Suggestion Best Posts in Thread: Philippine/Dumaguete YouTube Channels

I have looked at a lot of Philippine expat channels on You tube. Some aren't very useful in my opinion but there is usually some kind of useful information if you dig long enough. Don't take anything they say as gospel, just use it as a starting point for your own research. I will mention Travis Kraft specifically and say that the gist I get from his channel is that you can't live in the Philippines for less than $2,500 USD a month which tends to invalidate most of what he says for me. I think Kraft expected to live a first world life and the Philippines was not for him. Another channel by a younger returned Filipino is I believe called Bebots Only. I was interested in his channel for awhile until it turned out that he couldn't hack the Philippines and had to return to a first world country. I recommend putting in the time if you have it to mine the small nuggets of gold but remember that a lot of what you hear is mainly situational and first person perspective and need not apply to you. Nobody offers a viable blueprint. I wouldn't buy anyone's book on the subject.

 

Wise advice. The more mature Tubers do seem to elaborate on their experiences and observations, rather than turn their vlogs into a sales pitch for the Philippines. The vlogs that oversell the experience or, conversely, denigrate the Philippines and the people should be viewed with some skepticism, as the author's bias is very evident. I do find transparency in Bud's, Ned's and Henry's presentations and view them faithfully for that reason. Each of them has shared their positive experiences without attempting to hide the side of the culture that could be frightening and stressful to a westerner who is not already married into it and/or done objective research. Travis' gist of a $2500 budget may be reflective of his residence near Manila as well as his youth. I am officially an old man who is long past the life phase of accumulating goods and superficial experiences. After a life lived in complicated industries with a complicated profession in a complicated society, I long for simplicity. I am at the "less is more" stage of life, which a young fellow like Travis will take many more years to arrive at. One of the most endearing qualities of my Filipina is her ability to embrace simplicity and not feel that her life is incomplete without western trappings. The irony of the matter is that the US has set multiple standards for the entire world, which is neither a good or bad, yet I seek to spend my remaining years in a different environment that is more reasonable for smelling the roses.

Referencing my earlier statement, I get concerned for a particular Tuber who seems to have taken up the mantle of denigrating the natives and expats of the Philippines. Yes, there are oddball expats and bad Filipinos, after all, they are people with a gamut of characteristics. However, characterizing most expats as troubled people and asses along with most Filipinos as thieves and whores is very distasteful to me. Any person not knowing better and viewing such vlogs would not be receiving a balanced message. Just my rant on that matter.

Thank you robert k for your comment.

 

This is my first posting since registering yesterday and I do faithfully watch Henry, Bud and Ned (Philippine Dreams). I occasionally watch Travis. My Filipina and I spent 3 days in Dumaguete last December to check it out. Bud and Gloria hosted us for most of the time and we are now friends. I did briefly meet Ned, but Henry was back in California with his family for Christmas, so maybe this December I can meet him. I enjoyed Dumaguete and am considering it as a retirement home for us. It will provide a small city environment with decent medical services, many westerners and will be close to the Pinoy side of the family located in Davao and Cebu. I believe that it will be more secure than Mindanao. At this time, it will be 3 to 4 years with vacations spent in Dunaguete until that time. Of course, if the boss annoys me anymore, it might be 3 to 4 months instead!

I concur with your observation about television and I, too, enjoy YouTube or Netflix for entertainment. I dropped cable approximately 7 years ago and have never looked back. It was 200+ channels of nothing for $150 a month. What a deal!

Although we only spent 3 days in Dumaguete last December, as most of the month was spent with family in Davao, now that I know that I like Dumaguete, we will spend the bulk of the month in Dumaguete and go to Davao strictly for Christmas. In the next couple of months, I will be making arrangements such as housing and flights. Maybe if you are around, we can have a pineapple juice together, however, I do like San Miguel or Red Horse.

 

FYI, Bud Brown, he of the Molly-Mobile and YouTube channel, and his wife Gloria, were asked to come up to Manila to be interviewed by ABS-CBN newsperson Korina Sanchez about their 40 year marriage and their life in Dumaguete. According to Ms. Sanchez's Facebook page, the segment will air Sunday on her show "Rated K". One interesting note, Ms. Sanchez is married to former presidential candidate Mar Roxas.
Here's a link to her Facebook post, I think it's public but you may be prompted to log in: