Philippines Retirement Destination - 10 reasons

[Terpe]

1. Affordable cost of living — The monthly expenses for housing, food, transportation and even labor costs anywhere in the Philippines are quite reasonable and affordable for most retirees that allow them to stretch their pensions and savings. Balikbayans and foreign retirees enjoy not only the lower cost of living but also a favorable currency exchange rate. On an average, a retiree can live very comfortably in the Philippines at US$2,000 per month in a fully furnished home complete with a household helper.

2. Filipino hospitality — Filipinos are among the most hospitable races on Earth. Filipino hospitality is renowned all over the world. Filipinos’ friendliness, cheerfulness and compassion are qualities that will make retiring in the Philippines truly feel like one has found a second home. They are a happy people, and have consistently rated among the top in every happiness index conducted.

3. Medical and health services — Retirees are naturally concerned about their health-keeping healthy will help them enjoy their retirement to the fullest. The Philippines’ medical and healthcare facilities are comparable, sometimes even better by comparison to that of the retirees’ place of residence overseas, depending on his or her country of origin. Filipino doctors are trained in Western medicine and most of them are trained abroad and affiliated with international medical associations. The Filipino nurses’ natural friendliness and competence are sought all over the world and would be comforting to every retiree who needs compassionate care.

4. Modern conveniences — The Philippines provides retirees with all the basic necessities and conveniences of modern living. From large malls to modern transportation, to the Internet and other high-tech telecommunications network, to contemporary forms of entertainment like Hollywood movies to cable TV channels that include programs from around the world-the retiree would never feel cut-off from the rest of the world and modern life.

5. Eco-tourism destinations — The Philippines being an archipelago is known for its beaches, diving spots and beautiful scenery. It is rich in biodiversity and natural wonders. From the white beaches of world-class Boracay island, to the beautiful hills of Tagaytay, the Philippines has thousands of islands that all offer a piece of tropical paradise.

6. Wellness choices — Wellness centers and spas abound, offering massage therapy, acupuncture and other natural and alternative treatments and practices-all designed to restore vitality and promote relaxation and good health. Most of these wellness facilities are run and/or staffed by medical doctors who are experts in Western medicine. Other wellness centers offer treatments based on both Western and Oriental medicine.

7. World cuisine — The Philippines offers diverse cuisine. Filipino food has mainly Spanish and Chinese influences but over the centuries has also acquired styles and flavors of the cultures that have come in contact with Filipinos, including American, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arabic and Southeast Asian culinary styles. Besides the local cuisine, the Philippines also has restaurants offering authentic dishes that foreign palates have learned to adopt with.

8. Freedom in religion — While more than 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholics because of the 300 years of Spanish colonization, other variants of Christianity thrive in the Philippines. Some 5 percent of Filipinos are Muslims, while the rest belong to Protestant and Evangelical Churches. Recently, there has been a rise in secularization, led by a group of Filipino freethinkers. Bhuddhist and Hindu temples are also seen in some places. Overall, all religions are respected and freely practiced in every part of the country.

9. Climate — The Philippines is a tropical country with two seasons: rainy and dry. The weather is generally fair throughout the year. This is particularly important for retiring people who can no longer tolerate the cold season and avoid winter depression.

10. Language — English is one of two official languages in the Philippines. The other one is Filipino. English is widely used and most Filipinos are conversant in English. Language interpreters also abound and are available through the Department of Tourism.


Source:-
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/40111/...nt-destination

[fred]

Well done Terpe for continuing to promote the RP as a top retiree destination.. I dont mind guys like you doing this kind of thing as you obviously have the knowledge and wisdom to help point those wishing to do so on their way...
Me too!

[stevewool]

a great read terpe, cant waite, but the $2000 a month,well lets wait and see,

[Terpe]

a great read terpe, cant waite, but the $2000 a month,well lets wait and see,

You're right to raise that Steve. I personally felt that was at the upper limit for me but maybe not way way over the top.
That the figure is based on a typical American married couple neither of whom are from Asia and both over 65.
In which case you could reasonably expect them to be paying a little more for their every-day needs.

