Retirement in the Philippines
During the course of my stay here, I went to the Leyte immigration office to extend my |
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visa. I was having a conversation with one of the staff there, when I realised that there was many of my fellow countrymen seeking sanctuary in the islands with a new wife. Also further to my surprise was the fact that over 3500 men from UK alone choose to stay in the islands with their new wife and settle to a retirement and new life here. Apparently there are many professional men, teachers, army officers and doctors (there has to |
be a moral here somewhere) choose a new gorgeous Filipino lady as their new wife and build a lovely home to spend the rest of their days.
Samar which is an island close to Tacloban in Leyte forms part of the Visayan region is one such favourite destination for retirement seekers. The beautiful unspoilt countryside and magnificent scenery coupled with a gorgeous panoramic seaside make this an attractive choice. A plot of land can cost as little as 1000 peso per m2 for a 400m2 plot of land. To build a western style 3 bed detached home with modern ceramic sanitary fixtures, fitted bedroom furniture and all the latest kitchen gadgetry can cost you around $40000 to $50000. Forget the prices of online real estate gangsters who offer a domicile a mature feline would have difficulty revolving in. If you are serious about settling here, better to buy the lot “plot of land” and design and build using a reputable contractor. |
There are one or two things you need to think about though before you decide on splashing out on a dream home, firstly, you need to marry a Filipino resident female (Hopefully we can help you in that area!). The current law here states that no alien is allowed to own land though you may in certain instances be allowed to own the property on |
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the land. There are many helpful sites to continue your research and I would advise you to devote as much time as possible doing so. It is also worth contracting a reputable Lawyer. It is not uncommon for property or land to be sold twice and the dodgy attorney, next seen in a pedicab surrounded by clouds of thick dust. So be ultra careful. Having spent many years in the construction industry myself, I am well aware of the many pitfalls that wait the unsuspecting. So if unsure about the process, employ a good contract manager to oversee the project.
Once you have your dream home built, how about some wheels to get around? Well a decent Toyota 4 x 4 will set you back around 1.5 million peso and with no road tax, optional insurance, cheap fuel and no speed cameras, running a good motor should not break the retirement fund. If you do not like the Asian chariots and you want to bring your native speed wagon, please remember that some of the roads here are not suitable for low profile tyres and aluminium wheels. I have had the nervous pleasure to experience some out of town roads and an army off road vehicle would in some instance struggle to cope with. |
If you live close to a city or even in rural areas, do not rule out a motorcycle, they offer a fast efficient means of getting around short distances. For the more athletic, of course there are many bicycles to buy, most costing around 5000 peso or so. Life here is as you may have probably already gathered, is relatively cheap, expect to live VERY well on 10000 peso a week, the average wage here is only around 4000 peso |
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per month! The larger city supermarkets offer most consumables available to satisfy your needs. The smaller sari saris only keep a selection of daily, fast moving consumer goods.
A few things to keep in mind, if you are planning to settle in remote or provincial areas. There may be access to the electricity supply, though this does not guarantee a 24 hour, 7 day per week service. Electricity is prone to frequent interruptions, so a portable generator would be a good buy. There is no mains gas service, however liquid gas is widely available at around 750 peso per 13kg cylinder. Water tanks are widely available to store non potable water and when built on a suitable tower, will give adequate pressure for taps and shower.
Clothing is plentiful and inexpensive as most is shipped from nearby India and alike so a good pair of jeans will only set you back around 200 – 600 peso. Lee and Jag are widely available in addition to many local named brands. Expect to pay more for other big named brands though.
After you have been here and tasted the life maybe like me, you will decide to settle here too. For settlement and immigration rules, please check with the Philippine immigration authorities to get up to date advice. The way of life, the climate and the great people, of course not forgetting your new gorgeous wife, make these islands an undiscovered treasure, my advice would be, come here, enjoy, but don’t tell too many people for fear it gets spoilt! |
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