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| Expat Blog About American Expat in the Philippines |
American Expat Living in the Philippines
May 15, 2012Woke up to another day in paradise. I love the Philippines.
Just told my lovely Filipino wife that I am starting this travel blog.
We met late in 2007 when I came to visit the Philippines. She was living in Paranaque City in the Metro Manila area. We married and now have a wonderful daughter.
We have traveled some in the Philippines and flew round trip to Singapore.
We have flown from Manila to Cebu City, Lapu Lapu, General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro. Have traveled by bus and / or traveled by jeepney to Tagaytay, Batangas, Laiya Beach, Subic City and Olongapo (in the Subic Bay Area), Bataan, Angeles City and San Fernando (in the province of Pampanga). We flew as tourists to Singapore.
We have eaten in almost every brand of American fast food restaurants in the Philippines.
We have stayed in several hotels, apartelles and pensiones in several cities on several islands.
The past President said that there are about 300,000 American expats living in the Philippines. Some of them are dual citizenship Filipinos who have moved back to the Philippines from the USA.
And, about 30,000 Americans live in and around Angeles City.
Living in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines
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| Entrance to compound where we lived for 2 years. |
We lived for 2 years in the city of Paranaque in
Metro Manila in a 2-bedroom 1 bath dwelling of about 40 sq. meters or about 400 sq. feet. At times there were 8 family members residing there. The main room serves as kitchen, dining area and living room or "sala." We had TV and we had wireless internet via Smart Broadband. The family has "rights" to the dwelling (meaning there is no cost to live there.) It was crowded but enjoyable because of the warmhearted family members and neighbors. The compound consists of about 20 attached dwellings arranged in a rectangle around a central concrete "courtyard" of about 600 sq. feet. Children play there and women wash clothes and hang them on lines. The living units are single story with the exception of a couple which are 2 story units. Our daughter grew up here for the first 2 years of her life. She had plenty of kids to play with.
At times it would be very hot in the dwelling, temperatures often rose to 95F and even to 100F on really hot days. So fans were on constantly day and night. After about a year and a half we installed a ceiling (to separate the hot air space under the steel roof from our living area) and bought and installed a used air conditioner. That helped a lot, but it almost doubled the electric bill. In Metro Manila electricity cost about twice as much as in the USA.
Passenger jets taking off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) often fly over the compound. Makati City, the central business district of Manila, is only about 30 minutes away by either jeepney or taxicab. The cost of a taxi ride to Ayala's Glorietta Mall in the central business district of Makati City is around 130 pesos (about $2.90 US).
Nearby the compound where we were living is a very large "squatter" area consisting of hundreds of dwellings, mostly attached to each other. The sidewalk in the picture above goes through the compound and winds around and through the squatter area. Access to the dwellings in the squatter area is mainly via a matrix of concrete sidewalks, not roads. The dwellings there are mostly built of concrete blocks and have corrugated metal roofs. Most do not have air conditioning.
If you have the opportunity to live in a compound or a squatters' area don't pass it up. Live for a while like a great many Filipinos do. Get a real "feel" for the way most Filipinos live in the Philippines. It is an adventure. Use the dwelling as a base from which to explore other islands and other cities. From our compound we visited Tagaytay, Batangas, Bataan, Subic Bay, Olongapo and flew to General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao. A couple of times we flew to Cebu. During our travels in the Philippines, we have stayed at all kinds of
At times it would be very hot in the dwelling, temperatures often rose to 95F and even to 100F on really hot days. So fans were on constantly day and night. After about a year and a half we installed a ceiling (to separate the hot air space under the steel roof from our living area) and bought and installed a used air conditioner. That helped a lot, but it almost doubled the electric bill. In Metro Manila electricity cost about twice as much as in the USA.
Passenger jets taking off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) often fly over the compound. Makati City, the central business district of Manila, is only about 30 minutes away by either jeepney or taxicab. The cost of a taxi ride to Ayala's Glorietta Mall in the central business district of Makati City is around 130 pesos (about $2.90 US).
Nearby the compound where we were living is a very large "squatter" area consisting of hundreds of dwellings, mostly attached to each other. The sidewalk in the picture above goes through the compound and winds around and through the squatter area. Access to the dwellings in the squatter area is mainly via a matrix of concrete sidewalks, not roads. The dwellings there are mostly built of concrete blocks and have corrugated metal roofs. Most do not have air conditioning.
