Moving to the Phils

[stevewool]

someone asked me today has what happened in the phils made me think about my future of moving out there,
A very quick reply was yes and no
Yes because i still intend to move to the phils, and No because we dont really know where to live,
So we are still trying to save hard and the date is 5 years away too,

[Terpe]

someone asked me today has what happened in the phils made me think about my future of moving out there,
A very quick reply was yes and no
Yes because i still intend to move to the phils, and No because we dont really know where to live,
So we are still trying to save hard and the date is 5 years away too,

Funny you should post that Steve.

I've had a similar discussion these past few days with my wife.

Neither of us can see even a reasonably contented life for us here in UK......yes easy to disagree, but that's our take on it based on the life we've enjoyed elsewhere.

For both of us our number one choice would be Japan......a life we know and love and very close to Philippines and to those family members who we love and who love us too.
Can't settle upon a fragile life where travelling is key. Also Japan is very very vulnerable for large Earthquakes. I've experienced it and it's not something to live with by choice.

Whichever place we can consider is subject to nature's anger.

Most of our family is in Mindanao ......yes, could be a choice........but there's always a safety aspect in the back of my mind. The times they are a changing.

Some of the islands we had on our consideration list and now off for obvious reasons. Life will never ever be the same and it's just doubtful how long it will take to recover from the super-typhoon that has destroyed just too much for us to repair.

Manila is not a place either of us want to live. Visits yes but living no way.

Only a couple of other places where we have family and friends...........
So our list is short but not yet as final as it was 2 weeks ago.

Just sharing my mind right now......maybe next week a little different.....but NOT UK :NoNo:

[Terpe]

Now I realise that this is off-topic (moving to Phils) but I'm just now starting a new line of thinking....................Cambodia..:Erm:

Comments welcome

[stevewool]

i have joined this site called international living, dont ask me why, i think i must have pressed the button :NoNo::NoNo::NoNo::NoNo:,
Anyway they was showing different places to retire to on this planet, have a look it may give you a few ideas

[Terpe]

i have joined this site called international living, dont ask me why , i think i must have pressed the button :NoNo::NoNo::NoNo::NoNo:,
Anyway they was showing different places to retire to on this planet, have a look it may give you a few ideas

Well thanks for that tip Steve.
I'll take a look.
Plenty of folks I know have moved from Phils to Cambodia. I get a feeling that their love of the people could not be overcome by their doubts that corruption and insecurity for westerners.

Personally I still believe the right location and a low profile is the answer.
Some folks just can't keep a low profile and a relatively simple lifestyle.

Hey I'm open to new ideas I'll check out international living. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

The view of my wife is equally important though..

[Terpe]

South America is not a place for me. Been there and don't like it for lots of reasons.
Maybe OK for some but not for me. Just too far away from where I lived most of my life......SE Asia.

Cambodia still looking good.................:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

[stevewool]

whats the saying, to kill 2 birds with one stone,
Well mine i think is, do Ems dads up, that will be our base in the phils, Ems will be happy and hopefully her dad too,
Then we can come and go as we please do all the touring and staying here and there, so having the best of both worlds, keeping Ems happy and me too,
Its a thought anyway

[gWaPito]

someone asked me today has what happened in the phils made me think about my future of moving out there,
A very quick reply was yes and no
Yes because i still intend to move to the phils, and No because we dont really know where to live,
So we are still trying to save hard and the date is 5 years away too,

Acording to my ''good lady'' nowhere is safe there now.....at one time, the big blows came mainly through Bicol..now, it seems they enter anywhere up and down the east seaboard......there's no notable landmass so, wherever you go, you're gonna get wet.....the average amount of seasonal typhoons was 20....thus far it's 26, counting the one that arrived this week.......you've then got the earthquakes, active volcanoes and numerous tornadoes which are totally unpredictable.

As we've seen this week, if you're in a disaster area and your house is still left standing, you will be looted, without doubt, no matter how many guns and dogs you got.

Go there by all means but, I wouldn't now put all my eggs in one basket or burn my bridge leading back here.

[Steve.r]

It is a choice to make well in advance Steve. I know you will make the right decision for you both. Location will depend on several factors, but being close to family should not be one that is high on that list. You know where we live, and yes we were hit by the first typhoon that passed over our area in Nueva Ecija, and we were lucky as we suffered no damage, but many did. The south islands seem to be in the path of most typhoons as they cross the Philippines and as the latest typhoon destroyed so much over a large area, would you feel safe being there? We feel quite safe here but I know we are too far north for you, but we just visited another forum member on Wednesday who lives in a beautiful area of the Philippines maybe this would be better for you?

