Are You Sure The Philippines Is The Right Place For You?

[Kaku 61]

I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious about something...

 

According to the U.S. State Department's 2007 figures the number of permanent U.S. residents in the Philippines is approximately 105,000 (250,000 total including visitors and temporary residents). This number hasn't substantially increased for several years. Why? Could it be people are either moving to other countries, returning home or just dying? Since I haven't seen many deaths reported, I assume the former. If the Philippines were the ideal retirement location, the U.S. expat population should be growing in proportion to the total number of U.S. retirees. It doesn't appear to be happening. I don't have any explanations other than a word of caution. Clearly making the adjustment to living in the Philippines must not be as easy as we might imagine.

[ayala 3]

Are You Sure The Philippines Is The Right Place For You? Yes,but we also travel back to the USA and also Costa Rica.

 

 

I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious about something...

 

According to the U.S. State Department's 2007 figures the number of permanent U.S. residents in the Philippines is approximately 105,000 (250,000 total including visitors and temporary residents). This number hasn't substantially increased for several years. Why? Could it be people are either moving to other countries, returning home or just dying? Since I haven't seen many deaths reported, I assume the former. If the Philippines were the ideal retirement location, the U.S. expat population should be growing in proportion to the total number of U.S. retirees. It doesn't appear to be happening. I don't have any explanations other than a word of caution. Clearly making the adjustment to living in the Philippines must not be as easy as we might imagine.

[HTM 3,668]

"Are You Sure The Philippines Is The Right Place For You?"

 

No!

 

[fredanna 90]

We recently visited some fil-am couples and there have been others who have moved back to the USA after 5 yrs of living there in the Phils.

Reasons were unknown. Either just couldn't hack the lifestyle or the weather.

Not good news for me to hear as, I think it would be the only place to retire and live comfortable in a paid off house. I won't be able to live that long to see that happen here for me/us

 

Fred

[Cary 770]

Fred you make a good point here, and the only ones that can answer it is ourselves. Some of us will make it and others wont and the reasons will vary. The only thing that we can do is try because if we don't we will never know. From the posts I've read in other forums is that we need to really think it out because its not an easy move. And after the move we have to work to make it work for us.

 

We recently visited some fil-am couples and there have been others who have moved back to the USA after 5 yrs of living there in the Phils.

Reasons were unknown. Either just couldn't hack the lifestyle or the weather.

Not good news for me to hear as, I think it would be the only place to retire and live comfortable in a paid off house. I won't be able to live that long to see that happen here for me/us

 

Fred

Edited November 4, 2009 by Cary

[WorldlyPatriot 1]

Clearly making the adjustment to living in the Philippines must not be as easy as we might imagine.

 

Exactly! Adjusting is difficult for many, and adapting to life here can be a MAJOR challenge.

 

The reasons for expats departing after moving to "paradise" are varied, but the most common I've experienced are:

 

- Inability to adapt to:

 

-- RP Culture, to include inability to accept corruption as society's "norm," pervasive dishonesty, constantly being overcharged for goods and services, constant attempted scams, and expats often being viewed as a "walking ATM machine."

-- Heat / humidity / typhoons

-- Massive poverty

-- Infrastructure deficiencies of a developing nation

 

- Failures in relationships

- Developing a chronic health problem (often alcohol abuse-related), and the best treatment option is returning to Western medicine.

- Victim of crime

- Financial problems (resulting from declining value of dollar, failing to manage money on a budget, business failure)

- Unable to cope with being fully retired (i.e., need to continue working to feel relevant and making a contribution to mankind)

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: Before committing 100% to RP, try it for a year or two, and have an alternate plan that will allow you to return to your home country if you are unable to adapt. DO NOT take this decision lightly! Nobody really knows what they're getting in to until they are here and experiencing the trials, tribulations, and virtues of RP life on a DAILY basis!

[Cary 770]

Correct.

 

 

Exactly! Adjusting is difficult for many, and adapting to life here can be a MAJOR challenge.

 

The reasons for expats departing after moving to "paradise" are varied, but the most common I've experienced are:

 

- Inability to adapt to:

 

-- RP Culture, to include inability to accept corruption as society's "norm," pervasive dishonesty, constantly being overcharged for goods and services, constant attempted scams, and expats often being viewed as a "walking ATM machine."

-- Heat / humidity / typhoons

-- Massive poverty

-- Infrastructure deficiencies of a developing nation

 

- Failures in relationships

- Developing a chronic health problem (often alcohol abuse-related), and the best treatment option is returning to Western medicine.

- Victim of crime

- Financial problems (resulting from declining value of dollar, failing to manage money on a budget, business failure)

- Unable to cope with being fully retired (i.e., need to continue working to feel relevant and making a contribution to mankind)

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: Before committing 100% to RP, try it for a year or two, and have an alternate plan that will allow you to return to your home country if you are unable to adapt. DO NOT take this decision lightly! Nobody really knows what they're getting in to until they are here and experiencing the trials, tribulations, and virtues of RP life on a DAILY basis!

[On-in-2 62]

Exactly! Adjusting is difficult for many, and adapting to life here can be a MAJOR challenge.

 

The reasons for expats departing after moving to "paradise" are varied, but the most common I've experienced are:

 

- Inability to adapt to:

 

-- RP Culture, to include inability to accept corruption as society's "norm," pervasive dishonesty, constantly being overcharged for goods and services, constant attempted scams, and expats often being viewed as a "walking ATM machine."

-- Heat / humidity / typhoons

-- Massive poverty

-- Infrastructure deficiencies of a developing nation

 

- Failures in relationships

- Developing a chronic health problem (often alcohol abuse-related), and the best treatment option is returning to Western medicine.

- Victim of crime

- Financial problems (resulting from declining value of dollar, failing to manage money on a budget, business failure)

- Unable to cope with being fully retired (i.e., need to continue working to feel relevant and making a contribution to mankind)

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: Before committing 100% to RP, try it for a year or two, and have an alternate plan that will allow you to return to your home country if you are unable to adapt. DO NOT take this decision lightly! Nobody really knows what they're getting in to until they are here and experiencing the trials, tribulations, and virtues of RP life on a DAILY basis!

 

Thanks for the very well summarized post!

 

But also for the Sagan quotes. He was a great man.

 

 

Pete of New Hampshire

[On-in-2 62]

Exactly! Adjusting is difficult for many, and adapting to life here can be a MAJOR challenge.

 

The reasons for expats departing after moving to "paradise" are varied, but the most common I've experienced are:

 

- Inability to adapt to:

 

--[snip]--

 

 

--Can't keep any JD in the house, bcoz Paul keeps coming over and drinking it all!

 

Pete of New Hampshire

[Mik 102]

After ObamaCare becomes law and expensive rationed health care prevails, you will see more US retirees coming here for affordable no-wait treatment.

 

 

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