If you have the opportunity to live in a compound or a squatters' area don't pass it up. Live for a while like a great many Filipinos do. Get a real "feel" for the way most Filipinos live in the Philippines. It is an adventure. Use the dwelling as a base from which to explore other islands and other cities. From our compound we visited Tagaytay, Batangas, Bataan, Subic Bay, Olongapo and flew to General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao. A couple of times we flew to Cebu. During our travels in the Philippines, we have stayed at all kinds of
hotels and apartelles.
Staying in a 4- or 5-star hotel you will never get a sense of what life is like for most Filipinos. And you will never get to really know the people.
Typhoon Gener and monsoon rains have caused heavy flooding during the last week of July and the first 2 weeks of August this year, 2012. I saw a cell phone video today, August 9, 2012, of our relatives walking back from the store on the street that leads to their house in Paranaque. Flooding has not been severe there. But, the water was almost up to their knees. Flooding did not reach their house. Half of Metro Manila is flooded as is Quezon City.
Staying in a 4- or 5-star hotel you will never get a sense of what life is like for most Filipinos. And you will never get to really know the people.
Typhoon Gener and monsoon rains have caused heavy flooding during the last week of July and the first 2 weeks of August this year, 2012. I saw a cell phone video today, August 9, 2012, of our relatives walking back from the store on the street that leads to their house in Paranaque. Flooding has not been severe there. But, the water was almost up to their knees. Flooding did not reach their house. Half of Metro Manila is flooded as is Quezon City.
See dramatic photos of flooding.
While living in Metro Manila we traveled mainly by jeepney, tricycle and train. And occasionally by taxi and pedicab.
If you are going to visit Metro Manila area it would probably be best to plan your trip for the drier times of year. Typhoons are common June through October. But regardless the season people remain gracious.
The main reason not to stay in the big cities in the Philippines for very long is the air pollution.
We leased an apartment we found online. In a newer building, of only 4 units, it was a ground floor 2 bedroom 1 bath unit of about 40 sq. meters (over 430 sq. ft.). Monthly rent was 3,500 pesos (or about $84 US @ an exchange rate of 43 pesos to a dollar) and included a gated car park in front of the unit. Try to find a rental rate like that in the USA! Rental rates for similar size and similar age apartments in the central area of Angeles City were about 12,000 to 20,000 pesos per month.
So, if you want an inexpensive apartment,
If you are flying to
There are many American fast food restaurants all over the Philippines.
If you are considering buying real estate in the Philippines.
If you have found this article helpful, have suggestions, advice or insights please "comment" below.
While living in Metro Manila we traveled mainly by jeepney, tricycle and train. And occasionally by taxi and pedicab.
If you are going to visit Metro Manila area it would probably be best to plan your trip for the drier times of year. Typhoons are common June through October. But regardless the season people remain gracious.
The main reason not to stay in the big cities in the Philippines for very long is the air pollution.
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| Getting my shoes shined on a Sunday, across from a church in Paranaque. |
Living in a Small Town in the Philippines
We lived another 2 years in a newer apartment in Magalang (near Angeles City) in the province of Pampanga.
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| Christmas 2010 at our apartment in Magalang (N. of Manila) |
We leased an apartment we found online. In a newer building, of only 4 units, it was a ground floor 2 bedroom 1 bath unit of about 40 sq. meters (over 430 sq. ft.). Monthly rent was 3,500 pesos (or about $84 US @ an exchange rate of 43 pesos to a dollar) and included a gated car park in front of the unit. Try to find a rental rate like that in the USA! Rental rates for similar size and similar age apartments in the central area of Angeles City were about 12,000 to 20,000 pesos per month.
So, if you want an inexpensive apartment,
live in a rural area!
We had been advised by a Filipino friend and also by his policeman friend that it would be best to live in a "secure" subdivision or a "secure" building. Secure meaning with an armed security guard or guards.
However, we lived for almost 2 years in this rural apartment, in the town of Magalang, without security guards or incidents. We drove an old car and made friends with the local tricycle drivers and our neighbors.
The worst thing about the place we were living was that it was near pig farms. Check out my article about pig farms and chicken farms in the Philippines. Before you buy or lease a residence be sure to search for pig and chicken farms via Google earth, you may download it for free. Do not rent or buy a house near a pig or chicken farm!
In the Philippines all foreigners are called "Americans." Don't ask me why, I don't know.
