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Difficulty of Life in the PH
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Is it hard to live in the Philippines?
pungotly
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Is it hard to live in the Philippines?
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I think the intent of the question is, "Is it hard to live in the Philippines [for an expat]?" My response includes different demographics as lives of the poor, the middle class (ish), the elites, and expats are radically different. Indeed, the term expat, often broadly applied, refers a range of experience from easy to difficult. The Poor Life at the low end of the socio-economic scale is Hobbesian: nasty, brutish, and short. As demographics outstrip any possible social safety net, the urban poor suffer mightily. In 2009, over 25% of Filipino families lived under $1/day. Many die never seeing a health care professional. In the province, life is more manageable with abundant, cheap agriculture and extended family support. The poor are often locked into virtual servitude through basic economics or specific social compact. The Middle Class Seems to be getting better all the time with more products and services targeted the steadily growing (but not as fast as the overall population) middle class.For those with intelligence and perseverance, opportunities abound both in the Philippines and beyond. Many with foresight go abroad to work saving, sending money to their families, and finally retiring back here.Wealth is slowly trickling down from the elites and those with the moxie to grab ahold can improve their lot considerably. The Elite Alway has been great and probably always will be. In 2012, Forbes Asia reported the wealth of the 40 top Filipino families grew $13 billion during 2010-2011, to $47.4 billion–an increase of 37.9%.Life at the pinnacle of the food chain means very little in the way of impedance or limitation. It's good to be the oligarch.Expats Far from being a single entity, expatriates run the gambit from businesspeople stationed in the RP and destined for posting elsewhere after a few years to retirees on a very limited income seeking to make the most out of their pension. In general, expats have a pretty good deal: arbitrage across the board for services and basic necessities, great natural beauty and diversity, plenty of latitude accorded simply for being a foreigner.While the service sector can be exasperating and good bagels in frightening short supply, the Philippines is super easy to live in for the expat.
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Yes and no. And it also depends on where you live. If you come here to retire with a load of foreign currency and don't need business connections, then you can live outside Manila. This means you avoid one of the worst cities in the world, and enjoy instead some of the best islands, beaches and sceneries in the world. If, however, you have to live in Manila then life is difficult. Even if you're an expat earning foreign currency and living in Forbes Park, you still have to put up with the worst traffic in the world, severe pollution, and a general lack of optimism amongst the Manila population. The core problem is there are far too many people living in Manila for what the infrastructure can cope with. If you're earning a local salary, then life can be even more difficult as salaries are not very high (which is why we have so many BPOs here) and living costs are increasingly expensive. You'll have to live a fair distance from work, and commute in open-air jeepneys that are horribly noisy and polluting, or take the MRT, which is a terrible excuse for public transport as you'll find yourself lining up for hours just to get be crammed like sardines worried about your safety and belongings, all after a long day's work. Having said that, here are the things I love about living here: The close family ties Filipinos enjoyThe hospitality of Filipinos The street vendors (I buy taho every morning at my door!) The opportunities for business – there are plenty of new businesses starting up, so you might not have to worry about the low salaries mentioned above. The relatively low costs of service-based products like haircuts and massages. I hope that helps. Feel free to message me for personal advice if you're moving here.