Photogenic Cities in the Philippines - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 9

[dx]

February 27th, 2009, 03:02 AM

Japanese to invest in Bicol retirement center (http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6705:japanese-to-invest-in-bicol-retirement-center&catid=45:regions&Itemid=71)
Written by Danny O. Calleja / Correspondent

LEGAZPI CITY—Luxcess Business Consulting Inc. will invest in a retirement center here that would cater to Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese clients, Hideaki Takeda, its president, said on Thursday. Luxcess Business is a Japanese firm engaged in tourism-related development worldwide. It has established tie- up deals with the city government here through Mayor Noel Rosal for project “Close-Up Legazpi” to be launched next month.

“My firm has chosen Legazpi City for this project because of its friendly character, ideal location, peaceful environment, accessibility through major modes of transportation, and the cooperativeness of the local government,” Takeda said in a meeting with city officials. Also, the Japanese executive said Legazpi is the sister city of the city of Chosi in Japan.

“This retirement center, a tourism- and investment-oriented venture, would strengthen the cityhood pact between your city and ours, notwithstanding the thousands of miles of distance separating them,” Takeda added. Mayor Rosal said the project is a big boost for tourism not only in the city but the entire province of Albay, which would host retirees and their relatives from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The retirement center will sit in a beachfront property of over three hectares in barangay Puro in the upper southeastern section of the city overlooking Albay Gulf. About a hundred residential-commercial houses will be constructed in the site that would accommodate not less than 200 retirees, Rosal said. The site is next to the Embarcadero de Legazpi, a P500-million information-technology trading hub and lifestyle destination that is set to start operations next month. Luxcess will have an office at the Embarcadero, the city mayor said.

Luxcess was also encouraged to do business here because of the business-information center and foreign- investment office maintained by the city government through its web site, in cooperation with the information- technology department of Bicol University (BU), Rosal said. To ensure the growth, viability and long-term continuity of the center, he said the Close-Up Legazpi Club would be organized with free membership for foreign retirees and serve as the machinery for the promotion, operation and sustainability of the project.

BU, its main campus at the heart of the city and college of agriculture in the nearby Guinobatan town of Albay, also agreed to help the retirement center establish an agriculture-investment program that would introduce microbiological-farming technology to its members, Rosal said. The technology produces high-value crops like vegetables, fruits and root crops the retirees would eat as part of a healthy diet, he said.

“We do not have yet the exact idea as to how much investment Luxcess is infusing into this project and its vital components, but we are sure it would cost several hundreds of millions of pesos,” Rosal said, noting that it usually takes that much money to put up a modern retirement village for wealthy Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese retirees. The project already satisfied the requirements of the Philippine Retirement Authority and completed all other pre-implementation processes, paving the way for it to start in March, he added.

alheaine

March 4th, 2009, 01:50 PM

for me its not..once finished, it will mixed with the existing buildings in makati and will surely be just another skyscraper in Makati.. far to being iconic in the first place.

^^
i really agree with what you said..the Gramercy would be like a chameleon with all those bunch of scrapers in the sky..it would definitely be tall, but not iconic..thats my opinion and merely a fact..hahahaha..ÜÖ:lol:

make it look like the hanging gardens of babylon and it would be iconic..or color it green to signify that it is made not to contradict with nature..reinvent it in a way people would be in awe when they saw it..like the st. francis towers of the ortigas..db?

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp197/carl_vilches21/gramercy02.jpg

Front
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityFront.jpg

Left
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityLeft.jpg

Back
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityBackwGSM.jpg

Back Right
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityBackRight.jpg

Right
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityRight.jpg

Top
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/tcc_0888/Century%20City/CenturyCityTop.jpg

jsl_bxu1206

March 5th, 2009, 06:45 AM

Cebu City at night

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3328999346_e09a43491f_o.jpg

from cebu thread 80

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

March 5th, 2009, 07:08 AM

^^ wow! very nice shot! ;)

Henz

March 5th, 2009, 07:13 AM

really nice shot.. indeed..

jsl_bxu1206

March 5th, 2009, 07:20 AM

i think this pic was taken from I2 or I3 in IT Park.

