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Bernardo And The 286 Philippine Tiles

August 31, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

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 Carol, we’ll be down for a “building inspector’s” tour someday soon I hope.

Recently I’ve been following a tale of several BBQ grill projects on Bob Martin’s Live in the Philippines site.  see Bob builds a Philippine BBQ grill, Bob rebuilds his grill to make it better for Philippine cooking, the first installment of Paul Thompson’s grill project and the second installment of Paul Thompson’s grill project.

I also recently was in a conversation on a forum about moving to and living in the Philippines where there’s been some discussion on home improvement items and such.

Also I’ve been following my friend Bob Hammeslag’s blog series on building his own home in the Philippines.

So I thought I would throw in a few personal experiences to give a bit of the “flavor” here as it really is.

Tradesmen (carpenters, electricians, plumbers and such) are very easy to find here, and their labor costs, by American standards are laughingly cheap.  I use a local fellow who is a passable carpenter, concrete man, tile setter and welder for about P600 a day … less if I can catch him in a vulnerable (no beer money in his pocket) mood.  A plumber or electrician will be in the same price range here in the Metro Manila outskirts … often less farther out in the provinces.

How good are any of these guys?  “aye, that’s the rub” as the Bard once said.  If you don’t know something about the building crafts before you come here, it’s best to ask around and see if you can find someone whose work you can examine before you think about ay significant projects.  Better yet, hire the guy to replace a light switch or fix a sticky door first … and then you’ll know pretty quick if you want to trust him for larger assignments.

A few things are nearly a certainty, though.

1. Expect to loan screwdrivers, hammers, measuring tapes (and very important for plumbing, Teflon joint tape) as a matter of course.  It is the way it is.

2. Expect that explicit instructions are not going to be followed … language issues aside.  You must follow-up on every step and again, never start something big unless you already have confidence based on something small that turned out OK.

3. Expect to be given a list of materials and told to go get what is needed.  This, to me, is the antithesis of the usual foreigner preoccupation with the fear of being cheated on price, paying a “long nose tax” and all the other negative stories that continually make the rounds.  However it really has nothing to do with foreigner/Filipino relationships, in general, no Filipino will trust a tradesman to give the correct price on purchased goods, so (at least where I live) it just is the default standard practice.  After my first few attempts at being my own supply boy, though, I refuse to do it. Why?

First of all, I’m hiring him, not vice versa, and I don’t want to stand around in hole-in-the-wall building supply stores trying to convey to the clerk what a ‘left handed statisframmer” is.

Second, once the clerk determines what I have been sent for, (you can make book on this), two (or more) different “statisframmers” will be displayed along with the question, “Which one do you want, sir”?  Would it surprise you to know that almost invariably the hapless homeowner will choose the wrong one?   Yep, and that fact won’t be discovered until hours later, necessitating yet another trip to the same store.  And di I mention the fact that most stores won’t give refunds or exchanges?  Yep.  All sales final is a very common rule.

Ever look at a display of 20 different circuit breakers, trying to imagine which, if any, fit the circuit breaker panel in your house … while the electrician sits in the shade and waits for you to return with your “bargain” purchase?  Not me, my friend.  I send the electrician to the supply shop and if the part doesn’t fit, it’s his problem.  Did he charge me 225 pesos for a circuit breaker that should have cost me 200 pesos?  Don’t know, don’t care, and at (almost) age 65, don’t need blood pressure medication either … the lack of stress involved with now having a properly functioning circuit breaker, first try, is worth way more than the 25 Pesos I might have saved.

4.  One issue I don’t now the cure for though, is the quantity issue.  If you are building something with a large quantity of consumables, say welding rod or ceramic tiles, expect to be frustrated by the Filipino trait of “making simot” … using the last remnants of mayonnaise from the mayo jar.

Bob Hammersdlag had an interesting take in his wrap-up article on building his own house in the Philippines, recently:

You will be responsible for finding, paying for and delivery of every bit of material for your project and for ensuring that it’s on site when needed.  Don’t expect anyone to let you know what will be needed when.  You have to plan ahead.  If materials are not available when needed, your crew will try to keep themselves looking busy, but you’ll be wasting time and money.  Further, most workers are happiest and most productive when they have an assignment and the tools and materials they need to carry it out. As soon as you return to the site with new supplies, there will be a request for something else they should have told you was needed. Count on it.  You may think you’re the boss, but mostly you’ll be the gopher and slave.

More than 286 tiles

I had Bernardo do a significant  project on the back of our house … building on a covered patio for storage and a “dirty kitchen” area.  The walls and roof were all made up from welding together steel bar stock and the major building material of the Philippines it seems, concrete rebar.  After long discussion I got Bernardo to order what turned out to be almost enough steel … but welding rod?  Welding rod is sold typically by the kilo, 2.2 pounds.  I think he started with a whole 2 kilos.  If you saw the scope of the project, I’m sure even the non-welders among you would know how pitifully small the quantity was.  Day after day, yet another trip for more rod.  Exasperating at times.

And mind you, this wasn’t because he was running up the clock on me, we had struck a deal for a flat rate for the labor involved, so these constant interruptions were coming out of his pocket, not mine.  The concept of “biting the bullet” and just ordering what was needed at one time is just beyond the beyond for many, otherwise quite intelligent tradesmen.  Expect it, because it’s going to happen.  Living here is what it is.

One part of the project involved what we in the project management business used to call ‘scope creep”.  Part of the enclosed area consisted of a rough concrete workbench/counter sort of affair that was built years ago by a former tenant or the original owner.  My wife Mita and I decided that we should have Bernardo smooth up and reinforce the counter and cover it in ceramic tile to make a clean, useful work space.

So we three discussed what was required, agreed on a very reasonable increase in the labor charge, and I let on to Bernardo that I had already measured and decided that we needed 286 (nominal) 6 x 6 tiles to do the job.  He measured (with my tape, of course), did a little chicken scratching on the back of an envelope and pronounced that my figure were way off and the job would not take more than 270 tiles.

After many more minutes of discussion, which, as I recall included the phrase, “It’s my money, damn it and I’ll buy what I want”, Bernardo reluctantly agreed that we should order 280 tiles … mainly this was a grudging peace-offering to accommodate the clearly insane “kano” who simply wanted to burn his money to show off how rich he was.

Need I finish the story?  Along about the 170th or so tile, Bernardo could no longer kid himself that he wasn’t running out of tiles, so he sheepishly told my wife (he surely wasn’t going to tell me ;-) ) that he was running out of tiles and would need 5 more. (total 285 if you have been counting).  To save time, and avoid any possibility Bernardo and I might have gotten into a heated, “I told you so” confrontation, dear, peace-keeping Mita went and found a tricycle, had the driver take her to the tile store (about P30 fare each way) and realizing what her hubby had said back at the beginning, bought 6 more tiles and brought them home, just as Bernardo was installing the last tile on hand, number 280.

By this time I had found out what was going on and I just sat in the background on an old chair watching Bernardo work.  Number 281 went in, number 282 and so on until … you guessed it, one tile was left and the space remaining un-tiled needed just one more … which had to be trimmed slightly to fit.

Kachink!  Having expertly set 285 tiles without breaking a single one, as Bernardo trimmed the very last (number 286) tile, something slipped and it shattered.

Knowing that the mortar couldn’t stay useable forever, Mita quickly ran out to find a tricycle, hopped in, and another 60 Pesos in fares later arrived with a half-dozen more tiles … just in case.  Bernardo set the last one and then went on with grouting and other finishing work.  He never said another word about my estimating skills, and I never said a word to him, either.  I might need him again for another project.  It’s very important to remember the Philippine concept of “hiya” (saving face).  He knew full-well I was right, to call attention to that fact or ‘rub it in” would be entirely uncalled for.  Life here is what it is

Such is home improvement in the Philippines

By the way, in case you are wondering, the tiles cost a whopping 6 Pesos each, yet all this time and transportation expense was incurred just to ensure there weren’t a couple extra left when the job was completed.  Now do you understand why the most important question about whether or not you can live happily in the Philippines has nothing to do with the usual “How much are your monthly expenses” variety?

And if all those grill articles made you hungry?Labor Day Weekend is approaching like a freight train.  The end of summer (for you, but not for me).  The return of Old Man Winter, heating oil bills and all those other reasons you have been “thinking about” moving to the Philippines all these years.

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Amazing BBQ recipes so tasty your guests will line up for seconds and talk about it for weeks?

From: Oscar Orillia:

really nice grill master Dear Friend,

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Do you want to grill… but don’t actually know much about it? If so,

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Here’s the story… Most people spend on average $300+ for a BBQ grill, $25-$30 for steak, ribs or some other type of meat and then throw it on the grill and cross their fingers! Sometimes it comes out great but most of the time it’s just average, dry or chewy…Sound Familiar?

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Popularity: 44% [?]

Filed Under: Home Building Tagged With: ,

Health Care Costs and Availability

August 27, 2010 By Philly 16 Comments

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 Americans are spending too much time obsessing over this issue rather than making it just a part of the overall decision plan.

As Americans we somehow have become attached to the idea that US health care is the “best in the world”.  Well, it’s just find to believe that the USA id “number one” in everything … but it isn’t always the fact of the matter.

