Moving to the Philippines - this is the more relevant forum :)

[Simon43]

I'll stop posting about my ideas to relocate from Laos to the Philippines in the Lounge - more relevant to post here

As I mentioned in my Lounge post, this move is in a way, forced upon me (but I don't want that to have any negative connotations). Next June I will start to receive my UK state pension, and that will be frozen thereafter at the same monthly amount until I die, UNLESS I live in a country that has a social security agreement with the UK. The Philippines has that, and Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam etc do not...

Secondly, as has been explained previously, my lungs do not like smoky air, and the burning season in Laos is doing them no good. I am sure that I can find cleaner air in The Philippines


I have about 7,000 islands to choose from.

Mr Google tells me that the safest island free from earthquakes and volcanoes, and with minimal typhoon risk ('cos it's on the west side of The Philippines), is Palawan.

I had a check on YouTube, looks nice for the quiet life. The coastal village of Port Barton looks like a possible destination. I lived for a few months on Koh Phangan by Chaloklam (until a box jellyfish stung me), and that's the kind of rural, laid-back lifestyle for me.

I note that several hotels in Port Barton now have Starlink internet, which is important since I'm still teaching online (I recently signed up with a new online business in Canada that teaches kids in China, and they have signed up quite a few students in 30-lesson blocks at $29 USD in my pocket/hour, so it's a good deal).

Anyone know about Port Barton, good or bad? Or is there a similar place that I should visit? Thanks!

[BLD]

Never been to palawan sadly . I hear all kinds of good reports about it but the internet speed is not good from what I can gather. It may be OK in Port Barton for your needs but I'm told in the tourist areas of El nido and coron it sucks. Maybe Katie can shed some more light on it? Why not look at the visayas ? Dumaguette, leyte, bacolod? Plenty of options

[Simon43]

Never been to palawan sadly . I hear all kinds of good reports about it but the internet speed is not good from what I can gather. It may be OK in Port Barton for your needs but I'm told in the tourist areas of El nido and coron it sucks. Maybe Katie can shed some more light on it? Why not look at the visayas ? Dumaguette, leyte, bacolod? Plenty of options

I'm not worried about the 'local' internet speeds - I will stay in a hotel with Starlink when I visit, and I'll buy a Starlink terminal when I find a house to rent. From YouTube videos, user experience of Starlink internet in The Philippines is very good

The monthly cost is fine for me - I already pay about $50 a month here in Laos for 2 mobile network data SIMs and a fixed internet line.

[Topper]

I'd seriously recommend Bantayan Island. Beautiful beaches, nice clean water and with starlink and a 4g connection, you're golden.

[katie23]

@Simon43 - PH is less developed than TH but more developed than Laos, so take that into account. I haven't been to the main island of Palawan but have been to Coron which is on a neighboring island. Made a pic thread abt it - it's there somewhere.

From what I've seen on the net, Port Barton is quiet and a bit isolated. If you need medical facilities, there might be only a small clinic. The big hospitals will be in Puerto Princesa, the capital city.

I don't know how much you'll be in need of a hospital, but as I've noticed you'll need it more as a senior. During my Coron trip, one of my companions ns was a senior (62 at that time, I think). His BP surged and he let himself be confined to the small clinic in Coron. He decided to cut his trip short and took a flight back to Manila so that he could see his doctor & be near a larger hospital. He was worried that if he stayed on the island, the clinic might not have the facilities if things went south.

Since I'm based in Luzon, I favor places which are bear it or near Manila, for ease of travelling. You can check out the town of San Juan in La Union province - it's in the north of Luzon and is now a surfing spot, popular with millenials. AFAIK there are some expats there.

If you like an older grp of expats, I'd recommend somewhere near Subic. Maybe Barrio Barretto. Lots of retired US military ppl there - some have Filipina wives.

I can also recommend Puerto Galera, where Tizme is now residing. He has his own thread abt moving ro PG. I also have a pic thread abt PG - visited there twice.

I've heard from some expat vlogs that though Palawan is nice, looks like paradise, etc - some get island fever. To get to Manila or Cebu would need flights (ferry would take too long). Prices of goods are also a bit higher since most stuff needs to be shipped.

