Dave Starr

Blessed Are the Meek — Or Are They?

19/10/2018 by Dave Starr 2 Comments

Last updated 19 October 2018

Blessed Are the Meek.

First of all, let me throw in a little disclaimer here. This post isn’t really all that much about religion, but I do throw in some Bible teaching and no matter what your personal feelings about religion, you can’t learn much about the Philippines without recognizing the fact that it is one of the most religious countries on earth.

I am a private individual and I pretty much keep my own religious views private … but I also have the freedom of the press and if I want to speak of things with a religious tone, I will.

You folks who feel that people who mention God or Jesus Christ in public are doing something forbidden, can go ahead and start preparing your “He spoke about God” case against me … or just click on to read something else. Fair warning.

The Bible is Important in the Philippines

Some time back I think I lost a Filipino reader and a budding friend because he wrote me and told me how wonderful it was that Filipinos are “meek”, and he didn’t understand why I didn’t seem to see that as a great strength of the Philippine nation and people.

I responded to him that perhaps he and I weren’t seeing things exactly the same when it came to the true definition of “meek” … and the conversation died right there, aborning.
[Read more…] about Blessed Are the Meek — Or Are They?

Things To Think About Before You Retire To The Philippines

18/10/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Things To Think About Before You Retire To The Philippines.

(Updated 18 October 2018)

Recently I read an interesting article about a USA couple who retired to Mexico. Part of the title had the phrase “what no one tells you about starting a new life abroad.”

What PhilFAQS Will Tell You About Starting A New Life Abroad.

A lot of this article offered some good advice, much of which I have been advising people about for years. (If you have questions or need help about moving overseas, email me, I’ll be glad to help.)

But sad to say a lot of this article presents a surprising degree of naivety and a lack of research, or basic understanding of how things work, both in the USA and in overseas locations.

So Here’s Your Homework Assignment Do it Now, Please.

How To Retire in the Philippines with $200,000 of Savings

17/10/2018 by Dave Starr 2 Comments

How To Retire in the Philippines with $200,000 of Savings?

(Updated 17 October 2018)

Interesting title, eh? If I had $200,000 USD in savings would I even be retired in the Philippines? Would you?

Well, let’s explore so issues and possibilities.

A while back I posted this article about retiring here in the Philippines with NO money. You might want to read that if you haven’t already. Just click on the link, go ahead, I’ll wait for you here:

How To Retire in the Philippines With No Money

As that article says, you absolutely have to have some money to retire in the Philippines, but the actual monthly needs may be very small. [Read more…] about How To Retire in the Philippines with $200,000 of Savings

Is Getting Married a Quick Way to the USA?

16/10/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Is Getting Married a Quick Way to the USA?

(Updated 16 October 2018)

Here’s a very common question I get here at PhilFAQS … how can a US and a Filipin0 (Phil-Am) couple get together in marriage as quickly and cheaply as possible?

I’ll keep this short and simple and answer this reader’s questions as directly as I can.

If any of you have similar questions which I don’t cover here, feel free to write and ask.

I value all your comments and I appreciate them greatly.

Here are the reader’s questions and my answers, as best I know.

(Please remember, I am not a lawyer, this is NOT legal advice and is my personal opinion only).

Top 10 Art Schools – 2018

09/10/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Top 10 Art Schools – 2017

Art Schools in the Philippines.

(Last updated 8 October 2018)

This was originally published many years ago, but it still gets traffic. Obviously some of you are still searching for answers in this subject. I’m trying to “clean house”. There are well over 1000 articles here on PhilFAQS and I want to “clear out the deadwood”. Should I keep this, update it or send it to the trash?

A lot of people search for and ask me direct questions on Art Schools in the Philippines. Most art school candidates in the US never think of the Philippines when it comes to school but there can be some real advantages to attending school here. The Philippines is a world center of artistic talent, especially in the performing arts area.

In particular, costs will be lower … a lot lower in many cases and, if you’re a US Military Veteran with educational benefits you can go to school at a VA approved Philippine school and come out way ahead cost of living-wise.

To find out about VA-Approved schools visit the site of the only overseas VA Office (located in the US Embassy, Manila)

The top 10 art schools in the Philippines shake out something like this:

There may be others who would argue for a different ranking among these schools or that a few different ones should be on the list, but these are top-notch schools and you can not go wrong investigating them for yourself, your spouse or your children.

