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Why the Philippines? It starts with the Beautiful and Loving Filipinas When asking why the Philippines, all you have to do is look around and you will see that most of the expats here have a beautiful Filipina woman in tow. The majority of those expats are like me, meaning they are far from what Western women seem to consider as “prime” partner material. Not fabulously wealthy, probably at least a little overweight, balding and skin interestingly wrinkled. Not too many spry young chickens among the bunch of us, yet here we are with women that not only would be considered unattainable back home but also love and care for us beyond anything we had thought possible, or had been conditioned by western society that we even deserved. Though that basic reason seem pretty universal, the actual paths we took to get here have some variance. Some of us checked out the online dating websites like Filipino Cupid, Cherry Blossoms or the many Facebook groups, while others jumped on a plane and preferred to see first hand the beautiful Filipina women that are widely talked about.

Dumaguete City My Philippines Home Dumaguete city was not the Philippines that I initially fell in love with was the one of picture postcards. originally it was laid back island life on fine white sand beaches where living was simple and easy. After six months of living that dream, quite honestly I started going a little stir crazy. Being still in my early 50’s and having kept busy all my life, the realization set in that I was not only too poor to retire but also too young to sit idly by and just watch life go by for another few decades. For various reasons, the main one being a phone call from my Brother in law explaining in no uncertain terms that my wife’s momma expected me to bring her daughter home and make an honest woman out of her, we packed up and moved to Dumaguete City. To be truthful, I was not immediately enamored with Dumaguete as at first glance it appeared not much different than any other small Filipino or Asian city with congested roads, crowds and the accompanying grime and grind of city living. Not really a whole lot different than I left behind in […]

Siquijor Enchanted Island of the Philippines   For any of you readers looking for a place to settle down into a magical slow moving lifestyle, you have to check out Siquijor. I have been living in Dumaguete City for the past six months , and though I love living here, I do miss the slow moving pace of REAL island living. It was only recently that I made the short 1 hour trip across the strait to this island steeped in magical mystery, and fell in love all over again with the Philippines. Siquijor is a clean island with good roads and infrastructure(Power generation facility was recently refurbished), friendly people, and white sand beaches to rival Boracay, Bohol or Palawan. Though shopping and medical facilities are not in the same league as what you will find in Dumaguete, in Siquijor you can live the simple life with all that dumaguete has to offer just a short boat ride away. There are dozens of resorts on the island from small simple backpacker type retreats to the amazingly extravagant Coco Grove.you will also find the same range in dining experiences with 100 peso meals by the sea or in one of the […]

Moving to the Philippines – part 2   The reasons I am actually contemplating this move, in spite of all my problems and difficulties, are (1) At 64 and having done very little different for a very long time, I just feel I need a new and exciting experience in my last years. I am aware of the saying that a ship that stays in harbour is safe but it just rusts out. (2) I hate the cold and dullness of the English weather from about October to April (but realise that in Phil it is the overwhelming heat that is the problem and perhaps more difficult than dealing with cold). (3) I love being by the sea and know it would give me such a great feeling to have a beautiful beach and sea to look at and spend time on. Also, it seems the cost of living is lower there in Phil (although Filipino friends who have recently been home for a holiday have been shocked by prices now); it would be good to think we could go for a meal without being charged a ridiculous amount. My research indicates that renting a house would be much cheaper; […]

Finding Happiness as an expat in the Philippines The key is Attitude After being here for close to a year now , I have talked to a pile of people who have shared with me all sorts of slight variations of the same stories. From those exchanges I have come to learn a very important lesson which I now try to incorporate into my own daily life in an attempt to finding lasting happiness. So far it is working and I would humbly love to share with you my inspiration. There are really only two basic categories of people that I have met. those that are happy and those that are miserable. I will start with the second category first. For these people , and I have to emphatically state that they are in the minority, everything sucks. Weather is too hot, weather is too cool, weather is too dry or weather is too wet. Their Filipina partner pays too little attention to them or maybe too much. Too much bureaucracy for them , but not enough to keep everyone else in line. Filipino culture is not like the culture from their homeland, and on and on and on. I […]

Property Title Problems in the Philippines A lot of Filipinos Property Rich but Cash Poor For the past year I have seen my wife get well established in the Dumaguete Real Estate market, and one of the things I have seen over and over again is how so many Filipinos are property rich, but cash poor. The vast majority of raw property that comes across her desk is for the most part unsaleable because of issues with titling. This seems to be in most part due to the fact that the sellers’ interest in these properties are from inheritance and usually it is several generations removed from the original owner before the issue of proper titling is addressed. The beginning seems to be what is called a “mother title” owned by an ancestor and upon their death, the justified heirs duly inherit a stake in the property as laid out by Filipino statute. ( I will not go into trying to explain in this article, as it is a whole complicated subject in itself). When the mother title is passed down, numerous things are supposed to happen in order for the heirs to gain their own titles. These include such […]

DUMAGUETE, CITY OF CHOICE FOR EXPATS IN THE PHILIPPINES REAL ESTATE Dumaguete City, capital of Negros Oriental is gaining in popularity as the best place for Expats to settle. Previosly I have wriiten articles trying to explain why and have covered the topics of Medical Care and Amenities. This week I will give some info on Real Estate. The Real Estate market for both investment rental properties as well as single family dwellings is thriving due the steady influx of foreigners looking to rent or purchase accomodations, and it does not look like there is an end in site. Currently prices are still very attractive and affordable but at some point there is concern that this growth will lead to inflation due to supply problems and speculation. Purchase pricing varies with land ranging from 500 P/sq M for undeveloped land outside the city to 3,500 P/sq M for developed land in some of the more affluent subdivisons and beachfronts. Add to that your actual finished building costs of 20k to 30k per sq M(floor area) finished to North American or European standard. A typical mid quality house with 120 sqm of floor area on a 400 sqm lot , will […]

