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Yes the world is such a small place,
Like many I have only been on holiday there too and only a month at a time,
Who knows what it will be like after 1 year of living out there, but we all have to give it a go,
I too did not like Manila ,to busy and too crowded, but get outside and it turns into something more pleasing,.
Some places are dirty to my standards so you do have to take care, but that could be ananywhere you go nowadays
The longest I've lived there continuously is three years. I didn't want to come back, but events beyond my control (wife buggering off) meant that I had to.
Education of my children has always been a major concern too. They deserve at least what I was fortunate enough to have been given.
Originally Posted by grahamw48
Education of my children has always been a major concern too. They deserve at least what I was fortunate enough to have been given.
That in a nutshell is my first concern
I think it's fine to take them around the world until say, 5 or 6 years old, but then careful thought needs to be given to the quality of their education. So much is being absorbed at that stage in their lives.
Healthcare is a concern too. I think Peter said that we're not entitled to NHS healthcare if we leave the country for more than three months. I may be wrong though or missed something out.
I think you may be right on that , but what happens if you still have a residence here and if all else fails just do what johnny foreigner does , go to the local hospital or council and say , me no understand
Two years Jamie
Is that no healthcare if two years abroad? - or do you have to wait two years to be allowed treatment again?Two years Jamie
The first Week we came to the UK from the Philippines We registered with the local Surgery also with Charles Clifford Dental Hospital Sheffield, and I told the reception at the Surgery that I had been living in the Philippines and they told me I was ok to register because I had been living abroad for less than two years, Maritess only had to show her passport and she was ok also
Hmm,I'm sure I read that somewhere too; even so ...
... it seems a bit harsh!
So naturally... in such a situation one just keeps one's big gob shut and goes in to see the doc or to the hospital in the normal way.
I have not even hit 50 yet and i have been over there 7 times all in. The longest i was there for was 2 months and the shortest was 2 weeks. Every time i have had to return to the UK i have wanted to stay there for longer but i have household bills to pay here so need to get back and earn more money. The wife and I got back last October and booked for this years jaunt in January. We can not get enough of it over there and plan to live out there in the future.
6 months over here and over there sounds great but i like the thought of 10 there and 2 in the UK or close to those figures. We are off over in August this year and can not wait. 90 minutes outside of Cebu City is perfect for us and i can not think of a better place i want to relax every year.
Nothing is impossible...If thats what you want to do then just divise a long term plan..
We live here 100% happily...Nothing is impossible...Do what you have to to get what you want.
My family have been in Palawan north of the main city Puerto Princesa since 2012 with my visiting between contracts sometimes up to three months at a time.
It has been great with the kiddos very young and in the private Montessori kindergarten and yr 1 of elementary at Hope Christian (private and favoured by ex pats and better off locals) BUT now I am back here looking to secure a perm role so I can bring them back here for a broader eductation and a bigger world view.
Education is probably ok for the first year or two in elementary but a few of my mates here who have olderkids have complained and some have moved away back to Europe or other locations.
So we are selling up our main property and the small B&B we have onsite . having our farms and rubber plantation managed by a nephew and a brother of my wife (well monitored by her lol) and coming here for the next 10 to 12 years before retiring baack there.
I find living there (we have had the property since 2006 when we were based in HK) easy and very relaxing as long as you let your wife doing anything connected to officlaldom as I am sure others have said. Do not be a whinger, do not complain about all things Filipino, do find a few mates, take up scuba, or sailing or another hobby and just chill (whilst keeping the kiddos happy).
Get involved in your baranagy to an extent as having the Captain onside is useful, sponsor the village basketball tourny and the local beauty contests etc, and you are not likely to suffer any local hassles with pilfering or robbery etc.
My wife set up a mothers group at the kindergarten as she noticed it was always the maids or even minders dropping the kids, She is now well ensconced with the Mayors wife and the Chief of Police wife as there kiddos or grtamdkids go there.
Keep you your politics to yourselves and stay neutral as things change lol.... BE NICE NEIGHBOURS.... support the local orphanage etc. Non of these things cost much and you are almost guaranteed to be helped and not ripped off by local tradesmen, mechanics etc.
Health care is good but bloody expensive and finding great insurance is really difficult to keep emergency funds available ideally overseas but accessiible but if you bank locally be careful to use a national bank as rural banks can and do fail with no return of your savings. Even the majors have much lower indemnified limits so check it out.
Of course Dengue is around especially out of the municipality and you need to take preacautions especially if you have any form of auto immune condition as it can become deadly in that event ( my wife was severly ill last year and needed three platelet transfusiions and two weeks in the Adventis to even begin recovery (oh and over 300,000 pesos).
Overall I really like being in Palawan and prefer it to other regions we have visited and my wifes home area in Pangisinan but things also cost a little more and our electirc supply is not brilliant.
I am already looking forward to retiring back so that should say it all.
Live your life for a reason and don't worry be happy
if you don't know where you are going then any road will do!!
A very nice read Scott, thank you
Interesting
thanks for the rep points people
Live your life for a reason and don't worry be happy
if you don't know where you are going then any road will do!!
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