Dear All,

I was in the Philippines for the first time over Christmas visiting my wife's family. On the Manila leg of our trip, while in the Mall of Asia, we were bombarded with leaflets advertising executive flats situated in various locations around Manila.

I wanted to find out if anybody has invested in these flats? Or if anybody has any objective opinions on whether or not such an investment would be sound?

My instincts are not to touch them with a barge pole. But I have done a tiny bit of research online, and a lot of what I have read seems to indicate that the Filipino economy is on the up and that these flats represent a relatively safe investment with an excellent potential return.

Me (I am originally from Britain) and my family are currently living and working in Brunei, which is a stones throw away from the Philippines, and my wife has a pool of very reliable and educated family members, so I feel we would be in a good position to manage these properties.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Many thanks

Asa