⌛ Like a Virgin

Okay, so, I'm not actually a virgin in the true sense of the word, however, when it comes to relocating to the Philippines, I'm a virgin. I want to introduce myself, and my intentions. My name is Tom, and I'm a 53 year old retiree who presently lives in the cold north of the United States. Presently, I have plans to make my retirement income stretch a bit further than it is now by relocating to the Philippines. This wasn't the only reason that I decided on relocating to this country. There are a lot of attractive things about the Philippines, from the nice beaches, to the cool mountains, and of course the most important factor, is the people who make up the Philippines. I have read much about the Philippines, and first looked for all the reasons not to relocate there, and then all the reasons for living there. The positives far outweigh the negatives, so last year I began to make plans to return to the Philippines on a permanent basis. So far, I have considered but have yet to decide where I would live. High on the list is Tagaytay, and right behind it is Dumaguete, and then Bacolod. So, that is my introduction, and I look forward to talking with some of you and to eventually meet. So, please be gentle with this virgin of the Philippines but I welcome all the information you can offer, and look forward to also reading many of the posts that have already been shared.

 

Welcome!

Hi Tom, Welcome to DI, Jack P. saying hello. Your Intro sounds as if you know what you want to do in your retirement. As you trawl through the many threads, One thing that will be apparent, Dumaguete is not for all. Our fair City has its bad points, as well as the good points. Spend a few months here not weeks, travel all the areas, not just the tourist side, after a while unless, you have family here (You dont say what your situation is! Married, Single.) you may find yourself at a loose end each day, So many, end up in the Foreigners Embassy at McD's where you will learn nothing about living here. 20 mins (if that long) and you will be wondering what the Heck you are doing here in "The City of Gentle People" seriously though, There is a lot on offer, Only by being here for some time, can you get the full picture. Holidays are great BUT reality is something that may come as a shock. Please dont' take this as Doom & Gloom, those of us that have settled here, have done so for many reasons. You will no doubt get a lot of advice, Do's and Don'ts, just add all the Pros's & Con's and Judge for yourself. Check out the Photo-Board for great photos of the area, Visit all the Sites on DI and you will get a Broader picture and then you can ask all you want. We all in the main, try and help each other in any way we can. There are Plenty that will meet and share a beer or two I am sure.
If you need help or advice just Shout! look forward to some posts and replies from you soon.


Jack P.

 

I've been in Dumaguete 11 of the past 15 years. I could go on and on about the many disadvantages of living here. The advantage that makes it all worthwhile is that the people are so nice to be with. The people back home (myself included) are terribly boring by comparison.

 

many young ladies i come across in philippines claim to be virgins(it seems all of the ones i meet do) Even the girl next door with a baby claims to be, i wont argue though because i expect her to claim the "i'm like the virgin mary see i'm catholic" plea..I dont like virgins too much any way if they are just trying to allure me with the hope of purity..Its OK man I'm not interested in mens status in the matter so a friendly good luck here dumaguete is one of few rare combos of small and big ,good and bad,rural and modern...I'm going this summer to baguio in luzon to check on the option of moving there after the summer..Baguio another rare combo of things to experience in philippines....

 

Tom, Tagaytay is a great place, a little cooler and not far from the sea. There is a new mall not far away close to the toll road, an about an hour to Makati (depending on traffic). But it is a more expensive place to live than Dumaguete.
IMHO, in Dumaguete the advantages outweigh the disadvantages about 60-40. Cost of living is attractive for retirees; there are many retired foreigners here from different countries living off of their retirement funds. You could take time reading through our forum posts and you will get a good feel for our place. The people who seem to be happy here seem to focus on the good 60% and accept the 40% as it is. Good luck.