There are many sites with the subject of living, retiring or just visiting the Philippines. Some of these sites make it look like it is the best place to live with no problems attached. They make it feel as you walk off the plane sexy native girls in bikinis will put flower leis around your neck and if you wish, offer you a night in Heaven with them.  Other sites makes it sound like the worst place to live and the only reason they are here is because they could not afford to live in their home country and were forced to move here.  Neither of these scenarios is correct. There are good parts to living here and parts that are that are very different from life we are used to.

Even in the States if you move from one coast to another or even across the State, there are differences. I remember after I moved to California from New York friend berating me for saying often “in New York this….” or “in New York that…” He was right. I was so used to things, life and foods in New York, I had trouble getting used to the differences. Again, when I moved to Florida from California it took time to adjust. With so many people in Florida are from New York, I again got frustrated with things that were not really “New York” style.

You need to remember this is a Third World Nation. There is a lot of poverty. In addition, this is an Asian country and most of the culture has developed with an Asian mentality. It is true this country was under the Spanish rule for many years, and then by America but the main influence is Asian. For many centuries, the Chinese were here and the old Chinese families own much of the bigger corporations.  There is also a large Japanese and Korean influence here.

Many of the hard good products here are manufactured in China. In addition, as most of we know there are many products we would consider substandard.  There are “rip offs” of known products, especially cell phones that look just like the real object. They are much cheaper but unfortunately, they do not work as the original or last.

Even with known foods turn out to be different. Most bread here has sugar and is sweet. Beef and pork are tougher then we are used to. This is because in most of the world pigs and cattle for meat are the males. Also at a young age, they are castrated so there is not testosterone to toughen the meat and the animal is smaller. Here they are hogs and bull meat. These animals are raised to their maximum size and because of this; their muscles are stronger so the meat will be tougher.

Being a nation of many islands fish is the main food protein source. In addition, rice is the main food staple. Most Filipinos eat rice at the three main meals a day. It is not a side dish or about a cup of rice, it is a huge pile of rice on the plate. Pork and chicken are eaten often, but the chickens are small. About pork, Filipinos love the fatty parts and because of this most of the pork, you see has a thick layer of fat.

Clothes in bigger sizes are hard to find and for some reason I do not understand, the size you see is smaller than in the US. I am not talking about small, medium or large. I am talking about things like slacks. In the US, I wore 36-inch waist. Here I need a 40-inch size. I have wide feet. Not only is it difficult to find a size 12, it has been impossible to find a wide or E width.
Traffic is something to get used to here. I have a friend riding with me the other day. He told me he had owned a car and had driven his whole life, but he would never attempt to drive here. Many foreigners hire drivers so they do not have to bother.

So, where are the good parts to living here? Well we all know, the biggest reason is the cost of living.  Even though some items are actually more expensive here, over all the cost of living is cheaper.  Where in the states can you live in a city area and have a nice two to four bedroom house in an upper scale gated community for around $85,000. Where can you go out for a nice steak dinner for $25? Where can you play golf with a golf cart and a caddy for around $30?

If you are a single man in the retirement age, where can you find a girl and have a relationship from an age of their early 20’s to 30’s? It might not be the exact relationship you think of in the States but you both get what you are looking for. You just need to set your needs and boundaries.

Is living in the Philippines a total paradise? No, but where is there a paradise.

Just going to a doctor or hospital here is different from what is normal practice in America. Here a doctor has his hours posted and it is a first come, first serve basis. Then if the doctor is late, has an operation or even needs to do hospital rounds, you just wait. If you need lab tests, you go to the lab, wait for the results and bring them back to the doctor.

If you are admitted to the hospital, you need to have watchers available. A watcher is a friend or family member that will take shifts staying with you in the hospital room. If your doctor prescribes a medicine, the watcher will take money and go to the pharmacy in the hospital to have it filled. If the hospital is out of the drug, your watcher will have to go to a pharmacy that has that drug in stock.

When it is time to be released, if the doctor is not on duty and is unavailable to come in, you will need to stay an additional day until the doctor can sign your release. Another doctor is not allowed to sign your release, unless arraignments were made to sign your release.

