Jimf, not sure about the Chinese coming hee, but I think it is safe to say foreigners move here because:
1. Cheaper overall cost of living for retirement
2. Good year round weather
3. Attractive young ladies
4. Pretty good diving
5. Most locals understand English
6. If you find you don't like it here, you can hop over to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia
Best Posts in Thread: More people moving to Dumaguete?
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Gord we have the same impression of the people there. i dont live there but the several times I have done business there and interacted with locals and expats, by far the majority seem like good people.
Glad to know they have managed to keep the sex industry out as well.
With Dumaguete becoming a better known place for retirement they had certainly better...- Agree x 4
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I concur with your reason(s) for being here. I am happily married (save the usual monthly 'bun fights') and would think more people would make the Philippines their destination of choice, were it not for the obvious lack of tech infrastructure and quality healthcare etc etc. As for the sex trade? Well, you would get a better show in Spearmint Rhino or Stringfellows back in the UK and aren't working girls now glamourised as wealthy high class Escorts anyway? You mention the word wh*re/prostitute and people think 'crack wh*re' - you mention "Escort" people think glamour, money and an air of acceptability? Personally I've never had any issues with someone providing 'services' of that nature, so long as it is out of choice of course.
Anyway - I guess ignorance is bliss? The Philippines remains 'off the radar' for many worthy people due to the perception of danger here. I would never wish the archipelago to go 'up market' in the way many beautiful places have become exclusive and inaccessible retreats for the wealth minority - no way! I like the rustic charm of the country and of course the 'locals' have been raised with similar religious values as I was - which makes for a better understanding and hey - they may even understand my humour! (think Mr Bean)
Wrye - same for me. My wife is from Tarlac, Luzon - only about 1 hour north of Angeles City. We lived there for one year whilst she was pregnant as I wanted her to be comfortable around her family at that time (we previously lived in K.L. & Thailand). Goes without saying that you couldn't talk to many locals without them assuming you were there for other reasons - which is unfortunate but understandable of course.
We came to visit DC three months ago, immediately liked what we saw and now we are here full time. I'm very fussy and so I was pleasantly surprised by DC and the surrounding neighbourhoods. So much so - we found a house, got everything sorted and shipped-out of Pampanga last month. I noted the 'quality' of expat was nice, the people nice and the traffic manageable. An English lady [teacher] stopped me in the park when I was carrying my son to see the red fire truck there, introduced herself and told me about local schools and places to visit. I felt right at home and after seeing other tourists on historical and diving pilgrimages, was drawn to the relaxed, unhurried pace here.
My only wish is that the Philippines sorts out the [many] ridiculous hurdles it places in the way of locals/expats. Immigration rules are a joke (even though I have recently received my 13a probationary visa), the new numberplate regs are laughable and of course the many other areas for improvement. Still, Thailand was like that when I first visited 25 years ago and look at it now! Thankfully, all the bar-crawling idiots that can no longer afford Thailand know how expensive it is in the Philippines (relatively speaking) so they're all off in Cambodia or Laos. Great! Don't come here please!
Luv to all.- Like x 4
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Maybe strayed a little from the original topic, but my two cents worth is that both the Expats and the Filipinos here in Dumaguete City are by and large good decent people. There are some in either group that I don't personally like or agree with but surprisingly, for this middle aged sometimes cynic, that number seems small. I believe that another PLUS for Dumaguete is that besides one or two of the "notorious" places, the sex trade guys don't have a whole lot here to attract them. Judging from a thread we had several months ago linking to an article on a sex tourist site written by one of those very guys, the sentiment he shared was simple.Look elsewhere! Cool by me and hope he got his message out.
In regards to the original thread topic, whether more people are moving to Dumauete certainly interest me as I am in businesses where it is relevant. I wrote the following article on what I see is happening.
MOVING TO DUMAGUETE - PhilX-Pat Real Estate | PhilX-Pat Real Estate- Informative x 2
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Hello Pat its been some time since we interacted here...nice to hear from you.
I see. Seems like all the same good reasons to move to Negros or the Dumaguete area still exist. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some sudden, remarkable influx or change of conditions causing more people to come.
Since joining here and expressing a genuine desire to move there I still haven't done it. I could actually retire now and do just fine, but not pulling the trigger for one reason or another.
Thats the trap I guess...
I'm workin on it!- Like x 3
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I'm also a great believer in "let ye without sin cast the first stone"...
When you board a plane from Europe to Asia the demographic is notorious, depending upon destination. Im not bothered what people in Blighty may or may not whisper about my choice of country and compared to many British, Filipinos are indeed conservative. I just wish when you Google 'entertainment' +Philippines you're not first greated by a plethora of girlie bar images!
From your comment it would seem The Boulevard carries that stigma? I frequent it on my own & with my wife, but never considered it a no-go area if you're happily married. I wonder why you feel the need to defend yourself against it? Is that not a contradiction? Isn't that allowing people's jaded preconceptions of an area to tar us all with the same brush (confirming my original point about 'labels')?
I quite like The Boulevard area. It was one of the reasons I moved here. Not everyday of course - but from your comment/observation it sounds like it's sordid? I'm new so please excuse me not being aware of places of notoriety etc.- Like x 1
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I agree and I dont (now there's a surprise. The quality of debt in Aisa is very poor. The majority of property and cars purchased is via in-house and bank finance to individuals who really shouldn't be borrowing money. Lending policy in Asia is very much like it was in developed economies in the 90's - and we all know what happened next! Proof? Check HSBC's share price!
I reckon Negros is a better bet that other places because it is still behind Cebu in terms of development and retains a certain rustic charm. If I wanted the City Life I wouldn't have moved here. I like my creature comforts, so being near a big town (which is effectively what DC is right?) is nice - but I can still live without neighbours breathing down my neck. The other comments regarding similar religious backgrounds are very valid. I lived in Thailand for several years and unless you're a hippy - the Buddhist mentality will grind you down eventually. Sure, Filipions have a habit of thinking everything is .PH is bloody wonderful, and we know that's simply not true, but you can make genuine friends here - unlike in other parts of Asia, where family values come secondary to money, at any cost.
The overall cost of living in .PH is considerably more than say, Thailand. The only problem with Thailand? The Thai's!
Let Cebu be the metropolis and let Negros remain somewhere half decent expats can live in harmony with the locals for the greater good of everyone. Idealistic? Maybe; but I hate being labelled a sex-pest 'Whorist' and I fell in love with DC (and the surrounding neighborhoods) because it does not have that stigma.
Good for me, good for my family and I would welcome anyone here who's not trying to win any awards for being the village idiot!- Like x 2
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I may have taken it for granted that, "the most commonly seen expat in the Philippines" is a Westerner when it is actually an Asian.- Like x 2
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