dumaguete a MECCA for Expats?

Welcome!

Welcome to DI johnfitz, Strange, to see you have settled into Dgte so slowly, 1 year is quite a time. I guess your next post may be in the Classified section.


Jack P.

 

I will offer the converse of living here. Firstly, hard to argue the point of pedicabs, nevertheless, it is the primary mode of transportation here in the province. I lived in Makati close to Edsa and the buses were a whole lot worse than pedicabs here, same when I lived in Hong Kong Central. Many expats choose to live in Valencia, Sibulan, Bacong, or Dauin to avoid the few polluted areas. Secondly, I don't mind security grills on my home windows and a pistol close to my bed and a mean @ss dog, I sleep sound. If I had the same in my former California house, I probably would have slept better. Thirdly, it is indeed less expensive overall to live here (at least compared to California). Lastly, the weather is great, nice english-speaking people, and a beautiful (in my eyes) wife. Life is good.
Note: Rose colored glasses? No, reality.

 

well, I thought I explained it very clear why it was closed. and my answer was very clear directed to your BS part about tour huge knowledge ... (including quotes)
Anyway, there is a place downtown and one in Robinson, where people who know everything regularly meet.

If you know That much you should pretty much know that this not even my site (which I, as a matter of fact, told you in person when we met for advertising your house here earlier this year)... so again,you talk total BS. Absolutely nothing to argue and discuss about that ...

anyway sorry for interrupting the original discussion

 

In One!

:D You have hit it on the Head Pat, Once again. I think we all came, wearing those Rose Coloured Glasses, Most of us have put them away in a Cupboard somewhere, If others need them, just PM me and you can have mine, I dont need them anymore We all know it is not perfect, we are here for one reason or another. Dumaguete has all I need, Practical things can be overcome, getting used to things as they are, is a way of life. The City may be Scruffy, Restaurants may have bad or indifferent Menus, Service and Prices, This is not going to change, Accepting it, will make a big Difference to our lives. Most of us here have accepted Dgte for what it is "Our Home" To the OP, this is the magnet. Home, is where the Heart is and most of us, have our Hearts here.
I guess with all the Good Trappings, Good Food, Good Hospitals, Big Wages, Some just want to think of their own Home Country. We are in the PI and One thing for sure is, Who on earth wants to live in the UK to-day.


Jack P.

 

I told my wife recently that I'm just going to pretend that I have just arrived on Fiji or some other exotic location, and all the nonsense here is the same thing you'd find cute and quaint etc in any other remote locale.

Do that every morning and you might endure it well enough to just let it be.

It's harder when you've been here off and on since 1999 like me, because the shine wears off the place sure enough. But small town USA is almost the same so...

 

Jack,
with whats been happening here just lately I think I know what you mean
If I may use yet another quote....
"If you ain't got your health what good is money"
We all have our reasons for chosing where to live, like you said. Wish I could predict the future.

 

AMEN! to that JB.


Jack P.

 

Thinking about Dumaguete…

Hi everyone. I been reading this thread and it struck a chord. It's a year since anyone answered… so maybe everyone has lost interest. Only one way to find out. Here goes:

I'm new to this forum.
Quick introduction: Currently living and working in China for the last two years. University professor. Civil engineer. British. 59 years old. Single… and always have been. I nearly got married, more than once back in England… But narrowly escaped… ! Phew..!!! He-he.

I'm currently looking for an exit strategy from China . An early retirement in the Philippines is Plan A.

How long for? I've no idea. Three months? Three years? Who's to say…?? I'll see how it goes and make it up as I go along. Being single, life is easy. No commitments or compromises. Few responsibilities… Apart from my cat, in China.

As someone said in an earlier post, the main thing is to have good health and to enjoy life. You only get one shot at it.

Over the last two years I've had many trips to the Philippines (15 or more) and I've been looking at different places,, thinking about what it would be like to settle down there.