I still feel though for me and my wife, and for what we want to do, we need between P50k-P80k per month.
That's not to say we couldn't live a good life on less, but we want to plan to hit our dreams.

Mind you the way things are going for me just now, I'll be living on Fred's campsite.

[fred]

2k USD Sounds about right Steve although you can do it on a lot less...If you know the score!

[stevewool]

great idea long term lease from fred , how cheap can we go

[Terpe]

great idea long term lease from fred , how cheap can we go

Maybe P50 per night for a large group with long term contract

Mind you weekly BBQ thrown-in
Plus all showers
Hehehe

[fred]

Very funny Terpe!
I did mention in the past..We may be leasing small plots of land for up to 50 years!
A lease for a tent will be on a nightly basis though!...(including showers!)

[stevewool]

next time we are there , we are hoping around xmas 2013/14 or sooner we will rent a tent that rhymes, if the price is right fred we may consider a plot too, keep us imformed on that please

[stevie c]

Hi Fred when will it be up & running We are there in June but maybe this is a bit early

Like Stevewool we may have a few days there in 2013

[BoholoX]

Interesting article but it reads too much like a retirement brochure, there is quite a bit of err...embellishment..

$2000 is not a bad figure for 2 (we survive on nearly half that) although the other pluses intimates you will need to live close to a big city (yucks) to take advantage of the health care/modern conveniences/world cuisine. You dont have to go far into the provinces for these to totally disappear. Decent condo/house rentals and electricity for aircon and fridge plus petrol/internet/satellite/phone could easily eat into half of that budget, before groceries and eating out.

Certainly agree with the people/language and the climate does help my far from nearing retirement bad back, but older people cannot always cope with the crippling heat/humidity. I miss the seasons too

[fred]

Hi Fred when will it be up & running We are there in June but maybe this is a bit early

Like Stevewool we may have a few days there in 2013

Hi Stevie..
No idea yet how much we can get done in the next 2/3 months but Id guess it will be a bit too early to be honest.. Im in manila till June and cant check on progress till I get back..
Cheers Fred.

[jonnijon]

He means rain showers not real ones

[stevie c]

Hi Stevie..
No idea yet how much we can get done in the next 2/3 months but Id guess it will be a bit too early to be honest.. Im in manila till June and cant check on progress till I get back..
Cheers Fred.

Thanks Fred looks like 2013 it is then

[tiger31]

i,ve just come back from lapu lapu near cebu i spent a year there and my costs were as follows 5000 pesos for 2 bedroom ground floor air conditioned appartment that included water 1100 cable t.v electric 5000 a month that was aircon on 24/7 gas for cooking 3 of us 750 pesos lasted 2 months so 375 a month .5 gallon purified water 25 pesos per week so 100 to 150 allowing for extra a month.food is a hard one because i,m not a keen on a lot of phillipino food so i insisted on quite a few visits to mcdees and kfc and chowking lol .but a kilo of rice was 40 pesos give or take a pesos or two a cooked chicken was 100 pesos to give you a clue i ate rice more than i would normally do in the u.k.so £170 a month but that didnt include food this is based on 2 adults and one teenager so $2000 is very high indeed .I havent included going out to movies or clothes shopping but these items vary on individual cases ,hope this helps give folks a general idea

[stevewool]

thanks tiger, another fine read and from someone whos there

[Jimbojac]

I have read and studied these guesstimates for years...............
*I can live like a king at my GF's house for £250 a month, YES you read that right but thats her families place that i pay a few bills when i am back here in Jersey and have also equipped them out with a few goodies such as a new TV, laptop and monthly cable etc etc.
There are beautiful 4 bedroom houses to rent there for as little as £200 a month {Dipolog City Mindanao}
When we travel back East to the surf spots we rent the top floor of a luxury house for 500 pesos a day and cannot really spend more than another 500 on all our needs ie: great food, beers, toiletries, internet etc. To put this in perspective i work an hour here and live great there for a day or work a day here and live like a king there for a week!

Superb! However if i was older and needed medical care then being in or near Manila or Cebu may have to be the answer and then all costs would rise.

