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Thanks for sharing your insights about the Philippines. Hopefully those in positions of leadership will take note of your suggestions!

Nice review regarding Real estate. I will use this for future references. Thanks for sharing your post.

Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site…..,

I lived in a rural area in the Leyte province for a year. I developed asthma there not from car pollution but from all the burning, cooking with firewood, burning garbage ( everything including plastic), rice fields burning and simply burning to get rid of mosquitos. When i went to cities i did not suffer bcs less burning there.... i left the Philippines a year ago but still suffer from the asthma.

The US State Department is just covering their ass in case something happens to you while riding on one of those modes of transportation. What other choice would you have to get around in Manila or anywhere in the Philippines really? A taxi? That would be worse in my opinion. So walking is all that's left. I also have taken jeepneys and tricycles without any problems in many cities in the Philippines. No buses yet, but not out of fear, just no reason to yet. I have not had an opportunity to ride the rails in Manila yet, but my wife probably could not do all the walking you are talking about, so I may never get to do it. It's okay, I'll just hop in a few jeepney's and/or tricycles and put up with the traffic.

I am very happy to find a website like this. Well done and well said. Am a Canadian with my Filipino wife here living in the Philippines for 3 years. It is very discouraging to see the amount of smoke from vehicles and burning garbage. I cannot open my windows or going outside for a fresh air, not to forget 10 dogs per each house. I live in the province of Pangasinan. I can't wait to get out because of the smoke. It is such a beautiful country . I did bought a beach area but you still have to live with it, I mean going to the market and stores. It is impossible to avoid the smoke.

Hey Timo, I'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.

I have come to live in the Philippines, beginning in 2008, and own a thriving business here -- i do find that my thought process parallels yours; namely the number of foreign immigrants (both workers, entrepreneurs, and retirees) would explode over the next few years if the air were simply clean (sure other infra is needed like better transportation, etc.) but I have been an American for 50+ years and know that many would flock here due to all the other factors, like economic opportunity, climate, activities, (girls), beaches, access to ASEAN market in an English speaking country! The problem is there are no "planners" here in government, they are just short term opportunists with no interest in the future of their children and grandchildren. It is hard to decide if they are just -- , selfish, or stuck in a culture (implanted by 333 years of colonial Spanish rule and servitude) that has taught them so well just survive today and get a P500 bribe for allowing the belchers to pass the emission test? Maybe its a combination of all? But it makes no sense because the oligarchs that control the political and economic structures here, do spend time here and are essentially harming themselves by breathing the air daily. Maybe they ----deserve their fate? My dilemma is how to escape the pollution while also being able to commute to my business, located in the City. I will either 1. move the business to a less polluted area - very expensive and entails hiring/training new workers. or 2. Sell the business and go back to the USA. 3. Hire an expensive/capable manager to run the business (most likely eventually into the ground) and go back to the USA. 4. ------ get them to implement the progressive plans that would benefit them as MUCH as me!!!!! For gods sake (they do claim to be god fearing here) why can't they figure out that an investment in cleaning up (taking off the road) roughly 5 to 10% of the vehicles (10% of the vehicles, in my view cause 80% of vehicle air pollution) would cost a lot of money but would be paid back 10 times over by, 1. A booming economy (it is said that 5 jobs are supported by each foreign retiree), 2. More productive workers (less COPD and sick time). The higher tax revenues from higher marginal economic growth could probably easily compensate for the low interest rate loans necessary to get all the Jeepneys and Polluting trucks off the road. Note: Surplus vehicles, many of them rejects retired from Japan and Korea are bought/imported into the Phils on the cheap because they are said to be the "only" affordable way to get a vehicle -- by purchasing poisonous belchers!--------------  Phils has a good credit rating, a good growth rate, and also boasts strong service economy (call centers, tourism, etc.) the financing would not be a problem, it is just about political will! All of these solutions are available, it really boils down to the political will, and leadership, --------, even with Noy Noy doing a far better ------ job than his predecessors!

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 first 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 a lot 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 a lot of things. 1. education YES it is way cheap to study here in the Philippines but you still have to consider if and when you graduate will the piece of paper you receive would hold value to jobs abroad. let me explain, back in the middle east they categorize you as where you have received your diploma, if you received your diploma from a list of countries in their list your pay is such. if you receive 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. =) of course I don't 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 don't bring expensive things with us. we minimize the amount of cash we have in our wallets, and we bring our throw 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. 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!

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