An expat I knew had a heart attack and went to Davao Doctors Hospital. Davao Doctors hospital is supposed to have the best cardiac care unit in Davao. A day hours after his surgery, I am not sure how long actually, he died. I do not know the complete story.

Some think about moving to the Philippines and live in the Provinces. They like the fact it is more rural and quiet and a lot cheaper to live there. The problem moving to a remote area is services such as landline phone, internet, shopping and medical. Even the urban areas in the Provinces can have less in availability and services.

I have a friend who spends the weekdays in Davao and the weekends with his wife and child in the Provinces. The area he lives is next to Kidapawan, which is more like a small city. A week ago, he felt pain in his lower abdomen. He went Saturday morning to the doctor and the doctor prescribed some medicine. The next morning his pain became sever and went to the hospital. He was suffering from Diverticulitis and it looks like it became infected and burst. His blood pressure was extremely low and the needed to operate. As I was told, because of the low blood pressure, they were afraid of using anesthesia so they operated on his intestines while he was conscious.  The hospital needed some medicine that was only available in Davao and before it arrived, my friend passed away.

Since most of the expats that move to the Philippines are in their retirement ages, we need to realize that as we get older, more medical problems can develop. Will your problem be able to be cared for correctly here? What happens if it cannot? These are things to consider, especially if you are not living in a more developed city.

I have spent many hours at different times on this philosophy. In America I have lived well at times and there have been times I have lived in a much cheaper life. At 39, while attending night classes for my drafting degree, I lost my job to downsizing. As my savings decreased and my only income was unemployment insurance, I had to share a small apartment with one of my classmates. I remember times, after paying rent and bills counting my money and trying to figure out how to eat that month.

Now, I know there are people in America and many other first world nations that lived better than me and many who need less to be comfortable in their needs.

For me, to retire and live comfortable in America would be having a decent home or condo, a car and enough money to have the basic needs with some advantages. These would include being able to go to a restaurant a few times a week, see a movie of one of the small theater plays. Of course this would also include cable TV, high speed internet and air conditioning for warm weather.

I do understand the cost of living in America has been increasing and if your retirement is in investments, the rate of return has gone down to the point you are not building your savings but hopefully you have a balance where you can live on the interest and not decrease the principle.

Now I will discuss retiring here in Davao or somewhere else in the Philippines. It is true; many things are much cheaper in the Philippines than in America or other countries. At the high end, I know someone who had built a large 3 story house with 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a powder room, in a high end sub-division with a great view of the ocean for about $400,000 USD. There are many other nice high end homes in good sub-divisions for much less.

There are foreigners here that enjoy all aspects of living here and some that have become acclimated to life here. I can only talk for myself and my thoughts.

To me, someone saying luxury I think of a larger house with as many of the amenities he is used to in America. Large bedrooms with closets, CR’s with hot and cold water, tubs and showers. Nice kitchens with large ranges, laundry facilities with modern washer and dryer and probably cable TV, internet and either central air conditioning or at least a unit in most rooms. It will be in a higher end gated sub-division with a nice clubhouse with pool and restaurant and maybe even an exercise facility. This person will probably have maids and cooks on staff. He will probably buy a large SUV vehicle and belong to one of the golf courses here too.
That is wonderful and I know his home life will be as comfortable as or more so than in the States. But, there are times he will have to or want to go out. He will need groceries, clothes, items from a hardware store and many other items. There will be times; some item he is used to buying at a certain store for months will be out of stock. When he asks when it will be back in stock get the usual answer, “I do not know” or “Maybe next month.” He also needs to realize he is in a country where many people he will come across will not understand English or only part of what he is asking.

He is probably used to nice smooth paved roads and here will find potholes, paved roads that end and becomes a bumpy dirt road that gets flooded. He is used to drivers that are courteous and considerate and see here drivers cutting you off and not letting you into their lanes. He will see drivers changing lanes without even looking to see if there is a car coming.

If money is no object, sure he can eat in the expensive restaurants that cater to foreigners but there are times your hungry and you are not near one of these places. If he is going to eat at home, is he going to spend the high cost to buy imported meats and the other products he is used to that is not regular available here from the US?

