PhilFAQS
The FAQS about Living in the Philippines
Get There
This is an index page that leads you to every article written under the category of getting to the Philippines,… [more]
Live There
This is an index page that leads you to every article written under the category of living in the Philippines,… [more]
Airline Information
Here, in alphabetical order are the major ways to get from the US to the Philippines. Some of these airlines… [more]
About Dave Starr
Hello, I'm your host here, commonly known as Philly. My real name is Dave Starr. I'm a US born man who has always been in love with Asia. I've traveled extensively for business and pleasure and lived full-time in Thailand, Japan and extended periods in China. Seven years ago I met the love of my life, Mita in the Philippines and from then … [Read More...]
Bernardo And The 286 Philippine Tiles
I published this article about a month or two back, but two items converged upon the calendar which made it appropriate to republish, slightly update, especially for those readers who might have missed it the first time. The main news that made me think about a redux was the happy news I just read that good blog friends Bob and Carol Hammerslag have just about complete their custom, build your own home project in Iloilo. Congratulations Bob and … [Read More...]
You Are Never Going To Be Happy in the Philippines — Unless —
How much does this sound like your reasoning behind moving to the Philippines … or wanting to? … In life many of us chase the seemingly elusive ‘prize’ of happiness and seek it out in all sorts of places. We look for it in a marriage, we wonder if it can be provided by children, we go after it when we change our jobs and perhaps believe it will come to us when we retire…but the truth of the matter is, happiness is a state of mind and … [Read More...]
Health Care Costs and Availability
We’ve mentioned this subject before, especially within the living in the Philippines or retiring in the Philippines context. Medical care seems to be one of the top areas of concern to everyone planning a move here to the Philippines. And of course, medical care and the costs you have to pay for it should certainly be an area of concern … but I often wonder just how much of an area of concern this should be … and further, if many of my fellow … [Read More...]
Yes, We Went There Again — Casablanca Hotel, Subic
Well, what else would you do if it were a rainy Friday and your favorite nephews had finished their term in pre-school … sit around and watch it drizzle, or hit the road. We took off for the former US Navy base at Subic, now called the Subic Bay Special Economic Zone just before ten am and arrived at our first destination, Texas Joe’s, where the boys thoroughly enjoyed the classic wood hobby hours in the outside waiting area and then everyone … [Read More...]
Just Refuse To Pay The Fear Tax!
Seth had an interesting post that he happened to pen at virtually the same time I wrote my “Just Give Up” opus last “Opinionated Monday”. Here's what happens as a result of security theater at the Orlando airport: You wait in line at least twenty minutes There's a scrum of pushing and shoving The staff are unhappy and not afraid to share it An unreasonable workload leads to fatigue and errors People miss their flights Here's … [Read More...]
The Rodney Dangerfield of the Philippines — Can’t Get No Respect
Heard it again just the other day and wondered, yet again, what is it so many of these folks have heard? A fellow was asking me some advice about a business idea and listing of some of the cites around the Philippines he had thought through where he might sell his product, and true to form for so many folks in the “Philippines wanna be ” community, he end his list with the comment, “of course I’m sure it would sell in Angeles City, but … [Read More...]
How Do You Cope With Living in the Philippines?
This article kind of pairs up with the “slow down” one I wrote recently It’s mainly an expanded answer I gave to an interesting comment I received from a reader … keep those cards and letters coming, folks. Here’s an interesting comment from faithful reader, Dave from Texas: … More and more frequently I think about leaving the rat race and retiring. I could easily live on my savings until age 70 and collect SS at the maximum rate … [Read More...]
Should We Just Give Up and Die Now, Save Worry and Handwringing?
You know, from time to time I receive emails from the US Embassy regarding closures, hours of service changes and (not within recent memory) legitimate issues I should be aware of as a US citizen. But this mail, received on Friday the 13th, my time, has got to take the cake. I mean if the world is really this dangerous, is it even worth breathing? A clear case that illustrates what I say about what our once fearless and proud society has … [Read More...]
Bet You Never Thought You’d Hear Dave Agreeing With the AARP!