^^ wow! very nice shot! ;)

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

March 5th, 2009, 07:30 AM

^^
yeah. most probably ;)

federalist

March 6th, 2009, 05:50 AM

Cebu City at night

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3328999346_e09a43491f_o.jpg

from cebu thread 80

mini-Las Vegas.

..

chelle-riddle

March 6th, 2009, 07:28 AM

Cool e-tricycle in BGC

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd350/RonnieR_2008/March12009112.jpg

boy muscovado

March 6th, 2009, 09:35 AM

Iloilo City is really awesome

http://i3.photoblog.com/photos6/53736-1234618109-23-l.jpg

Photo grabbed from Shyaman's blog.

My personal choice for Photogenic City of the Philippines. Iloilo River is a nostalgic backdrop for pictures taken in Iloilo. Its a replica of old Manila talaga.

Are there any ferries cruising that river? Ang saya siguro n'yan
River ferries were once planned to ease out the traffic problems of the city but I was wondering why it wasn't pushed through. Iloilo River is very navigable to light seacraft up to Arevalo District and Oton-Iloilo boundary.

Iloilo River is very historic because it was once the rival of Manila Harbor in the number of ships berthed. Negros Navigation (the country's oldest) docked its first inter-island ferries in Iloilo River (Don Juan, Doña Florentina, Don Caludio, Don Vicente, Don Julio and Doña Montserratt) before the advent of larger RORO type ferries. It is also home to NN's shipyards. ILoilo River truly is Iloilo's crowning jewel :banana:

MANILAMAN

March 8th, 2009, 01:41 PM

^^ I guess most highly urbanized cities in the country have these in at least certain areas. I'd like to stress Iloilo's situation.

1. Accessibility: Less than an hour from Manila, 30 minutes from Cebu and an hour from Davao, respecably the 1st, 2nd and 3rd biggest cities. Iloilo is very very compact or dense and everything is at most 30 minutes away from each other. It is small but it's bustling. Most of it's malls and shopping centers are 5 minutes walk from each other. 5 of its 8 universities are found in a single street and banks are everywhere. It's the city with the second highest number of banks just after Manila.

2. Quality of environment: Iloilo City has at least six big parks. Usual thing is every morning, a lot of senior citizens jog around these places. There are also a handful of good resorts like Punta Villa and sports centers where you can enjoy a game of basketball or bandminton.

3. Peace and Order: Iloilo is one of the safest places in the country. Not one single news have I heard a foreigner being attacked or robbed here. What happens is the other way around...:lol:

4. Health, Sanitation and Medical Services: Clean city. Did you know, Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city, actually is trying to copy our sewage management and the city is home to seven hospitals, one of which caters to US Vets.

5. Interesting to Retirees: Has the Museo Iloilo. Contains artificats as early as the SUng Dynasty of China and is one of the most complete in terms of artifacts in the country. In terms of festivals, we have Dinagyang, the country's BEST tourism festival for two years straight, Kasadyahan, Paraw Regatta and Feast of Candles. During the months of January to February, the whole city turns into a festival city. For seven straight years, Dinagyang has constantly been in the top 7 of the Aliwan Festival (a national gathering of festivals). Food is never a problem and Iloilo is often featured in national food magazines.

Again, it depends with you..:)

I agree with you. Iloilo city is my first choice -not really a big city and everything is within your reach ( malls , hospital ,restaurants , parks, playground , banks , and schools, etc. ) , followed by Davao city because it is safe, clean , a big city with a small city feeling ( tama ba english ko?), just like Iloilo everything is also within your reach and best of all it is not crowded . My third choice is Bacolod city- a modern city with a lot of amenities than can be compared to Iloilo and Davao and lastly Cebu city - eventhou it is a very urbanized city, it is very near to beaches . Best of all it has everything just like Iloilo, Davao and Bacolod.

carl_vilches21

March 8th, 2009, 04:48 PM

^^
...Will that count Boracay too?:lol:

bakasaurus

March 8th, 2009, 06:02 PM

I too would not want to retire in one place. I feel that when we take up jobs in midlife we stick to one place for too long. When I retire I would like to work in a volunteer organization that would make me travel to different places in the country, maybe somewhere along education or helping rural folks or the urban poor. I'd like to get to help people to make up for all the selfishness I will show when I reach my 30s and mid life focusing on career and myself. Hahaha. Id like to meet more people and hopefully make myself useful before old age will make me me feeble minded and the worms and decay catch up with me.