What the US spends

First in the World --- in costs

Actually under current, independent assessments … like the rankings of the Word Health Organization .. the USA comes out a distant 37th or so in overall citizen health rankings.  I’ve written about this before … one article worth reading comparing the US health care costs and Philippine health care costs is here.  I attached an appropriate graphic, and further down a music video … it’s informative, funny and sad, all in one.

But regardless of what Americans are spending right now, an operative question which often comes up is, what can I do about health care insurance if I decide to move to the Philippines.

So here are some answers, presented to the best of my abilities … you always need to check the facts for yourself because, as they say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

PhilHealth:

First of all, let me remind you about PhilHealth.  I’ve covered it extensively and I don’t want to make this article too long, so you might want to read up on PhilHealth benefits or visit their site themselves.  One way or another it is available to all, not just Filipinos and the cost, for the groups who have to pay, is very small … P 100 a month. $27 USD per year at today’s rate.  If that is the sort of amount you need to budget carefully for, I don’t think you are a good candidate to read the rest of this article, sorry.

Recommendation:  Whatever other choices you make, get PhilHealth for yourself, your spouse, minor children and for elderly Filipino relatives (it’s free for the aged, like US Medicare).  I can’t believe how many people ignore this insurance, especially when they have elderly relatives back in the Philippines and then are staggered by Lolo or Lola having to go into hospital.  It’s a no-brainer to me, get it.

Your Existing Insurance:

The first big bugaboo regarding moving to and living in the Philippines that concerns foreigners the most seems to be the fact that they immediately assume their current medical insurance will not cover them here.

That may be true, but in many cases it is not … and each of you making this decision needs to carefully check, independently, the facts on this regarding your very own policy.

I often get questions like “Will my Blue Cross” cover me there?  The answer is, definitely, I don’t know.  “Blue Cross” is not a single company, it’s a consortium of more than 50 companies in every US state as well as multi-state components such as the “Anthem” product line which provides the insurance most Federal employees call “Blue Cross”.

All plans may differ and you can not afford to make a decision based on what “Joe” says, or on “Mary’s experience”, etc.

Many US policies do cover pan members living overseas.  For example, my own Federal GEHA plan does… in fact it pays claims at the preferred provider rate … a good deal for me.  You MUST check for yourself.

Other Commercial Insurance Options:

OK, let’s suppose you can’t use existing coverage.  Would you be able to buy insurance to cover yourself and your family here.  And what kind of prices are we looking at?  here are just three possibilities I have found.  I don’t recommend any of these outfits, but I chose them carefully because I know they have, overall a very good rating with their policy holders, and they all have the modern outlook of giving you access to rates and coverage online, so people can make good comparisons for themselves.  They are presented in alphabetical order.

Blue Cross Philippines:

Yep, not only is that name used all over the USA, but all over the Philippines as well.  Here’s the main website for Blue Cross Philippines. They have a lot of offerings.  They also make it plain what their offerings and restrictions are on the really elderly … something that many Filipino companies are a little ‘shy’ about owning up to.

There are many different options here, mainly having to do with three things … policy holder’s age, how much coverage the policyholder wants to buy, and where the policy can be used.

It’s very important to notice with this and any other company ho offers the option … if you ask for full coverage within the US,a s well as the country you are thinking about moving to?  be forewarned .. the cost for US coverage is shockingly high.  But for Philippine-only coverage,the costs are very reasonable … often a few hundred USD per year … that’s right, per year.  For us Medicare-eligible persons, it seems very reasonable to just rely upon Medicare when we are back in the US, and buy Philippine-only coverage.  Certainly worth checking out.

Bupa International:

This is an old-line international health care provider, based in the UK, who provides coverage to expats virtually world-wide.  In looking up their various plans, I find they can fit very easily into many budgets … if, again, you exclude US coverage.  Example, for a person my age, 64, coverage outside the US and also including the pre-paid option of repatriation to the US or another country for medical attention, is only about $3600 USD per year, or three hundred US per month.  Many commercial plans that people already pay are in this price range, so while they are not cheap, they certainly fall within reason.  As an interesting illustration … when I changed the requested quote to include US coverage. the cost jumped to almost $12,000 USD per year … yep, that’s how much extra you folks are paying extra back there in the USA for 37th place health care.  Sad.

MEDEX Global Group, Inc.:

This is a US-based company.  i sometimes run ads for them on the site, but I notice that they don’t attract much attention.  They do not even provide coverage for US residents, but their coverage for US citizens residing in other countries seems pretty reasonable.

As with all these companies you need to look closely at all the plans, but as an example, their basic full coverage, including emergency repatriation, comes in at a slow as $1.16 per day .. about $36USD per month or roughly $436 a year.  Certainly well within reason.

Conclusion:

It’s certainly well within reason to get your own health insurance in the Philippines.  I’m afraid the US medical insurance, doctor’s promotional agencies, outrageous drug profits protection lobbyists and other such scum have perverted the thinking of many of my fellow Americans.  remember, you all hail from a country who used to be brave and used to be self-reliant.  Believe it or not, you still can be today … you don’t need “permission” to use the brains and courage God gave you.

I’ve also written on this subject before, listing other possible “freedom of choice” for health care candidates.

By the way, it’s also OK to laugh at ourselves.  Many of the expats I know who are my age … even some younger … are letting themselves become so consumed by worry and “fear of the future” that they are already on blood pressure medicine, tranquilizers and who know what all else to make the drug companies rich.  Relax and stop taking everything so seriously for a while … you’ll still live just as long, maybe even longer.  This will help.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Filed Under: Medical Tagged With: , ,

The Rodney Dangerfield of the Philippines — Can’t Get No Respect

August 21, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

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 I don’t know if I can deal with the crime and the prostitutes there.”  I mean I could almost picture this fellow spitting in disgust at the end of his statement.

A while back, in a totally different matter, another online friend wrote about a foreigner he knew who had suffered a misfortune or two, and he ended the account of his fellow expat’s hard times by saying, “Of course I can’t help him because he’s chosen to live up there in Angles City, next to all the whorehouses.”

Does this look like a whorehouse to you? Fully furnished house for sale, Angeles Selling for about $65,000 USD.  Or this townhouse?  $334/month Furnished 2 Bedroom Apartment Fully furnished at $334 USD per month?  These are just a couple samples I pulled at random from current listings in Angles.

You know one of the things I have noticed is, in many cities in the Philippines you can’t even find listings of homes for sale or rent.  It’s as if you have to be a member of some private club just to find houses for sale or rent. 

In Angeles City this certainly isn’t the case.  Just take a look at this Blue-Book publication (you can download their current issue in .pdf format) and see some of the flavor of what’s available to expats in Angeles City.  there isn’t another city in the Philippines that even has such a publication, let alone some of the services offered in Angeles.

There are many, very “livable” older subdivision homes for sale or rent too.  One unique feature found in no other city I know of is that many of the rental homes on the market today are in subdivisions that were built back in the US Air Force days and the homes had to be very “Americanized” in order to be approved for servicemen’s off base quarters. 

Angeles City is a medical education center for the Philippines.  There are dozens of hospitals including a couple well regarded teaching hospitals.

There are two major shopping hubs .. one of the larger SM malls and a huge new Ayala property called Marquis Mall.

And restaurants and food stores with products and cuisine from all over the world?  Oh yes, you bet.  Exploring the different restaurants in Angles can be an experience all on its own.

And a real jewel in the crown of Angeles City is the airport.  If you’ve ever been through NAIA airport in Manila, you know one of the chief reasons many visitors to the Philippines never make a second visit.  For an international airport serving the capital city of a whole country, NAIA … well, let’s just say it leaves a bit to be desired, shall we?

Clark, Angeles City’s airport is a full-fledged international airport with service to domestic destinations and a dozen or so international cities.  And it’s clean, modern, spacious and fully “no hassle”.  I highly recommend it, in fact one can often get a good travel deal from the US by looking for a discount flight into Hong Kong and then continuing on to Clark via PAL or Cebu Pacific.  A worthy asset.

Now before you get the idea I am ‘selling” Angeles City (I’m not, I don’t even live there), let me assure you I am not selling anything here.  (If I were, I’d be selling Subic, just a few miles down the brand new, international standard SCTEX toll road ;-) )

But what I get a bit upset about is, the massive amounts of information that circulate about living in the Philippines on line.  And the way certain places get reputations they don’t deserve, just from a certain group who know nothing at all themselves, but spend their life repeating all the hearsay they have heard and passing it on as if they had actually seen things for themselves.  You may not always get the information from me that makes you say, “yes, yes, he’s right, that’s what so-and so-said”, but what you will get from me is honest personal opinion, and if I haven’t had first-hand knowledge, I’ll tell you so.”

Would Angles City be the right place for you to settle in the Philippines?  Maybe yes, maybe no, but for goodness sake, base your decision making on fact rather than fiction … for your own peace of mind, OK?

Popularity: 26% [?]

Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: , ,

How Do You Cope With Living in the Philippines?

August 16, 2010 By Philly 9 Comments

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 for the remainder of my life. Some questions I’ve been asking myself are:

1. Will I be able to adjust to shopping Filipino style: going to a store and spending excessive waiting periods to complete my transaction. The horror stories of mall shopping in the Philippines can be sobering.

2. Will seeming bureaucratic inefficiencies drive me to insanity? Reading about what should be a simple process of paying bills or renewing immigration documents is somewhat intimidating.

3. Sorry this is not in stock. I take for granted I can get just about whatever I want today. I rarely have to go to more than one store to find it.

