Foreigners living in the Philippines

[baby38]

Just reading comments of foreign men living in the phills for a number of years,some i can guess around 40 to 50 years,I was wondering how you survive financially,i can understand at retirement age you can get a foreign pension ,i am on a disability pension it OK to leave the country for 3 months,or I loose my pension,but even at retirement age in my country of Australia you have to come back to Australia once a year.
Sure it a lot cheaper to live in the Phills ,but on my 7 visits to the phills you seem to end up spending lots of money.
Even if you had a job in the phills the pay not great for our standard of living,I have meet many foreigners living in the phills all they seen to do is drink a lot,also I lived there for 3 months after awhile i got bored,I would say you would have to be kept busy working or doing volunteer work,also I would be concerned about the getting medical help up to the standard of my country, especially with men getting on with age.
Maybe many men living in the phills are very well off financally.

[RickyR]

There is a wide variety of expats in the Philippines, living all over. Some who spend the winters here, some who work here, some who have retired here with money and some who have retired without money and then there are quite a few like me who work at sea or offshore.
You can live very cheaply here, and some people do live off a few hundred pound a month quite successfully. The bare essentials are quite cheap, and in the province you can live comfortably with a maid to help the day to day lifestyle.
If you want to live well, the costs do go up. I sometimes feel that it costs more for our lifestyle here then it did in the UK. Our electricity bill this month was 240 pounds, attributed to our air con and jacuzzi pumps.
As for high standard medical facilities, there are a few, but only in the major cities of Manila and Cebu (possibly Davao as well). But this isn't cheap, so you would be well to have insurance.

There are quite a few people who live life looking through the bottom of a san mig glass here, but many people live life to the full, whether its diving, boat trips, running businesses etc.

[joebloggs]

Our electricity bill this month was 240 pounds, attributed to our air con and jacuzzi pumps.

£240 for a month
i just got our gas/electric bill and that was £250 for the last 3 months, and at least 1 pc is on 24/7 everyday , tv on most of the time, lights are left on, etc..

[JimOttley]

£240 for a month
i just got our gas/electric bill and that was £250 for the last 3 months, and at least 1 pc is on 24/7 everyday , tv on most of the time, lights are left on, etc..

Electric is the killer Joe, we have one small aircon unit in the bedroom only, electric bill is 80 quid a month in summer and that is 7 hours night time usage of an 800 watt unit, last month was still 65 quid. The generation companies in the Phils made some very bad contracts and decisions around 10 or 12 years back cant remember exactly when but the entire country has been paying for it ever since.

My UK bills in England for a flat are much worse than they used to be for a whole house in Scotland but still nowhere near as bad as the phils.

In the Phils we have 3 fans 1 fridge, TV, all low enegry lights and 1 aircon unit, the bills are ridiculous, but it's the law of the market place I guess.


Jim

[junior02]

There is a wide variety of expats in the Philippines, living all over. Some who spend the winters here, some who work here, some who have retired here with money and some who have retired without money and then there are quite a few like me who work at sea or offshore.
You can live very cheaply here, and some people do live off a few hundred pound a month quite successfully. The bare essentials are quite cheap, and in the province you can live comfortably with a maid to help the day to day lifestyle.
If you want to live well, the costs do go up. I sometimes feel that it costs more for our lifestyle here then it did in the UK. Our electricity bill this month was 240 pounds, attributed to our air con and jacuzzi pumps.
As for high standard medical facilities, there are a few, but only in the major cities of Manila and Cebu (possibly Davao as well). But this isn't cheap, so you would be well to have insurance.

There are quite a few people who live life looking through the bottom of a san mig glass here, but many people live life to the full, whether its diving, boat trips, running businesses etc.

£240 a month for electric, are you sure, my electric bill in are 3bed house is never more than 3000 peso per month with aircon on most of time also tv and other things on more than 12 hours a day. and my tubig bill is never over 600 peso a month, and we use a lot of tubig..

[malditako]

£240 a month for electric, are you sure, my electric bill in are 3bed house is never more than 3000 peso per month with aircon on most of time also tv and other things on more than 12 hours a day. and my tubig bill is never over 600 peso a month, and we use a lot of tubig..

he probably live in a mansion with centralized aircondition, a nice garden to run with electric fountains etc, eelctric water pump,..etc..etc..etc...

[junior02]

he probably live in a mansion with centralized aircondition, a nice garden to run with electric fountains etc, eelctric water pump,..etc..etc..etc...

maybe he has, but i still cant see that it would cost £240or around 16500peso per month for electric, unless you have a big business premises to run..