Yep, times do change, don’t they. I’ve been disgusted for years by many of the head in the sand, sell Wall Street and “Massive Insurance Co.” plans to seniors who didn’t need them approach of this gigantic marketing giant. I’m still not a member, and likely never will be. But as my old friend Par Warhoe always said, “Even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while”. Affording Retirement Social Security Alone … [Read More...]
Slow Down in the Philippines
One of my long-time Australian readers sent me a link to a nice article from an Australian expat living in Indonesia. It made for some good, and thought-provoking reading. Even though there are a huge list of differences between living in Indonesia and living in the Philippines, there are definitely some important lessons we expats often could learn from this article: One night this week, as I strolled home from dinner with my wife, I did … [Read More...]
A Surplus of Riches — Or Comparisons of Riches.
Just yesterday I found and wrote about a neat online expense comparison tool called Expatistan.com. Expatistan take costs from cites around the world, mostly input by local residents, and cleverly compares them to local costs in a city you might be interested in … giving a quick and first hand look at what it might cost you to live in a far way place. In les than 24 hours I was made aware of a similar tool know as numbeo.com, which performs … [Read More...]
A (soon to be) Definitive Answer to those Cost of Living Questions
Thanks and a big tip of the blog hat to frequent reader John form Austria for sending this my way. It’s a really kewl tewl put together by just one guy with a sense of purpose, and if we can get enough people participating it will become a very useful tool for expats here in the Philippines and allover the world as well. What is It? A website and cost of living tool called Expatistan.com (gotta love that name, eh?) Who Built It? A … [Read More...]
Are You On The Map?
An old joke says that tri-lingual means to speak three languages, bi-lingual means to speak two languages, and mono-lingual means you are an American. But English is not the only language spoken in the USA: Ethnologue lists 162 living languages in the US. Just take a look at the Modern Language Association's Language Map of the US. It lists the number of speakers of the top 30 languages, from 28 million Spanish speakers and 2 million Chinese … [Read More...]
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay … Yet Another $770 a Month in the Philippines Angle
Years ago my elder brother, a social worker by profession, had a job in far upstate New York, where the economy temporarily boomed back in the 1960’s, during the construction of the massive St. Lawrence Seaway System. Well once the canal and locks and other work was done, there was little or no work up in the far northern New York counties … just as there isn’t to this day. But people didn’t tend to worry … they had “the Welfare”. … [Read More...]
More Subic Destinations — Johan’s Resort
Last week the UnofficialCook and i went to Subic to have lunch with friends and then to attend one of the regular mixers put on by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (thanks for inviting us, Susan), held at Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort. Now immediately many readers are going to say, why would Philly be going to a Chamber of Commerce affair? is he planning on “putting up a business” as we so often say here in the Philippines? … [Read More...]
Where Have I Been Lately? Casablanca Hotel Subic
A week ago on Monday the Unofficial Cook and I took had a lovely lunch with my good friend Paul and his lovely wife Mayang at the Casablanca Hotel inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ - Formerly the US Navy Subic base) . You’ve heard me mention Subic many times before, and it’s pretty likely you’ll hear me mention both the SBFZ and the surrounding area of Olongapo City and Subic town. Why? Because I go there often, and I like … [Read More...]
Waiting for a Job Before You Can Move to the Philippines?
Waiting for a job? Well, that’s your privilege, but in my view you’re going to wait a long time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … the US economy has changed, fundamentally and jobs, as most of you now them are dead. Or dying rapidly. This is what’s going on back there in the US of A. You won’t likely hear this on Fox News, but I think most of you who are sitting around out there at the bitter end of … [Read More...]
Family Outsourcing Automation — Keeping in Touch
Something you might want to remember as we explore this avenue of helping others in your family while also helping yourself: Entrepreneurship is about solving the problems of society, not starting a business for one's own sake Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get a personal request for help about starting an Internet Cafe (or as they are almost always called here in the Philippines, a “Computer Shop” … if you didn’t know that you … [Read More...]
Pulling the Trigger is More Important Than Any Other task
Whenever I am not sure exactly what idea I should craft an article around, there is one “evergreen”, always ready one that will work on this blog … Moving to the Philippines. One reason it is always a “go” for me writing or visitors reading is, there’s a whole group of people who have been “thinking about” and “planning for” and “considering” moving here for years now … I just heard from a guy this am that surprised … [Read More...]
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