[London_Manila]

Now I realise that this is off-topic (moving to Phils) but I'm just now starting a new line of thinking....................Cambodia..:Erm:

Comments welcome

Omg thats like the wild west when it comes to law and order :cwm25:

Thailand would be a better place to live than Cambodia

Safety fairly cheap and good infrastructure decent banks and problems with the locals are low

[tiger31]

Well thanks for that tip Steve.
I'll take a look.
Plenty of folks I know have moved from Phils to Cambodia. I get a feeling that their love of the people could not be overcome by their doubts that corruption and insecurity for westerners.

Personally I still believe the right location and a low profile is the answer.
Some folks just can't keep a low profile and a relatively simple lifestyle.

Hey I'm open to new ideas I 'll check out international living. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

The view of my wife is equally important though..

The owner of another forum has moved to cambodia for about a year after living in the philippines for 10 years, he says he does,nt like cambodia for a few reasons but his main one is the language barrier its very hard to find anyone that speaks english, whereas english is pretty well known in the philippines as a 2nd language .

[stevewool]

It is a choice to make well in advance Steve. I know you will make the right decision for you both. Location will depend on several factors, but being close to family should not be one that is high on that list. You know where we live, and yes we were hit by the first typhoon that passed over our area in Nueva Ecija, and we were lucky as we suffered no damage, but many did. The south islands seem to be in the path of most typhoons as they cross the Philippines and as the latest typhoon destroyed so much over a large area, would you feel safe being there? We feel quite safe here but I know we are too far north for you, but we just visited another forum member on Wednesday who lives in a beautiful area of the Philippines maybe this would be better for you?

thats it steve, there must be so many places that are just waiting for us to visit, we shall still have our place here in england and a bolt hole in the phils, 5 years is a long time for the plans to be put into place, lets just hope we can have enough money by then to live our dreams

[Michael Parnham]

Tricky!:Erm:

[stevewool]

Tricky!:Erm:

yes for some, no for others, its a case of being prepared for whatever life throws at you, but also what the planet can throw at you too

[Michael Parnham]

I suppose if you have a home here, try 6 months in UK and 6 months in Philippines for a couple of years first! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[stevewool]

there will always be a home here in england, so there will be trips back to england every so often, but whereever we are in the phils that will be Ems,

Its just a case of what to do when and where

[gWaPito]

The owner of another forum has moved to cambodia for about a year after living in the philippines for 10 years, he says he does,nt like cambodia for a few reasons but his main one is the language barrier its very hard to find anyone that speaks english, whereas english is pretty well known in the philippines as a 2nd language .

A mate from work has moved his family from Cebu to Indo..cheaper housing and much safer compared to Cebu in terms of security ... English is more widely used.........He's been trying to sell his house in Cebu for quite sometime now, like nearly 2 years..he was asking for 1.5 million..he'd spent over 4 on it over the years.

I haven't seen him since the big storm so, wouldn't know how his house fared.

[stevewool]

what about thailand, any thoughts on living out there

[gWaPito]

It is a choice to make well in advance Steve. I know you will make the right decision for you both. Location will depend on several factors, but being close to family should not be one that is high on that list. You know where we live, and yes we were hit by the first typhoon that passed over our area in Nueva Ecija, and we were lucky as we suffered no damage, but many did. The south islands seem to be in the path of most typhoons as they cross the Philippines and as the latest typhoon destroyed so much over a large area, would you feel safe being there? We feel quite safe here but I know we are too far north for you, but we just visited another forum member on Wednesday who lives in a beautiful area of the Philippines maybe this would be better for you?

Over the past decades it was always the north who took the brunt...(according to my wife) Whether it's to do with climate change, I've no idea

[gWaPito]

what about thailand, any thoughts on living out there

Much better option....Read LM's post on this :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[tiger31]

A mate from work has moved his family from Cebu to Indo..cheaper housing and much safer compared to Cebu in terms of security...English is more widely used.........He's been trying to sell his house in Cebu for quite sometime now, like nearly 2 years..he was asking for 1.5 million..he'd spent over 4 on it over the years.