I guess I can get used to the crowds, beggars, various forms of pollution – litter, smog and noise. I can even get in the habit of carrying my own TP. I suppose one could always hire a “professional shopper/line waiter. It’s one of the advantages of a third world country – low cost of labor.

How do you cope with things like these Dave?

Well the short answer is, I just do *sigh*.  Looking at your concerns objectively and one by one, let me say in general I’ve experienced frustrations like many of my Philippine frustrations back in the USA … in some cases, maybe worse here, in other cases, the frustrations are  just more noticeable because they are ‘different”.

Mall Shopping:

In the US I am well known for avoiding malls like the plague.  In the Philippines it seems quite the opposite.  I visit our local SM City on virtually a daily basis it seems.  Not that I like the place any more than any other mall, but here I find different things are a lot more important>

Convenience.  Almost every store I ever want to go to, from buying some plumbing item for the house, to buying myself a new package of underwear, to getting a haircut or a manicure to buying fresh flowers for the table and a fresh salad to accompany whatever Mita is cooking for lunch is there …no searching, no wondering where to go, just follow my well-worn path down a couple local streets.  Also the local branch of my bank, BDO is in the mall, so I get 7 day a a week, 10 hour a day banking hours, even on all holidays except Easter and Christmas day.  Also, when you have a local branch available like that you don’t have to live in fear of an ATM outage when you’re short of cash … just step up top the counter with your passbook in hand (you do remember passbooks, don’t you?) and withdraw, just like we all used to do back in the pre-ATM days, if needed.  Hard to beat.

Every other store I visit always has plenty clerks readily at hand and is never crowded in the morning when I typically go.  I also buy regularly from several small kiosks in the aisle of the mall … people know me on site, ask about my health, my wife’s welfare, where my two little nephews are whom I take with me often, etc.  It’s just like home there.

Parking:  A big consideration.  Many places in the Philippine shave no place to park, or else the parking lots provided are a cruel joke.  here I can just drive in and park in am ample, well-patrolled parking lot.  If I want to I can have the car washed right where it sits while I shop … and in addition to the regular security patrols, SM provides a basic theft prevention service … when you drive in you get a ticket from the guards and you must produce the receipt or your registration and proof of ownership before you can drive out.

If I chose to drive into the city, I zip right through the dedicated ‘Easy Pass” only lane … it’s great how no one else seems to want one of these great gimmicks, and when I get to the city mall I’ll have acres and acres of basement parking … but with a fee of 30 Pesos all day … about $0.66 USD cents at today’s rate.

Exercise:  Let’s face it, it gets hot here.  One reason I go to the mall most every day is mall walking along with whatever shopping needs doing.  An hour’s walk around the perimeter of both floors is about 3,000 brisk steps (or 2.6 km) in air conditioned comfort.  there are lots of free-standing gyms and fitness centers on local streets as well, and a swimming resort along the road to our local mall I am ashamed to say I have never checked out. 

Mall horror stories?  Not from me, YMMV.  Unlike the malls in the US, I love going to the mall here. (also, I live near family.  If I really didn’t want to go to the store, I could easily send a niece of nephew, they’re always up for a trip to the mall).  Everything needed to live without the mall is within easy walk of my house as well … or at the press of a few keys to text.  There are 6 or 8 sari-sari stores on every block, a bigger grocery store 2 short blocks away, a dozen food delivery places, filtered water delivery, delivery ladies who come buy with fresh fruits and vegetables (and fish and meats to order) several times a week.

All told it’s way, way more convenient than all the freeway driving I had to do in the US for shopping on a regular basis.  And although I have a car and enjoy driving, I don’t need one at all … tricycles are available by texting or waving my hand from my front door to go anywhere local, and a walk (or tricycle ride to the major Jeepney stop two short blocks away will give me access to a 40 or 50 cent ride to Metro Manila.

These are things to consider when you are going to live somewhere long-term.  I’d hate to grow old in the US, because you HAVE to have a car, and (as will come to all of us someday), when that day comes you no longer are safe driving, you’re essentially ‘dead’ … a huge burden on other people to get you places.  Some cites are still blessed with senior ambulatory services, but I don’t want to live out my life as a pitiful old fart waiting for the city “short bus” to come get me … and in today’s budgetary climate, how many cites are cutting these services, drastically.  Here, I take care of my own needs, I don’t live as a ward of the city and a burden on other taxpayers.

Bureaucratic Inefficiencies:

Paying Bills:  Well it is true this used to be an issue.  But I just paid my monthly cable TV bill today .. 550 pesos … about $12.22 USD … includes the ‘big three’ movie channels, ESPN, the big news channels and Discovery and Nat Geo, along with a couple dozen other channels I never watch … and I realized it’s the only monthly bill I now have that I have to leave my house to pay.  My rent I pay over the fence to my next door neighbor.  Electric, Internet and my BDO credit card I pay on line via the bank’s excellent online bill pay system.  I carry the BDO Philippine Master Card just for the purpose of things like grocery shopping, hotels, larger restaurants, etc., so I don’t have to carry wads of pesos around with me.  It costs 75 Pesos a month and it’s well worth it.  I normally visit the bank once a month to deposit a US dollar check from my US credit union and transfer dollars to my pesos account for the upcoming month’s needs.  The cable company is the only one who hasn’t gotten on the direct debit bandwagon, so I stop at a local Bill Pay Center that’s on the way to the mall … takes 30 seconds or so for the guy to take my cash and issue a receipt … done and dusted.  When I had a car payment, that came directly out of my pesos account monthly, and when my annual car insurance is due, they send a bill, I pay that online as well.  Not much hassle in bill paying, pretty much the same as when I was paying bills back in Colorado.

Bureaucratic Inefficiencies:  Oh yes, we have them, but really I don’t see much hassle factor.  You do have to be flexible though … which goes along with the “out of stock” situation.  Example, in January when my license plates needed renewal I drove to the local LTO (Land Transportation Office) in our town, backed my car into a stall in the adjacent emissions testing center .. there was no one waiting .. and stood with the emissions tech next to my license plate while the boss snapped a picture to prove the test was done with the owner present.  this is part of a huge program the LTO is vigorously pursuing to stamp out ‘fixers”.

Then I went to Window One and asked what form to fill up … I mean you go to Window One at every motor vehicle department I have ever seen, except when I lived in Japan .. it was Window 0 first there ;-) .  Filled up the form, handed it in in Window two, sat on a bench in the shade and chatted with other drivers there about where I came from in the US, how much did it cost to get license plates renewed in the US, how I found Filipino driving, etc., and waited for the guy in Window Three to call my name.

When he did, he handed me a sheet to show my charges … about P3,000 since it’s a nearly new car still, then I went to Window 4 to hand in the bill and my money.  Went back to sit on the bench until my name was called from Window 5.

Rebewing registration or license Philippines In a few minutes the Window 5 guy called me, handed me an OR (Official Receipt) and said, “No renewal stickers, sir, out of stock,  Come back in 30 days.  You are legal to drive with your expired stickers and this OR.”

So I guess that’s pretty inefficient, apparently they forgot to order stickers.  But, all in all, no big deal.  I was in and out in under 30 minutes, and second week in February I drove over again, handed my OR directly to the guy in Window 5, he handed my back the OR and my shiny new “2010” stickers.  The second trip, including sticking on the stickers didn’t take 30 minutes … about par for the course.

This was mostly all done in English by the way.  My wife was with me on the first trip and did get into the conversation quite a bit, though.  And while I am grateful for her assistance, I’m resolved to do it all on my own next time.  I’ve learned the hard way that taking family ‘helpers” along, or worse yet, paying “fixers”, often gets things all screwed up. It’s not that they don’t mean well.  In fact, it’s often a case that they try to do too much for you, sometimes asking special favors that annoy people and build up that hidden resentment against the foreigner throwing his weight around. 

I mean truly, if you go on your own, what’s the worst that can happen?  You get treated like you don’t know what you are doing by a rude clerk?  Well, you don’t know what you are doing, and rude clerks are a hazard of life world-wide.  It’s part of paying the tuition of life.  Just learn from the experience and next time you will know what you are doing.  You can’t learn to surf by reading a book, and you can’t learn how to live in the Philippines unless you learn how to fend for yourself.

Now with the Bureau of Immigration?  Never had a problem.  Just remember to wear shoes, long pants and a proper shirt, fill up whatever simple forms you are asked to, when the cashier calls your name, pay, when the immigration officer walks out of the back room with a handful of passports and calls your name again, go collect the passport and leave.  You also can use a licensed agent for visa renewals, most travel agents are accredited, so it’s possible to almost never visit the BI.

I just read some very cogent similar advice from a foreigner whose been in the Philippines a lot longer than me.

Forget about the 2 words "WHY" and "SHOULD" or you get constant headache trying to understand why things happen like they do in places outside your own country, especially the Philippines. Acceptance is the preferable attitude. There are too many things for you to question, so it’s better for you not to start. So just relax and enjoy the positive aspects of your surroundings with a sense of humor.

Anyway, David (and others), hope these thoughts may help you a bit with the idea of what you will need to adjust to here.  There’s another article I wrote with some good illustrations on these points … dealing with the inefficiencies and keeping you cool by deciding what you really want in the first place here.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: , , ,

A Surplus of Riches — Or Comparisons of Riches.