As I had in an article a while ago, there are many foreigners that come here to visit, stay in the better hotels, eat in their restaurants and use a taxi or a driver to take them around. After they go back to their home country tell others and feel that life here is so comfortable and cheaper then back home. Many things are cheaper, but things like imported items, gasoline and electricity are more expensive.

By now you must be thinking, Bruce must hate it there. No, I enjoy it here. Yes I get frustrated at times and there are things I miss from my life in the US but I look at the job market and the economy and realize my life would be so much worse if I did not move here. I enjoy going out and meeting people. I enjoy learning about the culture here and the differences. Even with the differences I love my family and how we relate to each other. I have learned to eat well and enjoy most of the foods here. I also enjoy being able to write my feelings, thoughts and views on this site. I get many comments from people that disagree with me and many that do agree. One thing I find interesting, most agreements are from Filipinos and most disagreements are from foreigners.

As always, I am giving this disclaimer; what I write is thoughts, observations and experiences. Not everyone will feel as I do, live as I do or think as I do. I am just relating how I think about things from my view.

If you agree or disagree, your comments are welcome. I just do not want a long heated debate or accusations.

I recently received and email. It was from someone who has a 70 year old friend who has had a stroke in the past and has some paralyzes. He lost most use of one hand and can only walk short distances. Online he met a 40 year old Filipina and now wants to sell everything and move here. He has not told the lady of his disabilities. I do not know what he has told her since I am relying on his friends email to me.

They ask me if this Filipina will accept a man in his conditions and will love and take care of him. There is no way I could honestly answer this question since I do not know the man or the lady.

Yes, Filipinos are a caring people and have no problems taking care of family even if it is part of the extended family. Is it love? If you look at olden time Europe and still in India there are/were arranged marriages. A father will arrange a marriage for a son or daughter. While thinking about this, I remember the song from “Fiddler on the Roof.”

In that movie Tevye the Milkman was talking to his wife and in a song asked his wife “Do you love me?” Each time he asked, she replied in song with that for 25 years she took care of him and listed how. He continued to ask and finally she answered “Do I love you? I guess I do.”

I feel in the beginning a woman looks at a foreigner man as a way to have a better and secure life. She will take care of his home, cook his meals, do his laundry, help him with life here and of course sleep with him and have sexual relations. Together she will learn his ways as a foreigner and she will teach him her way and the culture here. If all is well, in time real love will happen.

Now, I am not saying all women are good and want this, and I am not saying all women are out for a man’s money. There is no way of knowing. You need to take your time getting to know each other before making the decision.

As I have written in the past, Elena and I met online. We chatted and saw each other on cam. As we got to know each other better the frequency of meeting online increased. Eventually I wanted to meet her in person. I flew to Manila and flew here there too. We spent a week together. I then filed for a Fiancée Visa. Because of problems and delays it took time. I returned to the Philippines about a year later and visited her and her family for Christmas and New Years.

I returned again the following summer for 2 weeks and at that time Elena had her appointments in Manila for medical and visa interview. With the turn of the economy, I moved here before her visa was approved so we did not need it. During this time, Elena and I talked and saw each other every morning and evening every day online. We talked about our day, family and normal general things, so we got to know each other very well.

Even with all this contact, just as in any relationship, you never really know each other until you live together. There have been many learning experiences with Elena, our 3 nieces who live with us, their older brother and the rest of the family. There is the cultural difference, misunderstanding of common sayings and expressions and just habits.

When you first move here, with a tourist visa, you cannot open your own bank account. So what do you do? You open it in your ladies name. Do you want to put your money into an account of a lady you just met? A foreigner cannot own land. So maybe you want to buy a house. It has to be in her name. Do you want to put your life savings into a home that you can lose?

For anyone to meet someone online and develop a relationship, sell all their belongings and move to the Philippines, or anywhere in their country or around the world to me is totally crazy. What happens if you do this and it is a scam? You get off the plane and nobody is there to greet you. Or she walks off with your bank account or takes over your home. This can happen. In the Philippines, we are here with the permission of the Philippines. This permission can be easily taken away. Also if a Filipina wants to rip off a foreigner, who is there to help him? All a lady has to do is scream she was abused and she wins under the law protecting Women and Children. There are no laws to protect the foreigner. Many say there has never been a court case between a Filipino and a Foreigner and the Foreigner wins. I do not know that for a fact.

