Are you thinking of becoming an expat to the Philippines?

I retired and moved to the Philippines in 2005.  I thought I did extensive research on the possibility of retiring in the Philippines to only learn shortly after arriving that the research meant little because the information provided was flawed. 

Article after article stated you could retire in the Philippines on $800 a month and maintain the living standards you had back home.  Many article stated live like a KING in the Philippines on $1200 a month.  One article written by an expat living in Cebu stated you could live well on $500 per month.   Please believe me when I say you had better come and stay in the Philippines for six months before you move here.  You will find that those statements are not true.  They are written by people who are miserable in the Philippines and want others to share their misery or they are suffering from delusion.

Articles also state that EVERYONE in the Philippines speak fluent English and again that statement is not true.  Many Filipinos speak NO English at all.   The majority cannot carry on a fluent conversation in English. 

Do not buy into the myth that you do not have to be concerned about medical care in the Philippines because medical care here is equivalent to First World care.

You will find articles that state you can find everything you need in the Philippines as you can back home – not true!

I remain in the Philippines because I choose to be here.  I do not live here because of economic reasons for if I did I would be miserable.  I keep a monthly report of my income and expenses as I did when living in the United States and I can prove I could not live as I did in the U.S. on $800 a month or like a king on $1200 a month. 

You can live in Manila and enjoy all the things you had back home entertainment, restaurants, medical care, groceries, shopping, etc.  You can live in Manila where the majority of the people you come in contact with do speak English and you can converse with them in a conversation.  You cannot do that on $1200 a month or $1500 a month or $2000 a month.

If you live in one of the many Provinces (which I recommend) you will experience water and electrical shortages.  You will find products on the grocery shelf today that you will not find the next time you shop.  You will be able to shop and move around without speaking one of the many local dialects, but forget about walking up to everyone on the streets and carrying on a fluent conversation.  There most likely will not be a first class hospital in your area and you will have to go to Manila, Cebu or Davao.  You can find a nice place to live starting around $500 a month. 

There are advantages of living in the Philippines, but you must be willing to make sacrifices. To have all the comforts you had back home will cost.  Of course they will not cost as much as they did back home, but they are not as cheap as some would like you to believe.

Keep in mind that you will most likely have to bear all your medical expenses because you cannot use your Social Security health benefits outside the Continental United States.  If you are able to maintain your Blue Cross Insurance you will be required to pay the medical expenses and wait about six months to be reimbursed.

Legal employment for foreigners in the Philippines is extremely difficult and most people from First World countries would not work for Philippines wages.  Opening a business, unless married to a Filipino is also near impossible and competing against the local business owners is very difficult.

I am now 74 years old and in stage 4 or D of Congestive Heart Failure.  My medicine cost me about 8000 peso every ten days.  I just got out of a six day stay in the hospital and the bill was a little over 90,000 peso.  I need air condition in my bedroom 24/7 and my utility bill runs around 10,000 pesos a month.  I am aware the same in the United States would probably be ten times more than in the Philippines.  The insurance co-pay would probably be as much in the U.S. as the total medical expenses I incur here.

I attempted to master the local dialect, but found I could not do well enough to carry on a conversation.  If one can it will make their life in the Philippines far greater.  I would love to be able to go to the park and sit on a bench next to a local and learn about their experiences and their families and I cannot.  Some neighbors who are very good to me and love me very much are embarrassed because we cannot carry on conversations so I am limited to the gatherings I can attend.  I would say language, since I am financially secure, is my greatest problem.

I am not married to a Filipina so the only way I can remain in the Philippines more than three years without leaving the country for 24 hours is put up a $10,000 bond.  I have hesitated about doing that.  I am now faced with a situation that it will be difficult for me to travel again and having no choice but post the bond.

Yes, you can get a live-in housekeeper for 1000 pesos a month if you do not mind taking advantage of the poor.  I personally cannot and will not do that.  I did not move here to take advantage of the Filipino people.  Many foreigners living here seem to take pride in living comfortable lives on the backs of the poor, but I cannot in good conscience do that. 

If you are not married to a Filipina you cannot own land.  You either buy a condo or put the property in a Filipino’s name and that is extremely risky.  I have bought a home and put it in the name of a Filipino and have a twenty-five year lease.  I was advised that even that lease could be broken if the Filipino goes to court and proves he needs the property back.  A problem could arise with his relatives if he should die before me.  I do not choose to live in a condo because I have animals and I do not want to make rent payments that will benefit no one except the landlord.  You also must remember that you have monthly maintenance fees in a condo and you have no control of how high those fees may eventually be.

There is much to consider before leaving home and retiring in another country.  The laws back home no longer apply and you must comply with their laws, customs and traditions.  White skin in a brown skin country does not necessarily buy you instant respect and it shouldn’t.

I have no regrets that I moved to the Philippines and I believe if you come and stay six to twelve months before you move here you will neither.