August 11, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

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 some very similar functions and in a roughly similar manner as expatistan.com.

Judging by the time I have spent playing with these tools I find that I have been missing something like this for a long time … perhaps without knowing what I was missing.

I know I always get many queries about costs of living in the Philippines, and by watching the search engine queries come in to the web site I find that cost of living comparisons are a big item of interest.  So, for all of you focusing on this aspect of living in the Philippines, here’s a great alternative:

cureent cost of living comparisons

Numbeo works very similarly as Expatistan.  You can select a pair of cites to compare basic living costs and the system will spit out a table that gives you a percentage based comparisons of cheaper or more expensive prices in your target city.

Any tool such as these will be handicapped by the amount of data available and the currency and correctness of that data. 

I like the system Expatistan uses best, because it allows you to immediately update costs for those cases when you know the system’s assumptions are off, and for the cases when you know you want to bias the figures with costs you happen to know already.

Both systems, though, are excellent examples of using the Internet for something more substantive than playing Farmville on Facebook, and I applaud them both.

One thing of considerable interest to me is, when you compare two cites where you are very familiar with costs (in my case I focused on Denver and Manila), the systems agree within a few percentage points of each other … which they of course should, unless one or the other has gross errors).

But at the same time, my oft referred to “Big Mac Index”, published for years now by the prestigious Economist, and criticized by some as being “too simplistic”, agrees within a few percentage points as well.  So simplicity, as in the case of the Big Mac Index, or a bit more sophistication, as in the case of Expatistan or Numbeo, take your pick … the result is still the same … it’s give or take at least 40% cheaper to live in Manila than in a large American city … and there are days that all i care about is the price of an ice cold San Miguel (65 cents US equivalent, today at the sari-sari store around the corner from my house), so why bother making things more complicated?

Popularity: 11% [?]

Filed Under: Costs Tagged With: , ,

A (soon to be) Definitive Answer to those Cost of Living Questions

August 10, 2010 By Philly 4 Comments

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 fellow by the name of Gerardo Robledillo.  Big thanks and a double tip of the hat to Gerardo!

How does it Work?  Here’s the basics from their FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

  • How do you find the prices?

    Short answer, I don’t. You do.

    Expatistan is a collaborative effort. Prices are added and improved by other users of the website, just like you. Think of it as a Wikipedia for prices. At the moment, there are around 18,300 prices entered by 5,000 users for 289 different cities.


  • Some of the prices are wrong. Will you fix them?

    Well, you can fix them yourself. And entering the correct prices online is probably easier, faster and less boring than having to type and send an email with a long list of prices in it.


  • How do you know that the prices entered are correct?

    By relying on the power of big numbers, and collective wisdom. If you ask one person what is the price for a beer in New York, he may be wrong, he may even be wrong by a long shot. But if you ask 150 people, and you average their answers (in a clever way), then there’s a very good chance that the answer will be pretty accurate.

    Anyway, whenever there is not enough data for a city, or if the application suspects that the data is incorrect in any way, there will be a prominent warning in the page alerting of that.


  • Can you add my city to your index?

    Probably, but you will have to ask.

    I have started by adding the biggest 850 cities in the world (since I had to make the cut somewhere). I have done that to try to minimize the dispersion of the price entry. The smaller the city, the more likely that only a small number of people will enter prices for it.

    Of course, there will be exceptions to this rule. There are some smaller cities that are very popular among expats, or are important in some way. Zürich is a perfect example. It has an official population of only 350,000 people, but it’s quite an important city, with a huge expat community.

    If you think that your city may fall in this case, then please, let me know about it (using the contact form at the bottom of the page). More often than not, I will add your city.

    • Pretty interesting if you ask me … and one of those “head slapper”,”Why Didn’t I Think of That” ideas.

    Now I know, immediately, I’m going to get mail and comments from folks who say, “It doesn’t list my city”, or “the prices are too high, too low”, etc.

    Well re-read the above Q&A and you(we) can fix it ourselves.  I’ve already updated a bunch of prices for Manila, if you are  interested in prices in other Philippine cities, just make a request, as Gerardo suggests.

    Go forth, compare, enjoy.

    Philippine Cost of Living Comparisons

    Popularity: 18% [?]

    Filed Under: Costs Tagged With: , ,

    Are You On The Map?

    August 9, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

    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 speakers to 118,000 Hungarian speakers, and displays the geographical distribution of each language by county or zip code, as you choose.  Language Map 

    lanaguge maps

    What does it mean?

    The MLA Language Map is intended for use by students, teachers, and anyone interested in learning about the linguistic and cultural composition of the United States.

    The MLA Language Map uses data from the 2000 United States census to display the locations and numbers of speakers of thirty languages and three groups of less commonly spoken languages in the United States.

    The census data are based on responses to the question, "Does this person speak a language other than English at home?"

    The Language Map illustrates the concentration of language speakers in zip codes and counties. The Language Map Data Center provides data from Census 2000 about over three hundred languages spoken in the United States, including actual numbers and percentages of speakers.

    Data from the 2005 American Community Survey about the thirty languages most commonly spoken in the United States provide a snapshot of recent changes in American language communities.

    Why Post it on PhilFAQS?

    Well, in the four years I have been living in the Philippines I find that one of the things Filipinos, as a rule, are least interested in seems to be their own country.  Sadly.

    There are thousands of smart programmers, web designers and engineers, language majors, linguists, sociologist, anthropologists, et al, out there, many unemployed or under employed.

    All the data that is needed to construct a similar map for the Philippines is already being collected on a timely basis by the Philippine Census people .. they come to my house every two years or so.

    I hear all the time that Tagalong is (or is not) as widely spoken as some people say, that Bisaya is not the second most common language, Ilocano is (or vice-versa), “Dear Philly, I am moving to Podunk City, Podunk Province, what language is most common there?, and the list goes on.

    Here’s you chance guys and gals … who wants to step up and build a map useful to your country and the rest of the world as well?  (write me privately if you want to, via my “Contact” page above, I can provide some limited server support, etc.)

    Popularity: 5% [?]

    Filed Under: Phils News Tagged With: ,

    More Subic Destinations — Johan’s Resort

    August 7, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

    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?

    Nope.  I’m retired and plan to stay that way so far as the Philippines is concerned.  Of course I do have a business .. I make a nice little monthly income through a number of on-line ventures, and unlike a J*O*B which so many of you seem to be enamored of, I can turn the wick up higher, or turn it down and let it simmer as desired. I can’t be fired and I report to no bosses (and since 100% of my income comes from outside the Philippines, I only pay the taxes I need to pay to the US).

    But just because I am not a Philippine business person doesn’t mean I am not vitally interested in Philippine business … and unlike so many of my fellow expats who seem to have one nasty misadventure after another with Philippine business, I find that getting to know Filipino business people not only expands my horizons, but makes the way through life here go ever so much smoother.  I’m often quite “put off” by the way fellow expats try to make the adventure of living in the Philippines an “us” versus ‘them” affair.  I find the more Filipino friends I meet, the better life goes here.

    Two very interesting folks I met were Carlo Zialcita, office chief for the Clark-Subic Satellite office of the Philippine Retirement Authority, the folks who bring us the excellent, but widely misunderstood SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Program).  I had no idea the PRA had so many office and ‘real people’ on the ground in support of the program.  A very interesting statistic Carlo shared with me was the demographics of the visa program.  Being a typical American, even though I advise people not to fall into this trap, I did and I assumed the USA and then probably the UK and some other European nations would be in the lead for new visa holders.  ha.  Not so much.  Chinese, Korean, Japanese and then the USA in a distant fourth place.  Seems like (my opinion only, of course) a lot of other nations are much smarter at realizing a good deal when they see it.  Interesting.  You can always call Carlo to learn more, his office is 047-224-1471 (to call from overseas, dial your country’s IDD code (011 in the US) and then 6347-224-1471).

    Met many more friendly and interesting folks there as well … including some fellow foreigners living in the Philippines on the SRRV and enjoying it as well as a fascinating lady from Australia who lives here with her husband on a very rare breed of residency … a Quota Visa … something that seems to be a very well protected secret.  Hope she comes by and emails so we can get in touch and find out more info on this aspect of living in the Philippines.

    view from the beach at Johan's beach and dive resortBut wait.  I started out writing this article to talk about Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort where the mixer was held, and I haven’t even mentioned it yet.  Typical of me, off on a tangent.

    You’ve heard me mention before there are a lot of good places to dine, stay and to have fun around Subic.  Johan’s is certainly very high on that list.  Located on Baloy Beach off the National Highway right at the border between barrio Barrette, Onlongapo City and Subic Town, Zambales. Johan’s is a small (physically) hotel, bar, restaurant, PADI-certified dive school and general all ‘round activity center that will take more than one visit to explore thoroughly.  Johan’s is a lot bigger than it looks!

    One thing the have I already know about which is pretty unique to the Philippines … suppose you wanted to fly all the way to the beach of your resort?  No hours on a bus fighting traffic to cross the plains of Luzon .. just get on a plane and get dropped off on Johan’s beach.  You know me and airplanes.  That is not me flying the seaplane, but someday, you never know …

    The parts of Johan’s I did have a chance to sample were just great.  Since we were attending the SBFCC Mixer we decided to try the rooms at Johan’s .. why drive later after the party?