Of course, I am still 25 so that's a long way to go. Hehe

ritche

March 9th, 2009, 03:55 PM

flesh_is_weak

March 10th, 2009, 01:27 AM

if you're born in the RP, there could be no better place to retire in than your hometown...

unless you were born in a place like Payatas of course :lol:

i don't mean to insult the good people of Payatas, but seriously, if given the choice, who'd want to grow old in a dumpsite?

venntro

March 10th, 2009, 06:32 AM

Philippines as retirement haven: Readers' views (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446754&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
FULL DISCLOSURE By Fidel O. Abalos Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM

My column on February 16, 2009 headed “Philippines: A retirement haven?” elicited numerous reactions from readers all over the globe. Among others, comments and reactions came from two foreigners who now reside in the Philippines and a Filipina who now lives in Spain.

Apparently residing in Cebu, Byran Bellamy talks about how the Philippines lost its marketability to foreigners-retirees and why Mexico tops as the world’s most preferred destination. He further commented that “I’m afraid the boat has sailed on this one and is not coming back in the foreseeable future. Because Cebu is big, we don’t really see the exodus of foreigners. But this weekend, a friend from Dumaguete said that when he went there three months ago, there was hardly a place to rent. Now, the paper is full of vacancies. I’m Canadian and have been living here for over 6 ½ years. Then, I saw a great potential for retirement haven. But now, it’s gone with the wind. If the government and the private sector jumped on it 6 years ago and at the same time eliminated corruption and self-interest, it should have been established by now. Others think that the ongoing financial crisis will bring more foreigners here. But I think this economic downturn will bring more OFWs back home than new foreigners coming. There are just too many options as far as future immigration is concerned. For instance, I lived in Mexico 10 years ago. The entrance visa was good for 6 months for $20. Then you could get a fm3 that put you on a yearly renewal visa at a small cost of about $100 a year and you never have to leave. The Philippines is 50 years behind in this area. Also, in Mexico you can own property in some kind of a renewable 50-year lease. Here, as a foreigner-retiree, you can’t own real property on a similar program. Of course, you can own properties here through corporations. But for the average retiree this is not an option. Through the years, I’ve seen Americans leaving and I have considered the same option. I’m sick of the attitude here. You’re white, you’re rich, you’re in my country, you owe me, etc. are just some of the nasty comments we’ve heard from locals. But that’s not the reality. Except for the USA, every currency has lost about 20% against the peso. In my two-year stay in Mazatlan, Mexico, I never got this attitude. They appreciated having me and my money. It was real money from outside coming in. Just look at a scenario where all foreigners leave and all the foreign countries send back to the country all OFWs, what will happen to the Philippines? It will be the next Atlantis. Generally however, I do admit, I’m treated pretty good here. But part of the reason is, I’m established here and fairly well known. The horror stories that happen here, as you know, are just my perspective.”

Mrs. Hill Roberts (a Filipina), however, who is apparently married to a foreigner and has since stayed in Europe for three decades may have something to say on some foreigners who more often complained. In brief, she said, “I have been living in Europe for three decades but I always long for home---and to this day I am dreaming of the Philippines, my motherland, which I really miss. Indeed, when you mentioned retirement, you specified expats who might wish to live there. I do not know if you are aware of a website called, Live in the Philippines, under the management of American, Bob Martin, who lives in Davao City. Anyway, this is a very interesting site since people who participate or join are mainly expats who live in Cebu, Davao, Manila and elsewhere in the provinces up and down the country. But many comments have so far been, to say the least, unpleasant, depending on the topic of course. Still, to be reading silly, stupid, downright racist comments can make every other Pinoy cringe, naturally. But what I am trying to say is-that many of the expats living there now somehow, I get the feeling are only half-educated. Many are really poor, American standard of poverty, that is. To make them live in our country, shouldn't they at least be, upper middle class? I mean, we do not need uneducated, unpleasant, with little financial means. Our government must insist on foreigners with a very good income. The way I see it, based on the comments I’ve read, these folks are rather poor, in my eyes, to be quite frank with you. We need educated, well-off expats, not run-of-the mill types who lambast or insult our very nature, culture, humanity. Of course they are welcome if they are keen to live there. However, we in the Philippines must have obligatory standards to keep the country healthy and peaceful. My aunt used to live in Cebu and I used to visit it in the 70's. A good friend of mine was just telling me how real estate has become expensive---more than Manila.”

