°µÍø½ûÇø

Julian,
From a weather standpoint, I strongly recommend Malaybalay, Bukidnon, It usually remains about 10 degrees below Tagaytay, of course, it is warmer than Baguio, the rents are  here  very inexpensive. For example, I live in half of a duplex (new construction)  and my rent is 12000 pesos a month. On the downside, there is not a lot to do here, and it is 80 KM to CDO where the nearest BI office is located, there are only two or three upscale eatery's in town. One shopping mall but after weighing the pluses and minuses, the pluses win out.

I'm thinking of davao as cost of living is cheaper than Cebu which is cheaper than Manila. However you have to decide what your needs are, Manila is great for business while Cebu is great for activities. Davao is metropolitan but can easily be suburban or rural depending how far out you wish to go, and is safer than the rest of the Phils. It boils down to what you're looking for Julien!

i have to recommend the eastern side of Mindanao.  i'm living north of Davao City, up in the low mountains surrounding Compostela Valley.  few degrees cooler here for sure and nearly always a nice breeze.  southern island of Mindanao is least likely to be hit with typhoons and the like and it is also minimally impacted by the el-nino this year.
it's rural living for the most part where i am, but there is something to be said for picking lansones, rambutan, guava, bananas, etc. of the trees in your yard when you want them.
and it's safe here.  i've been treated very well and made many friends in the local population.  i married a filipina from here late last summer and we are building a house now.  bought a little suzuki multicab to help haul building supplies and for driving to Tagum for big shopping once a month.  i'm here for good.  will only go back to the states for family emergencies.
best of luck to you for sure.

My pick is Danao,35 km north of Cebu city.Far away from the pollution,and the traffic,of Cebu City,but near enough,for medical emergencies,and shopping.
As far as job-opportunities concerned,in the Philippines.  If you need to work for living.the Philippines is not the place for you.

Julien there are no job opportunitys in the Philippines as a foreigner you are not allowed to work. The best place to live is what suits you best, but I suggest not in the provinces which lack modern ammenitys and services such as health and access to western grocery and transport. I live in Davao City for many valid reasons and I am open to give you advice if required. Do not consider relocating unless you are self funded.

Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.  Best kept secret.  Happy to answer any questions you may have.

As for jobs, not sure what you want to do? 

***

Joe

As many have already said, it depends on what your budget is and what kind of lifestyle you want. Anywhere outside Manila is OK but the farther south you go the cheaper it gets. I like both Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Palawan is beautiful but there is a lack of infrastructure that would frustrate a resident there but you can't beat it for vacations.

I have been living in EL SALVADOR CITY MISAMIS ORIENTAL For the past four years now it's a great place to live. There is an °µÍø½ûÇø reunion every Wed at Kingston lodge where you can buy English  and American  food the owner is Australian  and the kitchen is run by an English man. Which owns kings bakery where you can buy good old English  bread and pies ham cheese and tin food. Also properties are good here. If you want help please get in touch. Colin