    Room at Johan's beach resort We made reservations for one of the most basic of rooms … we did, however spring for the upgrade of air-conditioning, looked pretty much like the picture, and for only P1000 per night the room was highly satisfactory.  Remember, this is a beach resort, not a five star hotel, but it was clean, comfortable and had all advertised and required amenities and then some.

    But when you are staying at a place with as many activities as Johan’s offers, the room is really secondary … just a place to rest after you have eaten and drunk your fill in Johan’s outstanding Johan's dining Philippines restaurant and bar facilities.  Wow.  Talk about a hidden gem.  I bet I have driven past Johan’s (a block away on the National Highway) at least a couple hundred times already .. some of those time, hungry ;-) .  How I wish I had stopped before.

    Johan, who has been in the tourist-pleasing business in the Philippines for more than 25 years now, is a European-trained chef … and it shows.

    The first time the Cook and I sat at one of the restaurant tables I was puzzled by what looked like a loose-leaf binder book the wait staffers seemed to be carrying.  Then our waitress handed me one. It was the menu!

    I haven’t seen a menu that extensive in years … specialties from all over the world.  And beer?  More than 50 specialty brands, from Johan’s native Belgium all across Europe and the rest of the world as well.  No place else in the Philippines comes close.  And open 124-7 as well?  How convenient is that.  I liked it.

    For the catered mixer Johan and staff served up a very large buffet … food from all over the world, including more ways to prepare and season oysters and mussels than I can remember.  Breakfast the next day was very nice too … the Cook and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay and very much appreciated Johan’s individual attention and conversation.  We’ll be back.  Recommended.

    Popularity: 8% [?]

    Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: , , ,

    Where Have I Been Lately? Casablanca Hotel Subic

    August 4, 2010 By Philly 12 Comments

    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 the place.

    Why? Because people are friendly there, businesses are well organized to serve the visitor, roads are maintained and not clogged with tricycles (people even stop at stop signs … go see for yourself) and I love being able to be so close to the sea.  And we both love to eat, and there are a number of places in the Subic Bay area who will not disappoint on that score.

    But on this trip I have to say we found a gem that does a whole lot better than “not disappoint”.  The facility is immaculate,with plenty of paved parking easily accessible, right out in front. Inside it is easy to see the owner used nothing but the best in building materials and techniques.

    In addition to standard hotel rooms (and as you can see from the graphic, the “standard” room at Casablanca would be a “superior” or higher at most Philippine hotels, the hotel also offers 1 and two bedroom condo style units for rent at nightly, weekly, monthly, or even longer-term rates if you ask the management.

    People often ask me for recommendations for places to stay for a few weeks or a few months in the Philippines, so they can have a base of operations and not have to put up with the expense and inconvenience of a regular hotel room.

    Casablanca Hotel and Restaraunt, Subic

    Short and medium term rentals are hard to find … and many that are available are … well to put it frankly, crap.  The Casablanca has great deals and their property is immaculate .. I inspected a one bedroom unit, and not only is it clean, very comfortably furnished, and well off-street and away from traffic … it is about twice the size of a comparable unit in top of the line Makati condos .. places that sell in the 6 to 8 million Pesos range and that rent for $2000USD per month and up. 

    And instead of living in the city, you are on the shores of Subic Bay, with no peddlers, smoky tricycles, hookers and all the other “street life” you will find in big cities.  Philly rates this establishment a true bargain, especially at current off-peak “Rainy Day” rates. Recommended.

    (and for those of you not too familiar with our Central Luzon “rainy season”, it’s not all as rainy as you might think.  Showers most afternoons, a few heavy rains often at night, and temperatures usually substantially cooler than the hotter months earlier in the year.  It seldom means days of rain where you are cooped up inside, but you might have to dodge a shower or two as you go about your daily fun activities.)

    Casabalanc Hotel, Subic room rates 2010 Now as I mentioned, the reason I went to Casablanca was a lunch engagement with my fellow blogger, Paul.  He claimed that a place he knew on Subic served Philly Cheese steak sandwiches as good as they serve in Philadelphia.  Having been to South Philly myself for the “real thing”, and using the nickname “Philly” as well, I just had to call Paul on this … and the only way to know if Paul knew what he was talking about would be to put the sandwiches to the test …so we did, meeting for lunch at 8 bells on the forenoon watch at Casablanca.

    The menu there is not huge, but it’s broad enough to suit most anyone’s taste … and yes, the Philly Cheese steak could easily pass for the “real thing” from South Philly … although without the dripping oil and mess … at my age, I don’t need the fat anyway.  Pleasantly absent were the all so common Filipino beef gristle, globs of fat and murderous little bone chips.  An excellent sandwich.

    The rest of the menu items all seemed equal or better quality and the staff gives prompt, attentive and pleasant service.  Very reasonable prices as well.  Again, Recommended.

    And it’s safe to say one of the highlights of the visit was the personal care and attention of the establishment’s GM, Kristian Nielsen.  Kristian gave us personal attention every step of the way, proudly showed off the rooms and the pool (with swim-up bar, how kewl is that?), and answered tons of questions about the facilities.  He’s the kind of guy who instead of trying to just “sell you a room” sat with us and asked who would be attending a planned family trip, deciding if two single rooms would best accommodate our group, or the one bedroom condo offering, and then showed us everything to make sure we knew what we might be booking.  So different to the average hotel experience where it is expected you know what you want, you’re asked to make a snap decision between room choices, and if there was something that would have suited your group better, you will never know … as long as they have your dough.

    Thank you, Kristian for the service, for the great training and leadership you give the staff and for a very enjoyable conversation with our meal … we’ll be back for sure.

      Thanks to all of you who took the time to remind me that I didn’t make the room rates easy to find.  Fixed that.  Also, when I published the article earlier, I noted that the Casablanca’s main web page had one of those “talk to us now by instant chat” buttons, (which often prove worthless).  I pressed it and got an answer in 45 seconds.  Great communication.  Other hotels who want to learn how to make money in the Philippines will do well to copy some of the ways the Casablanca staff tries to be accessible to their clients.

    Another item I probably should have mentioned.  This hotel is on the waterfront side of Argonaut Highway, very near the Tipo gate of Subic, but it is not “beachfront”. There is no beach directly accessible from the hotel property.  There are excellent white sandy public beaches in easy driving or shuttle bus range … just didn’t want to make it sound as if it were directly on the beach.

    Popularity: 20% [?]

    Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: , ,

    Family Outsourcing Automation — Keeping in Touch

    August 1, 2010 By Philly 6 Comments

    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 are already way behind.

    It is possible to start and successfully run a computer shop … but … there are so, so many better opportunities to my mind.  Read that quote again and think about the highest and best purpose of a computer shop, versus the highest and best purpose of something that, perhaps, raises food, tutors children and adults, provides cheap transportation, a restaurant that provides 20 jobs from the local barangay, etc., etc. 

    I’m really not trying to dictate what people ought to do, but I question, myself, if the fixation on “Computer Shops” isn’t, in large part, due to the fact they seem to resemble playing online a lot and the hard work, communication and control that has to go into any business just seems to somehow get lost in the ambience.

    Whatever business you may decide to employ family members in, or to help family members start and run, is going to face a number of challenges.  The central issues, from my perspective, is control and communication … and the two go hand and glove.

    For every horror story anyone can come up with regarding a family business failure here i the Philippines, I can pretty much guarantee that poor communication is going to be a root cause.

    Let’s look at a typical example.  A bright sister-in-law has no income.  Someone proposes the idea that she start a sari-sari store in her home.  Sounds ideal.  She knows all the neighbors, she has a pleasant, out-going personality and she can earn a small living while still being at home with her children.

    So some rudimentary planning takes place (ignoring, often, how many other sari-sari stores are right on her same block … an amount of money for conversion of the front room into a store and initial stock to sell is decided upon, money changes hands and then … what?

    A month or more later the benefactor .. usually a foreigner relative or an OFW family member in the States, finds out that:

    a.  The store conversion never really happened

    b.  The initial stock got purchased, but mainly other family members and fiends ‘ate it up’. (There is probably a shoebox full of IOU’s)

    c.  In an effort to avoid the embarrassment of confessing failure, the sister-in-law is now in hock for more than the original investment to some local “boombay” (money lender) at 5/6 rates (20% PER MONTH interest.

    If you happen to be on the investment side of this transaction, nobody could blame you for being pretty disappointed and even downright pissed off … but let’s think this through.

    Nobody involved on the Philippine side really had any practical business knowledge.  Nobody had anybody to talk to, receive guidance, or even be told NO when needed.  And anything and everything that was done wor0ng was done wrong over time … it could easily be corrected … if anybody (I have been waiting for hundreds of words now to say this) …had been minding the store

    sari sari store PC setup How could communication have helped prevent this disaster?  I don’t have all the answers, but here’s a few tings I would have done as a non-negotiable part of the initial investment.

    Put a cheap PC (a laptop would be best for reasons I’ll go into later) in the store area, as close to the point of sale as possible. 

    Hook that PC to the Internet, and if the connection is Wi-Fi, secure it from day one so you aren’t providing Internet service to all the neighbors also.

    Set yourself up as the administrator of that PC and DO NOT allow anyone else administrator access. 

    Install a remote monitor and control program like TVNC or any of the dozens of other good, free ones out there.