Dumaguete expat, what do the locals think of me? Some Food for Thought! Recently, I was sitting around the patio at Awesome Desserts on the Boulevard, just one of many other foreigners kicking back and discussing this daily life that I describe as like winning the lottery, when a thought came to mind. How do the locals feel about this Dumaguete expat and my growing number of brethren. I made the mistake of vocalizing what was going through my head and after an origonal shrug-off by each of us, it quickly turned into a heated mini-debate with many different opinions. The end result was my asking Terrence to think about writing an article for us on the topic and this is what he came back with. If you are a Dumaguete Expat, or an expat anywhere in the Philippines, here I believe, is some good food for thought. Gord Do You Pillage And Rape? Or Are You A Nice Guy? by Terence Doyle Anyone else been experiencing troubling pangs of guilt recently about their pampered lifestyle out here in the Philippines? Anyone else pausing now and then during their daily round and wondering about the morality of their retiree ways? […]

DIVORCE FROM A FILIPINA There is a way if that is what it comes to When it comes to divorce from a Filipina, or the ending of a relationship, I always discuss the topic reluctantly as I myself am not in that situation and hope I never will be. Personally my feeling is that all avenues should be explored to work on an existing relationship and avoid the need for a split, but the reality is that some are just broken beyond repair and their only alternative is for a couple to go their own separate ways. For that reason, I recently choose to repost an article ( Divorce in the Philippines) written by another author several years ago about divorce in the Philippines, or more accurately, no divorce in the Philippines. I do believe that that article was accurate, but when I shared it with another forum of expats in the Philippines, I was brought to task by a member who had taken a novel approach to his divorce of a Filipina. Though I do not like how he delivered his message, the message itself was interesting. After doing my own research, I found that what he said to […]

Finding love with a Filipina Chapter 3 Today I want to tell you about Shirley . The love of my life that I thought I would never have I had plans to visit the Philippines again in the winter of 2013 so ,, I signed up again on a dating site hoping that this time the experience would be better .for several months , I corresponded with Filipinas , and went through the same crap again . Numerous gays posing as women , people who would have all sorts of reasons to not be able to do a video call , and of course ,all the requests for money . I actually did send money to some with the hope that it would help them and their families out , but I also knew some were just scams and con jobs . It took a long time to weed out the crap and again I eventually was left with several women I thought were real , and that i was attracted to in both looks and personality . It was a hard choice to make , especially with the doubts from my previous experiences , but for some reason , […]

Finding love with a Filipina Chapter #4 Good morning everyone . Gord here again , and its a beautiful day to be alive and in love . Let me continue today about how the love has grown between shirley and I. After several months of pure bliss with the newly found love of my life , I had to return to canada to attend to business . Problem was that Shirley could not attain the permit to come with me at that time. Pure and simple , that sucked . I had finally met the girl of my dreams and we had to part . The next 8 months all we could do was call , text or chat on skype . I missed snuggling with her , looking deep into her eyes and the touch of her soft skin . The way she giggled when I tickled her , and even the look of death she gave me when i pissed her off, lol. It was unbearable at times , but what got me through was knowing that I loved her , she loved me and that one day we would be together all the time . In december […]

FINDING LOVE WITH A FILIPINA CHAPTER 5 Good morning ,Gord here , to continue my story. Sorry for the delay , but it I have had to spend some time deciding how I would write this chapter , keeping it coming straight from my heart . Here goes , lol So , last I wrote , the magic seemed to be gone between Shirley and I ! But to be truthful , I now realize it was still there but in a different form . It is easy to be in a relationship when all things are roses , but life isn’t like that . For me , Shirley or anyone else . That is a fact and a reality ! The true test of love is what is done when things are difficult . For us , no matter how hard things were , our love for each other was the one constant and unbreakable thing . Now, like for everything in this world that is worthwhile , the real work had to begin. I cannot speak for Shirley on this but quickly , I will tell you what I learned. I had to change. Changing myself was all […]

Quotes about Love Keeping your relationship in perspective Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Engagement rings are often worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because the ancient Greeks maintained that that finger contains the vena amoris, or the “vein of love,” that runs straight to the heart. The first recorded wedding rings appear in ancient Egypt, with the circle representing eternity as well as powerful sun and moon deities. European males subconsciously seek out women whose waist circumference is about 70% of their hips. Beauty icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Venus de Milo, and even Twiggy had a waist ratio of exactly 70%. Women around the world are more likely to fall in love with partners with ambition, education, wealth, respect, status, a sense of humor, and who are taller than they are. Women also prefer distinctive cheekbones and a strong jawbone, which are linked to testosterone levels. During ovulation, women become even more interested in men with signs of testosterone. Women often feel loved when talking face to face with their partner; men, on the other hand, often feel emotionally close when they […]

Relationships, Love, Marriage and other Trivia Some Interesting things to keep in mind while you are developing your relationship with a Filipina • Did You Know? According to a study, Couples who share housework equally are more likely to divorce • Did You Know? Husbands who kiss their wives before leaving home in the morning have been documented to live five years longer than those who do not. • Did You Know? Women can talk longer with less effort than can men. That has been proved repeatedly. Why? Because the vocal cords of women are shorter than those of men and so release less air through them to carry the sound. It’s all a matter of breathing. • Did You Know? Couples who lived together before they were engaged have higher divorce rates than those who waited until they were married. • Did You Know? In Japan, Women give men chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Men return the favor a month later on White Day (March14th). • Did You Know? A strong sense of humor is associated with intelligence and honesty. That’s why; most women are attracted to men with a sense of humor. • Did You Know? Most married couples […]

Living with a Filipina Introduction Over a year ago I wrote some articles about my experiences Finding Love With a Filipina and as time progressed I had planned to continue with a series on what it is now like Living with a Filipina. Well, on the 28th of March my wife and I will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary so I figured there can be no more procrastination, I should now share my experiences and thoughts. Living with a Filipina – Introduction The Realities of an Intimate Relationship In the overall sense, the honest truth is that it has been extremely difficult at times and though my love for my wife is unwavering , I truly have had my doubts that we would make it as a couple. I will not say here that it is her fault , nor will I take full responsibility for our difficulties myself. The real truth is that at some point, our storybook romance had to face the realities of any intimate long term, lasting relationship.Those realities I believe are true for anybody who has the goal of a satisfying , healthy relationship with another. To give you some background, I myself have […]