[rani]

maybe he has, but i still cant see that it would cost £240or around 16500peso per month for electric, unless you have a big business premises to run..

most of my friends spend that big in electricity coz aircons are "on" simultaneously every night and sometimes during the daytime when its really hot... my monthly bill is more than 6k a month for just one aircon bedroom condo unit here in pasig

you can save on electricity if you live outside manila where you can still get "cooler" air at night... i spent 4k a month when i lived in cainta (2 storey with 3 bedrooms) coz we rarely used aircon

[RickyR]

£240 a month for electric, are you sure, my electric bill in are 3bed house is never more than 3000 peso per month with aircon on most of time also tv and other things on more than 12 hours a day. and my tubig bill is never over 600 peso a month, and we use a lot of tubig..

Yes, unfortunately. We have a 5 bedroom house, and because of the children we have 3 air con units running thorughout the night, and normally 1 or 2 running all day. The jacuzzi pumps are run every few days, the water cooler, reefer and computers are running pretty much continuously. Water heaters running quite a lot of the time.

VECO Bill 15,323 PHP

Usage this month 1810 kWh
Avg kWh/day 58.39

To be honest, if your retired and have no family with you, you can probably live for a lot less. I'm here with my family, we need to live within a reasonable distance of an Accredited International School and I expect a certain standard of living wherever I live, and thus we live very comfortably. Generally most of the outgoings aren't excessive, but the electricity bill is the killer with the air con. There are options such as solar panels, ceiling fans etc.

[Pete/London]

Generally most of the outgoings aren't excessive, but the electricity bill is the killer with the air con. There are options such as solar panels, ceiling fans etc.

We built an annex at the back of my in laws place and kitted it out with aircon, water cooler, fridge etc and for just a couple or rooms we can expect the bill to be approx £100 for the month. when we leave they turn it all off and they dont use their own fridge to cut the costs.
Just before the millenium I tried to start a business of importing air con and solar panels from Japan and Australia but never got off the ground. It was so difficult to get any knowledge of importation costs, taxes etc that I now understand why the PI doesn`t progress like its neighbours, and why big companies from the above countries have not made much headway. Solar panels could make such a difference there but it would be opposed by vested interests, plus the fact that although screwed down they would probably vanish within a week.

[malditako]

Yes, unfortunately. We have a 5 bedroom house, and because of the children we have 3 air con units running thorughout the night, and normally 1 or 2 running all day. The jacuzzi pumps are run every few days, the water cooler, reefer and computers are running pretty much continuously. Water heaters running quite a lot of the time.

VECO Bill 15,323 PHP

Usage this month 1810 kWh
Avg kWh/day 58.39

To be honest, if your retired and have no family with you, you can probably live for a lot less. I'm here with my family, we need to live within a reasonable distance of an Accredited International School and I expect a certain standard of living wherever I live, and thus we live very comfortably. Generally most of the outgoings aren't excessive, but the electricity bill is the killer with the air con. There are options such as solar panels, ceiling fans etc.

the way u described ur consumptions tells me ur electric bill is fair enough to pay in phils...compare to mine when i was in phils...just one aircondition running and am paying 100 to 140 a month...

[jimeve]

Best thing to do is buy a beach lot and build a nipper hut on it, it will be that cool you'll need hot water bottles at night.

[katerry]

ur coming from what place in southwest england?

[malditako]

when i was still in phils i used to pay 100 to 120 pounds on electricity a month..

[stevewool]

and heres me thinking off going to a warmer place , aircon was it all going on grace

[malditako]

and heres me thinking off going to a warmer place , aircon was it all going on grace

12 to 16 hours of aircondition, oven, microwave, electric pot etc lol...cant stand without aircon or my son will get sick (asthma)

[Steve.r]

I guess it all depends on why you are going there and what the expectation is of both yourself and the people you are going to live with.
A simple life with no frills is what I am after, I have just spent 3 weeks without aircon, it's not so bad. What I would need is a small tv and an internet connection, thats about it. We have both agreed that being rich, living beyond our means is not really what we need or want, leaving all the modern trappings of western life behind will be bliss. We have a business growing which will create an income, plus looking for more oppertunities all the time will keep me active.
Like I first said, decide why you want to live there, plan around that reason and live within your means. It is not the 'west' so life will be different.