On the other hand, Mr. Guy Aelvoet (another foreigner-retiree), expressed his disappointments over his sad experiences on the inconveniences brought about by the bureaucratic red tapes in obtaining the country’s special resident retirement visa (SRRV). Apparently educated and more likely what Mrs. Hill Roberts prefers, further said that “I totally agree with your views and would like to add some of the experience I am having trying to get a resident's visa as a retiree. It's not enough that I have invested some 30mm Peso in an apartment and will deposit the required US$ 20K (not to be seen again...) but I have to submit a police record which has to be authenticated by my country of birth and submitted for stamping by the Philippine embassy there. So far so good. The only problem is that to obtain that police record, I have to request it by physically be present then get it officially translated by a court interpreter then authenticated by the Ministry of Justice then further authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and only then can I submit it to the embassy. Talk about red tape. I can't ask my embassy here to authenticate. Not permitted. So much for the Friendly Retirement Visa action being taken by the government.”

While the concerns of Mr. Byran Bellamy and Mr. Guy Aelvoet should be given due recognition, we can’t help it but afford Mrs. Hill Roberts’ sincere views about potential foreigners-retirees’ quality and disposition while residing in the country. While we welcome all of them, it is just appropriate that the government should establish certain obligatory standards to make sure we only welcome the legitimate ones. While we join the call to enhance the process of coming in and obtaining SRRV, obtaining police records as a requirement should stay to avoid harboring shady foreigners. Give it up and this country will soon become a sanctuary of global criminals.

For your comments and suggestions, please email to foabalos@yahoo.com.

venntro

March 10th, 2009, 06:34 AM

if you're born in the RP, there could be no better place to retire in than your hometown...

^^ There's really no place like home.

venntro

March 10th, 2009, 06:35 AM

crappypants

March 10th, 2009, 06:55 AM

the way the laws are enforced ,it's already a haven for sex tourists ,pedophiles, by both local and foreign patrons.
My question re the upper middle class foreign retirees requirement, if they were upper middle class income, they would not need to retire to a place with a lower and affordable cost of living which is the primary motivation of foreign retirees.

3cr

March 10th, 2009, 05:33 PM

Manila among world’s least expensive cities
Daily Tribune
03/11/2009
http://www.tribune.net.ph/business/20090311bus4.html

Singapore — The strong yen has made Tokyo and Osaka the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates while sharp currency declines lowered living costs in Australia and New Zealand, a survey showed.

Of the world’s 10 least expensive cities, five are from Asia — Manila, Kathmandu, New Delhi, Mumbai and Karachi.

The cost of living in Manila is half that of New York, while that of Karachi, the cheapest city in the survey, is just over one-third, EIU said.

Because the yuan is tightly linked to the US dollar, costs in Chinese cities increased as other currencies tumbled against the greenback, said an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey received here late Monday.

Oslo and Paris were the world’s costliest cities in the previous EIU survey.

Shanghai, with a cost of living only two percent cheaper than New York’s, is currently more expensive than Sydney, said the survey carried out last month.

The previous survey was carried out in September last year, just as a housing mortgage mess in the United States was unraveling into a full-blown global financial and economic crisis.

Seven of the world’s 10 most expensive cities in the latest survey are in Europe, with Singapore joining Tokyo and Osaka as the only Asian cities on the list.

“Two factors drive the relative cost of living: local prices and exchange rates,” said Jon Copestake, the editor of the report.

“Normally, our ranking of cities by cost of living is relatively stable, but... the current global climate changes in exchange rates have significantly altered our assessment of the most and least expensive cities.”

In the survey, EIU compared the cost of products and services in 140 cities. It is aimed at helping companies calculate allowances for executives and their families being sent overseas.

