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Advance Knowledge: Moving
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What things do you need to know before moving to the Philippines?
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What things do you need to know before moving to the Philippines?
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Almost all Filipinos speaks and understand English, most newspapers are in English and the judicial system use English as a medium of communication.Foreigner can own property now under the new law, please check if I’m right.If staying long term or forever in the Philippines, set aside money equivalent to Ph peso 1million (roughly USD20,000.00) in CD account in any bank (e.g. Bank of the Philippine Island) for a medical emergency, because world class hospitals in Manila ( e.g. St. Luke, Makati Med) in Cebu (Chong Hua Hosp., Cebu Doctors Hosp. Perpetual Soccour Hopp.) requires that amount of deposit. Public hospitals or clinic is almost free but they are normally short of medical supplies.You can shop in any supermarket for food or you can buy it at the wet market, vendors are strickly controlled by the local health officials in the wet market.Hire helpers but be cautious hire them from a very reputable agency. They might cost you somewhere between Ph 8 K to 10 K a month with SSS and Healthcare benefits but they are worth it.Reputable restaurants there are cheaper compared here in the US, please choose wisely.Mosquitos and flies are the most bother some bugs there, so install screens in every doors and windows.Have at least one air conditioner in a room, humidity is very high especially if you live in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu or any very urbanized towns and cities.Expect to wear shorts and tank tops and slippers for most occasions.Life is beautiful if you like warm weather, beaches (Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan) mountains (Baguio, Tagaytay, Mantalongon, Dalaguete Cebu, Nivel Hills Cebu)
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My girlfriend move here in the Philippines from Japan and I could tell you she hates almost everything. Most foods are oily and has strong flavor due to seasonings. If your stomach is strong and can adapt quickly then there would be no problem but in my gf's case, she can't stand eating it and we already went around 4–5 times to the hospital in less than a year because of stomach related problems especially acid reflux.Transportation is bad (In Metro Manila). A 10km ride might take you 1–2 hours depending on where you will pass, but due to the worst traffic here getting around will be a pain in the ass.Cost of living is cheap. You could buy a meal for around 50–100 pesos which is only 1–2 dollars. But like in 1., if you can't stand local food, you need to pay more to eat. Essentials as well are cheap if you buy local.Don't expect a tropical paradise if you will be living in the city like Metro Manila. People tend to think that the Philippines is a tropical island with lots of beaches and people are relaxed all day.Toilets don't usually have toilet paper or even a lid to sit on. If you go to high end places there is a big chance that toilets are clean and necessities are provided since tourist and rich people tend to go there. But if you would go to places other than that, don't expect to see toilet paper or sometimes a lid to sit on. Water as well is sometimes lacking. Better to bring wetwipes and portable alchohol to clean yourself in case.Never drink tap water even in hotels or high end places. Better buy water from a reputable water station or buy at the supermarket.Never trust taxi drivers and better yet use Grab (like Uber). Taxi drivers tend to trick foreigners into paying more than what the right fare is. Great examples are the ones in the Airport which charges you 1000 pesos or 20 dollars for a trip that if they use the taxi meter will only cost 100–200 pesos or 2–4 dollars. Not all taxis are like this, but best to avoid them to avoid being scammed or worst.Never put your bag behind you if you are walking especially in crowded places since pickpocket are common in some areas. If you will be living in places such as BGC it will be fine since it's much safer but outside the metro, better secure your things and be alert at all times.Living here is difficult especially if you are from a developed country. Like I said earlier, my GF is from Japan and most of the time complains about the way we ran things in the Philippines. It all goes down to if you can adjust to a less comfortable livestyle or not.