Living with a Filipina Chapter 3 Remebering why I am in Love Loyalty – a good Filipina‘s unwavering commitment   I awake early, and usually spend a little time these days out on my balcony, listening to the waves and watching the sun come up. The other day, when I came in the door, refreshed and inspired about the possibilities of the coming day and before sitting down in front of my computer, I decided to take a few minutes to climb into bed and lay next to Shirley my filipina wife. As I was stroking her hair, ( c’mon guys, don’t imagine where this is going please and just read on, lol) I could not notice the rise and fall of her chest nor the gentle exhale of her breath. For one short minute a panic overcame me that I have rarely felt in my life. She was of course alive, well and breathing but the thought that crossed my mind instantly was , what would my life be like if she were gone? That thought was something I hope I never have to face in reality, because honestly, I do not know if I would feel that life […]

Living With a Filipina Chapter 4 Should I bring her home to Canada? In this series I am writing about living with a Filipina, this will probaly be an article that generates some polarized opinions. Though that might be the case, I have never been one to shy away from controversy in the hope that various viewpoints can be put forward and discussed in a way that people can benefit from. What now seems like many years ago, when I first got the idea that maybe somewhere else in the world there might be a woman that I could have a satisfying and meaningful intimate relationship with, I did travel to several South American countries in my search before trying out the Philippines. During that time, I seem to remember that my ultimate goal was that if I did find that woman, I would bring her back to Canada then maybe go back to her home country (in a warmer climate) during Canada’s cold winter months. When I first visitted the Philippines, that plan did not change immediately. I went the normal route as most men and visitted several times and each time I had spent time with some Filipina […]

LIVING WITH A FILIPINA Chapter 5 Her perspective of Living with a foreigner will remain a mystery for now So it has been several weeks now of gentle reminders to Shirley that she should start her series of articles and the truth came out today, lol. She just doesn’t want to do it. Though I am disappointed, I do respect her decision but when asked about her reason, another topic for my series popped into mind. I know that my wifes english is more than passable and she is definitely capable to string her thoughts into coherent sentences, so I was always confident that if her heart was in it, what she would share would have been a good read for myself and others, but the real reason she at least temporarily declined was her concern over what others would think. And I believe that sentiment is something that most of us foreigners with Filipina partners have experienced in varying degrees. It has become apparent to me over the course of my stay here that my wife is not alone in how she lets what other people will think, guide both her actions and hold ransom to her true freedom. […]

Here’s a quick break down of 5 questions any first time traveler should be asking. Question: I think Filipinas look beautiful and I want to find a relationship in the Philippines. There are lots of people in the dating sites from the Philippines but I want to meet someone face to face first. Can I go to the Philippines before I’ve met someone special? Answer: YES! – I would recommend to anyone coming to the Philippines with a view on making a relationship to follow these simple steps. Avoid committing yourself to someone you met in a chat room, while many people find lasting relationships online I prefer to find someone who’s not playing the numbers game at the start of a relationship. Find someone when you get here – this will probably sound difficult to anyone who’s never been here but forget everything you know from the west, just sit and wait for someone to chat you up, if you don’t like who arrives just wait a while longer or ask if they can introduce you to anyone else, it won’t take long even if you’re pig dog ugly! I kid you not. Come alone or with some casual […]

Filipino Mentality Chapter 1 – Focusing on today vs Looking at the “Big Picture” I, like most westerners I know, tend towards being a “planner”. That seems to involve most aspects of my life from financial matters to vacations or even the meals that I have, and sometimes I notice that this need to plan can be considered somewhat anal. My thinking with just about everything centers around what I consider being proactive approach to life where I consider consequences and how to avoid negative ones and try to develop positive ones. My life involves lists, such as tasks on my daily calendar at least a week or two in advance and what things to pack when I go on a trip. In business and in my personal finances I use cash flow projections to determine the best use of what money I get when in order to not go out and buy something I want, but don’t particularly need, then be stuck with some one knocking on my door to settle a bill that I do not have the money to pay. The examples of how and why I plan is endless and it is clearly just the way […]

Starting My Philippines Life Over What I Would Do Differently Here I am, 5 years down the road in my Philippines life, thinking back to how I behaved during my first year or two and wondering how I would do things differently if I was just arriving in the country now. It’s not that I have any reason to complain about my life at the moment. On the contrary, despite having made many missteps after first landing in the Philippines, I am happily married with a incredible one year old son and only have reasons to celebrate. I am only pondering my early years because I feel so lucky to have gotten where I am, knowing that I made a lot of mistakes. Everyone arriving in a new country makes some, of course. But maybe if I confess to a few of mine, I can save you making the same ones I did. Before I begin, I would suggest it is essential for anyone coming here for the first time with romantic inclinations to be very clear which of two opposing camps they belong to: are you coming simply for fun or determined to find a wife? Your purpose will […]

Don’t Get Involved! A Filipino Mentality that differs wildly from what I am used to This Filipino mentality showed it ugly side recently here in Dumaguete. There was a very sad and unfortunate incident that has made me remember something my wife has tried repeatedly to convince me of. Out of respect for the family of the man, and his memory, I do not want to get too far into details but a simple overview is that a young American man got into a dispute in a bar which ultimately led to his death. The whole incident was caught on video from the security camera of the establishment, which then found its way on to the internet. I, like many others I am sure, watched the video and besides the the obvious revolt I felt watching the death, something else shocked, and yes pissed me off. As this man lay on the street, countless people walked by seemingly entirely disinterested let alone showing a willingness to help. This took me back to several decades ago when I heard numerous stories about similar behavior in New York City, where it was reported that muggings and other violence occurred on the streets […]

As an expat in the Philippines I am now part of a society in which for better or worse, I stand out and am highly visible. This is an ironic twist for me as for the first several decades of my life I desperately strove to be in such a position. Growing up, I have to admit I was on the insecure side. I was never the guy that garnered a lot of attention from the girls nor was I held in great esteem by my peers who gathered around amazed at my wit, laugh at my jokes or be in awe of my abilities and accomplishments. For the most part I was just one of a faceless crowd that I felt I had to work hard to impress and show my relevance in the world in. In my late teens and early twenties I resorted to drink, outlandish behavior and extravagant spending to set me apart from the crowd and counterbalance my shyness and insecurity.

