Hello forum members at DumagueteInfo! I'm a Filipino citizen who immigrated to the US about 10 years ago and started a family there. I'm contemplating going back to the Philippines but instead of returning to my old home near Metro Manila, I want to find a place where my American husband and our kids will be happy. Possible choices include Cebu City, Lapu Lapu City, Subic Bay and of course, here, Dumaguete City. We are looking for a place with a strong expat community, a safe environment for children and essential services and amenities for comfortable living (health care, schools, airport, etc.). So to get straight to the point: I would like your opinion on Dumaguete City as a place to raise kids in. I understand lots of foreigners who move here are retirees - they have no little ones to take care of. But I'm sure there are also many of you who married locals here and have children of your own. How would you rate Dumaguete in terms of raising a family? Are the schools good? Are there extra curricular / recreational activities for youngsters? I would appreciate your thoughts!
If good health care is a necessity then your best options would be any of the areas you mentioned besides Dumaguete. Don't like to turn people off from Dumaguete but the city really struggles with quality health care. You'll find some people that will say different but most people I know have had to travel to Cebu or Luzon for proper treatment. Can't really offer much on the raising kids part but there are several members here who have plenty of experience with that.
As with many things and many Places, sometimes it is boots on the ground. We have many Threads on Most things from Building to Renting, Food, Restaurants, to Shopping, we Recently had a good Thread on Schools. As Dustin has said, Health care is maybe the biggest problem, Dentists and Eye care have all come into Threads of late and all I can Suggest is that you Trawl through the Search area and type in something you want to know and up it should come but having said that any Specific Question will draw answers from any amount of members here. We do indeed have Members with Children of all ages so just ask away. Anyway Hope we can between us all help you to make your Decision to join us in Dumaguete "The City of Gentle People" Jack
Thanks Wrye83 and Jack. Health care IS a priority as that's one of the main reasons we are tired of living in the States. Health care is ridiculously expensive here. You know that. We've received much better care in Asia for far less. So I will keep that in mind. And yes, I have been searching the forums with keyword "kids" looking for information. Thank you again.
IMO normal health care is OK in Dumaguete. Unless you have serious medical issues I wouldn't be too concerned about that part. We have only had our son in private schools and home school. We have not had any issues with his education so far. The major problem in Dumaguete is air quality, or lack thereof. In the evenings it is common to have dense smoke from the burning of refuse, leaves, trash etc. For that reason alone I would not live there. The areas outside Duma are much better, Valencia, Dauin etc. I like Negros area and wouldn't mind living there, but not in Dumaguete proper. I suggest you rent for a while and experience first hand living there. We lived there almost a year before moving. All the best to you in your search.
Welcome to the forum. My only knowledge on the matter is I had an expat friend move to Dumaguete then to a near by town. Over 13 years had 2 kids (Girls) and raised them there with no problems I am aware of. Due to his failing health he had to come back to North America. Both girls are well mannered and behaved and are doing well.
You mentioned Subic Bay Area. Is your husband retired U.S. military? If yes, Siliman Medical in Dumaguete is a certified Tricare provider. I prefer to fly to Makati when I need more than routine medical care. Makati Medical Center is an approved Tricare provider, which means they bill the U.S. military directly -- you just have to pay the modest deductible first and the co-pay. With certified Tricare providers like Siliman you must pay in full and then file a claim with Tricare for reimbursement.
First things first I would suggest making sure your spouse and kids will actually be happy in the Philippines. I think a LOT of American kids unless they are to young still to be plugged in to American life would have a very hard time adapting plus getting acceptance at schools and unsure if your spouse has ever been in the Philippines or at least for a bit of an extended stay (not just 1-2 week tourist stuff). Further I'd make sure finances are in order with an outside source of income as you may have forgotten how little jobs pay here and business's don't tend to generate enough profit for your average expat lifestyle with a family without being a major business. Healthcare though Dumaguete only has 1 semi decent hospital (Silliman) and one sorta *ehh* ok type of hospital (Holy Child). That's the only 2 hospitals we have in Dumaguete. But if your looking to die while losing all your money we have an expensive morgue that makes sure you die as broke as possible (Provincial Morgue *some think its a hospital thou*). If you have any more the minor health issues though you'd be making regular trips to Cebu or Manila for what in the US may be normal specialists everywhere are very rare outside Manila or Cebu. Schools for the most part imo are fairly lackluster with the exception of Silliman and would likely take a fair bit of help at home assuming you want a quality education for your kids. Other schools I have seen have so many shortcomings. Expat community is what it is. From my experience here most keep to themselves or very small crowds. Those with a family often don't want to mix with other foreigners due to negative influences and the single guys generally just rant between politics and the latest girl conquest (naked photo's often included). So if your looking for a couple regular friends to hang out with that can be accomplished with a bit of work but having what I'd call an *expat community* I would say we don't have that. Plus mostly just older guys sitting around drinking beer and discussing how to fix the worlds problems day in and day out. Gets a bit wearing especially if happen to be part of the semi younger crowd like myself.