Back to the man I started this article about. He has some good friends in America that cares about him. I hope they help him understand the danger of his plans.

The information I will give will be as accurate as I can find, but realize the laws here change and some of my research might be out dated. So I suggest you verify this information yourself before making the big plunge.

Citizens of the US, most European and Asian Countries can enter the Philippines as a tourist with just a passport for 21 days as long as their passport is valid for 6 months from their date of arrival. Also they must have valid tickets for their return travel.

What I did was to visit a Philippine Consulate and purchased a Tourist Visa good for one year, even though I needed to extend my visa every 59 days at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) here. They have now increased stay here for 16 months and can also be extended to 2 full years as long as you file with the BI before you reach the 16 months here. This is because they have to send the request to Manila for approval. After you reach the end of your extensions, you must leave the country and return showing your exit stamp and the stamps of the visiting country when you return.

The 2 options when you first travel here would be as Tourist or Balikbayan. There are others such as a work visa, student visa, and missionary visa and investment visas. I will not get into this since most readers are looking to just move here. I do believe you can file for the Retirement visa prior to moving here, but I will explain as if you’re already here in the Philippines.

A Balikbayan is if you’re married already to a Philippine Citizen with a valid Philippine passport. You must arrive together and have with you a valid Marriage Certificate. This will give you (1) year of stay and can be extended to 16 months.

Once you’re here and you would like to remain and not have to travel outside the country every year and a half to 2 years and you get tired of going to BI every other month to file an extension and pay the fees there is 2 options I know of. One is marrying a Filipina and filing for a 13(a) Permanent Residency Visa or file for a Retirement Visa.

For the 13(a) Permanent Residency Visa you first have to be married to a Filipina or Filipino of you’re a female visitor. After you are married, and your marriage is registered at the NSO (National Statistic Office) you go to BI and file. Once approved you will get a 1 year Probationary Residency. About 2 months before the year is over you have to re-file. After you are approved, you have permanent residency. Then you only have to go to BI once a year during the months of January and February for their “Annual Audit” where you pay a small fee.

The other option is the Special Resident Retiree Visa (SRRV). With this you do not have to be married. There are different requirements for different age groups and if you are receiving a pension. There is also a requirement to invest an amount of money into an approved Bank Time Deposit.

The requirements are as follows:
1.       With Pension – 50 years. Old and above – the required time deposit is US$10, 000.00 plus a monthly pension of US$800.00 for a single applicant and     US$1,000.00 for couple
2.       Without Pension
o        35 to 49 years old – US$50, 000.00 time deposit
o        50 years old and above – US$20, 000.00 time deposit
o        Former Filipino Citizens (at least 35 years old, regardless of the number of dependents – US$1,500.00)
o        Ambassadors of foreign countries who served and retired in the Philippines, current and former staff members of international organizations including     ADB (at least 50 years old) – US$1,500.00
3.       A resident retiree can bring with him, without additional deposit, his spouse and a child who is unmarried and below 21 years old or if the spouse is not joining, two (2) children (provided they are unmarried and under 21 years of age.) Additional children with the same qualifications may also be allowed to join the principal retiree provided there is an additional deposit of US$15,000.00 per child. The said time deposit however, is subject the same and conditions with that of the principal deposit. This does not apply to former Filipino Citizens.

After (30) days of receiving your SRRV you can convert your time deposit into another form of investment

A retiree can choose to invest their required deposit through the following means:
a.    Purchase, acquisition and ownership of a condominium unit
b. Long-term lease of house and lot, condominium or townhouse for a period not shorter than twenty (20) years.
c. Purchase, acquisition and ownership of golf or country club shares.

I hope this information is useful for those planning to move here in the future. Also feel free to ask me for any assistance regarding this or any other matter moving here.
For information about the SRRV Visa you can visit here: http://www.pra.gov.ph/

Most forms from the Philippine Government are avaliable online in PDF format to be printed. If you would them converted to a file that can be filled out on your computer, saved and emailed I will be willing to convert them for you.

Over the years, my time at work and leisure revolved around computers. When I lived in California, from 1979 through 1997 I played golf and volleyball. In the last 8 years there I got into the “Country” life doing a lot of horseback riding, trail rides and Country Western dancing. For 2 years I worked weekends during the summer as labor for a Rodeo Stock Contractor.

