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Female Expats
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Many older male expats move to Southeast Asia because of the foreign exchange. Why don’t more older female expat Westerners do the same thing? Why aren’t older women attracted to cheap living in Philippines? Why does it appeal more to men?
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Because the Philippines has only two options, either some beautiful tropical island where not all that much is going on, or some pretty miserable city. Obviously some women are into the whole beautiful tropical island thing, but usually they’d go with their boyfriend, they’re not that often up to starting a new life on their own as men are. Most women are social beings, more than men. They care more about their friends at home and sometimes their families. A lot of men don’t care that much. Then there’s the fact women are not as excited by tropical beauty, that they would put up with third world living conditions, as many men are. It’s just how they are, they prefer their comfort and friends and not South Sea adventures. How many great explorers were females? Hmm, there’s Dora the Explorer? Or Tomb Raider? Of course some women are great explorers in modern times like the 15 year old girl who sailed around the world by herself, but there’s a whole lot more who get scared it they have to leave their neighborhood. Literally no one moves to the Philippines because of foreign exchange. It could be a factor.
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I’m a man so take my answer with a grain of salt as I can’t really speak for women. The few Western women I’ve seen living in the Philippines were almost always part of a couple or had some other ties here. I often laugh about my hometown here being like a retirement community for old white guys. There are bars, restaurants, and beaches and other things to do, shopping nearby, and rents are comparatively low. What’s not to like? I guess one obvious answer as to why a single woman wouldn’t move here is that they would likely stay single or have a harder time finding male companionship. Guys here don’t have to be lonely unless they choose to be. It may also be that while making progress, the Philippines remains a developing nation. Infrastructure can be poor and there are also inconveniences to be dealt with on a daily basis. It could also be that a single woman might not always feel safe living here alone. So, I guess my bottom line answer is that for women there may be better options.