Best Posts in Thread: Dumaguete City named best place to retire in Philippines for 2018 ....

I think most agree it's an individual thing to choose where to live, country, city, countryside etc. No matter where I live in the world, I have a list of wishes, it's outside of a city in peaceful area, friendly people, near the sea, nice nature, then I make my research and see what's possible. Honestly, I feel happy here in Bacong south of Dumaguete where I live, I don't believe in utopia and don't close my eyes to the bad/negative sides of life. All of us can agree that traffic in Dumaguete is terrible, but it affects us to varying degrees. I choose the time on the day I go city, when I remember it, and take the bike, no big deal to me. There are no special bands that tie me to the Dumaguete area, I look around other places to see if there are a better place to live. Just came home from Cebu island today, look around the west coast of the island, special around Moalboal area. No way I will move, prefer Bacong many times over that area, the only thing is the white beaches they have in some areas, that's not enough to make a move. I think the way we live our lives and choose where to live is where we put our focus. I can get f*cking depressive if I look at politic and that's not only in the Philippines, so I know what's going on but focus on other things which give me more pleasure in life. Today when I was on the ferry Santander to Tampi, I saw I have a flat tire, ask a truck driver if he had some tools I could borrow, he change my tire. Many nice people around, I had a real problem because my tools were disappeared in one way or another, next time I see someone who needs help I remember, how a little help can make a big difference to someone. My conclusion or point is if we focus on the negative sides of Dumaguete sides of Dumaguete city then it's what you see and of course, if you focus on all the positive sides it's what you see. I move here from Panglao because I don't like to live in a tourist place, had 5 years in Bohol, great time but things change, more tourists, international airport, new hotel on the beach, 600 rooms, now what was public beach before belongs to the hotel, money, money makes the world goes around. Freedom is the most important in my life, I don't want to built or buy a house and be forced to live there when you rent easy to move. Back to Dumaguete, I see a lot of positive things, the mall is fine for my needs and Cebu is nearby, restaurants and food places is fine to my needs, after 3 years I know where to go if I need a dentist or new tires for my car, I need that lol. Best of all by living here is the surroundings so many places to go, I like to go on a bike trip, easy to go to other islands, ferry ticket is very cheap. I come from Denmark and live in Asia have always been my dream, I plan to go to Malaysia soon, very close when you live in the Philippines, many places like Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam just outside the door, cheap ticket for flight compared with trip from Denmark and 30 hours plus in a plane, 4 hours fit me much better, again life depends where we put focus

 

I wonder how many are like me and didn’t know a thing about Dumaguete when I came here to go diving, met my fiance, found it was much cheaper rent than where I lived in Global City so we moved here 9 years ago.

 

The biggest complaint tourists have is traffic. Many tourists like to walk. If there is no space for more cars and more parking then make more ways to walk. Make wide sidewalks and give the death penalty to any motorcyclist or vehicle operator who drives or parks on those sidewalks. Turn the city into a futuristic city where people get off their asses and walk. No vehicle of any kind on sidewalks (except and only exception being wheelchairs).

That's my comment

 

Nonono.... horrible place to retire. Now go away! Our traffic is bad enough and prices already rising to fast. lol

 

All the years I travelled the Philippines I was shure: If I ever move in the Philippines it will be CEBU, where I would like to live, cause its very central, nice Places like Moalboal, Bantayan. Malapascua....
Than I moved in the Philippines and in the first year (on CEBU) I had a very beautiful house, direkt on the waterline, private beach, two terraces (up and down) beautiful sundowns there - but that's it and after a while it started to get boring and there where too much efforts to shop all the nice things that you sometimes have to get and no chance to have social contacts to other interest people!
And than we found Dumaguete and we found everything we missed before: A huge offer of goods, food, Rastaurants and places to meet People, good Medicine support in Hospitals and Doctors, for any kind of medical problems, nice Beaches very close and the most important: Very friendly and happy people which give you the Impression to be very Welcome here, in Dumaguete!
And the bunch of foreign a..holes you can just ignore!

 

So you are city-boy at heart who went astray to the countryside (province) and now have found your comfort zone.

You seem content in Dumaguete and that's what counts. It is important to re-assess at times where we are and what we want - for most people it seems the answer remains the same: "I am happy where I am".

 

The problem with Bacong is that the administration is ......... The mayor and vice-mayor (spouses) have already had one hand grenade thrown in their front yard. Be very very careful when dealing with the bacong administration, if you have to. And be careful when dealing with the barangay officials. Some barangays are dirt poor with little income, therefore dangerous.

Bacong is a 4th class municipality, Valencia is 1st class

 

This happens everywhere in other places in the Philippines (Cebu, Baguio, Siargao, Bohol). Also, any country (France, Italy, Spain... US I cannot comment too much), you would have the same experience (and comment). So that is how it goes - traffic and population is outgrowing infrastructure, specially in countries where public transport was (or is) not well developed in the first place (and if you have a "baby making machine" country). You cannot do anything about it if you want to live in an urban area (or close to it)