Tagaytay is about an hour and a half outside of Manila, the international airports, all the benefits of living near a big city etc.....Tagaytay is also a burgeoning resort town with a view that is spectacular, if not unique. The town is growing faster than it can handle. Plenty of new stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants and the cooler air, higher elevation with plenty to do and see. Very scenic, as it sits atop the largest volcano lake, within a volcano lake.  Most of the great restaurants and new condos overlook the spectacular view. It sometimes gets pretty cold in the evenings, where you might even have to wear a sweater or jacket. A huge relief from the usual unbearable heat and humidity of Manila, and generally all of the Philippines. The only cooler location is way too far from Manila, and doesn't share the benefit of being so close to a major city, with all the benefits that offers to the international traveler, or visitors, tourists or residents of the Philippines. Of course the air is also much cleaner than Metro Manila, but there are still a lot of belching buses and jeepneys, tricycles and motorbikes  that still ruin it for all of us. Unfortunately, the police and government don't seem to enforce the belching guidelines we've heard about, especially outside the metro areas, as they might do in Manila. I'm not sure how effective they are in Manila either, with regard to managing the pollution problems there. There are a few towns that surround Tagaytay, where it's much less populated and rural, if you are concerned about living too close to an active volcano. You can live in one of these towns, preferably upwind from the prevailing East, Southeast winds that might carry any sulfuric air your way, if in fact there was an actual eruption. Living outside of the danger zone is always a good idea anyway. Living in Tagaytay, or in one of the surrounding towns that enjoy the cleaner, cooler air and conveniences of being so close to this beautiful resort area and, also being so close to Manila makes this a great place to consider to retire, or just visit on the weekends. Being clear of the major pollution, traffic and crowds of Manila, except for the weekends when it gets very crowded, trumps living in the heat and pollution of the big city in the Philippines. Tagaytay is a great destination, and a really great place to live if you love the beauty of an awe inspiring view, and the convenience of having modern restaurants, stores, right next to old world religious retreats and villages coexisting. It's growing fast, and there will surely be more and more stores, malls, restaurants and hotels, motels springing up and they are widening the roads to all the surrounding towns and villages with access to Tagaytay. Another indication that people are considering Tagaytay more and more each day, as a popular destination, More and more places with entertainment and places that cater to tourists make it even more attractive to investors and adventurers alike......land prices are rising, and opportunities are everywhere. If this is what you like, and want to participate in the growth and excitement of an emerging magnet for tourism and a better quality of life, while being as close to Manila as you can get, without having to suffer the heat and traffic issues that plague all urban cities, then Tagaytay might just be the perfect place to retire. Or, a great place to retreat to on the weekends if you must live and work near or in the city of Manila.....

colin wright wrote:

I have been living in EL SALVADOR CITY MISAMIS ORIENTAL For the past four years now it's a great place to live. There is an °µÍø½ûÇø reunion every Wed at Kingston lodge where you can buy English  and American  food the owner is Australian  and the kitchen is run by an English man. Which owns kings bakery where you can buy good old English  bread and pies ham cheese and tin food. Also properties are good here. If you want help please get in touch. Colin

Love  the  the sound of good ol aussie Pies

Kingston Lodge is located in Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. El Salvador is a good 20kms away.

I like La Union , peaceful pretty clean ,and  a few °µÍø½ûÇøs live there , nice by the sea . not Manila ugh .or any of the Islands .

Hello. First of all, I would NOT suggest you retire to the Philippines. Come and visit here for awhile to see what the country is really like. Its a mess.  People are not as truly friendly as you may have been led to believe either.

But, if you are determined, try Baguio.

I live in Leyte.  It is just too boring with generally crappy beaches. Most places here are boring unless you have a good hobby.

Your doing this wrong!  If you are moving here.  First make a list of what you want in a city or area.  Then ask °µÍø½ûÇøs and see what fills your list best.  Then come vist for a week those city's on your list.  See were you will be happy.  To many come here & do not do there home work first. Then they are not happy here. Me I like smaller towns. I am not a big city person.  So I would not recomend any big city in the Philippines.  I like it were I live in a smaller city.

Only one person has mentioned Baguio. That is my favorite. I am not a fun of beaches. Tagaytay is my second option but is getting more and more expensive. Definitely I wouldn't recommend place where I live - IMUS CITY. Most dirty, overpopulated and polluted place. Not from far from me is Dasmarinas and it is much nicer, pleasant to walk, however still overcrowded.