Good luck in finding a quality education with an international flair and a very affordable (by US standards) tuition bill.

Don’t forget, if you are currently living outside the Philippines and want to get a visa to stay here as longs you remain in school you can apply for a 9(F) Student Visa to avoid paying tourist visa fees and continually renewing your tourist visa.

Let me know your thoughts on Top 10 Art Schools in the Philippines.

Making It Hard On Yourself In The Philippines

03/10/2018 by Dave Starr 2 Comments

Making It Hard On Yourself In The Philippines.

(updated 30 Jul 2018)

Why would people want to make it hard on themselves?

Especially when breaking the law and prison time is involved?

Frankly, when the consequences of breaking a law include possible prison time, I personally become very law abiding … you can be sure of that.

But what about a law that seems ancient and virtually obsolete to many Westerners?

Adultery.

You Have To Make Decisions Before You Die

24/09/2018 by Dave Starr 4 Comments

Making decisions before you die.

(Updated 24 September 2018)

Most People Who Die Don’t Want To Die and Most Are Not Ready For It.

I think that is a pretty well-accepted statement above. We all know we are going to die, but except for the sad case f suicide, virtually none of us wants to die. And we sure are not ready right now. Most of us know there are many things we would like to straighten out and make right before that last morning wakeup.

You Can’t Make Things Perfect, But You Can Try

Especially if you move to the Philippines, you usual;y have more loose ends than you bargained for. For the sake of your loved ones, and especially children you may have left behind, please give things some thought BEFORE that moment when all your earthly thinking will stop.

I Get Messages Like This All The Time, And They Make Me Sad.

Do It Yourself or Ask For Help in the Philippines

23/09/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Do It Yourself or Ask For Help in the Philippines.

(Updated 22 Sep 2018)

I had fun writing about my waiting for the chicken article centered around getting my car fixed. I’m glad some other folks enjoyed it also.

I actually had fun that day living out the experience too … why? I feel, mainly (except for the un-invited summoning of Philip), I was on my own.

Not knowing the language “to speak of” and often being a bit ignorant of local customs, it can sometimes seem a bit daunting to go off on your own to get things done. But always having to have an interpreter/helper/shepherd guiding you can be very wearing at times as well.

Many Foreigners Refuse To Have Fun in the Philippines

Just Fall In Line Behind The Chicken

22/09/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Just Fall In Line Behind The Chicken.

(Last Updated 21 Seo 2018)

Hauling Out and Dusting Off An Old Favorite

I first published this post nearly 10 years ago. It’s always been a favorite of mine because it tells a lot about what it’s really like to live in the Philippines, day by day.

It has had its share of readership but it is now buried so far back in the archives hardly anyone is ever going to find it, so I decided to dust it off, polish it up and make a few edits to bring it up to the present.

How Did The Chicken Get In Here?

A while back I took my car to the dealer for its routine 40,000-kilometer service (that’s about 25,000 miles for the Metrically challenged out there).

Yep, four years now of living in the Philippines and car ownership in the Philippines and I have accumulated 25,000 miles already?

Already? Heck, I would have run up that many miles back in Colorado in only a year … one of the many reasons that living here is much cheaper than living in the US, even if you insist on the luxury of your own car.

It’s now 12 years living here and I have just over 100,000 km (60,000 miles.)

Can My Philippine Friend Visit Me in the USA?

20/09/2018 by Dave Starr 28 Comments

US Visitor Visa concerns. Can My Philippine Friend Visit Me in the USA?

(Updated 21 September 2018)

Originally published sometime back. Significantly updated and corrected for my current reader’s information. Thanks for being a reader, by the way.

I have received a lot of queries over the years about the US Visitor Visa (known as a B2 Visa to the US State Department) for Filipinos.

Mainly these questions revolve around the subject of getting a Filipino friend a temporary visitor’s visa allowing them to enter the USA for a short visit.

People want to know, mainly:

How do they (the visas) work,
How much do they cost,
Can my girlfriend get one, etc.
I’ve heard they are very hard to get, and why?

It occurred to me today that I hadn’t written about these issues in some time when I opened an email from a reader here with some specific questions: [Read more…] about Can My Philippine Friend Visit Me in the USA?