Ferry Travel In The Philippines Is it safe? If you are coming to the Philippines and have done even a minimal amount of research, you will know that ferry travel is likely to be a part of your itinerary if you wish to stray any distance outside of Manila, and an essential part if you want to visit one or more of the islands which constitute the raison d’être for most visits. Oh, how wonderful that can be! Sailing along in a brilliantly painted bangka, sheltered from the sun, with the blue sea splashing against the sides. I have enjoyed that from the short transit to Puerto Gulera in the north to El Nido in the south-west.    But you will probably also know that the Philippines has an unenviable reputation as far as ferries so. So it is worth asking: What is the truth about ferry travel? Or, as the more pessimistic might put the question: Just how risky is the situation? To get the bad news out of the way first, much of what you have heard about ferry travel is true. For starters, the country has the unwelcome distinction of having had the world’s worst peacetime maritime […]

Life in the Philippines Perspective is Everything Recently Henry, “Reekay” Velez made a video called ” what do you see” and this made me once again reflect on the different perspectives I have looked at the Philippines from during my time here and how it has affected my enjoyment of life here. Perception of life in the Philippines as a tourist When I first started to visit the Philippines, it was strictly as a tourist in a new and colorful world that I knew little about. I was hopping on a plane usually in -25 C degrees weather, bundled up in 3 layers of clothing then debarking in weather where anything more than shorts a tee shirt and sandals would be extremely uncomfortable. Usually I would stay a day or two in Manila where the bright lights, street vendors and even the beautiful “available” young women standing enticingly outside the “gentlemen’s” clubs were a novelty that filled me with wonder. When tired of the Manila scene, it was time to hop on a plane and visit the seaside paradises so plentiful in this island nation, and it was my tastes always to concentrate on the out of the way native […]

Finding a Girl in the Philippines Online Get Ready to be Overwhelmed! When I first went about finding a girl in the Philippines online, I was absolutely shocked and overwhelmed. I had been pretty much single for a decade or two and had tried all the online dating sites popular in North America from the free Plenty of Fish platform to the pay per use Eharmony and Match.com services. Those North American services were a major disappointment probably more because of the fact that I was just not considerred a “catch” by Western women than the actual services I was using to find a suitable partner. Then that brilliant notion enterred my mind that maybe there was a different reality somewhere out there where women may actually still want a middle aged slightly balding, decent guy. Well there was, and it blew my mind when I found out that Finding a girl in the Philippines had so much potential. The site that I used was Filipinocupid.com and the response was nothing short of amazing. I sat down, filled in the profile blanks, wrote a short background of myself and uploaded a few pictures. (real ones of course, lol). I turned […]

Perspective as an Expat in the Philippines Forgetting to see the Beauty I am writing this article reflecting on my perspective as an expat in the Philippines as a follow up to my previous article on what the country looked like as a tourist who was just visiting. Very quickly after I sat down in front of my computer to punch away at the keys, not too surprisingly I realized how differently the world looks like from this perspective, and how it affects my daily enjoyment of my life in the Philippines. To give a little background, I have now been living here for over two years and I consider the Philippines my home. I do love it here, but just like when I was living in Canada, I really take all the beauty here for granted. I believe this is an absolutely normal human attitude, but it is also one I believe I have control over. Writing about it, I hope, gives me the insights to change, because understanding how my mind is thinking gives me that ability to change, which will ultimately have the effect of not only gaining more enjoyment from new life in the Philippines, but […]

Share your Filipina Success Story What has it been like for you Living with a Filipina? I would love for some of you other readers to share your success stories to show to all of you men out there still searching, that the the majority of us are happy beyond our wildest dreams. I am sure that there are men out there that cruise the plentiful blog sites and social media pages and what they see is a lot of men moaning and groaning about their sad tales of woe at the hands of some Filipina. I think it is important to show that these men are probably in the minority and to be blunt, most bear a good part of the responsibilty for the disatorous relationships they got themselves into in the first place. My personal experiences since moving here and meeting countless foreigner-Filipina couples who have a happy and healthy relationship leads me to believe that there are more success stories than failures and being vocal about your happy tales will inspire more men to responsibly search out for the Filipina that is right for them. So come on men, if you have found happiness with a Filipina […]

Philippines Weather It’s the Sunshine, Stupid When you first think of coming to this country, it is natural to take a little interest in the Philippines weather you are likely to encounter. Frequent and highly alarming news reports of monsoons, typhoons, rainy seasons, floods, storms, tropical depressions and sodden landslides are bound to make anyone wonder if this country is really the Paradise you are looking for. So you diligently get out a map or two and consult a few websites trying to find out when and where exactly the rain falls and the wind blows and, guess what? You learn nothing. If you consult some of the detailed maps that boldly use primary colours – brilliant blues and reds and yellows – to highlight regions of rainfall, storm, sunshine etc at various times of the year, they generally look like colourings done by blind children, utterly incomprehensible to all but, perhaps, an experienced meteorologist. Surely it would be easier to portray the for formula for sending a shuttle to Mars. Even if you do grasp the essentials, you have to ask: Are they reliable? Perhaps they were valid yesterday but what about tomorrow. Climates are changing so quickly. So […]

Doing Business in the Philippines A Foreigner’s Perspective In respect to a foreigner doing business in the Philippines, I have to start by trying to dispel the belief that it is not possible for a foreigner to make money here. Whenever I have written anything about doing business in the Philippines as a foreigner, there is usually a very vocal group of disenfranchised former entrepreneurs who have failed miserably and I guess feel that because they failed all others will do so as well. I would even go as far to say that most of these people have let resentment of their own failure poison their thinking about the possibilities of success and probably are so vocal because another’s success might show them the need to examine their own failure and the responsibility they must personally take for it. I do speak from experience on this topic as I too failed miserably in my first steps into the Philippines business world. Like many other Expats, I got off the plane with a fair amount of cash in my account expecting to easily turn that cash reserve into a life long steady stream of income to allow me to live like […]

