The Philippines

[girlx]

With the recent visa laws and my general frustration with Thailand, I am looking at alternative places to live. I just returned from a week in the Philippines and was impressed by the sweetness of the people there and the availability of conveniences. I was in Angeles City(!) which doesn't have much to offer for girls, but I figure if I was able to enjoy it there then there is probably a more "normal" area that I would like even better. Does anyone know the Philippines well enough to comment? I would love to find a town near the beach with decent infrastructure (transport, internet connection, western style housing). Someone recommended Cebu. I plan to go back and scope out the country, any tips on where to see?

[JonnieB]

The friendlyness of the people and some areas of natural beauty are really the only things the Phillipines has going for it. For expatriates, the relative of ease of obtaining long-term stay or retirement visas is the other plus. On just about any factor that makes living in a foreign country liveable the Philippines scores at the bottom of the heap.

Transportation

Health care

Personal Safety

Food supply

General things to do

all generally very poor.

it is an option for some but no place is perfect...

[PattayaParent]

With the recent visa laws and my general frustration with Thailand, I am looking at alternative places to live. I just returned from a week in the Philippines and was impressed by the sweetness of the people there and the availability of conveniences. I was in Angeles City(!) which doesn't have much to offer for girls, but I figure if I was able to enjoy it there then there is probably a more "normal" area that I would like even better. Does anyone know the Philippines well enough to comment? I would love to find a town near the beach with decent infrastructure (transport, internet connection, western style housing). Someone recommended Cebu. I plan to go back and scope out the country, any tips on where to see?

You and about 60+ million locals!

I lived in Manila for 4 years before coming to Bangkok in 1994 and went back again to visit in 2000. Things had only gotten worse.

[girlx]

hm well if you see where i live in thailand you'd know i am used to living without conveniences... i spent a day in manila and thought it looked pretty developed? and angeles had great shops with a lot of the stuff i miss from america. the one thing i did notice though was that a lot of the foreigners made targets of themselves by being the first to throw up sparkling new condos and driving nice cars. in fact i was robbed twice, of $1000us total, in one day!!!! but i still didn't feel it was too dangerous. heard horror stories about the hospitals and police, but that is most of asia... isn't there a nice island which might cater to foreigners a bit?

[siam2007]

there have been plenty of threads lately about "living in / moving to PHILS"

do a forum search, and u will get access to a lot of information and user's opinions

[jonniebkk]

hm well if you see where i live in thailand you'd know i am used to living without conveniences... i spent a day in manila and thought it looked pretty developed? and angeles had great shops with a lot of the stuff i miss from america. the one thing i did notice though was that a lot of the foreigners made targets of themselves by being the first to throw up sparkling new condos and driving nice cars. in fact i was robbed twice, of $1000us total, in one day!!!! but i still didn't feel it was too dangerous. heard horror stories about the hospitals and police, but that is most of asia... isn't there a nice island which might cater to foreigners a bit?

Well give it a try...you're obviously an expert on the place having spent a whole day in a country of 6000 islands and 85M people

[my friend I]

First post says a week - in Angeles

[girlx]

er, yeah, where did that smart assed remark come from jonniebkk? i obviously am asking for advice!

[twschw]

Just to clarify things, you were robbed twice in one day with thief/theives getting $1000? Are you still considering moving there if this is indeed the case?

[Rinrada]

La Union ....oop Narth near San Fernando....smashing wee place....and beautiful beaches.....

Wish my mate would get his finger out and finally buy the place he has been looking at over there for the best part of the last 5 years.......ma-gan..dang u-magg-a....

[jonniebkk]

Sorry if I get a little sarcastic but I sometime go a little over the top when people infer or imply any equivalence between living in Thailand and the Philippines. Having spent large amounts of time in both places, there is just no comparison. I mean, there is a very good reason why Phils gets 1-2M tourists a year and Thailand 15+ million.

Don't get met wrong, there is lots I like about the Philippines and would love to live there but it is just too darn under-developed. Sure, there are a couple areas of Manila that are "developed" but 90% of the city is complete slums. I mean, you often see packs of naked or half-naked begger children at all times of the day and night anywhere in the city (at least in Thailand, they usually have clothes).

Traffic is often much worse than Bangkok and public transportation options are almost non-existent. I think major concerns for an expatriate would be general hygeine issues (food and envireonmnet...most trips I always catch some bug of some type or another but in LOS I rarely get sick) and health care. All the best nurses and doctors in the Phils are working in the USA/Europe (even the doctors work as nurses in the West) and quality care if you are sick or injured in very dicey in Manila (even one of the supposed best, Makati Medical Center, has reports of rats running around the corridors) and forget about it if you are out in the provinces.

Nope, for me, it will always be a great place to visit but wouldn't want to live there full-time.

[girlx]

hmm good points.

Just to clarify things, you were robbed twice in one day with thief/theives getting $1000? Are you still considering moving there if this is indeed the case?

someone had been breaking into the condos in my friend's complex. they came in twice in one day and took a total of $1000 cash. the next day my friend got new deadbolts, an alarm system, and an aluminum bat. problem solved. can happen anywhere.

[percy2]

I stayed there for about 6 months, with well needed breaks back to BKK.

I wouldn't do that again if I could help it.

Having said that I do go there for holidays, never staying in Manila overnight if I can help it.

I wouldn't return to Angeles if I could help it either, though the duty free shopping in Clarkes was good.

La Union , great if you like surfing , if not take a lot of good books.

Baguio (sp?) similar to La Union without the surf.

But as someone else pointed out lots of islands some glorious geography and wildlife.

I don't think it would be on any Gourmet World Tour.

If you are a drinker it may be the cheapest place on earth.

Road transport is horrendous, but the internal flights are dirt cheap.

Cheers

[girlx]

can anyone comment on cebu?

[kat]

girlx, a couple of years ago I had a good friend that was living in the Philippines, and we were planning a trip to the islands through Cebu. I found a lot of helpful people in the PPP forum of the Trip Advisor www.tripadvisor.com/ForumHome

What I found is that if I was ever going to stay any length of time in the PPPs, I'd most likely stay in Cebu, and try my best to avoid Manila altogether. You can fly in and out of Cebu, and it's nice, relatively safe, and close to the really nice islands.

[trajan]

I personally have many Filipino and Filipina friends both in the Philippines and in the States and even a few here in Bangkok...great warm and friendly people...

in addition, I visited Manila and surrounds and beach resort areas (like Cebu) 10 times last year (and an average of 6 times each year for the previous 3 years) and already twice this year and will again towards the end of this month because I met some pretty special people.... BUT I find it very amusing ---no hilarious----- that someone who is frustrated with trials and tribulations in Thailand will find the Philippines more attractive (in terms of avoiding frustrations)....

I suggest you get a bit more experience in the Philippines before making a decision to switch....

[kat]

girlio - I'm afraid from what I heard about the Philippines from another girlfriend that lived there, I have to agree with Jonniebkk's last comments. It would be easy for you to go on a little journey to Cebu and check it out, though.

Edited February 4, 2008 by kat

[yabs]

I agree with Johnie bangkok

No comparison at all

only can be recomme nded over Thailand for diving but you can get that in Malaysia, and indo as well

plus more culture and better food.

its a one stop shop: diving only

girls are not as atttractive either i n my opinion ands generally less educated.

People may be thinking Angeles is an alternative to pattaya but there is no beach and after the volcano eruption, dust is evreywhere

with pollution to match bangkok

horrible place

plus with the rapidly strengthening peso ther is really no need to go there