Topper's suggestion of Bantayan island is also good. It's relatively near & easy to get to Cebu city so if you need/want big city life, then it's doable.

There are many expats in the city of Dumaguete, Negros island. (for the beach & girls) Some expats prefer the nearby town of Valencia, which is quieter & has higher elevation = cooler temps.

If in Mindanao, you can check Davao city & nearby island of Samal.

For weather/ typhoon reasons, I'd choose PG, Iloilo or Bacolod over Bantayan island. Bantayan is on the eastern part of the country and that's where most typhoons come from (Pacific ocean). During typhoon Haiyan (2013) and the recent one in 2021, the islands of Cebu, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, even Negros (Topper's island) were severely impacted.

If you'll stay for a few days in Manila, drop me a line. I'll be glad to meet you for a coffee & can give you some tips too. I can also give you an Intramuros tour or we can hike a nearby mountain, if that's your wish & my schedule permits.

If you want to build another hotel, I can find land for you.

I'm not so often on TD now since it's so wonky. Sometimes it's on, sometimes off. Good luck in your research!

Btw, if you want to watch vids abt PH retirement on a Filipino person's perspective, I recommend vlogger Grandpa USA. He's Filipino and spent his working life in the US. He & his wife are now 70+ and spend time both in PH & US. I think he doesn't give up his US residence due to health/ insurance reasons. There are many other white retired expat vloggers.

[TizMe]

Secondly, as has been explained previously, my lungs do not like smoky air, and the burning season in Laos is doing them no good. I am sure that I can find cleaner air in The Philippines

I have a Air Quality Monitor on my desk where I now work, its right next to open double doors to my balcony.
So far I've never seen PM2.5, PM1 or PM10 go higher than 3

[TizMe]

A few reasons that I choose Muelle Bay in Puerto Galera.

It's not too far from NAIA, although it does require a ferry to get to Batangas.

Where our apartment is in Muelle Bay is very quiet. Rarely hear a dog bark and even the occasional rooster seems to be quite a distance away.

Internet is fibre to my lounge room, and more than fast enough for what you would need.

The expat community here are mostly sailors. Some live on their boats in the bay, others live in the nearby area, or even in our block of apartments, which is only 10 metres from the PG Yacht Club.

Muelle Bay is located in between Sabang & White Beach, which are much more lively than Muelle, but not far away for when we choose to go to either.

I've visited Dumaguete as I was always seeing vlogs from many expat retirees there.
I found the place to be terrible. The traffic is just as bad as metro manila.

Bantayan Island and Palawan were very nice for a few days holiday, but don't think I'd like to live in either of them.

[katie23]

^I concur abt Palawan & Bantayan. I haven't been to Bantayan but I've seen it in vids. I think I'd get island fever in both of them. I consider Palawan too isolated from everything else.

If I were to retire somewhere else, I'd choose Puerto Galera too or a nearby town. It's near enough to Batangas & Manila and the locals speak Tagalog (which I also speak). I wouldn't want to learn another dialect at this stage (though I could, if really needed).

@simon - btw I've heard from other expats that if you're on a tourist visa, banks won't allow you to open an account. They require a resident visa (either marriage or retirement). Others get around it by having their pensions deposited to a US acct (or wherever they're from) then just withdraw from a local ATM (with some charges). Re: visa, you could live on a tourist visa for 3 years then do a visa run. However, the govt may change that policy anytime. I think if after 1 year or so of living in PH & you find that you like it, then it's better if you go for the SRRV retirement visa (and the 10k usd deposit).

[TizMe]

I'm on a 9g work visa at the moment, but intend retiring very soon.

For me to go the SRRV route will require USD 20,000 deposit as I'll be self funded without any pension.

I think I'll just go the tourist extensions at first and see how it goes. I read that you can do the extension online now, so less travelling to immigration offices. If it becomes too much hassle though I guess I'll stump up the 20K.

[Salsa dancer]

For the sake of your lungs, try to avoid going to Manila, Simon. Ever. The pollution is just awful. Maybe Katie can meet you outside there ?