Learning Filipino Culture An important step if you want happiness in your interracial relationship! Before I get into learning about Filipino culture, I want to introduce myself. I am Yuri Sincero.  I was born and raised in Cebu, Philippines.  I now live in the United States, married to an American man for almost 2 years now. I wanted to write this article because I feel that there is something very important that international/interracial couples should know.  My focus is on filipino nationals married to a person from the west, but I feel it can really apply to any international/interracial couple. There is a learning curve when marrying outside of your race and/or culture.*This specifically is learning about Philippine culture and its connection of how filipino women are. .As a filipino national in a serious relationship with my American husband since 2012, what I have noticed is just how different our cultures are.  Accepting the differences and adjusting continuously has been the hardest lesson for me.  You cannot really appreciate the experience until you live with a person from another culture everyday.  My husband and I are both very open to learn from each other’s culture and it is a huge […]

The Filipina Perspective What Are They Really Thinking? A while back I wrote an article about the Filipina perspective and how though we foreigners have a lot to say about our Filipina partners, very few Filipinas come out publicly and tell their side of the story. Yes men, there are two sides, lol. At first I tried to convince my wife Shirley that sharing her experiences and thought about being in a relationship with a foreigner could be extremely beneficial to both foreigners and other Filipinas. After several weeks of patiently waiting for something from her, it became clear that she was not going to bring those thoughts out in public. I had to respect her decision but to this day, I have to admit that what she, or other Filipinas in interracial relationships with foreign men, feel, experience and think. I suspect that most of the men who like me are in a relationship with a Filipina, are probably in the same position. If we are truthful, we will admit that it is hard enough to understand the other sex from our own culture, but then throw in the added difficulty that our women are from a culture alien […]

I am a guy in my early 50’s would like to meet a girl from the Philippines for a long term relationship with the girl based in the south of Ireland for it to be easier to form the bond.

Creepy Crawly Pests Not the place to be if you are Squeamish about Pests Having grown up and lived most of my life in Canada, where the cold harsh climate half the year keeps most manner of small pests in check, I have had to adapt to a different reality now that I live in the Philippines. Bugs and small pests rule here and everyday it is a constant battle to reclaim our living spaces from unwanted intruders. Personally, though I am not enamored with them, I am not squeamish but to those people who cower in fright at these small pests, The Philippines just might give you a lot of stress. My biggest issue is with ants. They are everywhere! Leave any food crumbs anywhere and very soon you have an army of these little industrial insects swarming. There are many different varieties of ants and while most black ants are harmless some have a voracious appetite for wood and if left unchecked will destroy any wood structure. Red ants on the otherhand pack a nasting little bite. The best way to control ants is regular spraying and simply to keep things sanitary Cockroaches seem to be the next […]

Philippines Election Filipinos have Spoken Loud and Clear The Philippine election is over and there is a new, as yet unclear direction that this country I now call home is heading in. Due to laws barring foreigners from getting involved in elections in any form, I like many foreign expats in the Philippines have had to stand by silently and observe a process that could have far reaching effects on our lives. In the end, Filipinos have voted for change, and though I believe change is necessary I had hoped it would be accomplished in what I feel would have been a safer, more stable and gradual way. Filipinos have elected Rodrigo Duterte as their next President. As the election process started, I have to admit Duterte was attractive to me as a candidate for personal reasons. I and several dozen others are embroiled in an all out war with a despicable Norwegian Expat that has damaged all our lives irreparably. It has been a long and hard battle bringing him to justice and ridding ourselves of the pain he continues to cause us, but it has been frustrating too, as his tentacles of corruption run deep in the Filipino […]

Those Awesome Remote Tropical Islands of The Philippines A Nice Place to Visit, but maybe not a great place to live? I believe most people who have moved to the Philippines are like me and probably visited here a few times before deciding to settle here permanently. Myself, I vacationed in the Philippines  numerous times and usually ended up on a small remote tropical paradise called Carabao Island, a short boat trip from world famous Boracay. The water was clean and and clear, the people simple and friendly and the lifestyle as laid back as one could imagine. For me it truly was the paradise I had always dreamed of. For several weeks a year I would get away from the stressors of the modern life far away from ringing cellphones and endless emails. the biggest decision I had to make most days was what time I would wade out into those aquamarine waters and explore the numerous coral reefs at my doorstep. Life was good and I figured that what I had in that small little postcard picture perfect locale was all I would ever need or want. When I finally made the decision to relocate permanently to the […]

Kumusta good people My Philippines romance and adventure begins A  Blog by Anthony R. Edwards My Philippines romance and adventure begins officially with a Vancouver departure, on time at 2:30pm, January 31st . This Cathay Pacific flight made it safely to Hong Kong if a little late due to Headwinds.  I watched flight progress on my TV screen map, as we tracked the planet. It was fascinating to gaze down on Beringia the former land bridge with Russia and I was reminded of the Korean Air disaster when we flew parallel to Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. I hoped fervently that our plane’s captain was being careful. We crossed land again in the Sendai region of Japan with Tokyo somewhere off to our port. Near as I could tell we remained over Japan until Kumamoto passed under our left wing before traversing the East China Sea. We soon cleared Taiwan and over the South China Sea commenced our descent into Hong Kong. This would be my first venture into South East Asia. I had been courting Daisy, a delightful Filipina, for five months via Skype. We talked three times a day, for up to three hours every day. I’d called her from […]

Don’t Want To Be A Minute Man in the Philippines! Take Your Time and Find the Filipina(s) You Want I have lived in the Philippines for over 1 year now. Before actually living here I had visited a number of times. Let’s face it, those who know, KNOW that there is a huge difference between visiting here and living here. I don’t care how many times you visit, there is no education like the one you receive living here. Once you choose to be a man in the Philippines, your reality will be different. With that said, the other thing you will come to know when living here is HOW MANY ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, OF ALL  (LEGAL) AGES ARE HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES! When James Brown in the 60’s belted out “IT’S A MAN’S WORLD” I AM convinced he was speaking of being a man in The Philippines. I don’t have time to be politically correct and so many ladies MAY be turned off by this statement, but the truth is the Philippines is really a great place to be a MAN. It’s an even better place to be a foreign man OF ANY PERSUASION. Don’t get it twisted; WHITE, […]