I haven't seen him since the big storm so, wouldn't know how his house faired.
hi mark my bro n law just got back from cebu today and he says cebu escaped most of it but way up north of cebu it got hit badly like tacloban san remegan I think ive spelt it right got really trashed. Those places up north of cebu have gotten little publicity and are desperate. A brit guy called matt wilkie is doing runs up there everyday in a dumpster borrowed from the mayor of minganilla. He is asking for donations to keep them supplied ive just sent him some dollars through his paypal account you can see his pictures on my facebook

[tiger31]

http://brian-sheehan.tumblr.com/post/67139106347/devastation-in-the-north here is a report from north of cebu

[stevewool]

shocking pictures Brian, thank god there are people that takes it upon themselves to help others

[BoholoX]

I suppose if you have a home here, try 6 months in UK and 6 months in Philippines for a couple of years first! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

We are leaning towards this idea in the future. Who knows what may happen to NHS and pension entitlements if not in the UK for a certain amount of time. With 3 month visas and no need for an I-card nonsense it would be nice to have a couple of 3 month trips a year during the colder months whilst still retaining the security of life in the UK. But that's all for the future.......Bohol power may not be back for 12 months, resorts closing in Panglao, mass tourist cancellations, short term doesn't look good :bigcry:

[stevewool]

you have to plan long term like many have said, who knows whats around the corner for many of us,
Just keep the dream of what you want alive and maybe someday, that dream you will be living

[grahamw48]

On the very day I first set foot in the Phils (July 16th 1990), there was a massive earthquake which killed hundreds and toppled buildings in Baguio City, including a big tourist hotel, which collaped like a stack of cards.

A year later, I was living within 10 miles of Pinatubo, which left hundreds of square miles looking like this...not snow, but a foot of volcanic ash.

.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/2047/vqdm.jpg

.
The next day it rained heavily, and the foot of ash on the tin roofs became the weight of concrete, with inevitable results.

The roof of our place (the ex and I) caved in, and all our stuff was looted or water damaged.

3 months later we were married and back in the UK.

It didn't stop us going back for long periods later though, and enjoying many happy times with those incredibly tough and resilient Filipino people. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[tone]

We discuss this topic all the time - I sometimes think moving East will be a two fold excuse - work out there as a consultant and live an easy life - wife prefers Manila but as we have both lived in Kuala Lumpur I have to say that is clean, easy to communicate and accessible to all of asia.
The exchange rate at 5:1 roughly means you get a fair bit for your money - having lived there for a year I felt safe, happy and felt I fitted in both personally and professionally.

Whatever happens - Like you Peter we wont stay in the UK forever and maybe we will go to Iloilo - whatever happens we will be buying a property there next year.

I am not sure if this helps anyone but Western Union are doing NO FEE transactions until 30 Nov
to Phils -
http://www.westernunion.co.uk/gb/campaigns/haiyan.page

Cheers
Tone

[stevewool]

On the very day I first set foot in the Phils (July 16th 1990), there was a massive earthquake which killed hundreds and toppled buildings in Baguio City, including a big tourist hotel, which collaped like a stack of cards.

A year later, I was living within 10 miles of Pinatubo, which left hundreds of square miles looking like this...not snow, but a foot of volcanic ash.

.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/2047/vqdm.jpg

.
The next day it rained heavily, and the foot of ash on the tin roofs became the weight of concrete, with inevitable results.

The roof of our place (the ex and I) caved in, and all our stuff was looted or water damaged.

3 months later we were married and back in the UK.

It didn't stop us going back for long periods later though, and enjoying many happy times with those incredibly tough and resilient Filipino people. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

well said Graham, lots of good memories for sure

[stevewool]

We discuss this topic all the time - I sometimes think moving East will be a two fold excuse - work out there as a consultant and live an easy life - wife prefers Manila but as we have both lived in Kuala Lumpur I have to say that is clean, easy to communicate and accessible to all of asia.
The exchange rate at 5:1 roughly means you get a fair bit for your money - having lived there for a year I felt safe, happy and felt I fitted in both personally and professionally.

Whatever happens - Like you Peter we wont stay in the UK forever and maybe we will go to Iloilo - whatever happens we will be buying a property there next year.

I am not sure if this helps anyone but Western Union are doing NO FEE transactions until 30 Nov
to Phils -
http://www.westernunion.co.uk/gb/campaigns/haiyan.page

Cheers
Tone

did not know that tone, we are going to western union tomorrow

[tone]

Steve
We did an online transaction today - they do free bank to bank transactions now too and we got a rate of PHP70 to the £ which didnt seem too bad.