All "Americans" are considered "rich." So whether you dress well or dress down you are still seen to be "rich." When traveling via jeepney, tricycle or bus always be cautious. The US Dept. of State issues travel advisories. In an advisory in 2011 it advised travelers to the Philippines not to ride on motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys, buses or trains. The advice was to use only metered taxis. However, taxis are hardly ever found outside major metropolitan areas. We traveled, without harm, for over 5 years using all available modes of transportation.
Beware of pickpockets, especially when riding in jeepneys. Read my post about my run ins with thieves titled "Pick pockets in the Philippines. Crime in the Philippines."
Before I came to the Philippines I had read stories about how expats were living, with a wife and kids, for as low as 20,000 Pesos a month. I do not know how they do it. The only way I can imagine is that they are living in a province, away from major cities and are eating a Filipino diet of rice, fish, pork, coconut, and other local foods. I heard that one can buy a fresh 1 to 5 pound fish, just caught, for about 25 pesos from a young fisherman in provinces away from the major cities. My expenses, for our family of 3, were a minimum of 40,000 Pesos a month. This included rent (3,500 Pesos a month), electric, water, groceries, and some meals out in fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Jolibee, KFC and other American "restaurants" found in the Philippines. We also purchased some foods at grocery stores that featured imported American foods. Add in the numerous visits to doctors and hospitals and the cost can easily go up to 60,000 Pesos a month or higher. Read about our experiences at hospitals in the Philippines.
Visit this currency converter to convert Pesos into US Dollars and vice versa, or to convert any other currencies.
See my article about foods and drinks to avoid. I never drink the tap water or eat raw vegetables. And, if a drink comes with ice I always ask if the ice was made from was purified water.
We lived from 2007 until 2012 in Central Luzon.
I asked my wife and daughter if they wanted to go to the US and they answered "yes." So we flew to the USA in 2012, lived there for five years and moved back to the Philippines in 2018.
We had been advised by a Filipino friend and also by his policeman friend that it would be best to live in a "secure" subdivision or a "secure" building. Secure meaning with an armed security guard or guards.
However, we lived for almost 2 years in this rural apartment, in the town of Magalang, without security guards or incidents. We drove an old car and made friends with the local tricycle drivers and our neighbors.
The worst thing about the place we were living was that it was near pig farms. Check out my article about pig farms and chicken farms in the Philippines. Before you buy or lease a residence be sure to search for pig and chicken farms via Google earth, you may download it for free. Do not rent or buy a house near a pig or chicken farm!
Pickpockets, Crime and Security in the Philippines
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| Armed Security Guards check bags at most malls we have visited. We always feel safe in the malls. We have never seen an incident. |
In the Philippines all foreigners are called "Americans." Don't ask me why, I don't know.
All "Americans" are considered "rich." So whether you dress well or dress down you are still seen to be "rich." When traveling via jeepney, tricycle or bus always be cautious. The US Dept. of State issues travel advisories. In an advisory in 2011 it advised travelers to the Philippines not to ride on motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys, buses or trains. The advice was to use only metered taxis. However, taxis are hardly ever found outside major metropolitan areas. We traveled, without harm, for over 5 years using all available modes of transportation.
Beware of pickpockets, especially when riding in jeepneys. Read my post about my run ins with thieves titled "Pick pockets in the Philippines. Crime in the Philippines."
Cost of living in the Philippines
The costs of living for foreigners may be considerably higher than for locals, depending on where you live and the lifestyle you choose. If you want to live more like a Filipino your costs can be very low. Read about wages in the Philippines.Before I came to the Philippines I had read stories about how expats were living, with a wife and kids, for as low as 20,000 Pesos a month. I do not know how they do it. The only way I can imagine is that they are living in a province, away from major cities and are eating a Filipino diet of rice, fish, pork, coconut, and other local foods. I heard that one can buy a fresh 1 to 5 pound fish, just caught, for about 25 pesos from a young fisherman in provinces away from the major cities. My expenses, for our family of 3, were a minimum of 40,000 Pesos a month. This included rent (3,500 Pesos a month), electric, water, groceries, and some meals out in fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Jolibee, KFC and other American "restaurants" found in the Philippines. We also purchased some foods at grocery stores that featured imported American foods. Add in the numerous visits to doctors and hospitals and the cost can easily go up to 60,000 Pesos a month or higher. Read about our experiences at hospitals in the Philippines.
Visit this currency converter to convert Pesos into US Dollars and vice versa, or to convert any other currencies.
