I’ve written recently on some big problems that cropped up with the US DoD program known as TRICARE which provides medical coverage for many US military retirees living here in the Philippines.  See my latest rant on the subject here.
My friend Bob Martin also writes often on medical issues, he has a worthwhile post here [...]

CAWAYAN PORT, Masbate — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sent off on Monday the roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry that was on its maiden voyage from this port, but did not board it.
The Super Shuttle Ferry 12 was the third ferry she sent off for the day as part of the Ro-Ro caravan to promote anew the Strong [...]

How do you get to those former bases you have been writing about, Dave?  Well, it’s easy.  Here’s the layout of where the bases are and the handrawn red lines are the US-quality toll roads connecting them to Metro Manila.  Tooll fee from Manila to Clark about $4 USD, $2.50 or so to go on [...]

Recently I went to the visit the Subic Bay Metro Area, one of the common names for the former US Navy base on Subic Bay, Olongapo City.  I was favorably impressed.  One of the things that occurs when peace breaks out is that governments close bases and this has been a major problem for [...]

In today’s Philippine Star a front page headline reports on the progress of S1315, a bill that will correct a massive injustice to the tiny remainder (about 12,000 at last count) of the hundreds of thousands of Filipino veterans of WWII who fought alone or side by side with their US and Allied nation GI [...]

This morning’s Philippine Star newspaper devoted about 70% of its entire front page to current news from the US.  As an American this might give me a swelled head … unless anyone actually reads the articles.  Let me ad this disclaimer … the following is my opinion, so you don’t have to like it … [...]

I’ve been away for a couple days on a little journey up north to Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales provinces.  My son came for a visit from the USA and I was showing him around.
We stayed three nights at a nice hotel on the former Subic Bay US Navy base.  Very nice indeed.  Many people [...]

I watch Discovery Channel a lot here in the central Philippines.  In general, Discovery is pretty good, they have quite a few shows worth watching … but they have one very, very annoying habit or mannerism.  In addition to being more OA (Over Acting) than the typical Tagalog romance movie, the writers, announcers and [...]

There’s been a lot of talk about food prices and rice shortages lately.  It’s easy for us expats to sit back and say, "well, of course, the Philippine government ought to provide more leadership" … "or work smarter … or "clean up their act" … take your pick.
But it is certainly not a Philippine-only problem.  [...]

The cry often heard on the street from educated Filipinos who have no job prospects is … if only I could find a decent paying job here in the Philippines without going overseas to clean toilets in Saudi Arabia or build roads to make some ultra-rich oil sheik even richer.
The cry often heard from foreigners [...]

I’ve had several concrete projects done at my house and my in-laws over the past 18 months.  There is also a lot of construction going on in my neighborhood so I often walk around in the morning (cooler) hours and make usee .. what we used to call being a sidewalk superintendent in the US.
I’ve [...]

But we do have something better.  One of the things I like about living in the Philippines is the way we can send packages … or even money … anywhere in the country, very fast and at very low cost.  One of my favorites is LBC, one of the "old line" companies in this business, [...]

There are many sayings I’ve heard from folks planning to move to the Philippines that show they just don’t understand  much about what such a move will mean … but one at the top of the list is always "When I get there I am building my own home, unlike the Filipinos, I know how [...]

Last night my wife (The Unofficial Cook) and I had a good chuckle at a real estate ad she found on a Philippine   newspaper website.  It was an obvious typo, instead of describing a house as being on a tree lined street they had written that it was on a "Three lined street".  A simple [...]

Many of us envisioned life here in the Philippines a little more rural than it has turned out to be for us.   My wife, the Unofficial Cook  and I are probably not going to be taking advantage of this place, La Hacienda, Batangas (just south of Manila for those folks not familiar with Luzon).
Usually the [...]