Hello;I recently did a 1 month visit to Cebu and few of the surrounding islands including Siquijor;my wife and myself were taken with the Phillipines in general and met a couple who have lived in Cebu for 10 years;anyway we now would like to have an extended visit 6-12 months so that where I need help please;drawing pension from uk?;we would look to rent furnished in Dumaguete/Valencia??;visa requirements(12 month extension from Dumaguete immigration??)and any other assistance would be welcome;thank you(both 60yrs)
Hi...depends what you are looking for in your stay...beaches, peace and quiet, or somewhere with a bit more life. Most folks here will know someone who has a house for long term rent. Furnished or unfurnished. Amenities are a longer conversation...Internet, electricity, garbage etc. Transportation might be a concern - getting from a to b without at least a motorbike can be a drag. As for drawing your pensions, surely you can get them paid direct to your bank now? Long stay visas are available...check out the Republic of the Philippines website. Easy-Peasy. Healthcare might be a but if a concern, but 'gap year' insurance (lol 60s are the new gappers) should take care of that. Care to expand your requirements/thoughts a little? C
Thanks;my initial thoughts were to rent property for 6-12 months (20;000 pm);basing myself in Dumagute and occasionally visit other islands;will probably be 2 years before I do this as my daughter is going on 1 year rtw trip later this year so I have plenty of time to research;open to advise;all u tube postings give very positive opinions on Dumaguete.
p20,000 budget for rent is good visa for UK passport holders staying around Duma is no problem 6-12 months stay is good, up to 12 months and ECC exit clearance is available at the airport when you leave, over 12 months you have to go to a main BI office within 30 days of departure. Cebu is closest to Duma for over 12 month stay)
2 years from now? Hard to say what rents will do in 2 years. Dumaguete has grown a lot in the last 2.
Hopefully he knows by asking the questions today he is going to get today's answer. Technically we can't answer any question about 2 years from now. Real estate up or down? ECC required or not? ECC in Duma or not? BI office in Duma or not? Airport in Sibulan or not? Jeepneys, trikes, taxis in Duma or not? Diving on the Boulevard or not? Will I be breathing or not? Will you be married or not? (Well that last one we might have a pretty high probability of getting correct hahaha)
One advice: Keep it simple. Take only the utilities and insurances which you really need. Rent a furnished appartement/house. Will helps a lot if you move 6 to 12 months later. There are even some rentals around where some utilities are included in the rental. That will keep the hassle down to cancel contracts at the end of rentals.
I totally understand wanting to stay in Dumaguete. But if you plan on traveling throughout the Philippine Islands, Dumaguete might not be the best place logistically. If you want to fly to explore, you are stuck going to Cebu or Manila first. Every time. If you want to use the extensive ferry routes, Dumaguete is not much of a hub. Cebu would be a port with many more choices....probably by a factor of 10x, or more. Dumaguete, and its environs, is a great place to be. But if you want to go somewhere else, you can't get there from here. (With few exceptions.)