When I moved to Florida I spent a lot of time at work to improve my profession and I worked many hours and weekends. I also did it to improve my economic conditions too. After all the years in California, I had trouble relating to the attitudes of the people I met in Florida. Because of this I spent my little free time at home. Also with some back problems it restricted me from some of the more active hobbies.

So, what I am trying to say, from work and life, my hobbies fell short and interests relaxed. Now here and unemployed I do not have many hobbies to rely on to spend my time.

Most of the time, I get up, have my juice and coffee, watch CNN news and/or Good Morning America and the go to the computer. I check emails and answer any comments from this site.  I then visit some of the blogs I read on a daily basis. Then I check the sites of any ads I have running and check my stats for the site. Then I look at news and other information sites.

I have started to learn some software to better develop my skills and abilities. One I have been learning is Adobe PDF Forms, which is part of Adobe Acrobat. A lot of PDF forms available online, especially from the Philippine government agencies can only be printed and filled out with pen and then mail or scan to send it. With this software you can make it so you can fill it out on the computer and then print it or email it.

When I filed for Residency here I did that to the form but just used basic features. What I have learned is how to auto populate, or take information that might be needed in different places and set the form so you only have to fill it out once. Maybe someday I can make money designing forms.

Someday I would like to learn how to design and make Websites. I have worked on computers for a long time, and used to love to learn different software but over the years as an Architectural Project manager, and all the hours I worked, I mainly worked and learned the advanced uses of AutoCAD and Architectural Desktop.

I guess it is time to get back to the point of this article. If you’re planning to move to the Philippines and you do not have a job or business to run, you need to have things to keep you active. I used to joke in America that I could not picture myself retired because I did not have a lot of things to keep me busy. An old boss said it well; he said “I want to buy all my Toys so I have things to keep me busy once I retire.”

Life is not the same as in America, but you still need things to keep you busy, active and interested. If you are married to a Filipina, she will spend a lot of time with her family or taking care of the house and taking care of you. For you, you need hobbies. The weather here is pretty constant so if you like gardening, there are many plants and flowers to grow and decorate your yard or even balcony.
If you’re more active there is golf, bowling, tennis, snorkeling and scuba diving. Also most local areas have basketball courts and many Filipinos to always there to play since it is considered the National sport.  Another sport that is very popular here is Badminton. There are also many places to play Billiards.

One of the things which I guess could be a hobby is meeting and getting to know Filipinos and through this learning their culture. Also since I smoke, when I sit outside the malls for a nicotine fix, I enjoy watching people. Watch their daily movement, how they react to their friends, how the guys stand behind Jeepneys calling and dancing to attract riders to their Jeepney. I like to watch how they react seeing a foreigner.

To close this article I am trying to convey, if you have not moved here yet, you should think about what interests you have and how you will keep your days full and busy. If your already here and are a foreigner, how do you spend your days. If your Filipino, I would like to learn how you spend your free time and what you enjoy doing.

When we read, our arms are getting shorter, the print is shrinking or our glasses get thicker.

Also at times we get forgetfull and our memory wanders with lost thoughts.

With all this, here is a funny video a friend sent to me…..

Are you one of thousands of Americans or Europeans that have dreamed of the day you can retire and move to Paradise in a foreign land and become an Expatriate. No more First World Countries for you. Perhaps you have been visiting Paradise for a number of years during your yearly vacation. The people are friendly, the food is great, the mountains and beaches are indescribable and it is so much cheaper to live in Paradise than back home. Maybe you have never actually visited Paradise your knowledge comes from Internet Sites and other Expatriates, but one thing you are certain of you want to retire and spent the rest of your life in Paradise.

Often people do not seriously consider the life changing move they are about to make. They are tired of the nine to five, hustle and bustle, stress and problems and a slower pace in Paradise is certainly the cure all. Before you make the move you need to take the time to make sure you are not exchanging one set of problems for another. Not everyone has the personality or attitude to become an Expatriate, especially in a Third World Country.

