Retire in the Philippines

Many people refer to the Philippines as, well, simply the Philippines. And this is fine by the way. However, its official name is the Republic of the Philippines, or in Filipino, Republika ng Pilipinas. The country was named after King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. It is located in Southeast Asia in the west Pacific Ocean; across the Luzon Strait to its north is Taiwan, on the East is the Philippine Sea, across the Sulu Sea on the southwest is Borneo and the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia to the south and to the west across the South China Sea is Vietnam. The Philippines is an archipelago made up of 7,107 islands, which is classified into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. And its capital city is Manila. The Philippines has 17 different regions, which are further divided into provinces, which are then divided into cities, then municipalities and finally barangays. More information on the Philippine Regions may be found here.

The official language is Filipino, however English is widely spoken. Tagalog is the most predominant among the many dialects spoken throughout the islands. Filipinos are fond of using body language to communicate as well, and some fun facts about the use of body language can be found here.

The total average population of the Philippines is around 92,000,000 (2009), spread over 115,830 square miles or 300,000 square kilometers. This is approximately the size of Italy. The Philippine climate is tropical, with two seasons --- dry and wet. Dry season is from November to May, and wet season is from June to October. Situated along the typhoon belt, most of the islands experience annual torrential rains and thunderstorms from July to October. The average year round temperature is 27° Celsius or 81° Fahrenheit. Local time is UTC/GMT + 8 hours. The currency of the Philippines is the Peso (PHP), which is divided into 100 centavos. Check this Philippine Peso Currency Converter for the latest exchange rates. Major credit cards may be used in the cities and in major tourist destinations, US Dollars are also widely accepted in the same places and is the easiest currency to exchange. Money changers are also available to have other currencies exchanged. ATMs are available 24 hours, and are easy to locate. Banks are open from 9am to 3pm, and it is practical to carry Philippine Pesos when traveling outside the major cities.

The Economy

The Philippines is classified as a newly industrialized country, and its economy is anchored in agriculture. However, in recent times, it has experienced substantial contributions from mining, manufacturing, remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), tourism and business process outsourcing. It is dependent on remittances as a source of foreign currency, surpassing that of direct foreign investment. Its major industries are food, petroleum, coal refining, chemical, electronics and machinery and its major exports are electronics, garments, machinery and transport equipment, mineral and mineral products, coconut products, sugar, bananas, pineapples and mangoes.

The current daily minimum wage rate average is around PhP280.00. How much is this in YOUR currency?

Education

Philippine education is mostly westernized, and is based on the American education system. Medium of instruction is generally in English, with Filipino subjects. Literacy rate is around 92.8% of the total population. Classes start in June and end in March, with majority of colleges and universities following a semester calendar from June to October and November to March. Formal education goes as follows: pre-school, elementary, high school, post-secondary school, graduate school and post-graduate school.

Transportation and Communications

Getting around the major cities wouldn't be a problem with the availability of buses, taxis, jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles and even sidecars, if only traffic jams weren't a perennial issue. Train service is provided in Metro Manila, and is a unification of three major railways --- the Light Railway Transit (LRT), the Metro Rail Transil (MRT) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR). The Philipines also boasts the Philippine Airlines, which is the first commercial airline in Asia. There are around 262 airports in the country, the main one is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Seaports can also be found all throughout the islands, the busiest of which are Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga. Passenger ships and boats and ferries and other sea vessels link various cities and towns in adjacent islands.

Dubbed as the "Texting Capital of the World", the Philippines has one of the most sophisticated cellular phone industries in the world, and the highest concentration of users as well. The largest telephone company in the country is the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), while Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular are the three largest cellular service providers. It is becoming a leader among developing nations in having financial transactions over mobile networks. Radio, Television and the Internet are commonly used within the country.