    Install a headset (or USB keyboard with telephone handset, my favorite) and Skype or Yahoo Messenger

    Buy a USB video surveillance package … less than P5,000 for four cameras, and put the cameras in strategic locations.

    Install a simple home finance application like Microsoft Money, Quicken or (free and a good one) PLCash

    Work with your prospective store manager until s/he understands how to enter sales, expenses and other transactions and keep the simple account balanced.

    Go to a local bank with a good online banking service and open a Peso account, joint, with the storekeeper.  Get an ATM card and your login data for the bank account.

    Sounds like a lot of steps but you can do this all in a day or two.  You can also have someone on the Philippine end do it for you remotely if you can’t come to the Philippines yourself (you won’t be able to pen the account jointly, but you can demand the log in to the online banking service so that you can monitor the account and all transactions regularly)

    Last step?  Train, practice, love and encourage.

    Once you have the storekeeper following a daily routine, entering all transactions in the computer, taking money to the bank to deposit regularly, using the ATM card to withdraw so there is a permanent record, and (most important, I think) after you are back home, talk to and encourage your storekeeper on a daily basis … hourly when s/he has problems …it’s totally free to talk computer to computer with Skype or one of the other VOOIP programs like it, ad you can watch your nieces and nephews grow up in front of the camera as well. 

    One thing I have found for sure, living here in the Philippines now for nearly 4 years.  When something gets watched, it gets done.  When people get watched AND ENCOURAGED, they do great wok.  When money gets tracked and properly managed, it doesn’t disappear. 

    Use the power of the Internet connecting people to people and see if it doesn’t make your sari-sari store 9or whatever other venture you try) stand out as a success story in a sea of failures.

    A few technical notes.

    Why a laptop?  Small footprint, low power consumption, built in uninterruptible power supply … it’s called a battery.

    Why maintain administrator control?  You know others are going to use this machine .. and why not, it’s there.  But let kids explore the ‘net in the Philippines and in a week the machine will be so clogged with viruses, Trojans, etc. you may never get it running right.  Lock it down, control downloads and installation of outside software, and use a good antivirus program set to run daily.

    For some help with management, training, coaching and business control, you might find this course interesting. In addition to a comprehensive eBook, it also has online features that can help your business partners learn from both sides of the Pacific.

    Management Training: By The Book

    These two great e-books show you how to use proven best practices in management and supervision. You will enhance your capabilities as a manager, supervisor or team leader and you will be able to maximize your employees’ performance.

    The courses offered in these books are based on proven concepts that we have been offering in our classroom training programs for over 20 years. And… Whether you need a refresher or you are new to a position, these books are a tremendous value as you will pay a fraction of what it would cost to get this training either online or in the classroom.

    "I was tired of laying awake at night trying to figure out how to deal with an employee performance issue. Your book made a difference." P.S. I haven’t slept this well in years. J.P.

    Popularity: 13% [?]

    Filed Under: Phils Business Tagged With: , ,

    Live in the Philippines on $770 a Month Still Possible?

    July 23, 2010 By Philly 4 Comments

    The funny thing about running a site like PhilFAQS, where I attempt to answer the questions people have about living in the Philippines, especially for retirement is .. you become “Internet Famous” for things you never intended to become “Internet Famous” for.

    Fortunately, this hasn’t jumped up and bitten me too badly … yet … but one of the things this blog always ranks highly for in search results is “Living in the Philippines on$770USD” (per month that is).

    I’m not the one who actually started posting on that subject … in fact the first time I saw the phrase “live” was on another bloggers site and I really I commented that while a foreigner certainly could live in the Philippines on $770USD per month, I felt that he or she would be cutting things pretty close, and that a better “safe” figure would be $1000USD or more.

    In fact I routinely publish more comprehensive cost of living data here, just outside Metro Manila, than I believe anyone else does online.  And if you follow the link:

    http://philfaqs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009%20Aug%20Current%20Costs.htm

    You’ll see that my (Filipina) wife and I and our college-age niece who lives with us, routinely spend substantially more than$770 USD per month.  See also Current Philippine Living Costs — End of August 2009

    image

    … and before the auditor and accounting types out there jump in my case about the figur4es being nearly a year old, let me assure you, they haven’t changed much.  Electric bills have gone up the most … $20 t0 $40 a month, gas and diesel fuel has risen also (but I use very little of that) and the most uncertain thing of all, the value of the Peso has risen a bit (frankly, with the credit mess the US is in right now I’m surprised the US dollar can still buy 46 or more Pesos) … this is the unknowable issue for the future.  While I have lived here in the Philippines in less than four years, the Peso has climbed to 40 to the dollar and shank back, once touching 50 to the dollar.  No way of knowing what the long term trends will be.

    That’s why I maintain that the real bottom line … not for luxury, but for safety, is $1.000USD.

    Still a very nice lace to live for a retiree, though.  No matter what these day-to-day fluctuations may hold in store for us, I’ve included the latest of my popular “Big Mac Index” charts.  As you can see, a Big Mac in the Philippines (using the Big Mac as a quick and dirty world wide unit of comparisons, that is about the same in all countries) is at least 40% less than in the USA.

    I don’t eat many Bib Macs, but I sure do enjoy the cost of living here in the Philippines … even if I spend more like $1200 USD than $770 per month.

     

    Popularity: 17% [?]

    Filed Under: Costs, Uncategorized Tagged With:

    Monday Morning Philippine Rants — First of Many

    July 18, 2010 By Philly 4 Comments

    As I have said before, I’m trying to make Mondays a day I devote pretty much to things on my mind and ways to help people succeed in general.  These thoughts usually (but not always) have a direct living, retiring or working in the Philippines connection.

    One thing that troubles me a lot about the time I put in on this site is I so often answer the question of “how can I earn a living in the Philippines”, and yet I virtually never hear a word from anyone who even gave one of my ideas serious thought … let alone from anyone who tried one and succeeded.  I never even here from anyone who tired and failed … failure is an important milestone on the road to success, in case you didn’t know.

    “Success is 99 percent failure.”

    Soichiro Honda … yes, the founder of that Honda

    I do, however, get my share of “hate mail”.  Negative thinkers who take the time to tell me why my ideas won’t work, although they don’t put their money where their mouth is and prove anything they say.

    One fellow, not long ago, bought a “How to do it” course on making money on the Internet.  he then promptly returned it (for full refund, I sell or recommend nothing that isn’t one hundred percent risk free).

    His comment to me … “Well, perhaps I should have actually tried the how to course, but I read some comments about it in a forum that were negative, so I decided to return it, because I was sure it wouldn’t work for me.”

    Yes, indeed.  Perhaps I actually should have tried.  Wish I’d said that.  Why even take the time to read here if you aren’t going to exposed enough effort to find out if something will work for you?  Boggles my mind.  You know when people make comments on line about virtually any business or service, there are going to be a large number of tem that are negative.  Happy customers rarely make comments.  Just check with your local better Business Bureau for example, I’ll bet the volume of negative comments to positive comments about local businesses is ten to one unfavorable.

    A good friend of mine is a “real” book author and an online marketer of some note and great success, Frank Rambauskas.  Frank just wrote something in a news letter that I thought I should share:

    … I get so much hate mail I can’t even keep track!  The people who write it, however, apparently don’t realize how encouraging it is to me and how much it drives me on to even greater things. 

    In a conversation with Robert Kiyosaki, the author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," he explained to me that hate mail and other opposition is a sign that I’m actually accomplishing something and helping people to further themselves.  A lack of hate mail and opposition would be a red flag that I’m not achieving enough through my efforts, so keep that in mind for when you encounter it in your own life…

    Makes good sense to me.  And it should to you too, if you are planning to move to the Philippines, planning to start a business for yourself, or any one of a number of “non-conventional” ideas you might be thinking abut trying, and are hesitating because you are afraid of ‘what people will think”.

    They don’t matter.  Only you do.

    So I am not yet as successful as Frank … I don’t get more hate mail than I can keep track of … but I’m trying.  Keep those cards and letters pouring in folks ..

    And for those of you who keep insisting you want a job instead of a business of your own, I have something of interest for you today. Learn how you, too, can work at home, legitimately!

    Legit online jobs

    So is this legit?  Yep.  If you do what they teach you, you will earn money.  If for some reason you don’t, you get 100% of your money back, no questions asked.  Can anyone do it?  Yep.  You need no special technical skills and you can do it from anywhere there is an Internet connection.

    Does PhilFAQS recommend it?  Well, yes and no.  Here’s my issue.  I think there are ways to make money, much larger money, that are not trading hours for pay ..but … and it’s an important but, many of my audience does not want their own business, they want something more like a conventional, punch the clock job … and that is what this is, except you set the hours, you decide who to work for and you put in as many or as few hours as you chose to.  In that respect it certainly sounds pretty interesting to me.

    But please do me a favor?  While it is true that if you click and then sign up for this program, I make a small commission .. I do NOT want you to click unless you are going to give the program a chance to work for you. 

    If you click the button and then let the training sit on your hard drive and fail to take action, it will be a worthless exercise for all of us.

    So Do Not Do It (click the link that is) unless you promise that you are going to Do It, work the program … fair enough?

    Popularity: 7% [?]

    Filed Under: Philippine Jobs Tagged With: ,

    Are You Paying Cash For Your Philippine House?

    July 17, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

    Here’s a little information on home buying here in the Philippines, and a few personal thoughts you can take for what they are worth.  It will be helpful to start with (review) a few facts.