France’s capital Paris is now the world’s third-most expensive city, down from number two in the EIU’s previous survey, followed by Copenhagen and former number one Oslo.

Zurich was in sixth place, while Frankfurt and Helsinki tied in seventh place, followed by Geneva.

“The decline in European currencies, most notably the euro, sterling and Norwegian kroner, has driven a significant weakening in the relative cost of living for many European cities,” it said.

Singapore, Southeast Asia’s most advanced economy, was ranked as the 10th most expensive city worldwide, followed by Hong Kong, which rose to 11th place from 28th.

Shanghai rose to 29th place from 45th, while Beijing rose to 36th place from 58th. Sydney fell to 35th, down from 17th.

venntro

March 11th, 2009, 03:05 AM

Global crisis upsets costly cities rankings (http://http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/11/yehey/top_stories/20090311top9.html)

SINGAPORE: The strong yen has made Tokyo and Osaka the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates, while sharp currency declines lowered living costs in Australia and New Zealand, a survey showed.

Manila is among the world 10-least expensive cities in the world, said an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey received here late Monday.

Because the yuan is tightly linked to the US dollar, costs in Chinese cities increased as other currencies tumbled against the greenback, according to the study.

Oslo and Paris were the world’s costliest cities in the previous EIU survey.

Shanghai, with a cost of living only 2 percent cheaper than New York City’s, is currently more expensive than Sydney, said the survey carried out last month.

The previous survey was carried out in September last year, just as a housing mortgage mess in the United States was unraveling into a full-blown global financial and economic crisis.

Seven of the world’s 10 most expensive cities in the latest survey are in Europe, with Singapore joining Tokyo and Osaka as the only Asian cities on the list.

Factors driving cost

“Two factors drive the relative cost of living: local prices and exchange rates,” said Jon Copestake, the editor of the report.

“Normally, our ranking of cities by cost of living is relatively stable, but . . . the current global climate changes in exchange rates have significantly altered our assessment of the most and least expensive cities.”

In the survey, EIU compared the cost of products and services in 140 cities. It is aimed at helping companies calculate allowances for executives and their families being sent overseas.

France’s capital Paris is now the world’s third-most expensive city, down from number two in the EIU’s previous survey, followed by Copenhagen and former number one Oslo.

Zurich was in sixth place, while Frankfurt and Helsinki tied in seventh place, followed by Geneva.

“The decline in European currencies, most notably the euro, sterling and Norwegian krone, has driven a significant weakening in the relative cost of living for many European cities,” it said.

Asian cities

Singapore, Southeast Asia’s most advanced economy, was ranked as the 10th most expensive city worldwide, followed by Hong Kong, which rose to 11th place from 28th.

Shanghai rose to 29th place from 45th, while Beijing rose to 36th place from 58th. Sydney fell to 35th, down from 17th.

Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is number 72 in the worldwide rankings, but is the second-most expensive city in Southeast Asia after Singapore.

Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is number 90 worldwide and number three in Southeast Asia.

Of the world’s 10 least expensive cities, five are from Asia—Manila, Kathmandu, New Delhi, Mumbai and Karachi.

The cost of living in Manila is half that of New York City, while that of Karachi, the cheapest city in the survey, is just over one-third, EIU said.

nicko

March 11th, 2009, 11:53 AM

4 foreign chambers identify 5 cities as retirement havens (http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080725130646.html)
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

Four foreign chambers of commerce comprising of Japan, Korea, European and US have identified five areas – Manila, Subic, Tagaytay, Cebu and Dumaguete – as ideal retirement havens in the country that can really provide full service to foreign retirees.
:okay:

Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of the European Chamber in the Philippines, said the four foreign chambers have already formed the International Chamber of Commerce, Retirement and Healthcare Coalition primarily to promote the Philippines as a retirement market.

"We have to see to it that they will be provided the required amenities and an end-to-end service – from the time they arrive at the airport to caretaker down to undertaker," Schumacher said.

"We believe the retirement market is an exciting market for the Philippines and if we want to be known as a retirement haven then we have to move now," Schumacher said.

According to Schumacher, the five cities have been chosen as priority areas as the country’s retirement sites largely due to their excellent medical facilities to serve the medical needs of foreign retirees, who may decide to make the Philippines their second home.

