⌛ Greetings from a new user

Hello all. I just registered. My wife and I are considering a move from the USA to Dumaguete in the not too distant future. We are still deciding but are looking into it very seriously. I don't know a lot about the city yet. My wife is from Bohol but we are thinking about Dumaguete because of the Silliman school there. We have a son 6 years old. We want to rent a nice home and save money for a while and buy or build in 5 or 6 years. I will remain behind and work for a while. I will be soaking up any info/help I can get.
Mabuhay!

 

Welcome aboard! Ask away and feel at home. :D

 

I will 2nd that! (any 3rd's)

Welcome to DI, I am sure you will enjoy Dgte for all its Good and Bad things, there are plenty of both
Happy Sunday, I am in a Good Mood.


Jack P.

 

Gglid1, welcome to the forum. Fyi, there are many of us Americans living here and enjoying the city of gentle people. Where are you from in the US? Have you visited Dgte before? No Starbucks here but a good Bo's.

 

Hi Gglid1, welcome to the board. Dumaguete is a very friendly place with many benefits for foreigners and also for your wife. They speak the same dialect, have much more to do and as you already know, the schools are more plentiful & better equipped. Just don't expect a similar education to USA. Silliman is well respected but when considering enrolling your son in any school, you should read the course syllabus before you part with your hard earned $s. There are many places advertised for rent and you can choose to live in a variety of different surroundings, depending on your budget. Good luck with your move...

 

Thanks for the warm replies.
We are near Milwaukee Wisconsin right now. I have never been to Dgte. I was in Bohol twice for 6 weeks at a time so I am a little familiar with Tagbilaren and Panglao but I didn't spend a ton of time there, mostly in a smaller town.
I was thinking of making a trip there in January to check things out. School and to get a handle on a rental house. I have looked on-line but the selection is very limited and I am not sure the prices are an accurate reflection of the actual price if we are looking there in person. Just don't have much info about anything right now.
If anyone has a rough idea of the cost of a dependable used vegicle, that would also be much appreciated. I don't have much knowledge of schools in the area other than what I have found on the net about Silliman. It seems like a good school.
I did live in Argentina for a couple years long ago in my early teens, so I have at least a little experience of being an ex-pat, that there are adjustments to be made and such.
I am sure I will have more questions to answer, but I don't want to overload the thread with it. There is a lot I don't have much knowledge about!

Gary

 

Hello Gglid1, welcome! Aside from Silliman, there are lots of good schools here.

 

Gary, I have heard that you have to be careful buying a used vehicle here, given rust and wear and tear from potholes and lack of regular maintenance. I heard you are better off buying one in Cebu. The best alternative may be to find one a foreigner is selling. There is another guy from Milwaukee moving from here back there who will be selling his Fortuner, I think it is one year old and he is currently asking a high price but may come down if no buyers as his March move date closes. There are lots of houses for rent here at variable rental rates and lease plans. A scouting trip in January would serve you well and help with your decision making. Good luck.

 

Thanks Pat. Would there be used cars at a dealership in Cebu? I never really paid much attention when I was there previously. I imagine from a couple of the taxis I was in that most folks don't sell a car (if they have one) untill it is quite used up.
Would there be a publication that I could check out some housing for rent? If there is, that would give me a head start of sorts. I think I might want to be in somewhat of an international community if there is a particular area you could suggest that I check out.
Very interesting that there is a guy from Milwaukee who is returning. My wife has told me that quite a few foreigners move there (RP) and then decide that it is not for them and return home. She seems to think they get bored. I wonder... After only 2 six week visits I am not in a position to be able to make a very good guess. I wonder though, how long most people have been in country, who decide to return to where they moved from? I had hoped to make a good enough decision about this for it to be a permanent thing if we do it. I have already done so many things in life that I had previously thought to myself that I would never do, that it is now almost comedic. I never saw myself moving overseas though I love living in Argentina as an early teen. I rather doubted I would be thinking of a move to the Philippines with a young child to raise. My list of absolutes is long and much violated but I hope to make at least a good decision this time.

Thanks a ton for the help
Gary

 

Everybody is different, but the only way to find out whether you will like living here is to move here for an extended period of time. A couple vacations here are different from being here 24/7, 365 days a year.

My own experience was that after 15 years here circumstances forced me to move back to the States for a number of years. I couldn't wait to get back. Returned two and a half years ago and couldn't be happier.