[TizMe]

I doubt it's any worse in Metro Manila than most large cities in Asia

[katie23]

@tizme - didn't you pay into the Aussie system? I think just like many countries, once you've started working in your own country, you can voluntarily pay into the Social Security (or it's equivalent) even if you're working in another country or are unemployed.

I think that's what Simon did (voluntarily paid into the system). I also did that for a time - voluntarily paid my SSS contributions because I did further studies and wasn't employed (but received a stipend/ scholarship). In PH, we need to have contributed minimum of 120 months total into the system to be able to get a (small) pension at 60 or 65.

@salsa dancer - I don't think Simon will reside in Manila. He'll just use Manila as a gateway to explore other places. He's mentioned Vigan (which is in the northwest part of Luzon) and Port Barton in Palawan. Between the two, I'd choose Vigan. It has a nearby airport, is near Angeles and Manila for the hospitals (and other airports). One can travel by bus from Vigan to Clark or Manila. Simon is not a large mammal so he'll easily fit in PH buses and jeepneys. (no offense to the large mammals)

I think Port Barton (and generally Palawan) is good for a vacation but not long term living. Tizme has the same sentiment. It's just too far away from other islands and would be the 1st victim if there's a Chinese invasion. Heh.

[katie23]

@tizme - accdg to Accuweather, the AQI in my city now (a bit south of Manila) is 37. Not too bad. Sometimes it's just 20 or so.

[TizMe]

@tizme - didn't you pay into the Aussie system? I think just like many countries, once you've started working in your own country, you can voluntarily pay into the Social Security (or it's equivalent) even if you're working in another country or are unemployed.

Compulsory Superannuation was introduced in 1992. I left Australia in 1996, so only have a small amount deposited there. I did add some more funds there at one time, but its still not enough to produce the required USD 800 per month income.

I won't qualify for an aged pension as my assets exceed the maximum threshold, and even if they didn't the Aus govt would require me to move back there for 2 years before I applied, but also even then I'd only receive just over 50% as I've been a non resident for so long. They require 35 years residency from the age of 16 to qualify for full pension.

[katie23]

^ahh. Thanks for the explanation.

Wow, 35 years residency! So if you started working at 22 (after uni), you need to be there or work there until you're 57! OK...

Just wondering, how was Terry57 able to retire early? I think he retired at 50 or so? He also said that his knees have been banged up too much due to his years as a fireman (or so he said, when I met him in person). Maybe BLD can answer?

(just trying to understand the different pension/ retirement systems of diff countries)

[TizMe]

So if you started working at 22 (after uni), you need to be there or work there until you're 57!

No, its 35 years after you turn 16, not when you start working.

So I left at age 36, so have 20 years residency which would give me 20/35 of the pension, if I qualified under all the other restrictions.

[Stumpy]

So far I've never seen PM2.5, PM1 or PM10 go higher than 3

Tiz,

Just a comment. I have a weather station at my house and when I first set it up the data seemed inaccurate so I did a full calibration and now it reads correctly. Additionally my wife bought a Pm2.5 monitor for downstairs and it always read <10 which I knew was not right. I showed her as I lit a small piece of paper and put it under a bowl with the monitor and it went to about 36 but the monitor you could barely see. I knew it was bogus.

Just saying as having it read 1 to 3 is probably not correct.

[Simon43]

Thanks everyone for this good advice. I mentioned to katie23 that whilst I don't need a hospital right now, as I get older then it might be needed. So I should consider other locations.

I checked out some the suggestions on Google Earth. Most of them seem to be far from an airport serving Manila Airport, or not by the beach. I'm looking for perhaps the equivalent of Ao Nang beach (where a detached house an garden can be rented, and where the airport is about 15km away). Or the small towns on Samui Island or north Phuket or... Place similar to Pattaya and Jomtien are nice but not suitable if I can only rent a condo - I want a small local village house with a garden.

[Simon43]

What about Dipolog? Seems to get good reviews on YT for locations suitable for low-budget foreigners (like me!). Beaches, nice boardwalk, small town feel.