Visiting your future home for a few weeks on holiday and staying in a hotel are not the same as living full time in Paradise and living among the locals. Someone was talking with me recently about their disappointing move to the Philippines and were actually shocked at the differences they have encountered living here and vacationing here. When vacationing they stayed at the Marco Polo Hotel and they are now living in a very nice house. I was shocked that anyone would be that naive. They told me the food at the hotel was great, of course it was great because the chef had been trained to prepare not only great tasting, but also great looking food foreigners will enjoy. The local cook they hired most likely only knew what her mother taught her. Often times hotels have food you cannot find in the local markets because they are catering to foreign travelers and the local markets are not. They told me the Filipinos working in the hotel smiled, spoke and went out of their way to accommodate them, but their neighbors and house help would hardly look in their direction and only spoke when spoken to. Of course the natives in the hotel smiled, spoke and went out of their way to accommodate them because that was their job and a hotel job is a good job in a Third World Country, but the same is not true of their neighbors they are not being paid to be friend them and their house help has not had the training the hotel staff has. The shopping venues and restaurants they ventured to while on holiday most likely were places other tourist visited because they were looking for places they knew they would be comfortable and secure and price did not matter while on holiday. Now that they are living in Paradise and they need to start eating at the places locals eat if they do not want to feel like a perpetual tourist and spend all their saving the first year they are here. Be realistic when assessing your new home. You most likely will find that sanitary conditions in restaurants are not the same as back home and you will have to decide what is acceptable and not acceptable to you. This may help, several years ago I attended a seminar and they were saying First World Children are more sickly than Third World Countries because children in First World Countries live in over sanitized conditions and have no exposure to normal everyday virus’ which in turns makes their Immune Systems weaker. Just remember you are developing your Immune System.

You arrive in Paradise and one of the first things on your agenda is finding a place to live unless you made the mistake I did and purchased a home through a Broker before you actually made the move. In my opinion it is best to rent or lease for at least one year before buying a place of your own. That will give you time to become acquainted with the various neighborhoods in Paradise and it will also give you time to confront some of the cultural changes you will need to make and accept if you are going to be content in Paradise. Only you can determine if you can accept those cultural differences. People telling you about the cultural differences before you arrive and living the cultural differences are two different things. Know the real estate laws in the country you are moving to and be very skeptical of anyone that tells you they know of loop holes in the laws to accomplish what you want. Basically in the Philippines the courts tend to protect Filipinos over Expatriates when it comes to land disputes.

It is sometimes difficult to assimilate into the new community. Friendships with the locals are not always easy to establish. If you choose to live in a Third World Country you may find you will always be regarded as the wealthy American or wealthy foreigner regardless if it is true or not. Remember in the Philippines most of the people are living on less than six dollars a day and this includes those working in the malls, hotels, restaurants and hospitals. a large percentage are living on less than two dollars a day. A good friend of mind is a doctor in a government hospital in Manila and after ten years of service makes $600 a month. Class Systems do exist in Third World Countries and even though you are willing to be a friend to someone of a lesser income they may find it difficult to relate to you as an equal and establish a friendship.

In the Philippines a large percentage of the people speak English, but speaking English and carrying on a conversation in English are not the same. You will not have any trouble in the stores making purchases, getting a taxi, getting medical attention, etc. If you choose another country where English or your native language is not the Secondary Language you will have problems and must keep that in mind before making the move. Regardless if a lot of the locals speak English or not you should always try to learn some of their language. It puts the locals more at ease around you and they appreciate your attempt to learn their language. It will also be of value in bargaining for better prices. I do not speak Tagalog or any of the dialects and it makes life uncomfortable for me when out in public places and I do not know what the conversation going on around me is about. It certainly will make the assimilation into your host country easier if you know the language. One of the things a lot of Expatriates miss the most is conversations in their native language with friends over coffee, dinner, drinks and nights out. Unless you have been a loner all your life or you are socially inept you will most likely experience this problem and will find Expatriate Clubs will help solve it.

Living in First World Countries we take public utilities for granted. We expect them to be operational 24/7 and following a bad storm back on within twenty-four hours. That most likely will not be true in a Third World Country. You will have to learn to deal with Brown-Outs. The water may be turned off several hours during the day or night and it is just a fact of life. You can bitch and complain all you want it is not going to solve the problem. If Internet and Cable Television are important to you then you had better make sure the service is offered before you move. Just because they are available on one side of town does not mean they are available everywhere in the town. You may also find the services are available, but the system is at full capacity and they will not take new subscribers.

