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A lot of issues on this thread. I have not lived here that long, but already have some observations. I came here, like many, for the warm weather, low cost of living and a people who almost always are friendly, nice and understand English (even if they don't speak it.) I was also hoping to be a help, or sorts, to the Philippines. I have been able to sponsor several young people in their quest to get a college education. Tuition is very low compared to the US, so through church and other charities I stepped up. I will continue that committment, but now wonder (based on many criteria, including personal observation) if a Filipino education is worth my investment. The young people certainly are worth any investment I can make. All people are "worth it" if the bottom line be told, but I am not Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. What I have I have earned from my own labor; I have never had employees.

But there have been several comments here about the far sub-standard (on a global basis) education that is offered in the Philippines. My first hint came many years ago when a good friend with a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from a prominent private university in Manila was unable to understand a basic D.C. circuit. I let it slide.

Then years later a person with a bachelor degree in nursing from Silliman was unable (twice) to pass a certification test to work in the US as a nurse after taking a rather expensive preparation course tailored just for that test.

Right now, I have a young man (28 years old) who returned to university to study business administration and is in his second year. I was stunned when he told me many of his classes at NORSU Dumaguete are rarely attended BY THE TEACHERS! Most days classes are cancelled. And in late November it was Founders' "Day" celebration for a week when nothing got done. They actually scheduled 5 full days of movies during what should have been classroom time in addition to dozens of other events which, I understand, were mandatory. He want to work overseas in his major area of study. It sounds like NORSU is totally letting him down as far as preparation is concerned. Tuition there for his second year was free, but I support all the nonsense projects that his teachers dream up as well as keep him clothed and fed since his family is unable to provide anything but a roof. (There are actually some "uniform requirements" at the college level in the Philippines.) So 1950s!

I have an expat friend who teaches part-time at one of the private universities in Dumaguete. He just shakes his head when I ask him about the experience. The students are not accustomed to be in a learning mode. Their elementary school and high school classroom experiences are (evidently as commented here) more about what would be extra-curricular and after-school activities in any other country, so when confronted with a Westerner teacher they can't cope with being asked to learn and study the course material.

Don't really know how I will proceed. I will see my current students through to graduation, but I don't feel there is any point in paying toward higher education here until a bachelor degree represents at least approximately the knowledge base for that degree throughout the world.

 

It is highly doubtful he will save anything. Every contract I havce looked at, if you pay it off early you still pay the full interest on the entier term of the loan.

 

I totally agree with everything you say Shawn, my wife and Daughter have absolutely NO interest in living abroad, they would like to visit, but live there, no! And to live abroad, I would not like them to experience life there full time, not live the life I lived and the life my kids have to live there working their asses off getting nowhere fast.

We bought 2000m2 close by but do not plan to build a house there, it is purely to one day build Pig Sty's and hopefully generate an income one day where we can buy a house in a more convenient location, so basically I want to leave my Wife and Daughter something that can generate an income for them and provide for their future after I am gone. As you stated if I was in the West and things go belly up I would stand to lose most everything anyways, so like before, if it does go that way I will simply pick myself up, move on and start again... I have no problem with that.

I have the benefit of hindsight (in the West) which I have have learnt a big lesson from and carefully put to good use in my decision in my life to marry my Wife here and live here (in the East) I am taking everything one step at a time, I have a plan and we are slowly achieving what it is we are setting out to do as a team instead of me being the only one doing all of the work like before.

I have been watching/speaking with some other expats here and the ignorance and arrogance factor of some amaze me! They wonder why they are doing it tough here and for me they are getting exactly what they deserve! Believing that they are superior to, greater than, mightier than, smarter than, know everything and ridicule anyone else's suggestions because they know better, yet are grovelling to make it work here, I have resigned myself to zip my lips, turn my back, and let them self destruct! Who am I to worry what they think or do... My Wife and Daughter are my ONLY concern.

 

My first thought is where are these 2 runways? I have only seen one runway in Sibulan. Do they give it a different number if the plane comes in over the water instead of coming in over the land?

My second thought is that three rich people will be very happy with all this. Those being 1, the guy selling land in Bacong to build a new airport, 2, the guy who will get the contract to build a new airport and 3, the guy who will end up with the land in Sibulan that the current airport sits on. Yep, 3 very happy people out there stirring this up.

I can't imagine it being any cheaper to build a whole new airport than it would be to cut down a tree and expand the existing one into the water further, but its not about saving money, its about rich filipinos getting richer.

 

Actually it's neither a blackout nor a brownout, it's a power cut

"There's no such thing as American English. There is English and there are mistakes."

 

about visa: I find it very comfortable here in Phils, on a 6 months tourist visa, extension without problems for a fair ammount right here in town...I almost forgot the horrible visa runs in Thailand every 3 months where I had to leave the country just for a minute...
about relationship: there is a nice saying in asia: no money, no honey. turn it around and you have the perfect recipe for a great relationship, whatever kind of. don't be cheap charly, it doesn't work anywhere in the world, and espacially not here in asia. give a fair allowance and feed the girl 5 times a day and you get the best partner here. -only problem she will gain weight :-)

 

There's a bit of a customer service mafia here. People pull up with their foreigner dollars, daring to bring the service. And they go guns blazing if the service is bad. It seems like a power play. People who have money feel entitled to good service, maybe because nobody else will treat them well.

I fall into the same trap sometimes, but I try to beat it back when I feel it creeping up. There are resto-bars which have signature dishes I love and I will go back even though the service is terrible. There is a place I went to the other day which has a sign which says "don't complain about the service because there is none". When I asked for a beer he pointed to the fridge and I helped myself. I sat and listened to his stories and he is probably the most interesting person I have met in this region. I will be back.

The Philippines is an adventure, not good service.

It's the job of the top dog (where the buck stops, probably the owner in most cases here) to set the culture and do the hiring which will execute on that vision.

That culture bit is part of the key. A superstar employee isn't going to fix a problem that management should fix. And that light will fade as the this employee grinds against the grain.

Sometimes service just isn't on priority. Imagine walking into a front for an criminal organization and complaining about bad service. You might get laughed out of the building. Many foreigners here throw something up as a hangout for friends and they're happy to break even. Many business owners here don't know what they are doing. Some are retired for ****'s sake.

Employees come and go. They have mood swings. They may be inspired at the start and then lose motivation. Everyone from the highest paid sports stars to the lowest level employees suffer from this. It's the top dog who needs to put a system in place to deal with the ups and downs of employees (fix your problem, maybe take a vacation, or just GTFO).

Yeah, maybe the employees should hustle and earn their pay. But why should they care if the boss doesn't?

 

Dave, it´s crystal clear what you intended to achieve and it is also clear to me that your general opinion is not only black or white when it comes to the Plilippines and its people. You know this country better than I do and you know how many brilliant people are around here.

By the way, I don´t consider myself as stupid. But my wife is running the show here. She knows when to talk to whom in which tone and she is solving 99% of our issues in daily life. Our quality of life here in the Philippines is based on a certain financial power, but much more on her problem solving skills. That´s just fact. I can do a lot, but she can it do more easy, much better, much faster and she knows much better how to talk to people in case of conflicts.

And also by the way, being stupid is one thing. I can deal with that. But being lazy, arrogant, rude and / or being a cheater is something I can hardly handle.

 

Took awhile to get the glass for the windows and doors in; everything is basically done. The wife did decide to re-paint the exterior of the house and fence so a little bit left on the fence.

Shawn