    A Foreigner Can not Purchase Land in the Philippines:

    If you take nothing else away from this, please take a moment to let this sink in.  Day after day I hear from people who have one idea or another that supposedly are going to let them “beast” the system.  My view?  Don’t get into scams, frauds and ‘workarounds”.  The Philippine Constitution of 1987 … the one we currently live under .. prohibits ownership of Philippine land by foreigners. (except with one important exception, see below)

    Over the years I have heard of dozens, if not hundreds of “schemes” (often cooked up by lawyers or real estate agents of doubtful integrity) that propose to allow a foreigner to buy land.  Ain’t going to happen.  At best, you’ll lose your money.  At worst, you could get into serious legal trouble and/or deported.  Play by the rules.  (You might also like to read my series on why I don’t own my own home in the Philippines)

    (Note: Under certain conditions a foreigner can inherit land in the Philippines, if you feel you are in this category, I wrote extensively on foreigner land inheritance here)

    A foreigner can own certain condominium properties:

    Let me stress something that many fail to note on this issue.  A foreigner can not own just any condominium property.  The corporation that actually owns the underlying property must meet certain ownership requirements, because when a person buys a condominium unit, s/he automatically becomes a member of the condominium corporation which owns the land.

    Under Philippine law, foreigners are allowed to become members or stockholders of the condominium corporation which owns the land, but only up to a maximum of 40% of the capital stock of the condominium corporation.  (read more about foreigner ownership of condos here)

    Another important trap I have seen spring closed more than once.  If you are eligible and considering applying for an SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Visa) (and many of you should be seriously considering this program), remember that while you can use the required investment funds to purchase a condo, you really can’t do this “after the fact” … you can’t show up at the PRA (Philippine Retirement Authority) and say, “here’s my condo, now where’s my visa?”.  Make sure you seek official, professional guidance before you take any steps along this route … the order in which things get accomplished turns out to be very important.

    Most people think high-rise apartment units when they think “condo”, under the law it denotes a certain class of ownership, and it can be any style of building, as long as it is owned by a Philippine corporation who structures the foreign ownership as a condominium form of ownership.  You might enjoy a feature I did on duplex condominiums a while back.  More condo townhome information.  Sample comprehensive conventional condo specifications, pricing and financing information.

    A foreigner married to a Philippine citizen can Purchase a Conventional Home Along with his/her Spouse, with Rights of Survivorship:

    Now of course this is the option a great many of my readers are going to be interested in.  We’re already up to a lengthy article here, and no way can I cover the offerings you’ll see all over the Philippines. 

    So I’ll wrap this up with a few sample financing plans from recent Philippines listings.  Remember, in general, you will almost never find any purchase plans with less than 20% down payment requirements. 

    Loan terms, compared with the ever-poplar nothing down and 30 or even 40 years to pay in the US, along with very low interest rates, are just not available here in the Philippines.  It’s really no wonder many people describe the Philippines with the term, “Cash is King”.

    Sample Listings and Terms:

    Sample One, a very modest price with extremely flexible financing options:

    IF PAID IN CASH: 2,196,750.00
    Less: discount 128,143.75
    TOTAL CASH PAYMENT 2,068,511.25

    Less: 30 % Down payment 659,025.00
    Less: Reservation 50,000.00
    Balance of 30% Down payment 609,025.00
    pay. in 3 mos @ 203,008.33/mo.
    70 % Balance 1,537,725.00

    IF BALANCE IS PAID THRU IN-HOUSE FINANCING
    1 Year 0% interest 128,143.75 per month
    2 Years @ 15% interest 74,559.13 per month
    3 Years @ 15% interest 53,305.74 per month
    Processing Fee: P 5,000.00
    Insurance: P 11,818.57 per year
    Transfer fee: P 66,412.00 after full payment

    THRU BANCO DE ORO: 2,196,750.00
    Less: 20 % Down payment 439,350.00
    Less: Reservation 50,000.00
    Balance of 20% Down payment 389,350.00 pay. in 3 mos @
    129,783.33/mo.
    80% Balance 1,757,400.00

    IF BALANCE IS PAID THRU BANCO DE ORO
    5 Year @ 10% interest – 37,339.55 per month
    10 Years @ 11.50% interest – 24,708.24 per month
    15 Years @ 11.50% interest – 20,529.77 per month
    NOTE: BDO interest rate @ the time of approval will apply
    Processing Fee: P 5,000.00
    Bank Charge: P 36,000.00 more or less
    Transfer fee: P 66,412.00 upon approval of loan

    LIST OF REQUIREMENTS :

  • Latest Res. Cert. (3 copies)
  • BIR TIN Card (3 copies)
  • Marriage Contract (if married) (2 copies)
  • Birth Certificate (if single) (2 copies)
  • Latest 1×1 picture both husband & wife w/ signature at the back (1 copies)
  • Valid ID with picture & signature (3 photocopies)
  • Latest proof of mailing address (1 copy)
  • Latest Cert. of Employment & Compensation duly notarized (4 copies)
  • Latest 1 month payslip (1 copy)
  • Latest Income Tax Return w/ W2 (1 original & 2 Photocopies)
  • Latest Contract of Employment sealed by POEA (2 copies)
  • Passport (3 photocopies)
  • Post Dated Checks for the balance & for the Insurances
  • Medical Certificate (Full medical examination)

    Sample 2, Another modest home with more typical financing requirements:

  • Selling Price : Php 2,850,000
    Down Payment : Php 997,500
    12 months to pay : P 172,493.25
    36 months to pay : P 69,793.00
    60 months to pay : P 50,116.30

    Whatever you chose, be sure to live happy … or so Dave opines.

    i>

    Popularity: 6% [?]

    • Filed Under: Land Ownership, Uncategorized Tagged With:

    What If I Told You That Thousands of New Jobs Were Coming? In the US and Overseas as Well?

    July 14, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

    All we seem to hear these days, especially in US news is talk of unemployment, more unemployment, under employment and then, yet again, more unemployment.  I suspect many of the searches I get here regarding jobs in the Philippines for Americans are motivated at least as much by the bad employment outlook in the US as by the folks actually interested in moving here to the Philippines.

    What is I told you, though, that one of the world’s largest employers, one of the best in terms of pay, benefits, retirement and promotion opportunity, is hiring.  Big time.

    I’d be telling you the truth.  After years of trying to balance the budget by decimating the Federal work force, the US is now on a massive hiring spree.

    At least 150,000 jobs, plus the vacancies caused by attrition in the coming year … up to as many as 1.5 million new Federal jobs are being opened up for hiring.  Although there are only a few US federal jobs in the Philippines, there are federal jobs all over the globe, as well as the USA.

    Who has the best chance of getting one of these jobs?  Easy.  The person who prepares.

    About 90% of the folks I deal with looking for a job are hopeless cases, because they don’t even care enough about themselves to have a decent resume and haven’t taken the time to sit down and catalog their skills and figure out how to present themselves.

    And those who might be looking for a Federal job (hint, retired US serviceman have preference for most of these jobs, which a significant portion of my audience here.) have to do the resume thing also.  Telling a prospective employer you were the NCOIC of some military alphabet soup office, or the major in charge of testing prep school academy applicants on Podunk Air Force base means absolutely nothing to most employers, even in other Federal agencies.

    But if you know what the Federal government is looking for (hint two, if you don’t know what your KSA’s are, better get with the program), then you have an excellent chance.

    The vast majority of these jobs are going to require a US Security Clearance as well … you’ve heard me mention this before also.  having a security clearance already is a tremendous asset IF you know the right way to document it.

    So, today, as a public service, I’m reprinting some information about a guide I believe would be well worth a small investment on your part. (About $12 USD)

    (Note;  this is not an offer from me, I am not selling this guide and I make no commission or other consideration … merely presenting this as a possible help for those who would like to pull themselves up out of the jobless mire .. the publisher of this guide knows what they are talking about.  In all cases though, YMMV).

    ———————————

    Guide to writing a federal resume

    Tuesday, July 13, 2010

    Our Federal Workforce will be increased by at least 153,000
    to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010!

    In today’s challenging job market, Federal
    Employee positions are one of the few markets
    that are hiring. You must make sure you know
    how to properly prepare your federal resume…
    even if you are already a federal employee and
    are applying for a transfer or new positions.
    Please read this important information.
    Sincerely,
    FEDweek

    Your Security Clearances on Your Federal Resume are Critical

    How to Prepare Your Federal Resume Properly
    How to List Your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
    and Your Security Clearances on Your Federal Resume is Critical
    The Complete Guide to Writing a Federal Resume–
    Available for Immediate Shipment

    Go to http://www.fedweek.com/pubs/index.php
    From the Publishers of FEDweek, the federal government’s
    largest information resource…

    We are proud to announce the launch of The Complete Guide
    to Writing a Federal Resume. This book was written
    specifically for you and is designed to help you meet the
    requirements for written materials in seeking a new federal
    job or advancement within the federal government. There is
    no longer a single, required method of applying for federal
    employment. In fact, most federal agencies are moving
    toward the resume (either paper or electronic) as the
    preferred method of applying for jobs.

    That’s why we’ve published The Complete Guide to
    Writing a Federal Resume and all current federal employees,
    retirees, military members and private sector professionals
    who are looking for a federal job need this all-inclusive guide.
    Note to Military Members:

    Many of the federal job openings at this time require security
    clearances. As a military member, a large percentage of you have
    the security clearance and the qualifications needed to fill
    these positions. This all-new guide will show you how to compose
    your resume to accentuate your strengths and experiences.

