Valencia A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE

I have lived in a few places in the Philippines and visited many others, for a couple of years I lived in Mactan Cebu, but we decided to move from there 6 years ago, the reasons being congested traffic giving rise to lots of pollution, there was lots of standing water all around and in many places it would lie so long it would turn green and smelly, this was a higher risk area for Dengue.

Having returned from Scotland to visit my family in Valencia I was to spend a couple of days in Mactan to visit old friends and talk about all the Auld Bar Stewards that had died. My Wee Boy and his Mum come over to meet me at the airport, they had driven over the day before, the first thing my Son said when they arrived was why does it smell funny here, I was to notice this myself there is always a faint whiff of sewage there. An added problem to me there was the price of a Beer in the Bars being P85 and even 90 in some.

So I am now back in Valencia which I think is as good as any other place I have visited in PH and better than any other place I have lived in, apart from the odd killing now and again? generally it has quite a low crime rate and for a Drunken master like myself I can get a Beer at the Red Table for p50, what more could a man want? I must admit the RT is a shitty little place but in an ideal location looking over the Public Park, in the evenings there is lots of young girls roaming around, on weekdays late afternoons is also a good time when all the young Mums pick up their children from the local School there, after a few Beers they all look pretty good to me.

There is so much going on in this Park, there they have a couple of Tennis courts (my Son and his Mum are there playing most nights) there is also a children's playground and a basketball court, at the other end of the park there is quite a number of BBQ stalls this is very cheap eating out for the locals and well supported by them, at this time of year we have the Christmas tree and usually this is quite spectacular being very good this year.

GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE | VALENCIA, NEGROS ORIENTAL 2023 - YouTube

 

I like Valencia too but decided to live in Bacong the last 13+ years. 12 minutes north to my boy's school and the mall and 12 minutes south to the gym. A new Bacong large mall is near completion and hopefully will have a supermarket. Mercury Drugs and 7/11 here and many fresh fish and fruit stands.

 

There is no doubt Valencia is a very good place to live.

I agree as well with your impressions of Mactan island. My wife is from Lapu Lapu and it was at no time a valid choice to settle there.

After visiting various spots in the Philippines we accidently came to Dumaguete and it got very clear we will set up our home over here.

After renting a house for 3 years in Dauin we bought a house in Magatas, Sibulan. 10 minutes drive to City Mall, 15 minutes to airport, North Point, Downtown Dumaguete and Boulevard, 20 minutes to Valencia. And due to the new diversion road maybe 25 mnutes to Bacong and Dauin.

We are fine. Life is good. We are enjoying all advantages a life in the Philippines offers to you and we are dealng as best as we can with all disadvantages and issues. To be precise, my wife is doing it. She can handle that far better than me.

We never regret ourmivr to Dumaguete and there is absolutely no intention to move. With my knowledge of today only place I would consider if had to start again would be Davao. But it's not a plan. We are here, life is good.

 

I never did like any place situated on the south highway mainly because of the fast disorderly traffic on it, I guess we may have been unfortunate? but we have had quite a few incidents involving crazy drivers on that road, in fact one night when travelling back from a wedding in Zamboanguita we had three near misses within 15mins or so.

In fairness I should say I am no longer a confident Driver even in my own country and I let my partner do all the driving here she seems to like it for some strange reason? she drove over to Mactan to get me from the airport last week.

 

SOLD! But I've never been there.

 

I look at safety (as far as is possible in a country wracked by natural disasters) - looking at safety is one of my hobbies! I would rule out Davao because of the frequency of earthquakes (unless you enjoy the experience); much of the east (Surigao, Samar/Leyte, Bicol, Cagayan and up to North Luzon) due to typhoons and heavy rains; Palawan as it is a bit remote and so, looking at places with some decent shops and a few things of interest, Dumaguete and environs look pretty good. I think also maybe Panay but I am not at all familiar with places such as Mindoro, Masbate but does anything ever happen there???

 

Usual festivals, karaoke. Nothing unusual. Tom Jones.

 

Lived on Panay island near Iloilo in a subdivision. City much bigger than Dumaguete and as a result more facilities like shopping malls, hospitals and restaurants. Though already some years ago, the city water supply was a disaster after a typhoon. Traffic in general more pleasant than in Dumaguete city with exception for some streets during rush hours. Reason I did not stay, my partner could not get used to the language barrier between Visaya and Illongo plus far far away from her family living on Mindano which took 2 days by car to get there.

 

I might be an indication of a place here if it has a Vikings - Bacolod has and so does Iloilo, but not Dumaguete.