The Cons

Although it is considered a developing nation, the Philippines is a third world country and thus, some of the infrastructure are not as technologically advanced as that of its more developed counterparts. Probably most of the services and infrastructure that are taken for granted by advanced nations are not readily available or not dependable in the Philippines. These are transportation, utilities like electricity, water, telephone service, internet and mobile phone reception. While all are present within the country, they do not function consistently or in a manner that you might be accustomed to.

Traffic jams are usual sights in the big cities. Narrow roads and too many vehicles as well as ignorance of traffic rules and regulations by both public and private motorists and undisciplined pedestrians along with the presence of sidewalk vendors all contribute to the rush hour mess. Always allow yourself lead time when traveling as there will be many unexpected traffic jams along the way. Public transport doesn't run on a schedule. Buses and trains come and go anytime. There are also no designated bus stops and jeepney stops and taxi bays in most areas, people can hail them anywhere.

It is also not unusual to experience the occasional power failures and blackouts, especially during monsoon season. A generator usually solves this problem. In most areas, especially in the outskirts of the major cities and in the provinces, a mobile service is available, but not landlines. Internet service is not readily available in places outside the major cities. The Philippine postal system is not very reliable, it is better to always use a courier especially when sending and receiving important documents or packages. Modern luxuries are also not readily available in a typical home. Bath tubs, dishwashers, ovens are considered luxuries, and although they can be found in affluent homes, they are not normally part of a usual Filipino household. In provinces or in towns outside the major cities, even some items could be hard to find. Some examples are: camera films, dried spices, tinned foods, stationery. Remote areas usually just have the basics available in their sari-sari stores.

Occasionally, there is also flooding especially during typhoon season and more especially in Metro Manila. Drainage has always been a problem of Manila, partly because of poor urban planning in the past decades. Sometimes, small motor boats are used in some areas to transport people from their homes to higher areas.

Another area that is quite a challenge to manage is the Filipino family. If you were to ask me, this is both a pro and a con. Filipino families are very closely knit, to the point that everyone is in everybody's business. The Filipino family extends to cousins to the third degree, and are considered 'family' in the nuclear sense. Filipino family members are expected to extend help at all times, especially financially. Also, do not expect a loan to be repaid immediately, if at all. However, on the plus side, having a big family means that help is always available, in every sense. It means not having to feel alone because Filipinos love to gather and celebrate togetherness. It also means having family members do odd jobs that pop up every now and then. The perfect solution to manage this is to pay family members who do the occasional job, so that they will feel that they will need to earn money, instead of just asking for it.

The Pros

How do I even begin to talk about this?

Cost of Living
A very very BIG pro, if I may say. Your hard-earned retirement money will go a long way here. Many foreigners live off $1,000 a month, more, if you wish to have a more lavish lifestyle. Some of your money can go in a small investment, a small business you can ask an extended family member to run for you, and just reap the income and live off that monthly. You can even afford a house, maids and a driver. Retire in the Philippines twice as rich and live like a king in a tropical paradise. Here is a breakdown of the cost of living in the Philippines as written by a foreigner who has married a Filipina.

A Tropical Paradise
Would you like to wake up seeing pristine white sand, turquoise waters and a soft breeze blowing gently on your hair? Who doesn't? With 7,107 islands, choose anywhere you want. Filipinos love to relax. They have siestas in the afternoons, they love to eat, they love to lounge and exchange stories, they love hour-long massages. Retire in the Philippines if you want to escape the rat-race that the US or the UK has become. Wake up every morning and go to bed at night free from the anxiety over money, strip down to the basics. Live healthier and with less stress. Escape the 9-5 rut. It is the perfect place to reinvent yourself, find meaning to your life after working hard in the previous decades, explore the possibilities, clean the slate, do the things you have always wanted to try. If you are not fond of humid tropical weather, cooler places like Baguio and Tagaytay are wonderful as well.