* Province living.

** Remember that in the provinces local wages are very low for the locals, an indicator is 100-150 a day for a shop-girl, 200 a day for a building labourer, 250-300 a day for a tradesman.
We are very wealthy in " real terms."

[grahamw48]

I last lived in the Philippines for 3 years between 2000 and 2003, with the ex and three children, plus several long stays before that.

Being the tight-fisted Yorkshireman that I am....and a keen DIYer, I won't shock you with my living costs there (4 bed detached property, rented in Angeles City, before building my own place).

No namby pamby aircon for us of course, and good home-cooked food.

It does help to run a profitable small business, which both myself and the ex-wife did.

However, as far as RETIREMENT goes, MEDICAL EXPENSES have to be the overriding cause for concern for me. These were very conveniently glossed over...in fact not even mentioned in the above article.

First class HEALTH INSURANCE would come top of my list before considering anything else.

None of us know what is around the corner as far as our health is concerned, and obviously those of us who are getting on need to take into account that failing health will be almost inevitable with advancing years.

The bills that those excellent Filipino doctors will present you with may well mean you end up bankrupt and on the first plane back to the UK....if you've got enough left for a ticket.

[lastlid]

Here's an opinion on moving to the Philippines. Yes, I know he is American but he is a bit more user friendly than that chap the other month. Does he have some valid points?

[grahamw48]

He's well-meaning, but naturally after only having spent 5 months in the Phils (how many different locations ?) his experience and knowledge is very limited...and it shows.

It is certainly very different living there with a Filipina partner than being a lone foreigner. An altogether less costly and more fulfilling experience IMO.

[Arthur Little]

On an average, a retiree can live very comfortably in the Philippines at US$2,000 per month in a fully furnished home complete with a household helper.

Source:-
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/40111/...nt-destination

$2,000=£1,261.312. Hmm ...

... count me out!

[RickyR]

As some of you know, I spent a few years in the Philippines and at times I found it very trying to live there. However as a place to retire, as long as you set yourself up in the right way, I can see how it could be an excellent place to live.
The two biggest problems I saw for retiree expats in the Philippines was 1: Healthcare, it can be very expensive, especially coming from the UK where we are used to the NHS. You either have to have a very good policy, or a good fallback plan. 2: Alcohol, it's good to drink, but i've seen too many people ruined with the cheap beer. Don't let the alcohol rule your life.

[Arthur Little]

Don't let the alcohol rule your life.

... that's one problem I woudn't face, thankfully!

[RickyR]

haha thats good to know Arthur!

[sm1971]

Ah, I am still in a bad mood after the annulment news.

1) The one thing that is cheap in the Philippines is manual labour. This has a knock on effect on things that are produced in the country. Anything that has to be imported or relies on natural resources is about as expensive as in the West. Property is not cheap, at least not in or near the cities.

3) How do you pay for health services? Do you sign up with a private health insurance in the Phils, or do some UK services pay for medical services in the Phils? I imagine that a private health insurance for a retiree would be VERY expensive.

4) Modern transportation? In the Phils? Now this article is just taking the p*ss.
Well, ok, London rush hours are not better than Manila rush hours, but at least there's the tube and a half decent train network.
Transportation in the Phils can be very, very awkward. In GenSan taxis are not always available and the vast majority of tricycles have very low roofs - not meant for adult European males. My head and back still hurt from just remembering!
I had bad experiences with internet connectivity, btw. Is there a reliable provider - good bandwidth, reliable connection, no DNS issues?
Oh, did I forget to mention regular brown outs in Davao? This seemed to have improved during the last visit, but before each afternoon there was a 2 hour or so brownout. No ice-cream, not meat to be left in the fridge…

5) Ecotourism in the Phils is next to impossible for a European, as the flight to and from destroys the eco balance.

6, 7, 8) You get that in the UK as well, often to higher standards than in the Phils.

To me the positives are 2) 9) 10, and 1) with the above caveat. At this stage for me there are too many negatives to wish to retire in the Phils - poverty and corruption are way too big to ignore for me Mind you, my retirement is about a quarter century away.