    Here’s a partial list of the table of contents:

    Finding a Federal Job
    Should I Apply Using a Resume or an Application Form?
    The Federal Resume
    Preparing to Draft Your Resume
    What to Cover (and not cover) in a Resume
    The Designing of Your Federal Resume
    Your Accomplishments (including a worksheet)
    What if You Use an OF-612?
    Knowledges, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
    Cover Letters and Thank You Letters
    Interactive Worksheets
    The Do’s and Don’t's for Federal Resume Cover Letters
    Contains Many Sample Federal Resumes and Cover Letters
    And Much More!

    This Book is a "Must Have" For:
    1. All federal employees
    2. Military personnel interested in civil service careers
    3. Federal managers and supervisors
    4. Human resources professionals and federal libraries
    5. Military retirees beginning their second career with the
       federal government
    6. All private sector workers that wish to apply for federal
       government positions.

    Simply put, designing and writing your resume is not an
    easy task. You must highlight your accomplishments,
    qualifications, experience, etc. all while keeping it
    brief and easy to follow. The Complete Guide to Writing
    a Federal Resume will show you how to do this. It also
    gives a complete list of "result and action" words to use
    in your cover letter and resume as well as a list a
    frequently misspelled or misused words or phrases.
    "In today’s competitive job market, especially the federal
    job market, this new interactive resume book is a must
    have and is guaranteed to help you, whether you are
    writing a new resume from scratch, making minor changes
    depending on the position you are applying for or just
    fine tuning and error checking it."
    Don Mace, Publisher <
    br />FEDweek  http://www.fedweek.com/pubs/index.php

    Popularity: 1% [?]

    Filed Under: Philippine Jobs Tagged With:

    First Philippine Typhoon of the Year is History

    July 14, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

    It’s a little too early in the year for typhoons here in central Luzon … at least so far as I’m concerned., but Typhoon Conson, Philippine name Basyang, was just a tiny dot on the map way out east a few days ago … an inconsequential ‘x’ called “03W”, (the third tropical depression in the western Pacific for 2010.  It picked up force, and much more ground speed than usual and yesterday, the elementary school kids were already sent home under Storm Signal One, the mildest of the three standardized storm signals issued by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration).

    Last night, before bed, I rolled up the outside sun shades on some of the windows, closed all the windows and made sure the candles and flashlights were in easy reach.  Woke up when the air con went off with the rest of the power about 1 am, and actually spent the rest of the night in my recliner in the living room … it was much cooler there because the way the wind was coming I could have a window open.

    By first light, most of the wind and all the rain was gone .. but no power and no Internet until after noon time.  (but the way, hint for coffee lovers .. I filled the electric coffeemaker before bed, but without electric I had to wait until noon for the first cup you might be thinking.  No, just boil a kettle of water on the gas stove and pour that through the coffee in the filter and your drip coffee maker will make you piping hot and fresh coffee any time, “curyente” or no “curyente”).

    Depression 03W just a few days ago

    03w-2010-1

    Conson/Bayang current track:

    conson-2010-1

    The naming of these northwest Pacific storms gets confusing, especially to those folks thousands of miles away who may have family or other loved ones here in the Philippines.  This web site gives a pretty good explanation.

    http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/B2.html

    The next storm to come, not on the radar yet,will be Philippine name: Caloy

    Meanwhile, life goes on at it’s same pace as ever in the Philippines … and I’m a happy camper, because both the the electric power and my Internet service is working just fine.

    Popularity: 5% [?]

    Filed Under: Weather Reports Tagged With: , ,

    Don’t Try To Live Your Life On An ATM Card!

    July 14, 2010 By Philly 8 Comments

    Again and again and again I get these messages, or read them on someone else’s site …

    Hi ….where do I go to get answers to my husband’s queries on banking here in our city.
    He’s a retired xxxx and depends solely on his pension from bank of America for a living.
    Lately we cannot make one time cash advance from his bank of America debit card at Banco de Oro. We need to get one time cash advance…

    Well let me take this opportunity to pass on a tip or two about Living in the Philippines.  You can find plenty of cries for help like the one I quoted above, any day of the week.  Here are a few rules and suggestions that can help you avoid being one of the ones in dire straights asking for help.

    As a general observation, Americans in particular need to get their banking terms straight … because when it is your money, you need to use the proper terms.  A bank ATM card gives you cash by withdrawing it directly from your bank account.  This is Not a Cash Advance.  A Cash Advance is the use of a credit card to obtain cash where the money goes into your credit card account the same as a purchase.  Fees are imposed and you have to pay back the debt, and interest if applicable.  Some bank ATM/debit cards are ‘dual purpose’, they can function as either a debit (direct withdrawal) or a credit (Cash Advance) card.  Don’t go into a bank, or use a teller machine, and use the term :Cash Advance: unless you mean to incur the fees and the debt.  Most banks will happily process the request as a “Cash Advance” instead of a “Withdrawal”, if you say so, because typically they make a lot more money on the deal … so, precision in speaking is required here if you ant to save yourself money.

    First a Rule:  (No it isn’t really a rule documented anywhere, but it’s “Dave’s Rule” and it has served me well so far). Do not attempt to live here on one ATM card.  It is like playing Russian Roulette without even knowing how many cartridges are in the cylinder.  Why?

    ATM cards can get lost or stolen.  Shouldn’t have to expand much on this, but if you have only one card and it gets stolen, have you any idea how long it will take your bank in the US to send you a replacement?  Will they even send a replacement to the Philippines?  Have at least another, independent card (that you don’t carry with you)as a backup.

    ATM’s here in the Philippines may ‘eat” your card, capturing the card and refusing to return it.  This is a common anti-fraud measure.  If you committed no wrong doing, can you get your card back?  Normally, yes, through the head office of the bank who runs the ATM.  How long?  Figure weeks, not days.

    For some reason unknown to you, your bank may terminate or suspend your account. especially in today’s “War On Terror” hyperbole, foreign money transactions are always monitored by various agencies of the US government and by commercial security agencies, perhaps under contract to your bank and/or the card issuer.  How could this happen if you do nothing wrong? 

    No way I can say, but if it happens, do not expect to get the matter resolved via a simple phone call.  My advice.  Have more than one bank or credit union, either in the US or here and in the US so that one “backs up” the other. 

    Your bank may be totally out of line in taking such an action, and maybe you can sue tem, and write your Congressman, etc., but the bottom line is, if this happens to you, you ain’t getting cash

    ATM’s here in the Philippines are sometimes notorious for “Failure to Dispense”.  You card is accepted, the transaction is processed and charged to your US account but no cash comes out.  If you asked for cash up to the limit of the card, guess what, you can’t even try again until tomorrow. 

    Will you get your money back?  Most likely yes.  But here’s the way it works.

    The bank here who owns the ATM which failed to dispense is acting solely as a service provider to your US bank.  They are not responsible to give you a refund, and they certainly won’t.  They are required, and normally will, report the “no dispense” to your US bank, and the end of the next banking day here in the Philippines. 

    Your US bank them, is responsible to credit your account for the money erroneously charged.  How long will this take?  Last time it happened to me, it was back in my account in three days, with only ne phone call to the States.  Got time to wait for that before you go to the grocery store?

    What do I recommend?  belt and suspenders, or even multiple belts.

    Carry a US bank debit card.  Also carry a US “name brand” credit card, like Visa or MasterCard.  If your US debit card fails, you can try the Credit Card, either in a machine or an over the counter cash advance from any major bank.

    There are fees that come with a cash advance, but hey, you can still eat while you straighten out the mess.

    I go several steps farther.  I have a bank account here in the Philippines.  I carry an ATM card for that account.  No fees and much easier to straighten out any screw ups that might occur.

    I also carry a Philippine-issued master card, and I could buy groceries, go to the drug store or even get a cash advance on that card if I was in those “dire straights” we mentioned earlier.

    But there is another pair of suspenders which I highly recommend.  It’s free, and I wonder why more long-term visitors don’t take advantage of it.

    Not only do I r3ecommend you have a bank account here, I highly recommend you introduce yourself to, and take time to notice and act courteously to the branch manager, his or her deputy, the chief security guard, etc.  Do I mean be an asskisser?  Those who know me will quickly realize I don’t mean that.

    But these folks are fellow humans, and they control, to a great extent at times, just how easy (or hard) it is to live here.  My branch manager is Mr. Favro.  It costs me nothing to pass by his desk on the way out and say hello.  Matter of fact, he often has something interesting to say.  And recently, when I came back from Florida, he and I had a very interesting conversation for about half an hour regarding the real estate credit crunch in the US, how things were similar and also different here, and so on.  I know I certainly learned some things of value.  I hardly consider enjoyable conversations like that currying favor, but hey, as we say here in the Philippines, ‘Sup to you’.

    All can say is, works for me … instead of having the adversarial relationship so many foreigners seem to have with their banks here, why not find yourself one managed by humans, and, in turn, treat them like humans in return.  For me, it has paid dividends in convenience and peace of mind.  Thanks to all the great folks at the SM Marilao branch of BDO, who help me out most every day.

    Popularity: 13% [?]

    Filed Under: Banking, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,