The People
A lot has been said about the Filipinos being the friendliest, the most accommodating, the most tolerant, the most resilient, the most hospitable people in the world. Some Filipinos, despite being poor, always have something to offer, a smile is readily given. Despite going through the daily grind for existence, they always have time to sit down for a drink with their neighbors, play with their children, share stories and relax to look after themselves. Filipinos always find the time to go to church, to celebrate festivals, to visit relatives and to have fun. Despite having limited resources, and probably not much money. They do not go about their business ignoring everyone all throughout the day just to put food on the table. For them, life is what it is, and they always find something to be thankful about. Filipinos are also generally very jolly people. They love to laugh --- at each other, at themselves. They always find something funny even in the most extremely difficult situations. Recently, the Philippines has been hit by a huge typhoon that has flooded most of Metro Manila, and the city has been almost underwater. Filipinos have seen this tragedy as an avenue to extend help to each other, even when they themselves have nothing. And the children have found the floodwaters as one huge swimming pool. The Filipino resilience has been tested time and again by all kinds of factors --- foreign rule and oppression, natural disasters and even internal turmoil. But as always, the Filipino people has emerged through all these strife, still positive, still with a smile. Something also has to be said about the Filipino culture of respecting their elders. Filipino children are the most respectful children in the world. They have been taught to obey their elders, to treat them with dignity and to give anyone who is older deference.

The Food
Filipino cuisine is one of the most underrated and overlooked cuisines in the world, yet it is one of the most diverse and culturally and ethnically rooted. Here is a site that aims to uphold the wonder that is Filipino food. When you retire in the Philippines, not only will you get to live like a king, you will get to eat like one too. To name a few glorified Filipino dishes --- the majestic lechon (whole pig cooked slowly cooked over coals), kare-kare (ox tail in peanut sauce), sinigang (meat or seafood in a sour broth), adobo (pork or chicken in soy and vinegar). And heaps more. Anthony Bourdain in his recent trip to the Philippines said that the Philippines has the best pig in the world. It is noteworthy though that the Filipinos don't put a lot of food to waste, and they eat almost any part of the animal. If you are the queasy and unadventurous type, I would suggest that you veer away from street food. But why not dare try? Who knows? You might like it. If you speak to foreigners who have actually had the chance to immerse in the food culture of the Philippines, they will tell you that Filipino food is one of the best foods they have ever tasted in their whole life. And should I mention the fruits? Nowhere in the world can you find mangoes and pineapples as juicy and as succulent as those found in the Philippines. Retire in the Philippines and you will eat the most refreshing and freshest fruit everyday.

Bob Martin, Things I Love about the Philippines
Where I come from, we are not particularly close to our extended family - cousins, aunts, nieces, nephews and such, at least not as close as extended family is here in the Philippines. In my house, I have, over the years had probably a half dozen nieces and nephews live with me at one time or another....Honestly, now, if one of my extended family moves out of the house, I genuinely miss them. Even at times when we have had a little "speed bump" in our relationship, when they leave, I miss them and hope that they are doing well. Extended family has really become an important part of my life.

John Miele, 100 things I Like about the Philippines
Respect - There is a civility among people here that has disappeared in the West. Mistrust, caution, and nastiness are rare, and certainly not expressed very often. People's attitudes when I return to the States give me a shock. I am no longer used to it...Filipina - Women in the Philippines are the sweetest, most beautiful, and hard-working women in the world. They are THE national treasure of this country, and should be treated with respect and reverence.

Dave DeWall, Live Like a King in the Philippines
Could you live like a king somewhere else? Probably, but let me see, I am surrounded by beautiful tropical beaches and beautiful Filipinas (that I do not stare at when my wife is with me, but you cannot help but notice them), warm temperatures year round, no snow to shovel, no job to go to, friendly people (including my wife), and a lot less stress. Back home in the States I had to help with the laundry, clean my own bathroom, cook my own meals half the time, and go to work. Let me see, United States or the Philippines?

To Live And Die In The Philippines

Business Guide To The Philippines

State And Society In The Philippines

Between Two Worlds - Society, Politics, And Business In The Philippines

Philippines In Pictures

The Philippines

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