Quote Originally Posted by paulgee View Post
Most British guys will visit the Philippines once or twice, or 3 times in my case, and then welcome their Filipina fiancee/wife to the UK where they will settle down.

My question to you is:- having seen life in the Philippines would you rather live there than in the UK? I know financial constraints and circumstances limit our opportunities, but personally I felt so at home in the Philippines I would love to spend more time there when I retire.

Some members already live there, and seem happy with their lot, but is it the Utopia some of us imagine?

Paul
I lived in the Philippines for many years, during this time I was working for a large multinational company. The pay was good, healthcare and administrative issues were dealt with by the HR people... we did not have the hassle of dealing with the local government for visas, etc etc.

In short we had a western UK/USA life style in the Phils... and yes it was a good experience.

However, if you are a loner, where you have to provide everything for yourself, then the Phils can become a nightmare. People experiencing the Phils for the first time assume that it is a cheap place to live, and a few quid under the bed will go a long way..

Well it will not if you want to maintain a decent lifestyle... car.. house.. healthcare insurance... day to day expenses etc....

The chances are that you will not find employment.. the Phils has thousands of degree qualified candidates for these jobs. In short there is no shortage of skilled and talented labor.

Think about the Phils when you are comming up to retirement.. you have a nest egg, a pension, a house in the UK etc...

Your independemt means will then remove you from some of the above risks. However, just keep in mind that you will never have the sort of health and social parachutes that we all have become used to in the UK..

AJ