Philippines

Internot Philippines {8}

Internot Philippines

While the rest of the world has this thing called the internet, the Philippines has their very own version, which I have dubbed the Internot. Not cheap, not fast, and not at all reliable. Even when it is working it’s not robust enough to handle much of what the internet is being used for and where the net is going.

I had high hopes, and still do I suppose, that things would improve with regards to the internet in the Philippines by the time I were to retire there. Well, things have improved, at least in theory, since I’ve first started visiting there, but in many ways they really haven’t.
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Last modified: 14th October, 2013

By Category: Development, Electricity, Internet, Samal Island Tags: , , , , ,

Retirement satellite office launched in Davao {2}

I found this article on PIA regarding the establishment in Davao of a satellite office of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA). They feel that the retiree population is expected to continue to rise primarily due to the SRRV (Special Resident’s Retiree’s Visa). This includes not only retirees from the United States, but also those from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and Europe.

“The goal of making the Philippines a retirement destination has taken off,” said Aglipay, “The challenge is to build and create socio-economic and technology infrastructure that proactively responds to retiree needs thru our partnership with industry stakeholders.”

The Special Resident’s Retiree’s Visa has been promoted as an alternative to the other visas, such as the 13a Permanent Resident Visa and the Balikbayan Visa, for longer term solutions to staying in the Philippines. The SRRV does have investment requirements that change based on your criteria, so it is best that one look into all the stipulations first, if you feel you may be interested in applying for this type of permanent visa. One of the benefits of this visa, as I understand it, is that you are not required to be married to a Philippine citizen, as is the case with the 13a Permanent Resident Visa and the Balikbayan Visa.
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Last modified: 13th October, 2013

By Category: Davao, Retirement Tags: , , ,

New Hats {5}

Bailey-Charlie-Pork-Pie-Hat

When I was younger I thought that all the old guys wore hats to hide the fact that they’re bald, or heading in that direction. Having qualified as a bald, old guy for awhile now, I can’t say that my perception was entirely inaccurate. I can say that I now know it may not be the complete story.

For a few years now I’ve been developing spots on my forehead and around my eyebrows. Not an uncommon condition in older people, but these were kind of prickly or sensitive to the touch. I was directed to a dermatologist who told me they are were pre-cancerous and probably caused by too much exposure to the sun at some point in my life. It’s not a difficult procedure to fix these. He just pulls out a canister that has some kind of compressed gas and freezes the spots. They look terrible for a week or two, but if I’m lucky they go away after that.

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Last modified: 14th October, 2013

By Category: Retirement Tags: , , , ,

Philippines Ripe for Agri Investments {4}

bananas500

The Philippine Department of Agriculture is promoting investment from South Korea and Thailand in hopes of financing large projects to meet demand for food and biofuel. The Philippines is already a major player in the export of several items, but the demand is there for more. In addition to the crops themselves, there are many opportunities related to production and processing.

During PGMA’s recent visit to Samal Island, the area was pushed as ideal for such investments possibilities. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap met with the Charoen Pokphand Group of Thailand, headed by its chairman and CEO Dhanin Chearavanont, in Samal Island during President Arroyo’s visit.

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Last modified: 14th October, 2013

By Category: Development, Food Tags: , , , , , ,

Frugality and the Philippines {4}

frigpackaging


Amazon.com Widgets

Frugal living, voluntary simplicity, living within your means, or whatever you’d like to call it. I like to think of it as, “common sense”. There was a movement here in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s where many people were tired of “more is not enough”, and the move to a simpler life was appealing. With the current state of the economy there will likely be renewed interest in this effort.

A simpler life can mean many things, and to a great extent depends upon where you start from. In essence it involves buying only what you can afford, making economical choices/choosing alternatives, and getting rid of what you don’t need. Does this theme sound familiar?

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Last modified: 14th October, 2013

By Category: Cost of living, Retirement, Samal Island Tags: , , , , ,

Nosebleed {2}

nose bleed

There are a lot of phrases that are thrown around when it comes to foreigners here in the Philippines. I think one of the most famous might be “Hey Joe,” though that seems to have lost some of it’s steam lately.

My current favorite would have to be “nosebleed.” The first time I heard it, I didn’t know what it meant and I didn’t find out right away. Since that time I’ve heard the phrase quite a bit. Given the right situation, I even use it myself as in asking a question. So what is this “nosebleed?”
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Last modified: 14th October, 2013

By Category: Cultural Adjustment, Davao, Langauge Tags: , , ,

The Exotic Philippines {1}

Many Americans have a distorted perception of the Philippines. Maybe it is just that they really don’t have any perception of the Philippines, other than it is a group of islands in a tropical setting. At least so it seems to me from the people I encounter.

This isn’t really surprising to me, as I had a similar view before I had visited there. I really knew almost nothing about the country, other than there had been a relationship between us, including during World War II. History and Geography were never my strong subjects. Seems that might be true for a good number of Americans as well.
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Last modified: 7th August, 2012

By Category: Cultural Adjustment, History, Retirement Tags: , , ,

Observations of a Retired American Living in the Philippines {83}

As of April 3, 2011, I have been living in the Philippines for five years. Knowing that tidbit of information, Randy asked me to write about something along the lines of how things are different than I expected when I first moved here. Frankly, almost everything is exactly as I expected it to be. I can’t point out any differences, even subtle ones.

I tend to write about things that come up as they come up on my own blog, Retired Kano. To do the same kind of thing here would be kind of boring. Instead, I’m going to harp on something I read at Yahoo Answers a couple of days ago along with an e-mail message I received.

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Last modified: 19th August, 2013

By Category: Retirement Tags: , , , ,