[grahamw48]

Blimey. You're only a youngster.

I didn't even go to the Phils until I was 38, and plenty of adventures there these past 22 years ...and hopefully many more ahead too.

[fred]

Ah, I am still in a bad mood after the annulment news.

1) The one thing that is cheap in the Philippines is manual labour. This has a knock on effect on things that are produced in the country. Anything that has to be imported or relies on natural resources is about as expensive as in the West. Property is not cheap, at least not in or near the cities.

3) How do you pay for health services? Do you sign up with a private health insurance in the Phils, or do some UK services pay for medical services in the Phils? I imagine that a private health insurance for a retiree would be VERY expensive.

4) Modern transportation? In the Phils? Now this article is just taking the p*ss.
Well, ok, London rush hours are not better than Manila rush hours, but at least there's the tube and a half decent train network.
Transportation in the Phils can be very, very awkward. In GenSan taxis are not always available and the vast majority of tricycles have very low roofs - not meant for adult European males. My head and back still hurt from just remembering!
I had bad experiences with internet connectivity, btw. Is there a reliable provider - good bandwidth, reliable connection, no DNS issues?
Oh, did I forget to mention regular brown outs in Davao? This seemed to have improved during the last visit, but before each afternoon there was a 2 hour or so brownout. No ice-cream, not meat to be left in the fridge…

5) Ecotourism in the Phils is next to impossible for a European, as the flight to and from destroys the eco balance.

6, 7, 8) You get that in the UK as well, often to higher standards than in the Phils.

To me the positives are 2) 9) 10, and 1) with the above caveat. At this stage for me there are too many negatives to wish to retire in the Phils - poverty and corruption are way too big to ignore for me Mind you, my retirement is about a quarter century away.

I disagree with much of your post but no matter.. The Philippines is not for everyone..
Neither is the UK but dont get me started on that one while Im in a good mood.

[stevewool]

the best policy for me is to listen to lots of advice from people who are there, plan where i wuld like to be, save like mad and when all that is done move out there and take each month as they come if all goes well, then sell the house here and live happy ever after, i still intend to buy a lot as soon as we can, bohol, pangla just for our investment and our home if it all comes to plans

[fred]

If you are in Panglao,I would be very happy to assist you in any way I can Steve.. I think you have made a good choice.

[Terpe]

Ah, I am still in a bad mood after the annulment news.

1) The one thing that is cheap in the Philippines is manual labour. This has a knock on effect on things that are produced in the country. Anything that has to be imported or relies on natural resources is about as expensive as in the West. Property is not cheap, at least not in or near the cities.

Sorry to disagree with this comment. It may depend where you live but for me living in UK, property in Philippines is comparatively very cheap. I would imagine that for anyone thinking of retiring in the philippines the cost of buying property or indeed renting would be very much lower than in almost every western country. Just my experience.

3) How do you pay for health services? Do you sign up with a private health insurance in the Phils, or do some UK services pay for medical services in the Phils? I imagine that a private health insurance for a retiree would be VERY expensive.

Depends what you mean by "VERY expensive". To be honest the article didn't focus on cost, it actually highlighted that the Philippines can offer high quality medical services, which is mainly so.
It also mentions care-quality, which is also good.
Look, a decent medical policy from UK would probably cost between £1500-£3500 per year generally, but don't forget that would also depend on pre-existing conditions and age etc etc etc.(there's a lot of etc's)
Many people actually "self-insure" for medical emergencies. Most older retirees are more concerned with support care and domicillary care as they get older.
Their wives can only be expected to do so much. But look, as you say yourself, labour costs are cheap. Means you can hire the care you want, even a full time fully qualified nurse if you need.
In the UK this is the biggest problem and most costly part of growing older. Think about it, but not too long or you'll get depressed and want to retire in Philippines.

I also noticed that there are more and more "retirement villages" in development which also seem to offer some great all round benefits and at comparative good costings too. Well worth it for some folks.

The practical issues of Medical and healthcare in the philippines is probably a topic worthy of it's own thread as there are so many important issue to consider.

Life is what you make of it.