Best Posts in Forum: Dumaguete City

Friend of mine buys the sourdough at Why Not and he says it is very good. I have seen it and it looks baked correctly. I do understand from others that the French Bakery bread discussed is good if you get it fresh. I've never eaten anything from Rollin Pin. Here is some I just made, ready to be baked. challah and ciabatta, 3 strand and 6 strand braid.

 

I had to travel to Spain in November because of a family urgent issue. I had to obtain the health permission and more paperwork done just to travel to Manila first, then in Manila my PCR came positive (totally fake) so they transfer me to a hotel (Prince Manila, not too bad and free) to stay isolated inside the room for 10 nights with a new PCR (negative) done 4 days before the last night, and then I could go to the depressingly empty airport to take a plane with face shield all the time required (Qatar, Emirates only mask)
The most stressful event were during immigration clearance to leave the country because I didn't got an ECC as usual: the lady in immigration told me that if your stay was less than 12 months it could be done at the airport BUT the officer in the airport told me that it is not exactly true, it is a "privilege" that only the officer in chief can grant, but in the end I could pay the ECC directly there and fly...

Once in Madrid I prepared my trip back around the end of December but had to present a lot of papers to get a visa (as a parent of a filipino minor, not married): birth certificate of my daughter, barangay document stating that my daughter was actually there, and the usual photocopies of flight tickets, hotels, etc... My visa came on December 30 when the restrictions were tightened so I had to change my tickets to February 1 but suddenly my Emirates flight got cancelled because it was exceeding the maximum port of entry capacity, and the first flight available was on February 22 to Clark (first available to Manila was March 1) which I took.

At check in there was no need to present a PCR test (now it is very easy to get fake ones) so they prepare a big space in the gates after leaving the plane to fill more forms and pay for a PCR that is to be done after the 5th day in a approved hotel.

Then the IATF 101 came on Febrary 26 saying that travelling through PH should not be restricted with quarantines or PCR tests, so I didn't contact the Dumaguete DoT that was before a requirement (with quarantine hotel stay of course) So when I tried to flight I was rejected because I was not in the travel authorised list... I was told that Dumaguete Dot (or DoH..) needed time to implement the new rules (how stupid of me to not ask...) so I had to send another batch of paperwork to Dumaguete including an already expired PCR test... so in the end 2 days later after making sure I was not required to do another quarantine I could fly...

Arriving to Dumaguete we had all our bags sprayed with some kind of stuff (that is not new here in PH), fill some more forms (of course!) and off I go!

 

A horrid response to this question has diverted what might be an interesting discussion. The rebuttal BobBski offered seems great to me. But the question might be usefully answered by asking "What do I as an expat like about Dumaguete?" Very briefly after having visited a few times and stayed to study and send kids to school there, let me say: Great quiet little town, peaceful as one can expect. A university ambiance, maybe not the best, but pretty good schools. Silliman has a decent library. Waterfront area is great fun, attractive, clean, good food and drinks at bargain prices. The Filipinos and expats are friendly and gentle for the most part, and the occasional bigoted drunk makes the rest of us look good by comparison. So even they have their uses. I especially like the accessibility of airflights and passenger ships. And yes, there are lots of attractive college women, thanks for that. But they are hardly flinging themselves at fat old foreigners, as I, being one, can attest.

 

Sure, there are a lot of foreigners here chasing young girls, many just to young. There are some really sick foreigners here as well. I'll admit that, but not all of us are.

However what should also be mentioned is that so many of these *younger* girls you meet lets say under 21 most have a horror story if you get to know her long enough on how a filipino boyfriend, family member, neighbor and such forced her, raped her, tricked her, and so forth. Some may be just pity stories or because they are to shy to say the truth but many are very real. The culture here is such things are no big deal as far as the police go and if the father doesn't chase him down with a bolo and give out family justice then its all good.

The culture is also one that teaches Filipino's that Filipino's are just not good, just not beautiful, and just not worth anything. To be anything one must be a hyphenated Fil like Fil-Am or so forth. The TV stars, movie stars, beauty queens, and so forth are almost always mixed and very light skin. This leaves many feeling if they want to improve their worth and families worth they need foreign blood added in yet they don't even realize this but simply pursue it. I'm no good looking hunk but am a younger foreigner here with near 7 years experience. I have met and briefly dated a few Filipina's who were educated and late 20's to early 30's who said they weren't looking for a relationship but simply wanted to have a kid with white skin... quick turn off to me.

So remember, whenever they point a finger at us they have 3 more pointing back at themselves. Its past time Filipino's take responsibility for their own passive failures in their culture.

With that said I still love the Philippines and the people and country have a lot of great things. Its just time to stop blaming foreigners.

 

Here is a few more Pics of the developing Kitchen, I did not go with the false ready made marble tops mostly because I do not like the flecked pattern so I went with a Tile on top of a sheet of 12mm Hardiflex, for edging I used Tugas wood may also be called Molave? it is a hard wood in a light colour, there is also a pic of the ladder again, with one of my workers, everything in the Pics is Scottish made. That includes the Boy

 

I guess that I am different from most expats. I love nature and the quiet life. Two years ago I applied for the Visa for my wife to join me in the USA. Her Visa was approved in 2014. However, while we were waiting to get it approved, we discussed the future and where would be the happiest. The more that we talked about where we wanted to live, the more I could see that she would be the happiest staying in the Philippines. Closer to her family.
One day I asked her if she would like staying in the Philippines, and making it our home. She replied "Hun, I will be happy anywhere you want to live, as long as I am with you!" But, as she answered me, I could see a smile come upon her face. A smile that spoke volumes, without saying a word.
I started searching information about the different Islands, and what they had to offer. I read an article in International Living magazine that rated Dumaguete very high as the best place to retire. So, I concentrated my search around Dumaguete.
I found an ad for a house for sale, placed by an American man and his wife that were moving to the USA. The house sat in 4,400 sq meters of land, and was only 1 year old, overlooking the ocean and Cebu Island. AND, the price was something that I could afford.
I showed the ad to my wife, and asked her if she liked it. I told her that we could buy something like this, and live there for 1 or 2 years while we traveled in search for the perfect location to live permanently.
She thought that it was a good idea.
I contacted the owner, and made arrangements for me to fly from the USA to see, and possibly buy the house. I flew to Manila, and met my wife there. We came to Dumaguete, and hired a small van to take us to Bindoy ( about 1.5 hours North of Dumaguete).
We bought the house! Then I went back to the USA and spent the next 4 months selling my house there, and all other items that I owned.
We have now been living here for more that 1 year. Bought a jeep type 4WD, bought an ATV, Planted a vegetable garden, Papaya trees, Passion Fruit plant, Orange trees, lemon trees, 50 Dwarf coconut trees, Many Cavendish Banana trees ( the kind you buy from the supermarket in the USA), and my wife's beautiful flowers. I have also built a nice Gazabo, where we can eat our breakfast, as we look out to the ocean (we have a beautiful view).
Yesterday I asked her where she wanted to live, should something to me. She said "This is my home, and I want to always live here."
It is very peaceful here. The neighbors are great, and we already know most of the people in town, even though we live in the Province. We come to Dumaguete every 2 weeks, just to fight the traffic. haha
We love it here!

 

Hello All...much thanks to everyone, especially the folks that came down for blood screening and those that donated. I was released from the hospital last night, feeling much better and with a bunch of meds to take.

There are still more follow up tests I need to get done, but will take care of that once I get to Korea and am around US military hospitals. I will hopefully be flying out of here in the next week, still need to work out those details with the new company.

Thanks again,

Shawn