See my article about foods and drinks to avoid. I never drink the tap water or eat raw vegetables. And, if a drink comes with ice I always ask if the ice was made from was purified water.
We lived from 2007 until 2012 in Central Luzon.
I asked my wife and daughter if they wanted to go to the US and they answered "yes." So we flew to the USA in 2012, lived there for five years and moved back to the Philippines in 2018.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope to provide much more information about living in the Philippines.
If you are a foreigner living in the Philippines please tell about your experiences by making a comment below.
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| A beach on Boracay Island, Philippines |
If you are flying to
meet ladies of the Philippines consider that you may have jet leg when you arrive.
If flying from the USA, you may find that you will stay awake all night and sleep all day for a week or two. The farther you travel to get to the Philippines the more you will be affected by jet lag.
There are many American fast food restaurants all over the Philippines.
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If you have found this article helpful, have suggestions, advice or insights please "comment" below.
The article on this page will be expanded. Come back to read more about expat living in the Philippines. Last updated June 26, 2022.
wonderful blog, most of the articles are darn accurate! =) i was surprised reading all of your articles, i wish i had read half of the things stated here back in 2002 when i fist arrived here in the philippines to finish my high school, migrating here to the philippines from the middle east was real hard for me. there was alot of things that i had to learn and learn real quick. one of the most important things for me to learn was how other people perceive deal with foreigners, cost of living, school and education, safe places to live/ rent, food to eat and what not to eat and so forth. yes my experience did help me open my eyes to alot of things.
ReplyDelete1.education YES it is way cheap to study here in the philippines but you still have to consider if and when you graudate will the piece of paper you recieve would hold value to jobs abroad. let me explain. back in the middle east they categorize you as where you have recieved your diploma, if you recieved your diploma from a list of countries in their list your pay is such. if you recieve your diploma from a western country then your pay is such. no matter how great your experience is. and guess who gets paid top dollar. =) ofcourse i dont agree with this kind of methodology because its not a paper who makes a person but his experiences and what he learns in his lifetime that determines if he/she is competent in a given situation.
2. safety here in the philippines. GOD where can i start. thank GOD i have never been robbed by pickpockets or held at GUN point. but there's a lot to consider. basically i go with a set of rules. and keep telling my wife this. BTW she grew up here in the philippines and in one of your posts regarding good K12 schools here you mentioned her school ;) when we go out we dont bring expensive things with us. we minimize the amount of cash we have in our wallets, and we bring our trow it away cellphones. i call it that because if GOD forbid it gets stolen the robber would not benefit due to its low value, other rules are. be very aware of the places you go to, if the place seems unsafe bring someone you work with or someone who is family that knows someone from that place. because in the END we all have to admit that the GREAT PNP is useless. so is the NBI. 1st hand experience. think ahead of the criminal elements around you. and you would be fine.
3. food and water. i had to learn this the hard way. we buy our raw food in the super market now. no more wet market for us. and get our water at the grocery as well.its better safe then sorry.
4.THANK GOD you provided us with some ideas on real estate, and provided some good lawyers in your posts.
i hope i can read more of your posts
more power!
Hello,
DeleteThanks for taking the time to make such informative comments. Glad you enjoy receiving my new posts. It is encouraging to get comments from people like you. Others are looking for advice like yours. Have you ever thought about writing for a blog? Contact me again if you might consider becoming a contributor to this blog!
Hey Timo,
ReplyDeleteI'm a Filipino and I enjoyed reading your articles. I agree with the first poster that your experiences and observations are pretty accurate. I admire your adventurous spirit that you are willing to let go of the comforts of your homeland to experience the "Filipino" way of life. I say comfort because I have tried staying in the US in a few of my business trips and I find the "American" life style to be comfortable in a general sense. It's easier for your country men to own a house, car and buy the basic necessities in life even at a minimum wage.
I'm glad you haven't experienced any of the bad things that we see on the local news and I pray you will never will.
I just would want to share that since the Philippines have so many local dialects it also entails that the culture may vary slightly from province to province. If you try living in the Baguio for example you will probably find that the police there may be more trustworthy as well as the taxis (they return you the exact change unlike in Manila) and even the people too. You may even find your self listening to country music in some establishments. So if you ever would want to experience the different "Filipino" life you may try living in different provinces. Now, that would be a really interesting blog, especially coming from an outsider point of view.
Continue sharing. It's very helpful and entertaining at the same time.
Thank you for your comments! Maybe someday soon I will try living in some different provinces. Would really like to do that.
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