I can agree with most about Tagaytay, but  u will notice the people are not as friendly as other parts of the country such as Subic, Cebu, even Manila, as it seems they feel they are being pushed out by foreigners.  By no means are they mean but  who they look at foreigners, the lack of smiles, the whispers as u see an °µÍø½ûÇø pass makes it obvious.   I too as so surprised the Govt here does not want to cut the smog before it gets more packed with people. They could be a leader in the country if they made alternate fuels mandatory, it would draw  rave reviews.   The jeepneys belch smoke and same with motorcycles and  owned jeeps with no law to really care which shows poor city management.
Weather is a far jump ahead of Cebu or Subic  for sure.  My new a/c unit has yet to even be turned on.
Ten yrs ago u could buy land here for a song but not anymore, plus i bet in ten yrs it will be in orbit.
For you single guys, the pretty girls are NOT in Tagaytay or the surrounding areas. They are all in Cebu, Subic, and other areas of the Philippines. Lot of overweight Filipinos in Tagaytay and look almost tribal features.  But all in all i have no intentions on going down the hill unless it is to fly to visit the States.

yep u are right.

True,,,,,  my thought would always be when is a radical Islamic type decide u are the American he wants to cut of  your head.   Monkey see monkey do is rampant.
I agree though with almost all articles who give the words of wisdom to °µÍø½ûÇøs, 'u best have an income from your home country, if not u will be eventually going home very broke and unhappy."
Tagaytay is great weather too but is probably eventually going to be overcrowded and its Govt is not keeping up with the growth and controlling the smoking Jeepneys.  All in all i havent seen a more comfortable place weather wise.

wishpianoentertainer wrote:

Only one person has mentioned Baguio. That is my favorite. I am not a fun of beaches. Tagaytay is my second option but is getting more and more expensive. Definitely I wouldn't recommend place where I live - IMUS CITY. Most dirty, overpopulated and polluted place. Not from far from me is Dasmarinas and it is much nicer, pleasant to walk, however still overcrowded.

I will also make mention of Baguio City as it is also my favorite. I lived 5 years there  and it was my best 5 years. Climate is great, people are friendly, and is on a hill so no floods when a typhoon strike and it is a small place where you did know every where in a short span. It is far from manila by 6 hours or so. it does not have all the luxury that manila offers and not that heavily crowded and polluted, but it offers a much more peaceful and relaxing place to be and enjoy life.

So it all comes to the kind of life one whats to live. I believe our way of life will determine which cities to be in. Cause i have been to a few of the popular ones mentioned here and with all that it has over Baguio, i return back to Baguio and am like this is my best.

Interesting stuff guys. I've been based out of  Cebu for the past 4 years. But not having ditched my back pack or small motor bike, I've been all over the Philippines. Like someone pointed out, its really difficult to to beat the girls in Cebu. Pretty and still friendly and still foreigner curious. Although Cebu has been changing rapidly in the last 4 years. Eg.. you would never see a white women in Cebu 4 years ago. Now you see aid workers and families of tourists heading for the outer islands.  I like the night life in Cebu. There are great restaurants, a few good night clubs, some of which are bumping 7 days a week. A few things it lacks, are access to good beaches... if you live in the heart of the city... traffic is bad and it can take a long time to navigate. Personally, I think the night life in Cebu is good... Manila is probably better but... its more international... women can be more of a challenge as they are generally more educated and wealthier and are used to foreigners being around. And they've generally been led on by at least one foreigner and they know the game. Cebu is a mix of younger foreigners 30-40 and up and there are quite a few retires also. There are tons of Koreans and Japanese also living and vacationing here. Jobs... most °µÍø½ûÇøs I know in Manila and more in Cebu that are working here, are working for large furniture manufacturing and export companies, owning pubs and bars, call centers and tech company. Anyways, bottom line is... no place has it all in Phil for me, but Cebu is the best fit. As I get older... I sure do love the relaxed life of Panglao Island... riding my motor bike, with no one around, under the stars, with a sweet little brown skin beauty on the back, is as close to heaven, as it gets for me. Good luck, message if you like.

Also, someone mentioned Danao. My longtime girl friend and her family are from there. And it is nice spot outside of Cebu. And easy access to the beautiful Camotes Island.

Also, Bantayaan, Moalboal and Alona Beach are some nice beach towns to consider.

i liked it in Baguio but when we were there it was  foggy, rainy,  and downtown was a smog pit.  the people were nicer that i find in tagaytay , and the girls prettier.    might be married but it is still nice to see pretty surroundings in all things.