Glad I could be of help :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[fred]

On the very day I first set foot in the Phils (July 16th 1990), there was a massive earthquake which killed hundreds and toppled buildings in Baguio City, including a big tourist hotel, which collaped like a stack of cards.

A year later, I was living within 10 miles of Pinatubo, which left hundreds of square miles looking like this...not snow, but a foot of volcanic ash.

.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/2047/vqdm.jpg

.
The next day it rained heavily, and the foot of ash on the tin roofs became the weight of concrete, with inevitable results.

The roof of our place (the ex and I) caved in, and all our stuff was looted or water damaged.

3 months later we were married and back in the UK.

It didn't stop us going back for long periods later though, and enjoying many happy times with those incredibly tough and resilient Filipino people. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Thats yet another rep I owe you Graham!!.. Damn!! All of a sudden I feel so indebted!!

[fred]

Our power here may be limited but our lust for life here is unabated.
Loving the life here daily.. So far..

[grahamw48]

Haha...wish I was there sharing a beer with you Fred. ...Maybe in January. :smile:

No rep needed. :wink:

[stevewool]

can i join the beer drinking frenzy :xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3:

[fred]

Haha...wish I was there sharing a beer with you Fred. ...Maybe in January. :smile:

No rep needed. :wink:

Look forward to it!..
Still a brown out here apart from what my car can generate and yet my parents are having the time of their lives!! My 72 year old Mum has decided to stay a minimum of 4 months!!...This trip!!

[grahamw48]

can i join the beer drinking frenzy :xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3:

Sure...let's do it. :biggrin:

Where does Fred live ? :Erm:

[sentinent]

I suppose if you have a home here, try 6 months in UK and 6 months in Philippines for a couple of years first! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

That's what I have been doing for a couple of years now.

[grahamw48]

I did it for about 15 years.

It just made me very poor. :icon_lol:

[gWaPito]

I did it for about 15 years.

It just made me very poor. :icon_lol:

Tell me about it :cwm25:

[tiger31]

nothing wrong with being poor ,its nice to be out of the rat race for once.this bunch out here seem far happier than the keep up with the jones crowd back home :smile:

[stevewool]

being poor and having nothing must stink , but being poor but still living and enjoying life must be just about right:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[tiger31]

yeah but being poor is what most of them are used to nothing really changes .

[grahamw48]

being poor and having nothing must stink , but being poor but still living and enjoying life must be just about right:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Yes, it is. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[tiger31]

reached 71.00 today looking good for now

[gWaPito]

nothing wrong with being poor ,its nice to be out of the rat race for once.this bunch out here seem far happier than the keep up with the jones crowd back home :smile:
You are right their Brian :xxgrinning--00xx3:
The trick is, falling on your feet with the right gal. ..which you certainly have :biggrin::xxgrinning--00xx3:

[grahamw48]

reached 71.00 today looking good for now

Wow..great stuff. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[tiger31]

You are right their Brian :xxgrinning--00xx3:
The trick is, falling on your feet with the right gal. ..which you certainly have :biggrin::xxgrinning--00xx3:

we will see lol when she becomes westernised that will be the tester lol when all the english girls will be askin her why you doing everything for him lol

[grahamw48]

Too right. :NoNo:

Wasn't so bad with my ex, as I'd been looking after myself for 22 years before I got wed. :smile:

[tiger31]

now 71.13 very good news indeed san migels just keep gettin cheaper :party-smiley-012:

[cebuguy]

Cebu is still safer than those islands in the eastern part of the Philippines. its located in the center of the Visayas region, it was hit my the storm but still very few casualties compare to elsewhere here.

[Ako Si Jamie]

being poor and having nothing must stink , but being poor but still living and enjoying life must be just about right:xxgrinning--00xx3:
That reminds of me of a quote I heard from a rich old woman awhile back.

"I'd rather be unhappy and get chauffeured around than to be happy and have to ride a bicycle" :crazy:

[fred]

Cebu is still safer than those islands in the eastern part of the Philippines. its located in the center of the Visayas region, it was hit my the storm but still very few casualties compare to elsewhere here.

http://www.ro7.dost.gov.ph/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/538-volcanologists-uncover-3-cebu-fault-lines.html