Will the Philippines Now Attract More Foreign Investment? Newly Elected President Duterte May Just Pull it Off I am involved in a business in the Philippines that will thrive or die on foreign investment to this country, and during the recent elections I automatically assumed that should Duterte come to power, people might be scared to invest in the Philippines which would have negative consequences to our business. Imagine my pleasant surprise this week when a Duterte Presidency was assured, and one of his immediate announcements was that he was committed to bringing foreign investment into the Philippines. His intention is to rewrite sections of the constitution that now exist which are extremely limiting to foreign ownership of corporations. Currently, foreigners are barred fully from ownership of business in several industries and in those that they are allowed to invest in, the maximum stake of foreign ownership is limited to 40%. These limitations have been a huge obstacle of attracting foreign investment to the Philippines as very few people would consider investing in a venture in which their control is limited. There are legal ways a foreigner can protect an investment , however these methods are tricky, complicated and usually […]

Motorcycles in The Philippines Not What a North American is Used To Motorcycles in the Philippines are part of everyday life for the majority of both Filipinos and Foreign Expats. They are everywhere and take many different forms. You have the automatic scooters which are light and uncomplicated to drive, street-trail hybrids such as the Honda XRM or XR which are easy to use on the street but are more resilient on the off road paths that alot of Filipinos must traverse to get to their homes, the standard 4 speed semi-automatic street bikes and then the larger full street bikes that more resemble what we would see in the North America. The most glaring difference between motorcycles in the Philippines and those in North America is size. Almost every motorcycle in the Philippines will be between 100 and 250 ccs, with a larger bike being a rare oddity that garners ews and ahs and many jealous, but respectful looks. Though I am fully used to the size of the motorcycles in the Philippines, sometimes I think about if I had a bike like this back in Canada. First off, it would not be considered legal on most roads, but […]

People come to the Philippines for various reasons and there’s no surprise the vast majority of those visiting are male. Some for a few weeks on holiday, some for a few months and some people like myself have made it their home. Whatever your intended length of stay, here are a few pointers that can help anyone. I initially arrived for a two week visit and never found anywhere better to visit and ended up living here full time so I’ve been through all of the following mind sets personally, each one building on the one before. Philippines for a Holiday The first thing to strike me having not traveled around Asia much before and coming direct from Marrakesh was the overall friendliness and hospitality of the people. But wary from past experiences as a traveler I knew to keep my wits about me which brings me to my first bit of advice. Only do what you want to do, whatever is possible today is probably possible tomorrow too, with the possible exception of fiestas and holidays. And if someone has approached you to offer you something, there’s a good chance it’s over priced. Overpricing in the Philippines can be […]

My Philippines Adventure Continues Initiated in the unique experiences of public transportation in the Philippines Initially on our Philippines adventure, we got around in a cab. They are plentiful in the city as are Jeepneys and pedi-cabs. To anyone whoever complains about drivers in any North American cities I will ask, “You have never been to the Philippines have you?” These guys are something else; I think they even outdo the Italians. Most cross-streets have neither lights nor stop nor yield signs. It is every Cab, Jeepney, pedi-cab car, truck and pedestrian for himself.  I am learning the art of ultimate jay walking. No one flinches. No one gives way. Some trucks display signs such as ‘Keep your distance.’ What they mean by that is “No getting any closer than 3”. By any normal reality the streets should be littered with broken vehicles and dead people – perhaps even including us – but no. This is all normal. The streets are filled with sound. The Jeepney is the Cebu bus. It’s a Jeep frontage with a modified long axle base carrying a passenger cabin. Most are painted in outrageous colors, no two the same, and many have, in place of […]

The Next Step of my Philippine Adventure As I continue on my Philippine adventure, I pause to ponder the view. Outside our bedroom window, on the third floor of this guest house, is a narrow ledge barely wide enough to accommodate the foot of a walker, heel to toe in front of the other. The architect lined this pigeon ledge with a wrought iron railing doubtless for aesthetic purposes but it makes, apparently, an ideal location for the ladies of the villa to hang-dry their hand-washed panties, bras and bikini combos. We’re not certain what the pigeons think about this but Victoria’s Secret might well benefit from the ladies merchandising acumen. How the ladies access the alleged balcony, remains, to me, a mystery. It occurs though that there are worse views. I visualize the owners. All slim judging by the garment sizes. But then most Filipinas are – slim that is. I was in Robinson’s mall last night taking a rest on a bench as Daisy shopped for supplies. The scene was easy on the eyes. Beauty everywhere. A returning Daisy wanted to know what I was staring at so enthusiastically. “Interesting design features in this mall,” I muttered. But […]

Laws Restricting Foreign Land Ownership in the Philippines hurt Ordinary Filipinos Any foreigner who has wanted to buy land in the Philippines is, or should be fully aware of, the laws prohibiting foreign land ownership. . These laws are absolute and all encompassing save for one exclusion whereby a foreigner can obtain title to land in the Philippines through hereditary succession. (condos can also be owned by a foreigner however they are considered structures, not land). The statutes banning foreign land ownership are enshrined in the Filipino Constitution and the rationale beyond their enactment is to ensure Filipino land stays in Filipino hands. To sell this concept to the everyday working class(or poorer) Filipinos, some one somewhere seems to have convinced the middle and lower classes that this protectionist concept benefits them because foreign buyers would drive the property values up, effectively barring the lower classes from having the ability to own land. My personal feelings, and that of most economists is that this protectionist principle is seriously flawed. The most serious of these flaws is that foreign investment(with reasonable limitations to protect the national interests) has universally proven to be beneficial to a county and its people. Without getting […]

You might want to read Further to understand the title “Killing Time in Paradise”, lol You are probably aware that the Philippines became a very different country on May 9th, electing a new President, Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte (nickname “Rody”), who positively encourages extra-judicial killings. Does this development have any implications for you and your plans to live a happy life in this foreign country? Is it time to consider living somewhere else? The answer is clearly both Yes and No. The No dimension is easier and more comforting to address so I will start with it. Rody did not explicitly say that everyone should simply kill anyone they don’t like. Indeed, he even qualified his statements to clarify that it was okay only to kill someone who had done something wrong or, as he so eloquently puts it, someone who is a “son-of-a-bitch”. So according to Rody, everyone who is decent, law-abiding and toeing the line will have nothing to fear. There is safety as well in the fact that not everyone in this country owns a guns, only maybe 60% (so only some 60 million people) and even many people who own guns are not of a mind […]

