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| We Moved To The Philippines |
We Are Moving To The Philippines
So, after the birth of two more children and after living for 6 years in Florida, U.S.A. we decided to go back to the Philippines.
There are a number of reasons for our decision.
Having married a Filipino most of our family lives in the Philippines.
Our first child was born in one of the hospitals in Manila at Makati Medical Center.
My relatives are scattered all over the U.S. None of them lived near us.
My wife missed her parents, sisters, nieces, nephew and the rest of her extended family.
We also want our children to experience the Philippines. Most Filipinos speak English; it is taught in schools all over these islands. But, in very many ways it is a very different culture.
My mother who is over 90 years of age might have wound up in a nursing home in the U.S.
If she had needed a caregiver at home the cost would have been at least $20 per hour (about 1,000 Pesos), which could add up very fast to a lot of money. We had moved in with her to be close if she needed us. But, with 3 young children, it meant a lot more work for my wife and me.
In the Philippines Mom will be able to continue living with us in our house and we will be able to afford a live-in caregiver for her. Being with us enriches her life. She goes with us to the mall and other places. The other day she went to see a movie in the mall with me and my wife. On other occasions she has dined with us at a Sbarro's restaurant, Kenney Roger's and other restaurants in the malls. The malls in the Philippines are world class.
In the Philippines our children will have more playmates. They will be able to play with their cousins and their cousins' friends. In our neighborhood in the U.S. there were hardly any children. So, for our children to meet and play with other children we had to pay for them to play. Pay to play is common in the U.S. We lived not far from a recreation complex. Each time my oldest daughter played there it cost us $5 (about 250 Pesos).
So, we fixed up our two houses, sold our furniture and most of our other belongings over the course of about six months. Conducted several garage sales and moving sales. Items which were not sold that way we advertised via Facebook Marketplace. Well almost everything sold on Facebook. Facebook Marketplace is a fantastic free service! At present the only way to use it is to download the Marketplace app to your cell phone. I read that Facebook will be adding desktop and laptop versions in the near future. Facebook Marketplace has already been launched in the Philippines.
We booked flights to the Philippines, packed our many suitcases and carry-on bags. After we left a good and trusted friend of ours did some additional fix up, painting and cleaning at our houses in Florida. He suggested we donate a bedroom set and a few other items which did not sell to a charity named Hospice. So we did.
We will be leasing our two houses to tenants while we are in the Philippines. We have enlisted the services of a property management company to market and manage the properties. The broker has already found a tenant for Mom's house and has prospective tenants for our house.
We flew from Tampa International Airport to JFK in New York. Then we flew on an Airbus A380 to Incheon, Korea. From there we flew to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. The trip from Tampa to Manila was 27 hours. Apparently we are now 9,114 miles (or 14,667 km) away from Tampa Bay area. When it is 9 a.m. Sunday in Manila it is 9 p.m. Saturday in Tampa, Florida.
There are a number of reasons for our decision.
Having married a Filipino most of our family lives in the Philippines.
Our first child was born in one of the hospitals in Manila at Makati Medical Center.
My relatives are scattered all over the U.S. None of them lived near us.
My wife missed her parents, sisters, nieces, nephew and the rest of her extended family.
We also want our children to experience the Philippines. Most Filipinos speak English; it is taught in schools all over these islands. But, in very many ways it is a very different culture.
My mother who is over 90 years of age might have wound up in a nursing home in the U.S.
If she had needed a caregiver at home the cost would have been at least $20 per hour (about 1,000 Pesos), which could add up very fast to a lot of money. We had moved in with her to be close if she needed us. But, with 3 young children, it meant a lot more work for my wife and me.
In the Philippines Mom will be able to continue living with us in our house and we will be able to afford a live-in caregiver for her. Being with us enriches her life. She goes with us to the mall and other places. The other day she went to see a movie in the mall with me and my wife. On other occasions she has dined with us at a Sbarro's restaurant, Kenney Roger's and other restaurants in the malls. The malls in the Philippines are world class.
In the Philippines our children will have more playmates. They will be able to play with their cousins and their cousins' friends. In our neighborhood in the U.S. there were hardly any children. So, for our children to meet and play with other children we had to pay for them to play. Pay to play is common in the U.S. We lived not far from a recreation complex. Each time my oldest daughter played there it cost us $5 (about 250 Pesos).
So, we fixed up our two houses, sold our furniture and most of our other belongings over the course of about six months. Conducted several garage sales and moving sales. Items which were not sold that way we advertised via Facebook Marketplace. Well almost everything sold on Facebook. Facebook Marketplace is a fantastic free service! At present the only way to use it is to download the Marketplace app to your cell phone. I read that Facebook will be adding desktop and laptop versions in the near future. Facebook Marketplace has already been launched in the Philippines.
We booked flights to the Philippines, packed our many suitcases and carry-on bags. After we left a good and trusted friend of ours did some additional fix up, painting and cleaning at our houses in Florida. He suggested we donate a bedroom set and a few other items which did not sell to a charity named Hospice. So we did.
We will be leasing our two houses to tenants while we are in the Philippines. We have enlisted the services of a property management company to market and manage the properties. The broker has already found a tenant for Mom's house and has prospective tenants for our house.
We flew from Tampa International Airport to JFK in New York. Then we flew on an Airbus A380 to Incheon, Korea. From there we flew to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. The trip from Tampa to Manila was 27 hours. Apparently we are now 9,114 miles (or 14,667 km) away from Tampa Bay area. When it is 9 a.m. Sunday in Manila it is 9 p.m. Saturday in Tampa, Florida.
The cost of living in the Philippines is considerably less than in the U.S.
Grooming in the Philippines
Man's haircut 80 centsLadies haircut 80 cents
Manicure $1
Pedicure $1
Facial $4
One hour full body massage from $4 to $5 (in a salon or in-home)
Full body scrub $6
Foot massage $5
Foot scrub $5
Food Costs in the Philippines
We are a Vegan family and most of our food cost less in the Philippines.A fresh coconut 35 cents
Coconut milk, 12 ounces for 17 cents
String beans 40 cents per pound
Organic white rice 50 cents per pound
Organic brown rice 78 cent per pound
Loaf of whole wheat bread $1.10 (1.3 pounds)
Health Care in the Philippines
Hospital and Medical Costs:A doctor's office visit in a clinic $5.00.
An emergency room visit $23.00.
A semi-private room in a top quality hospital $39.00 a day.
Eyeglasses consisting of exam, refraction, frames and Transition lenses cost $50.00.
Housing in the Philippines
There are Airbnb accommodations all over the Philippines.
We rented a 3-bedroom 2 bath townhouse in Imus, Cavite, South of Manila for $16.00 a day.
If you want an annual lease, there are many properties to choose from. If you want a short-term rental don't waste your time trying to find one, just visit Airbnb.com and search for facilities.
See my article about finding rentals in the Philippines. I will be updating and comparing the rental rates then and now in that article which was written in 2012.
Cost of living in a few major Metropolitan areas in the Philippines.
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This article will be expanded upon. Please check back for more information about moving to the Philippines. This page posted July 2, 2018. Last updated June 3, 2022.
