Life in the Philippines

!±8± Life in the Philippines

Living in Asia has its rewards, but also unique drawbacks. I am a retired engineer from America, who decided to move to the Philippines for the rest of my life. Living in the Asia may not be the best choice for everyone, but for me, this is paradise. Since I cannot yet speak Tagalog, I found someone to be my life partner who has studied English and used it regularly. Her dad was a high school principal and also taught English. She has been my lover, my closest friend, my confidant, and my guide. We have rarely been apart since I arrived. I thank God everyday for her and her family. They have made sure that my adjustment to this island has been safe and happy.

The Pro's

Winter Escape: There is no winter and no snow here! Personally, I did not like the snow, or the cold weather for so many months of the year. Here in Luzon, we have two seasons, Summer and Rainy season. Through both seasons, it's in the high 70's to low 90's Fahrenheit; 24-34C. We need no heating system like we did in America. It cost over 0 to top off an oil tank every 5 weeks during the winter of 2010 in America! No heating system required in the Philippines is, all by itself, a huge savings. Being an American, I still like to have a warm shower. I use a hot water heater for the shower that works on electric energy. We'll discuss that more later.

English: Many people understand and speak English. I have traveled to many places in Luzon and have spoken with so many people in various career fields, from doctors to carpenters, plumbers, electricians and farmers. Most of the people understand and can speak enough English to carry a conversation. Finances: The dollar to peso ratio fluctuates constantly, however it has been between 47-42:1 and it remains such that even on a retirement income you will be able to live your life in relative comfort and without the constant worry of "just not enough" that I was facing in America. I had some savings when I came to the Philippines, now I wish I had more. My income has been limited to my retirement income for the most part. I have found that my income is enough for a family to live on if I use a good budget. So, we have developed a weekly and monthly budget for food and necessities and it includes the utilities and gas for our motorcycle and other transportation we use.

Less Regulation: I look forward to starting a business here in the Philippines. In order to start any business you must go to the local Barangay and present the idea to them. If approved to perform your business where you would like it, you will receive a Barangay certificate. Once your business takes off, the government wants to collect taxes. Therefore, you must apply for a VAT ID, "Value Added Tax ID". Using this number will alert the government of your income status and they will expect a regular deposit to cover your taxes. The tax rate won't come close to what it is in America, so don't worry.

Hopefully the business I choose to start will make my retirement income a "second" income. When that happens, we will be able to enjoy traveling and relaxing. We have performed market studies and developed spreadsheets to evaluate about a dozen new enterprises over the last year. One of the primary Keys to success in the Philippines is much less business regulation from the Federal, State (Provincial) and Local governments. Entrepreneurs are actually encouraged here!

Life Pace: I don't know about your life, but mine was extremely stressful because of the fast-paced American lifestyle. We constantly hurried from the time we woke up, until the time we crawled in bed. Work must start on time; meals must be taken at particular times; meetings must be accomplished on time; weekly reports are due on time; we had rush hour traffic going to work at speeds above 80MPH and coming home from work at nearly the same speed. Once home, we must do whatever is required so the next day is not jeopardized by what needs to be done. Cut a half acre of grass, or shovel 4500 square feet of snow! Make sure to get up at 3AM so you don't miss a work day!

Thank God, ALL of that is over! Life in the Philippines is much slower. It has taken me over a year to slow down, and I am still learning. We joke about "American" time vs. "Filipino" time. National highway speed is marked 60KPH, about 37MPH. The expressway tops out at 120KPH, but in actuality it is hard to do 100KPH, about 62MPH because of so much traffic. It is rare when someone demands that you are on time for an appointment. I don't want to let go completely, but I sure like those days I am able to sleep in late and not worry about having to meet someone or be somewhere. Just as life is slower here, I am learning that family is VERY important. I never learned that lesson in America, perhaps because we never gave ourselves time to listen to each other. Yes, the pace of life here is a definite PLUS.

Transportation: I love the flexible methods of transportation here. Public transportation by bus and jeepney and tricycle are all readily available, even well into the night hours, most anywhere on Luzon. You can take a 3 hour air conditioned bus trip to Manila for 130 pesos. Travel to local markets on a jeepney or tricycle for under 50 pesos. Use the jeepney for long distance traveling and then use a tricycle to bring you to the door for very little money.

For private transportation; I use my motorcycle (motor) as much as possible. I usually ride with my wife and have driven by the back roads to Manila, a 6 hour ride by small motor. Finding a good place to stay for the night is not hard, and we have done that on longer trips. We enjoy riding and spending that time together. We have taken 100km trips on the motor and had lunch and dinner while on the road, enjoying the island and each other. Traveling by car is not a bad idea, but the price of gas is going up all around the world. Filling my motor costs about 300 pesos about US, and it lasts me all week. Filling a car on the other hand is over 1000 pesos and that lasts about one day if you travel to Manila and return that day. We now have good reason to use a diesel engine, although the fuel costs are about the same but the mileage is higher for the diesel.

You can't beat the price of a trip by bus, and then use either jeepney or tricycle.

Con's

Drivers: I have quickly learned that just because driver's take tests to obtain their license, does NOT mean they follow the written or rules of the road for driving in real life situations. I have found that among all of the driver's NOT to trust on the road are:

1) Tricycle driver's; who pull in front of you and either stop or do not allow enough room for you to slow down, forcing you off the road quickly. This is made MUCH worse when the roadside is made from gravel and your on a motorcycle that is now going too fast for the gravel.

2) Jeepney driver's; who without warning pull off the road, usually to the right side. This may not sound bad until you are caught on their right side in the slow lane when they decide to cut you off the road.

3) Motorcycle drivers; who will find any tiny space to fit their bike into and pass you quickly and without warning. This may not sound like a bad thing, until you hit one of them, even after you checked three mirrors to assure no one was there and in a flash - boom, there they are! I believe this nation needs to be made aware of the rules of the road and safe driving habits.

Electric Rates: I have found that the electric rates here are twice what I paid in America per kWh! Does that seem right? People here are forced to reduce their electric light bulb wattage so that it is not dark, but extremely difficult to read, unless you want to spend over 100 times what the average Filipino spends on electricity. Just using the shower water heater I spoke of earlier adds significantly to the electric bill as it draws 6kWh. I am seriously thinking of building my own sun heated water heater, with a small aquarium water pump to circulate the water and bring it to temperature and a gravity feed for domestic use. Job Availability: While some jobs will always be available, knowing someone is the best way to secure a job here. Even college graduates find obtaining any job, entry level or above, a very difficult task. For so many common jobs, you must be between 20 and 25 years of age. If not, your application just sits and you do not find work. This is why the best jobs are actually found abroad for the average Filipino. Places like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, a seaman's job and other domestic helpers are sought in Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc.

Local Pay Rates: Local pay rates leave much to be desired in the American's eyes. Working all week for 1200 pesos, about is not our cup of tea. How can they even pay the electric bill much less feed and cloth kids and pay school rates? It's these conditions that drive the Filipina to go abroad and seek employment so that the rest of the family can get along. Sometimes, the rest of the family becomes relatives, etc. who may have emergency needs.

Finding Supplies: Finding a source of supply is very difficult for many mechanical parts, electrical fixtures, tools and other most common things found in America. You would think that the proximity to China would lend to being able to get anything you want in the Philippines. But the truth is; I can't even find replacement ink fillings for my pen! Tools that were always available and mainly made in China are not even offered for sale here.