Would You Retire in the Philippines?
Would You Retire in the Philippines?
If you have never been to the Far East then you probably have no idea what you are missing. If you have been because of military service, work or other reason, then you have a pretty good idea of what it is like. If you spent any time in the Philippines, then you know much of what to expect thus making it easy to make this country your choice.
The Philippines has a depressed economy as much of the Far East does. Except for Japan and Singapore, your social security income puts you at the top of the middle class. Add about $500 to that and you make as much as the President does in salary. In other words you can afford many things you couldn't before. Build your own beautiful home is very possible. Always have plenty of money, yes. Some say $1000/month is plenty to live there on. Living like a king compared to the Filipinos starts around $2000/month.
Women in the Far East prefer older guys. That is the way of life here. In the Philippines don't be surprised to be the object of many beautiful young woman's stares and smiles. Most are pretty aggressive. I've been followed around in stores and down the street by young beauties asking all kinds of questions. Old fat bald guys that don't even get the time of day from women like these in their native country are the object of numerous smiles and stares. It is a treat for a lonely love starved senior.
Culture shock awaits your arrival unless you truly lived amongst the natives. Being in the Philippines living on a military base doesn't prepare you for living on the economy with all the poor downtrodden people that live in the Philippines. You see them and avoid them in front of stores and places they know rich foreigners frequent. Malls are a favorite place for them to beg. The Filipino beggar is usually not to aggressive, but some beggars coming from other countries can be. One of these guys grabbed me one day and I shoved him against a wall. He came at me , but met a Filipino fist along the way. Police are supposed to arrest them, but often they are paid by an organized group the beggars are a part of. are a part of. Filipinos do not like them. They also prefer we not give kids money. This one semi violent encounter is the only one in over 6 years. Once you learn to avoid them, they are no problem.
Filipinos that can afford it and foreigners almost always live in walled compounds with the wall being high and with glass embedded in the top. If you live anywhere near others, theft opportunists almost always strike during intense rainstorms that are very noisy. This what the glass is for. Even with a ladder it is very dangerous to attempt scaling the wall.
The pros for living in the Philippines are pretty obvious. Cheap to live. Always warm. Abundant female companionship. Laid back lifestyle. Usually women don't cheat, work hard and dedicate themselves to their husband. The man is the boss and if he controls the money he should have trouble being king of his castle. There are birthday and fiesta parties galore. You just have to avoid paying for everything. It is a common occurrence to have your Filipino family say they need money for those events; but, you will find out that is quite often a ruse. I was told after I got married that the Filipino way was for the rich member of the family to pay for everything and would be God Father/Mother to all newborn. To which I replied that I am not Filipino, so forget it. After several tries the family quit that approach.
Cons can be overcome with experience. Driving there is hard to describe, but is not hard to learn. You just do what they do. Being over charged or tricked is a common happening; but, you can se right through that stuff easily.
Health care is much better today, but availability where you might want to live may be a concern. Living close to those hospitals you would ned to go to may predicate your decision.
I really like living in the Philippines. You won't find nicer people anywhere and a little generosity goes a long way towards making you lots of friends who wil help you out anytime and anyplace.
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