[stevewool]

wise words steve , a simple life is what is needed after working and living here for years, i too was there for a month and i enjoyed the warmth yes the odd day sitting in a taxi the aircon was welcome , but i am sure its not needed if you pick the place well to settle, its great to here that the business is growing , myself i am still looking for that place emma says lets just buy a lot for now and hopefully by the time we go there it should be worth more and if we dont like it sell and move on , who knows ????, just for now its save save save

[stevewool]

well here soon we shall have the heating on , but between all off my friends on here i have told emma that its tradition that heating is better started on xmas eve so for now a nice woolie hat is tradition

[Steve.r]

well here soon we shall have the heating on , but between all off my friends on here i have told emma that its tradition that heating is better started on xmas eve so for now a nice woolie hat is tradition

I think I can hear the squeak from here steve

[stevewool]

that was no squeak steve remember you are in dorset the noise was a crack on the back off my head emmas reading just what i put and the heating is going on sooner then later

[stevewool]

soooooooooooooo sorry to hear the news steve , no one hurt that is the most important , yes alot of money but that can be replaced over time , no barking dogs just cash taken like you say could be someone from the inside

[Steve.r]

soooooooooooooo sorry to hear the news steve , no one hurt that is the most important , yes alot of money but that can be replaced over time , no barking dogs just cash taken like you say could be someone from the inside

Yes, thanks Steve Rani, I also think inside job. maybe some jealous neighbour/family who know/think she has money lying around because I have just been visiting Makes me mad. I'll be buying her some method of self defence soon, the type that goes bang, if you know what I mean

[stevewool]

get her to ware them gloves you gave the kids

[Steve.r]

knuckle dusters more like.

[keithAngel]

You would need the entire roof filled with solar and corner the market in 120 amphere batteries to get that kind of power

The trick is in the insulation factor ans if you are thinking of a new build massive earth banks and roof could get you to a comfortable tempreture without the need to spend much on aircon if your by a large water source you can also "air con by heatpump taking the coolness of the water and concentrating it you can gain a 1-4 oir five advantage that way

[Terpe]

Most Philippine houses have metal roofs with, at the most, a thin foil backed foam layer beneath it.
This allows the attic to get unnecessarily hot; the heat then passes through the thin plywood ceilings to the rooms below.
If you question this, you get told to have the ceilings high so the heat stays above head height.
But I think it is better to prevent the heat from entering the room in the first place and have a lower ceiling to give less air for the aircon to cool.
I think it is necessary for a layer of insulation to be placed on top of the ceiling.
Also a light coloured roof is better for reflecting heat. Rather than the reds and blues
(I do understand about 'fitting-in' with the rest of the neighbourhood though)
A thick woven glass insulation (something like 'Pink Batts' ) comes in a variety of R factors the higher the number the better the insulation.
Anyway worth a thought?
I don't know how useful this is to anyone, but just my pesoworth.

[Terpe]

RickyR,

I know the cost of electricity in the Phils is very high.
Also the price can vary quite a bit depending upon where you live.

Please don't take this as negative comment, but seems to be quite a lot of energy
you are using. Did you take some time to think about ways to reduce the energy consumption?

I would like to make some suggestions even you seem OK about your lifestyle energy use. (maybe it would help others)

Did you turn off the main supply breaker and see if the horizontal disc in the meter is moving.
If it is, maybe someone is tapping off. (not an uncommon thing to happen)
Get an electrician to look for and remove taps.

If the disc is not moving try checking the appliances.

Think about the air-con units I understand your reasons for running them but try to minimise the stop-startload.
I always believe that when the air-con runs quite a lot it makes sense to have them regularly serviced. You could clean the filters yourself.
What type of air-con units do you have?

A friend of mine is in the air-con business and he advised me to invest in the newer inverter types.
Inverter air con units are less prone to breakdowns, cheaper to run and generally quieter.
Minimising stop-start cycles not only increases efficiency but also extends the life of components and helps eliminate those sharp fluctuations in the load the air conditioner places on the power supply.
Only downside being the initial cost, which is higher.

Aside from that had you considered if investment in some solar panels might help (well during daytime anyway). I understand these are more readily available now in Phils, but I have no idea on cost and payback time.

[Terpe]

Forgot to mention that since switching to split type inverter air-con in our Manila house
I believe our our monthly electricty bill has seen about 25%-30% reduction.
We changed 4 units all at the same time

[RickyR]

Hi Terpe, thats for your advice. The first thing I thought was that we were having out electicity tapped, and had the same thought as you, flicked the breakers and checked the meter. Unfortunately it stopped. I then went through all the equipment in the house one by one, I found that one of the air con units is consuming a lot more then the others, and thats the big one in the lounge. So we're going to be a bit more conservative with that one. We also need to do what you mentioned and get all the units cleaned and serviced, because I hope that will help.
Thanks again.