lack a lot, compared to Thailand. Hospitals should be much better. Internet should be much faster, best locations here are usually 1/2 - 1/4 of Thailands internet speed.

 

Still many expats choose to stay, we adapt, we plan our day around traffic and weather, we plan atm withdrawal before holidays, we are prepared for brown out (black out) seldom in city, often weekly in some provinces. Expats with house buy generator.

 

Food wise its better than many think. Imported food , deli shop, expats who make homemade bread, bratwurst and other deli, for sale. It's certainly not as easy as Bangkok or Pattaya, but good food can be bought here too.

 

In the end, we get peace of mind that visa requirements has stayed the same for years, or inproved, in our favor!

 

Pst: can we keep on topic about Philippines

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by ExpatPH

[Destiny1990]

19 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I can't speak to Pattaya (Have been several times & spent 1 month there once, never noticed any problems with air pollution) but 4-5 years ago I paid for a 30 day stay in a Condo (Trendy on Soi 13) & lasted a week before I felt like my chest was collapsing so jumped in a Taxi to Don Muang, spent the night in an airport hotel (Amari) & went back to Malaysia (Outskirts of KL) next morning.

 

NB I've since got a Condo in On Nut Bangkok & have no such problems in this part of town, which just goes to show that 1 area of a town may be bad, but another area perfectly clear. 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Destiny1990

[Mike Teavee]

20 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

AC don't have a beach.

 

But that aside, and based on anecdote alone, I'd suggest that Thais are less litter prone in general, than the PI.

 

Or maybe Thai sanitation is more organised? Either way, the results are what count.

 

While Du30 famously shut down some tiny Island, flew in twice -but  I can't remember the name now, for 6 months spring cleaning (a good thing in my book) you will know there are 7000 plus islands there, and most are really hard to get to en masse, vs Thailand's easy to get to coast.

 

You also fail to mention many of these beaches are 'gated' and charge a fee for non-resort residents, most Thai beaches can still be strolled on for free. Which means litter, sadly.

 

Pattaya is not representative of most Thai beaches. Comparing Manila Bay to Pattaya is the only fair comparison. And Manila Bay is a global disgrace, I'd drink Pattaya seawater before I'd swim in Manila Bay!

 

Furthermore, foreign tourists to Thailand must bear some blame, they are often low class litterbugs, the.news stories here of their other charming antics bear that out! and the PI is just too far/costly a flight,  for many of them, so they dump on Thailand instead.

 

I'm not denying there are some lovely beaches there, but you're being a little economical with the reasons why they're beautiful, in spite of the locals best attempts to literally shit on their own doorsteps.

And how many of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines have you visited? (Yeah, I bought the T-Shirt on my 1st visit ???? ).

 

World class beaches in Boracay are free to visit (BTW, it was Boracay that D30 closed for 6 months to clean-up) but I have only ever paid to visit a beach in the Philippines when visiting a private resort (that I obviously wasn't staying at) or as part of a boat trip (Where I'm pretty sure the payment was to the crew not to the beach).

 

Public beaches are free to enter everywhere in Visayas & Palawan.... 

 

Edit: It's great to see that Thailand is following DU30's lead & closing Maya Bay (To 2021) to restore some of the damage caused by excessive tourism

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[ExpatPH]

Topic is Philippines,

 

and Cebu city has both acceptable and less acceptable air quality. Those like me who like walking will feel it soon enough, bikers too.

Most people are healthy to age 50+, but suddenly one day, you realize that your body are not so strong anymore. I been to Thailand often since I moved to Philippines. 3-6 months stay in Thailand, no cough or other problem. Back in Cebu less than 2 months, and start a horrible cough. Take medicine for 1 week and ok again, for a few months. This happend every time I return here.

Davao and other places seems to have cleaner air than Cebu. My hope is that Bohol will be much better.

 

[Small Joke]

8 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

And how many of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines have you visited? (Yeah, I bought the T-Shirt on my 1st visit ???? ).

 

World class beaches in Boracay are free to visit (BTW, it was Boracay that D30 closed for 6 months to clean-up) but I have only ever paid to visit a beach in the Philippines when visiting a private resort (that I obviously wasn't staying at) or as part of a boat trip (Where I'm pretty sure the payment was to the crew not to the beach).

 

Public beaches are free to enter everywhere in Visayas & Palawan.... 

 

 

I'm not going to let this descend to a dick measuring contest.

 

If you want my heartfelt opinion, I really wanted to make the PI work in my favour!

 

I didn't leave here to go on a 'bashing tour' of other expat hangouts.

 

My main reasons for going walkabout was the ridiculous immigration bullshit here, and rising costs.

 

I wanted to be the guy sitting in Colombia or Mexico, or Angeles, or Iloilo (yes I stayed a month there too, Boracay off the northern coast, I remember now) going 'neener neener' to the sad sacks in LOS.

 

The truth is (and places can change often drastically for the worse, very quickly) Thailand lured me back. 

 

Whether it was, insane crime levels (to me) in the Americas, and let's not forget the Philippines is a land of barbed wire, and armed guards BTW!

 

Or the lack of civilised amenities, (I was born in a British slum suburb, done my time) thank you very much!

 

Or the even worse government overreach, Du30 makes Uncle Tu and the gang look like snowflakes.

 

The end result was, Thailand for me at least, could not be bettered. I spent a lot of precious 'rainy day's money trying to prove otherwise.

 

If you have found the goldilocks situation in the PI, then I genuinely wish you a long and happy life there.

 

I could not make it work for me.

 

Those on the bleachers can draw their own conclusions.

 

It's also a bit unfair, even sadistic,  if you happen to be a dollar multi millionaire, plugging a beachside lifestyle many on this forum just cannot aspire to, even in the Philippines, while pretending you're one of the GFC/Brexit financial 'refugees' who, fair play, just want to better their lot, which is more commendable than their hopeless countrymen, who will whine back home, but never budge.

 

I'm somewhere in between the poorest and the richest, but having done the hard yards, I owe nothing to the silver spoon <deleted> who had life handed to them on a plate. 

 

Whatever else your argument. I hope you bootstrapped that island life from a working class kick start.