Depending on where you choose to live their may not be super markets and malls like you are use to back home. Your shopping habit may have to change meaning you may have to learn a new way of shopping. You may find you will need to shop at Public Wet and Dry Markets. Refrigeration in these markets may not be available. In the larger cities you will find shopping is much the same as in First World Countries, but even then some of the products you are use to buying may not be available and you will have to make adjustments. If you choose to live in smaller cities, villages or towns you will find the cost of living will be much cheaper, but less conveniences. You will pay for the convenience of having the malls, super markets and department stores that the larger cities offer.

I am shocked at the number of people that make the move abroad and know absolutely nothing about the medical services available. Most of us that move abroad are older and medical service if not now may soon be important. Remember U.S. Medicare or Medicaid is not offered outside the United States. There has been discussion for several years about making it available in the Philippines, but due to the corruption in the Philippines I doubt it will happen and certainly not in the near future. A lot of the private insurance companies do not pay direct to hospitals and physicians abroad. You must pay the medical expenses and they reimburse you and this often takes six months are longer. I found that paying for my medical care was cheaper than the private insurance premiums, especially taking into consideration my co-pay so I dropped my insurance coverage. There are also Medical Evacuation Policies available if a major illness occurs and you need to return home and depending on where you live you sometimes can find affordable premiums. I was quoted in 2005 a medical evacuation cost of about twelve thousand dollars Manila to Los Angeles, California.

No one likes to think about it, but what will happen if you should have an accident or die of natural causes abroad? The American Embassy is not going to pay to ship your body home for free. What about your Will? What are the legal requirements in the State you are from. Where will the Will be probated? Does your home State recognize Notary Public Seals other than those you can get at the Embassy?

How will you go about meeting your banking needs? Will you have your money deposited back home and use a credit or debit card or will you have wire transfers made to a local bank? I think banking issues should be resolved prior to making the move. I went to a P.N.B. office in Houston, Texas prior to making the move and opened an account. I had no problem setting up direct deposit of my Social Security Check to that account prior to coming over, but I have talked to some that spent several months getting it done when they waited until they got here to address the issue. After you arrive I have found it is much easier to address Social Security problems with the people in the Embassy than trying to solve them with Stateside offices via phone and Internet.

SECURITY!! No need discussing this issue I am sure you are aware of its importance. I feel the State Department exaggerates dangers sometimes, but it would be foolish to totally ignore their warnings. There certainly are places on Mindanao that I would not choose to live.

Give thought as to what you will ship to your new home. Why ship clothing that require Dry Cleaning if the service is not available where you are moving? Why ship Winter clothing if you are moving to the Tropics? It is better to donate those type of items to a non-profit and get a tax write off.

You can easily find Internet Sites and books about living abroad that will advertise you can live the life of a King or Queen on $200 a month. There are a lot of locals living in the Philippines on less than $200 a month and have no problem doing so. The difference is this is the only life they know and you do not miss something you never had. A couple from Texas told me they were living on $350 a month and had everything they needed or wanted and lived on the water. After I was in the Philippines about one year I visited them. They lived in a squatter area on pilings over the water without any utilities. They carried water from a public well and bathed at the well to keep from carrying bath water back to their home. Now these people were happy, but I do not apologize for saying I could not be happy living that way. That is not my definition of Paradise.

Regardless of the money you have there will be adjustments you must make living abroad. If you cannot make these adjustments you are going to live a miserable life. You are not going to make the place you are moving to a mini U.S.A., Germany or France. The main reason for your moving abroad should be in search of a different lifestyle, finding adventure and experiencing a new culture. If you are a person that demands perfection, organization and schedules you had better think long an hard about moving abroad, especially to a Third World Country. Living abroad can be paradise on earth and it can be hell. Your attitude and ability to adjust will determine which.

Any time you spend researching the country you are considering moving to is time well spent. It is far better to spend hundreds of dollars on books providing information about the country before you make the move than make the move and have to admit failure and loose thousands of dollars moving back to where you came from.