We are seated at a table for four, this Asian lass and I. We are in Casablanca. Not the Casablanca you understand but another spot on the planet that boasts the name. A restaurant in fact that, alas, does not have Sam playing for us tonight, there is no sign of Rick (I suppose he is hidden away sweet talking Major Strasser), Daisy stands in for Ilsa and Captain Renault is not in evidence although his security guards are omnipresent. We order a Philippine delicacy the appearance of which, when it arrives, creates doubt. Mindful of the lads standing there supporting guns with ammo reminiscent of that found in field artillery I hesitate to comment in any but the most positive light. The contrast between this Casablanca and the original is that, in the original it appeared as though one could hear each other speak. Such is not the case with this one. We are on the outdoor terrace at the waterfront, Rizal Boulevard, a pedestrian walkway and a seawall between us and saturation. Two foot waves plunge determinedly against the sea wall but for now anyway, they are resisted. But it is not the waves that drown our conversation. […]

It’s hot and sultry here in Dumaguete City. I wipe my brow in the comforting shade of Mango trees. I ruminate on my new-found information. In 1901 the Silliman University of the Unites States established its first, SE Asia, overseas elementary school for boys. It grew over the years to become a university much renowned in the Philippines. In 1976 a teaching hospital was opened and now thrives as perhaps the best outside of Manila or Cebu. Concurrent to the elementary school opening, but apropos of nothing, the German scientist, Max Plank, who had yet to make a name for himself, was proposing the uncertainty principal and a theory which was to become known as quantum theory. What’s that got to do with anything? I don’t know, just thoughts running wild – you know how it is. Coincidence of dates perhaps? Anyway, now well established, Silliman is the most respected of its kind in the region. I regard its colonial administrative buildings partly hidden behind a high, compound wall opposite the Moon Café where Daisy and I are lunching on our newly acquired favorite – Chimichangas. Only ₱97.00 It’s our third time at the Moon, probably because we could not […]

St. Valentine’s Day in Dumaguete – The Market Daisy thinks we should stay home. “Because so crowded.” The lady requires peace and quiet, not the hurly burly that comes with crowds celebrating. Most of Daisy’s conversations start with ‘Because.’ We aren’t sure why, that’s just the way it is. Daisy is supposed to be learning proper English from me. Alas I find it easier to learn Filipino English. It’s just easier – if less precise. Filipino English uses about one third of the words an Englishman needs to say the same thing. It’s even understandable – in places. “I off?” when she asks if she should turn the light off, is an example. “Have you got the items we were to return to the store today?” “Have.” We decide to go to the nearby Valencia market. Its claim to fame is that it is a market situated in Valencia. It does have a long tradition however and the Acacia trees prove it, they must be as old as English oaks. In all of East Africa where Acacia trees proliferate I never saw trees that matched these for size and beauty. Their limbs and branches stretch up into the heavens and […]

TABLE, CHAIRS, BEDS AND OTHER FURNITURE If you are from a country like mine (THE USA) one of the ideas that I think is a part of our culture is the joy of having our own place! We love the idea of having a place that we can call home to do as we please. It also does not matter if you are male or female ALL of us like buying things for our “place.” It doesn’t matter if you are very specific with your decorating or you are just a guy that gets happy at having a great chair and a TV in front of it. We like to shop and decorate and make the place feel “homey.” AND we like to do it as soon as possible. In my opinion this “bug” should be left in your home country. Now, I am one of those guys that likes to gets everything as soon as possible. When I was living in Norfolk, Virginia, I remembered renting a truck (2011) driving to Maryland  IKEA (Ikea is nice, simple and comes with tools and instructions) and filling that truck with living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen “stuff.” Then I […]

You Don’t Know Anything…YET. With this article I want to continue on a theme that ran in my last article about TAKING YOUR TIME. There is so MUCH about living in the Philippines that you just learn when you get here. I spent close to two years reading absolutely everything, watching all the videos from the BIG PLAYERS (Henry, Ned, Bud, Mike) and yet with all of that there are still times when I feel I only scratched the surface of what being here has to offer. There is just so much you will get (especially about yourself)….when you GET HERE. This leads me to what I want to talk about today; You Don’t Know Anything…YET.. One of the eye opening realizations that happens when you are here for some time is that; YOU REALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO CREATE A NEW LIFE;YOU REALLY CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU ALWAYS IMAGINED OR, THE LIFE YOU NEVER IMAGINED. The Philippines for most MEN is that glorious place you get the chance to do it all over again or do what you never dreamed you would do. If you were a terrible Father and all your kids are grown and don’t give a […]

Girls and Relationships in the Philippines Shortly after coming to the Philippines for the first time in 2010 and discovering that a wide range of attractive girls were interested in me, I started to feel very confused. What are these girls really offering? I asked myself. Sure they are sexually willing, but what kind of relationships can you honorably have out here in the land of sun and sand? For many months I was unable to answer those questions satisfactorily but now I feel much more clear headed about the whole situation. Basically there are three simple sexual options in the Philippines, dependent on what you, the traveling male, is looking for. Two of the options in the Philippines are quite easy to deal with. The first revolves around the good guy who is clearly interested in one kind of relationship only, marriage. I can’t promise that he will have an easy time fulfilling his dream but it is certainly a very realistic one which many men have lived through and the chances of this kind of traveller finding happiness are good, because there are definitely a lot of girls in the Philippines who desperately want the same thing: a […]

I  started to think about both currency and Visa today. I need to change some money. I arrived packing a quantity of US$. They were full dollars too. Years ago I kept in a savings pile at home, all the US$ that were used to pay me by American visitors, rather than change them at the bank. I figured I might get to use them just as they are someday. Meantime they would be savings. Well, what better time to bring them out than now. Cdn and US currencies had been more or less at par when I saved them. Now, I was spared a steep exchange rate to buy US.  Well, in one direction anyway. Now that I’m here exchange counters, banks et al have ways to get around what to them is the profit-making issue. Solution? You make different denominations of currency somehow carry a cost burden that must be separately recovered. Hence, talking $US now, in addition to whatever the over-the-counter rate is, a $20 bill costs ₱50 to change, a $10 bill costs ₱40 and so on. You get the drift. A US dollar currently carries an official exchange rate of ₱47 and change which of […]

