Hi I live in Essex area, I am surprised you would want to come back to UK after such a long time in the PHILIPPINES.
20 Years does seem a lifetime, adjustments I think will be hard for you, I just came back after a minute 4 weeks in Phils, and even when I got back it was hard to adjust and that was only a nano period.
House prices have fallen somewhat, the average house price in Clacton on Sea and area is going to be about £200,000 or thereabouts, for a 3 bedroom home, and can go up as much as £300,000.
Rental properties from £550.00 to £950.00 depending on size and number of bedrooms, houses to rent are normally at the higher end, £900.00 to £1200.00, diesel for your car is about £1.04 a litre at present, making it fairly expensive, and food seems to be more expensive again, on 1 item, a bottle of brown sauce, what used to be 85p is now £1.25
Things have gone up, but Clacton on Sea will be cheaper to live than Say Chelmsford, the closer you get to London in Essex, the more expensive it seems to me it is to live.
I Don't know any Filipinos in Clacton as such, but there are quite a few in Colchester working at the hospital and such like, best of luck, a fact finding mission maybe a good idea, see how you like it again, I find at present after coming back from a 4 week great stint, very quiet, but then again, you may like that.