Ive been here since 2010 have a house. I dont live in La Union but i like the place . I live in Batangas near Sto Tomas its ok i bought the house for the build quality to UK standard. And admit to liking the large swimming pool helped me maje the purchase.i dont like either Baguio or Tagayta enough to consider living there . Manila is well out of it and the visaya.s not in it because i ned to be near big malls and shopping places dont like boats and planes. Anouther place i really like is Subic and Zambales area .unless i can sell the house i dont suppose a move is on the cards any time soon but its s nice place anyway.

Yes the  Subic area i  liked minus the humid part of it and heat of course.  It seems all over the country i have seen properties raise 5 fold in about as many years, and they say as there becomes more investment interests things are going to keep skyrocketing.  We thought a redone house at a million was high 7yrs ago at Baloy beach along Subic Bay, just a block of the beach, but now i bet the place would bring 5 million. I guess that is why so many people have made their fortunes in real estate.  Wish i had bought up places before i retired here and put in Wifes name.  We got 50 acres  45 mins inland from Tacloban,   but think we will buy a lot off her Tagaytay relatives that have a pineapple farm outside of town and build a basement home to start with, to US Standards and with BIG rooms. lol
My friend Bill lives by Mindanao in the hills, nice climate but i am like you i want malls and action to see.
Would of been nice to of bought a US Airbase house at Subic  or Clark before the Chinese took  most of it but those now are sky high.  Hind sight is 20/20. lol

Actually, there are probably a lot of places in the Philippines that are nice to live in. Danao is really small but nice. Cebu has a lot of pretty girls and good night life,(real night life, not hooker bars).  Baguio has great weather (usually), Davao and Cagayan de Oro have nice areas. Dumaguete is relaxing and IloIlo has better night life than you would expect. Zamboanga is out of the way but the girls there are surprisingly pretty too. For sheer beauty, I guess Palawan can't be beat. If you like the beach and surfing scene, Surigao is fun.

Travel around the country, see the sites and the people. Its easy to do and you learn lots.

Well said, and riding the bike with the beauty almost made we want to start packing. lol
My brief stay in Cebu in '07 was right across from the Mall at a hotel and didnt get around to see much.
People seems very friendly though and that was nice.   I notice it seems more °µÍø½ûÇøs are there though and that there are more avenues to get things like big bikes and stuff u cant seem to get anything elsewhere. Would of liked to have my goldwing here but i gave up on that .   I like Tagaytay for the weather and not real crowded but that is about as far as it goes.  As summer heats up here i might just take a trip to cebu , there has to be reasons alot of °µÍø½ûÇøs seem to go there.  Oh yes very nice ladies is one i remember.

There are no such things as jobs for foreigners.  The Filipinos are massively unemployed , many hungry.   I dont even think u can compete with them for jobs legally here, nor would i come to a 3rd world country and try to take their jobs.    If u dont have a guaranteed income from ur  home country then dont come because u will end up like many others who went broke here or went home sad and broke.   This is a poor country with a historically corrupt govt that has made a living on keeping people down.   Their school system is a wreck what  HS grads know what we would in the US in mid grade school.   This place just might take off in the next years but that will help it to employ its own, not foreigners, they already have Chinese and people from India here illegally and trying to take their jobs which is a shame. Let the people feed their kids.

Most foreigners I've met who live here (in Metro Manila) have jobs. It might've taken them some extra time to find a job, but anyway. So there are definitely jobs for foreigners. Speaking fluently or being a native speaker of a language rather than Tagalog and English can really help. Although I do agree it's safer and more convinient to have income from your home country or online.

