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Having read and heard the usual horror stories about house builds in the Philippines, I thought I would try and offset them with an account of what has been an extremely stress-free and enjoyable experience.

I would add that until the recent birth of my daughter, I had always stood firmly in the rent, don’t build camp. However, her arrival brought about a change in perspective, and this build is my way of ensuring that both mother and daughter have a solid base to call their own long after my demise! After 10 years here, I went into this with eyes wide open and in full knowledge of the possible downsides and outcome.

We live in Valencia, just up the road from Dumaguete. The land purchased is literally across the road from our present home and consists of two 400+ square meter sections. The intention was to build on one and use the other as a garden /dog run for the present. Possibly further down the line it could be developed or sold, as needs be.

I initially did a rough sketch of the basic outline of what I wanted – 135 square meter 3 bed house with en-suite cr in master bedroom along with the overall area of the property’s footprint. I then took the advice of a very good Filipino friend who lives close by and contacted one of the municipal architects who drew up the blueprints and helped us expedite both fencing and building permit. Once these were completed, we were faced with the most important decision of all, who to go with as a contractor. Our intention was to do a turn-key operation, as I still work and did not relish trying to manage a building site, something with which I have zero knowledge! We obtained several quotes, including one from a very nice American guy who does some building up this way. Again, after canvassing local opinion and talking to both locals and expats in the area, we settled on a contractor called Isidro (Dhing) Santos, who is based within a km or two of Valencia Plaza. His quote was not the cheapest by any means, but our due diligence and instincts told us to go with him. And that was the luckiest, and best decision I have made in a long time. Suffice to say that, from start to finish, Mr Santos has been the consummate professional. He has been reliable, helpful, ethical and capable of thinking outside the box. Whenever I asked him to make any slight change or do any additional work in addition to that specified in the contract, the end result always far exceeded my expectations.

The day after we signed the contract, Mr Santos accompanied my wife to the local hardware outlets in Dumaguete and purchased all the tiles, doors, kitchen worktops, windows etc. neede to complete the build and stored them in his warehouse. He also had his brother Toto Santos begin work on fabricating the roofing trusses immediately. From the get go he inspired confidence, more so as he was onsite each and every day throughout construction. His crew, who mostly come from Bindoy, a small place some 80 kms north of here, lived on-site and were the nicest, most hard-working bunch of guys you could hope to meet. They normally worked Monday thru till Saturday midday, but some weekends they worked straight through. The average number on-site each day was 10, though this was often increased to 12 or 13 whenever hitches appeared, such as the need to dig out and remove some huge volcanic boulders, all of which was done by manpower alone!

The result of this approach was that the roof was on the property by around the 45th working day and the whole build topped out at 3 months 10 days, just three days over the estimated completion date given when the contract was signed.

Throughout this period, all the work was done to a high standard under Mr Santos’ ever-watchful scrutiny, and the result, as usual, was everything we had hoped for and more. What started out at 135 sq meters panned out at around 180, as we ended up adding on an enclosed carport that runs the full length of the house and will effectively be a combined carport, storeroom and dirty kitchen!

My wife, not having had many dealing s with officialdom up to that point, was understandably apprehensive as the build neared completion about navigating officialdom to get all the necessary inspections, signatures and clearances from City Hall to get an electricity connection. Having told Mr Santos of her concerns, he kindly did most of the legwork involved, arranged for the fire protection and electrical engineer’s inspection and had all the paperwork prepared for her so all she had to do was submit it to our local energy cooperative.

I am not sure whether I am allowed to give Mr Santos’ contact details here, but if not, I would be happy to PM them to anyone who might wish to use his services. I am one very satisfied customer and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone contemplating taking the plunge and building their own place!

I have included some pics of the build from day 01 to the present day (December23). All that remains to be done is some of the fitting out inside and the last licks of paint. This will be completed next week. I would add that we owe an immense debt of gratitude to several Filipino friends here in Valencia, without whose advice and assistance I would never have contemplated such a project, much less completed it in such a stress-free manner. We could not have done it without them.

 

I am so mad about this!!! Freddy was all pissed up yesterday (starting on the blvd) and ending up near Hypermart at a local xpat bar. He was described as drunk as a skunk and the management kept serving him and taking his money. He was offered a free trike by a customer who did not know him. One of the owners was sitting at the bar and did nothing to stop the drinking or prevent him from leaving. The last time he was seen alive was when a waitress assisted him to his scooter and he turned up the hill towards Valencia. within a minute he was dead (possibly also the guy he hit) and all this could have been prevented.

3 times (twice when I had Garcia's and 6 weeks ago at my new place) I took his keys away and got him a trike. He always came back, apologized and thanks me. I don't care where his drinking started yesterday but it should have ended at the last place. You bar owners have an obligation to even make an attempt to stop him. And dont call me a hypocrite, I have paid the price for drinking and riding, and it made me a better bar owner when it comes to dealing with people who had too much.

And a final shame on all the people who keep sharing the pics of him lying on the highway with his brains leaking out. He has family that does not need to see this sh*t!!!!

RIP Freddy, I will remember you as you were 2 weeks ago when we had a beer here on the beach ...