Manila, Cebu, Olongopo, Sabang, Gen Santos, Davao, Legazpi, Coron, Cagayan de Oro. And Dumaguete. Apart from the first one, Manila, these are all places I've been scuba-diving.

The next trip is to Sogod, South Leyte in September/October. And then back to Dumatuete for another trip at the end of October. Over Christmas and New Year I'll be back again for three weeks. Probably Coron, Gen Santos and Olongopo, because these are places I've had good times on previous trips.

I have to say that so far, Dumaguete is at the top of the list for somewhere to come indefinitely at the end of China… In one year's time. Not too big… Not too small. Excellent diving. Busy but bearable (unlike Manila or Cebu). But going for a week or two break is not the same as settling down there indefinitely.

What more to say? What questions?

One concern I have is about personal safety and keeping my own possessions in my possession. Philippines generally is not the safest place in the world, as I see it. I spoke to someone who had moved to Davao from Dumaguete because of concerns about crime and personal safety. He thought that Davao was much safer. How do you guys who live there long-term view this? Is it a real worry or just something you accept and get on with life?? Just wondering…

Anyway, everyone has to do make the best decision they can with the available information and options. I'll see how I get on in Dumaguete on the next trip.

It would be nice to meet face-to-face with a two people on the forum and get a personal perspective. Send me a PM if you're interested in shooting the breeze over coffee or a beer.

Regards, Steve-M.

 

It took me many years, but I finally figured out why I like it here and why I'd never be able to live back in the land of the "big PX". (USA)

Here in the Philippines, the majority of the people are financially strapped. Money is scarce and hard to get and everybody knows it.
Pretty much everyone accepts this, and adapt their lives to adjust to this reality..

So what we see here in the Philippines, for the most part, is a society of people that value family, friends, culture and tradition over the drive for money, status and material possessions.

My opinion is that's the way it's supposed to be for human beings on this planet. The natural way.

And once a persons see this, and understands this, its incredibly hard to go back to the Western world.

 

A small English Speaking community which has a little of everything

I think this is a pretty good reason to come to Dumaguete: Quality of life (however you define it). When I was introduced to coming to the Philippines by a friend and asked him why, he said they speak English and it is a Christian Society, as opposed to Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu etc. Those were good starts.

I left California with it 8 lane traffic jamed freeways because I was living in a rat race...and the rats were winning all the time. The competition for more of everything was a drag. No one was satisfied with what they had unless they were in some alcohol or drug induced state. The illegal aliens were no worst than the worst Filipinos here...they took no responsibility for their actions, no insurances....but as Californians we got to pay for their insurance and health care,

I like Dumaguete in particular because although it does not have everything, you can almost find everything here, in a small compact community. You can find more in Cebu or Manila but then you have more of the problems too. In a few minutes, even with the worst traffic, you can be in a clean air environment with a natural tree lines streets. Something that is harder to find in the bigger cities. The Robinson Mall is an adventure in itself. Offering interesting stories, but not too many, lots of expat, to meet and BS with etc. In three minutes and a ride more fun than racing a FI car, you can be downtown to the "specility" stores which resemble old home town USA.

When you are done choking down the pollution of downtown you can head to the Valencia or one of the other close by areas for fresh air. You can not do that in Manila where you can never escape the traffic and pollution.

Although Makati and a few other areas are certainly a lot more tidy and sanitized than Dumaguete, you just know where to go and what to do to have a good time here in Dumaguete.

Remember, in any town or community can fine the bad or good things you are looking for or trhying to avoid. A little common sense can keep you pretty secure here in Dumaguete. I have been here almost a year and think I made a good choice.

I do not understand why the City Government, does not take better care of the Boulevard, "the jewel tourist spot in Dumaguete" when there is so much money brought to Dumaguete by tourist and expats everyday. Most of the other issues with Dumaguete can be found anywhere else in the Philippines......so you learn to live with them.