It is raping the poor coming here and competing with them for their few jobs that pay peanuts.  Sorry but that is how i have seen it.   You want a job u go to a 1st world country and make big bucks , not in  one of the poorest countries on the planet.   Sorry

Wow! Baguio City was the dirtiest, most run down city that I have been to here but there is no mention of that? Have they finally refurbished it in the last 5 years other than adding the SM Mall? If you like malls and shopping centers then you want Davao not Subic as there are WAY more of them here.

mikenjane wrote:

Would of been nice to of bought a US Airbase house at Subic  or Clark before the Chinese took  most of it but those now are sky high.  Hind sight is 20/20. lol

Don't feel bad. Those are only for long-term lease and not for sale. A major factor influencing my decision to move from Subic to Davao is the lack of secure subdivisions in the former.

I would suggest your attitude is the problem! I have lived in Pasig, cebu and now Iligan mindanao, I have traveled far and wide and never had anything but friends. m y Bike broke down in Arora zambonga del sur,  as you will know, if you actually know pilipinos, this is crowd participation time, all have an opinion. When after 3 hours my bike was ride able, they all cheered and clapped. I suggest you know nothing,

We can beat each other up with words, or praise one another.  Either way, we all bring our baggage to this part of the world.  For better or worse life is different, and while may adapt easily some may not.  We all, I think, have the option to return to our native country.  Yet, for some reason, we didn't want to stay there.  When we get into a bit of a problem, it certainly would be great if we could share Lawyers names and phone numbers who have proved to go the extra mile to help an °µÍø½ûÇø.  Or, like we did above share the procedures to go though with the local police or Bgy Capt..  Or we can take matters into our own hands and deal with the consequences if there are any.  In any event, if you simply think about things, there are always ways of solving many things that come up, just by playing their games, but playing it better.  I will only share the example, that I shared earlier, if you hear loud music and it bothers you.  Play loud music right back and Blast it so freckin loud and go out to eat, and even spend a few thousand pesos for a night in a hotel while it is playing to make your point.  It works!

As for other areas of concern just think about it there is always an answer.  You don't have to share it with anyone, just do it in your own good time and smile while you execute it. 

When your not solving problems, enjoy what ever good times you may have.

Now do the right thing!

davtjo.... I suggest you think you know it all. And that is a big mistake in a third world country. You do not know what a Filipino will really do one minute to the next. The minute you start thinking you KNOW Filipinos, is the minute you will wind up in the hospital or worse. Grow up and stop thinking Filipinos like foreigners and want to be our friends. Nothing could be further from the truth.

No place in the Philippines is truly safe for foreigners.

yep well that would be the worst mistake they made in their life.    I didnt drop off the chicken truck last nite son.

Any moron that comes to a third world country,  where they are suppose to be a guest, moves to what has been named the  'worst  city in the world (manila)"  and tries to take a  poor little bastards job away is a waste of humanity.
Most i heard of  who are not here with their own money to live on  usually prey on small children or are running from something, which is ur flavor?

i agree .   these people are mostly good and kind.

I am glad that You all have many options... I cannot run away, hide in a hotel, blast music in revenge... I have to eat what is on the table. Thanks to God, my wife is cooking very well. When I was little my Dad was saying "how you make your bed, that's how You will sleep..."
      I always wanted to explore, walk and see new horizons and check or dream what's beyond them. So, I've been to over 100 countries and enjoyed rough stormy seas or breezy days in mountains. Now there are 2 choices: go left or right from my subdivision... Yesterday I've took the right turn and found a dead cat, laying multilated by cars, on the roadside... I had to make long diversion, to avoid seeing this poor animal again...
      Well, that's how choices come...
      My other options are: to look trough the window, above the roof tops, see waving trees, passing beautiful pilows of clouds and enjoy the sun. If is not there - it will be back in a few minutes. Then a hug and my LOVELY would say -  "would You like a cup of cofee Darling?"
       Yes, please, perhaps cup of tea for change Kochanie (My Love - in Polish).

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your suggestions.

Please do not hesitate to create new threads if you have other information to share with members than only suggesting cities and their pros and cons.

Thank You,
Best Regards,
Naomi.

if you want a mixture of city and rural life, cebu is the best place to stay (y)