Suggestion Best Posts in Thread: Expat Resource Articles

Like another poster said:
Where to Find: A reliable helper (Cleaning & Laundry)

 

Unless you are doing something super processor intensive I would bring a lower powered computer that wouldn't overheat. My Dell Vostro 2520 15.6 inch was like that, energy efficient too. 1.8ghz dual core. Get something tight mesh to keep ants out of your computer when not in use as airtight may cause condensation.

Electric add ons and upgrades? Bring it with if you possibly can. CDR King or Octagon may have some things. I brought what micro sd cards and flash drives I thought I would need as I could get them of better quality and cheaper in the US.

A camera is a camera to me. I take pretty good picture and video with my phone. Most popular phones have a sub model that will have the right frequencies for the Philippines. If you want to see what is being sold and what frequencies phones work with there, try CMK Cellphones. On their spec sheets they list frequency bands the phones work on. You can look up your phone on GSM Arena online make sure to select your submodel. AT&T has a roaming agreement that covers about half of the Philippines and 95% of the densely populated parts. T-Mobile has roaming also, I won't swear how widespread. The thing is if your current phone is a GSM smartphone it could work as a dumb phone, as a slow data smart phone, fast 3-4G smartphone and if you won the lottery, LTE. The minimum standard I would be looking for is HSPA+ (theoretical 42 Mb/s) which is fast 3G but is often called 4G or 3.5G or even 3.75G. Slow 3G is max of 21Mb/s theoretical speed with your phone at the focal point of the towers dish. If you see 5-10% of these speeds, you are blessed or in the right place or both.

Bring adapters. Bring a couple of household indoor extension cords, the long 15 ft are great as outlets are not as common in the Philippines, the US ones are higher quality with heavier wire. Under $10 well spent.

Appliances. If you have some that are 220v bring them. I actually think that some German 200V stuff would run even better as you rarely get 220v to your residence.

I bought meds at Mercury Drug, the one on the north side of Dumaguete. Their prices seemed as good as anyone's and cheaper than most. Philhealth offices are upstairs in that one also. Handy.

Mail service? Good luck. If I wanted to be assured that I would get something I would have it sent via LBC for the Philippines leg if sent international and have my local LBC office hold it for pickup. They were kind enough to text me when it came in.

Used car? Good luck. It will be tough to find a decent used car for under 200k That doesn't mean that cars 200k and up are going to be good. Most people who have a GOOD car to sell will sell it to a stranger as a last resort as family and friends will have first crack at it. A new Suzuki Carry pickup is 465k 1.6 liter engine manual trans 100k km warrantee. The APV van is not a heck of a lot more (110k?). I would stay away from used cars more than 3-4 years old unless you have someone who really is a good mechanic to work on it for you. There won't be a huge savings buying a 3-4 year old car because they don't depreciate like they do in the US. Chop chop 10 year old cars imported from Japan chopped up as parts and reassembled in the Philippines and COSMETICALLY reconditioned and converted from RH to LH drive are a pig in a poke. If it were still in one piece from Japan I would call it a bargain but they are not. Most of the money spent in reconditioning is to make them SHINY. Models that are reliable? Same as anywhere. Mitsubishi got a sort of a bad name in the US because of their gasoline engine in the Montero Sport. You will mostly see diesel Mitsubishis or a radically different gas engine than is sold in the US. Diesel is cheaper in fuel cost but black sludge growing in it will cost you a lot in repairs not a real problem unless you let it sit and not drive often. A couple of liters of gas per tank of diesel will inhibit the growth of the sludge. In my opinion, stay away from biodiesel unless you are driving a lot, even then do not fill the tank solely with biodiesel 50/50 is as high as I would go.

Viber works for texts and sending pictures. I don't Skype, they don't need to see me. If you have the connection it will all work.

Ipad will work anywhere, you need to check the frequencies if Ipad air. Pocket wifi would work if you had no data on a phone/tablet or to tether a laptop or all at once. Do remember that an Ipad may be half a years pay for someone. If you have an Ipad, you might have an Iphone also so bump it up to a years pay. If you have it, use a bit of caution where you pull it out.

That is the best I can do for you. I hope it was of some help.

 

Hi Everyone,

I believe this to be a very very informative and helpful addition to the main site - and as sticky notes on the forum.

BUT with all the every day live moments and personal pet hates being turned into gigantic negatives, I believe these topics will require "approval before posted" to ensure they remain helpful.

There are so many negatives posted in this forum and on so many many other expats sites, we tend to get carried away in "mass hysteria" and we forget why we are here and not back in that other place.

There is violence here, drugs, drunkeness, beer bottles, bad food, crazy drivers, F U C K I N G S T U P I D D R I V E R S, unemployment, inefficient government offices, corruption, poverty, etc etc.

But same all over the world.

The main site should show all the good points why we are here (and it could be as simple as money), but there are so many other positive points.

New visitors will make up their own mind - simple as love it or leave it.

 

Skimming through this thread I don't see reference to list of doctors, especially specialists - this would seem to be highly desirable.

 

If this is was on a hidden forum, couldn't we have a list of reliable tradesmen that also included telephone numbers, or do we only contact each other by PM, as a privacy issue.

 

Along with the reliable helper could include the Age laws. Some of us have had accidental legal problems hiring a neighbors under age child as a helper. Which goes along with another subject of Popular SCAMS on Foreigners.
I have often wondered if a Cleaning lady service could work here. When I was Ill and incapacitated in the States I hired twice a week cleaning service. Even here my wife would like to have that kind of help but finding a helper twice a week here is impossible.

 

A compilation of "where to find" would be handy - with phone number or explicit directions. Things like - grass seeds, good bread, lettuce