I should comment that power cuts and bad internet won't make a problem for me and my online teaching. I already power my router and laptop from car batteries here in Laos and I will install Starlink internet at whatever location in The Philippines that I settle in

[katie23]

^Simon, I've answered your PM. For Vigan, San Juan La Union & Subic, they're near Clark int'l airport. (but there are fewer int'l flights via Clark, main airport is still Manila)

Re: accoms, what you're looking for is a detached house. They are available in PH but few & far between. There are ~110 M Filipinos and land has become limited & expensive. PH has more people than TH but less land area. For a landowner or landlord, it makes more sense to construct a block of apartments (attached) than detached houses.

This is an example of 2-storey apartments (townhouses) that are for rent in PH. The architect/ channel owner is a Filipina. The townhouse may or may not have a carport or separate gate/ entrance. Just view in 1.5x speed.



If you want a detached house, it will be more pricey. A townhouse like that would rent for 10 to 20k pesos, depending on location, age of building, type of finish, etc.

[katie23]

What about Dipolog? Seems to get good reviews on YT for locations suitable for low-budget foreigners (like me!). Beaches, nice boardwalk, small town feel.

Dipolog is in Zamboanga del Norte, western part of Mindanao. That's Muslim country. They have the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Not the MILF that one would like to mess with. As a white person, live there at your own risk! (There have been kidnapping of white persons, either tourists or residents, in Mindanao)

[Simon43]

Dipolog is in Zamboanga del Norte, western part of Mindanao. That's Muslim country. They have the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Not the MILF that one would like to mess with. As a white person, live there at your own risk! (There have been kidnapping of white persons, either tourists or residents, in Mindanao)

OK, but everything on YT suggests that Dipolog is not in 'bandit country' and is completely safe. True or not true?

BTW, the house images that you posted are not what I'm looking to rent. I'm trying to rent something like this:



Don't be horrified! That's an example of a village house in Thailand near Chumpon, about 2 km to beautiful beaches, in its own land of 7,600 square metres. Rent per month is $109 USD. It looks very basic, but if I intend to rent long-term in a rural location, then it's cheap enough to install good doors/windows/bathroom fittings etc.

My current wooden house is Laos is only a little 'better' than that image, but it costs $400 USD/month. I am more interested in a basic house in a natural setting, rather than a modern condo with no geckos

[katie23]

^that whole area in Mindanao (the one like a left arm sticking out) is called the Zamboanga peninsula. Dipolog city is in Zamboanga del Norte province which is part of the Zamboanga peninsula. It's also near Marawi city, which was in civil war a few years ago (Muslim rebel groups vs govt). I can't guarantee the safety of any white person or tourist going there. Maybe it's safe to visit but for living - I'm doubtful. Up to you if you want to believe YT.

BLD has experience of working at mining sites in Mindanao & generally in rural areas of PH. Maybe he'll chime in. My opinion is: visit and live there at your own risk. There's a reason why the US govt/ US embassy has a travel advisory re: Mindanao island or certain parts of it. If you travel in an area where there's an advisory & you have travel insurance - if something happens to you, then your insurance won't cover it.

That area like Pattani (?) or the deep south of Thailand.

Dos Palmas kidnappings - Wikipedia
^the raid of the govt forces happened in Basilan, which is still part of the Muslim areas in Mindanao. Martin Burnham died during the encounter.

British national and his wife kidnapped in southern Philippines | Philippines | The Guardian
^they weren't tourists, they were residents in the area & owned businesses. Happened in Zamboanga del Sur, 2019

+++++
Re: that kind of rural house, they exist but usually they're occupied by Filipino families, not rented out. You may have to be more flexible in the type of accommodation that's available.

Edit: btw if you watch some vids of "Becoming Filipino" or Brett Maverick from that area, note that they were escorted by police or military during the making of their vids. They just didn't show the escorts but they were there.

[Joe 90]

Interesting thread this.
Considering a trip over there myself.

[Stumpy]

Dipolog is in Zamboanga del Norte, western part of Mindanao. That's Muslim country. They have the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Not the MILF that one would like to mess with. As a white person, live there at your own risk! (There have been kidnapping of white persons, either tourists or residents, in Mindanao)

My ex wife's family lives in Mindanao and years back it wasn't to bad for a whitey to go. Nowadays I wouldn't even consider it and my daughters were told not to visit. It's very unpredictable and dangerous like it is in Mexico.