 

Perhaps at times we miss seeing what Filipinos teach us. Not all Filipinos are good - not all Westerners are good - not all humans are good ...... BUT, I never fail to admire the poor Filipinos who tread the streets selling a few peanuts to feed themselves and their families .... I never fail to admire the families who send not only their children to school, but also cousins, nieces, nephews etc ...... I never fail to admire the family cohesion, the care of their elderly, the way they lookout for other family members. Also, I feel good inside when a stranger says "hi" (or a variant) to me or a group of children outside a school show interest in things I know. I also feel good that people call me "Sir" and often show great respect, but it is not deserved - in The Philippines, their country, they are the ones who deserve respect from me. Developed countries have multiple problems that may well bring them down but in The Philippines there is a sense of the 'good old days' (not in every respect of course) and a basically happy population, struggling along in a simple lifestyle, enjoying their families, enjoying their traditions. Being here is like a weight taken off from the pressures of Western society.

 

call it a senior moment:
i was thinking the EQ doesn't go into effect until monday, so i went into Duma from Sibulan this am to give getting some groceries one last try before the color pass thing takes effect.

i got on the Diversion rd about 8am and i was the only vehicle on the road until the turn off at Magatas where, to my surprise, there was a checkpoint. i was asked for ID, my EQ pass and destination; i told them Lee Plaza. no answer when i told them i thot the EQ didn't take effect until monday and i was released.

a tire disinfection station is set up just before Camanjac central and a checkpoint at the Camanjac intersection by the school. my temperature was taken and i was released.

i took Rovira all the way to Hibbard and then to Lee Plaza; still hardly any vehicles, even when crossing the hi-way, never seen anything like it. got to LP and only a couple of bikes in the bike parking area in front of Union Drug; no attendant. where is everyone? maybe i need to start listening to the radio.

parked and looked towards Robinsons and no line on the sidewalk, so i figured they were closed. went to LP and lines on the sidewalk but not all that long, maybe 50 people (amazing!). got let into LP at 9am and got my necessities; stocks are down considerably; no lines at check outs. looked at Rob's entrance when back on the rd and they we open but no lines.

went to Yan Yan and no lines at entrance or checkouts. wow!

stopped at the Daro market to get some red tomatoes, seniors can't get in, so i walked along the fence looking inside until i saw a vender with red tomatoes. i was about to holler at the vender when a (senior) vender saw me and asked what i wanted, got it for me, handed it over the fence and i was on my way.

i normally don't ride the hi-way between Sibulan and Duma but i thot i've give it a go since traffic was minimal.
there was a checkpoint and tire wash before the airport, in the southbound lane: short line.. also, a bike was being hosed down at the checkpoint.

had a relaxing ride to Sibulan, for a change. passed the Sibulan public mkt; no lines.

no color code restrictions all the way, maybe they are waiting for more passes to get circulated.

ABSOLUTELY the best shopping trip i've taken to Duma in 9 years, hope yours is the same...

 

My partner and her son gave up on PAL flights Manila to Dumaguete after 3 cancellations all at the 11th hour.... and got tickets on the 2GO Manila to Duma ferry St Michael the Archangel... 26hrs but is not cancelled like the airflights.

It left Manila last Thurs and arrived Friday 3pm. They were met by local IATF staff full PPE outfits... temp checks and documents checked before being taken to the LGU quarantine location of choice for 14 days.... free in city gym or a school or LGU monitored hotel at your cost.

The hotel she is in is strictly controlled with no one allowed to leave their rooms. Food can be from family or the hotel... it is placed on a chair outside each door and they knock and leave. I have been taking food and fruit in daily as there is no refrigerator (groan). I bring to reception after a foot bath and hand sprayed with alcohol and give the LGU guard the room number. Empty containers bags etc cannot leave the room until quarantine finishes.

I outline this to illustrate controls on LSI's returning are strict...in our case.

 

here is the latest update. Lisa has graduated from junior high and is currently staying with a child services employee. Right now she seems very happy. child services will interview here again and give there recomendations to the american embassy. After talking to the embassy they said they take the recomendations very serious. I have spoken to both agencies and recommended she be placed in foster care in Hawaii. The hawaiian people have similiar views on family that the filipinos do also she will look like all the rest of the kids there. the weather is the same and it is an island culture like here. I told Lisa to look up 5 American cities in the U.S. and google the ten best and worst things about those cities. She agreed with me that she thinks she would be the happiest in Hawaii. Now we will have to wait and see what will become of her. I will post when I know something I figure they will pick her up sometime in the next month.

 

I ended up in the Philippines in 2009 with my Filipino husband and our 10 year old daughter. My husband was very ill with COPD and wanted to come "home" to live out the rest of his life surrounded by his family and friends in the Philippines. He loved it there. It was also one of the only ways for us to be able to afford for me to quit my 25 year career as a surgical nurse to care for him. While my daughter forged many new friendships and family relationships and feels the Philippines is as much home as the USA, we were forced to return to Oklahoma so that I could go back to work. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have lived there and was treated, for the most part, wonderfully, and will always have fond memories.

 

Nothing much to complain about. d*mn hot out, locked in, occasional brown out, occasional no water, very slow internet, out of wine, going to town painful, smelly fish cooking every night, wife starting to nag me.
The good news: still above ground