Moving to the Philippines

How long can you stay in the Philippines if you are a US citizen?

03/11/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

How long can you stay in the Philippines if you are a US citizen?

(Updated 3 November 2018)

I’m a US citizen and I want to know how long I can stay in the Philippines if I decide to retire there?

Simple Answer — A Long Time.

Now, how long is a “long time”? Well in contrast to the USA, where visitors (if they can even GET a tourist visa) are normally limited to a 90-day stay, with no extensions, the Philippines is a dream country for international nomads for overseas retirees.

Apply The KISS Principle

Let’s start with a US citizen (or a citizen of any of the many visa waiver countries listed here). The simple news is, you need only two things:

Your passport (valid for at least 6 months at the time you enter the Philippines).
Proof of Onward travel within 30 days of your arrival in the Philippines.

That’s all? Yep, that’s all you need to get in the door. From that point onward I’ll show you how to stay here in the Philippines legally for up to 36 months. There are other visas you can get which let you stay even longer (up to the end of your life), but this is the KISS section, so let’s just stay with the initially free to anyone tourist visa.

Still Keeping Me Rudely Awake 2018

02/11/2018 by Dave Starr 2 Comments

Still Keeping Me Rudely Awake.

(Last Updated 02 November 2018)

Three years ago I wrote about some current costs in Colorado and why the Cost of living Philippines is often 1/12 the cost of the USA. It’s summarized below.

Why bring up something three years old today?

Well, my wife and I are currently in Florida, getting ready to return to our home in the Philippines in just a few days.

Many of our experiences on this trip are about the same as our trip three years ago.

To Stay Or Move

A primary purpose of this trip (October 2018) was to “sniff the air” if you well, to see if we both might decide it was time to move back to the USA.

I was recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Not very happy news. But I’m taking steps to minimize the issues (like getting off those damn cigarettes (yet again)), losing weight and other health-promoting things.

One of the reasons I started thinking strongly about going back to the USA is …

There’s No US Medicare in the Philippines

Many of my readers, of course, know this, but every month I get contacted by people who want to know the answer to things like “What hospitals in the Philippines “accept” Medicare”? and similar queries.

The answer is short and simple (although harsh to some). None.

US Medicare does not pay at all for any procedures or care received outside the USA.
[Read more…] about Still Keeping Me Rudely Awake 2018

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.

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.

Ba Baba Ba — Going Down in the Philippines

06/10/2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Don’t Ask For What You Don’t Want.

(Last updated 06 October 2018)

Why Don’t People Ask For What They Want?

I came across something a day or so back from a faithful reader, JJ, which I certainly should have made into an article here a long time ago.

This was originally a comment to my article expressing one of my embarrassing moments at trying to be funny at the expense of a Filipino … never a very good idea. So, here it is.

Funny Filipino Words

Actually there are a lot of funny Filipino words and even funnier ways that Filipinos use them.

Sometimes Filipinos repeat the first syllable to make the word in future form.

So the word “baba” which means “down” will become “ba-baba” or “will go down”.

“Kain” or eat becomes “ka-kain” (will eat).

“Talon” or jump becomes “ta-talon” (will jump). And so on.

Another word we use like the word “lang” (In English, “lang” typically means “only”) is “ba”.

We use this after asking a question.

So for example if you are going to ask if a person will eat, it goes like this “ka-kain ba?”, of if going to jump “ta-talon ba?”

buh buh buh buh – buh buh buh buh”. Hehe

Ha ha JJ, ha ha (or should I say, ha hahaha ha?

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 2 Comments

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.)

Use A Fixer in the Philippines?

15/09/2018 by Dave Starr Leave a Comment

Live in the Philippines — Use a Fixer?

(Updated 15 Sep 2018)

Should You Use a Fixer?

Here are a few thoughts on a question that comes up frequently here on PhilFAQS where we try to answer the most common questions about living in the Philippines.

With this question, you are not going to get a clear, quick answer from me, but I’ll give you some current guidance and some real-world experiences that will help you decide some things for yourself.

I Know A Guy

One of the joys, as well as the hazards of living here in the Philippines, is that you can often buy almost anything you want .. or hire someone to get something done for you.