The Philippine’s war on drugs is in full swing now several months after the election of their new president, Rody Duterte. He was elected in a landslide victory on an election platform that was largely focused on the end of criminality in the country which he claimed was rooted in the proliferation of the drug trade. Previously President Duterte was the mayor of Davao City and during his term in local office, he boasted how he had solved the city’s criminal problems through the execution of its drug trade personalities. During his election campaign, he promised more of the same except on a much wider national scale. Well he seems to be clearly delivering on that promise as the death toll mounts on a daily basis due both from police killings of suspects that were allegedly resisting arrest and even more disturbing, apparent vigilante squads where victims are killed execution style with the tell tale “cardboard sign” identifying the victims as drug personalities. Whether these people are guilty or innocent will never be known, as they were never given the benfit of defending their innocence in a court of law. Putting aside the whole question of human rights for a […]

  My head is in the clouds reading the biography of, ‘The Wright Brothers.’ Or at least it was. Orville had declined to take the American president for a spin on the grounds of safety when, to the audience’s horror, that very same afternoon he came a cropper, killing his passenger and almost writing himself off. And then my ears become attuned to Daisy’s melodic and honey-smooth rendition of Gabriel’s Oboe as sung by Hayley Westenra. My Filipina angel was serenading me. She’s like that is Daisy, my Filipina angel. They say it’s typical of Filipinas or for that matter Filipinos in general and I find it enchanting. It’s not new to me. Daisy would often serenade me while we talked on skype. For no apparent reason she would break into song and seduce me into a soulful happiness for quite some while; one song after another, Western love songs for the most part that is, until she’d smile and return to the former conversation. She always sang word perfect to the lyrics of the original – her English fluency outstanding – until she returned to our chat. Perhaps she should sing to me all the time, we could make […]

Right from day 1 when looking for a place to explore in Asia the two choices that immediately came to mind were either Philippines or Thailand. Initially my leanings were Thailand based on the visions I had in my head of beautiful exotic Asian women amid a lush tropical jungle paradise. These images were more plentiful because at that time over a decade ago, Thailand was already a popular destination for western men, and tourists so stories of its beauty and virtues abounded. The Philippines on the other hand was comparatively unknown. Though I, like most people had heard of the Philippines and had met many Filipinos who were working in Canada, finding westerners who had visited the Philippines for a vacation or to relocate as expats were scarce. During that fateful first few months when I was trying to answer the question Philippines or Thailand, I joined several online dating sites dealing specifically with each country. I posted profiles and sat back not expecting a whole lot. Within hours though, the inbox of the Filipino dating sites filled up in an overwhelming fashion, with more interesting options than I could possible wade through, but in comparison the Thai websites […]

The collection of my passport from immigration that I told you of did not get completed last Tuesday. No, having handed it to me and giving me time to check the visa stamp and discovering I had been given three months rather than the requested two, it was sort of snatched back and replaced with a new form that I had to take away with me, complete and return again in a few days. This had to do with the granting of an ID card that I now needed if I was going to be staying awhile. So Daisy and I returned to the sleazy alley that leads to the dubious-looking immigration office. Somewhere in London, or Victoria BC this alley would be kinda cute with funky, shops, hanging planters with perhaps at the end a tiny coffee shop, crowded but with insufficient bistro tables or seating. This alley however possesses a different kind of charm one that tips the hat to the wanna-be entrepreneur. Thus were we intercepted by seedy-looking gentlemen sporting hand-held trays possessed of Viagra, Cialis and a range of products that, I suspected, may be intended for related uses, the former mentioned being off-prescription and half […]

Filipino People Fighting for What they Believe In Enter President Duterte who was elected not only on promises of ridding the streets of drugs and crime, but also of attacking the corruption and financial rape of the Filipino people by the elite. Lofty goals indeed! During the past few days, I have been in Manila meeting with Duterte men, pursuing my fight against another foreigner who has scammed several dozens of people and skated with impunity through unrelenting attempts to be brought to justice. Over the past several years of mine and these other victim’s fight, that impunity has clearly been granted by corrupt justice and political officials who have sacrificed their Filipino countryman’s integrity and pride for selfish financial gain. Now in Manila, and speaking directly with numerous high ranking officials of President Duterte’s staff, I have gained a rather fortunate glimpse into the mood of how things are going for this administration, and their lofty goals, as well as their candid feelings of being led by a man they love and revere. These men were of a different ilk than the the Duterte Fanatics who grace the pages of Facebook and express their devotion naively with little grasp […]

Meeting my wife for the very first time is a memory that is fondly coming to mind often these days. Recently I have had to come to Manila on numerous occasions and every time I do, it brings me back to that day that that has changed my life forever. I met Shirley online through one of the more popular dating sites, Filipino Cupid and we had chatted almost everyday for several months while I was still in Canada. She had ticked everyone of my possible relationship boxes, however I had gone through this several times already with other Filipna women. On the previous occasions, I had corresponded with Filipinas, for substantial amounts of time, then eventually hopped on a plane to visit the Philippines and meet in person. Each time I was either disappointed right away or very quickly as they just could never meet my expectations. Some were just not attractive as they appeared online, some were too “easy”, some I did not trust, and some were nice but there was just no chemistry. Regardless, every time I had visited the Philippines I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the companionship was always a bonus. When meeting my wife for […]

Before I get into this article, let me explain that this is just a fun exercise. My Dad passed away a few years back,( several years after my mother died), and he had never been to the Philipinnes, much less had a relationship with a Filipina. He had what I think was a good relationship with my mom for close to half a century and I believe that though they never showed their love too much to the outside world it was there, and it was deep. So what got me thinking about this imaginary scenario of my dad in a relationship with a Filipna? Well, a few days back I caught a glimpse of this old guy , a little hunched over and walking with the careful step of the aged. He strikingly resembled my own father in his later years. In tow, was a good looking Filipina, and though she was not one of these twenty something eye candy types, she definitely was attractive and probably in her mid 40s. Also in tow were two young kids. With increasing interest , this article of imagination started to take shape in the back of my mind and I decided […]