The five cities have excellent medical facilities and have the right environment for retirees to stay longer in the country.

^^

Negros Oriental, Philippines, is One of the Twenty Best Islands for Foreigners To Live On

http://www.negros-island.com/images/120-july-aug-07-lrg.jpg

Negros Oriental and its capital Dumaguete City, Philippines, lives up to the moniker "the city of gentle people" as Islands Magazine (http://www.islands.com) listed it as one of the 20 best islands in the entire world to live on in the magazine's July-August, 2007, issue.

The province joins the list of other exotic addresses such as the Grand Cayman, Gozo in Malta, Carriacou in Grenada, and Vieques in Puerto Rico, which all offer a mix of indigenous culture, friendly neighbors, uncomplicated living and adventure attractions.

Islands Magazine is one of the widest circulated and most trusted travel publications in the United States, with a readership of 500,000, comprised mostly of frequent tourists who take more than one annual holiday and say for an average of seven days a any given vacation.

The editors if Islands Magazine chose 20 islands around the globe that have the best living conditions for foreigners who would like to relocate. Deciding factors included weather, languages spoken, ease of immigration and accessibility to hospitals. Experts were also interviewed for an insider's opinion.

Negros Oriental earned three of the five flip-flops, or ratings, from the magazine. Of note was Dumaguete City's youthful vibe courtesy of the prominence of academic centers. Also cited was the city's picturesque Rizal Boulevard, the seaside promenade lined with cafes and art galleries.

Georg Bender, a German expat who moved to the island in 2001, spoke of the great diving experiences awaiting scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts.[/QUOTE]

Xeltran

March 11th, 2009, 02:43 PM

I dunno, IMO, the word "retire" sparks something negative for me. Hmm, if there are so many people "retiring" at the the "best place to retire" in the Philippines, does that mean an increasing need for cemetery spots? :lol: Or maybe it's just me.

I don't know really if having my city tagged as the "best place to retire" sounds all too elating...I guess not.

bombastic

March 11th, 2009, 06:26 PM

We made the DVD of P.R.A...nung panahon pa ni Loren Legarda...I saw the a/v file...it is very accomodating and cheap to live here...I think with only $25,000 investment...you can get a visa to live here and buy land....Thailand has a similar program...kaya natin tinapatan...

As of this moment..we are buying lands in Coron Palawan...halos mauubos na siguro lupa sa countryside and mga islands dito...they are doing it slowly but surely...para hindi ma expose...they see the future of the Philippines as the retirement haven...

Wala naman laban ang Malaysia..eh kasi Muslim country..minsan nga may nakukulong pa dun na naka bikini na babae...so out of the choices sila..Thailand lang matindi natin kalaban altough very limited ang beach shorelines nila and islands..konte...kala nila dati..very stable ang political system after 1991..but they were wrong since Thaksin took power..now..super gulo...that's why a lot of investors are now seeking the Philippines as their next haven....so invest now in tourism...

crappypants

March 11th, 2009, 10:52 PM

^^mga bumibile ba diyan mga korean, japanese chinese?

manila_eye

March 12th, 2009, 07:33 AM

^^ wag naman sana lalo na ang mga chinese. dapat americans and europeans kasi sila talaga ang may mga pera. pwede na rin ang mga koreans.

venntro

March 12th, 2009, 07:41 AM

^^ Yumayaman na rin ang Indian tourists.

manila_eye

March 12th, 2009, 09:29 AM

^^ but they are smelly:bash:

Climax777

March 12th, 2009, 09:38 AM

^^ but they are smelly:bash:

^^:lol::lol:daming pinay na kumakapit sa pana kasi ....datung lang ang needed nila:)

icarusrising

March 12th, 2009, 09:38 AM

^^ but they are smelly:bash:

:lol: luko

Koreano din naman pagkatapos kumain ng kimchi tapos di nagbrush. Eeew.

manila_eye

March 12th, 2009, 09:42 AM

^^ hahaha:bash: at least they don't "look" mabaho:bash:

^^:lol::lol:daming pinay na kumakapit sa pana kasi ....datung lang ang needed nila:)

sabagay, kahit anong itsura basta may datung talo-talo na:lol:

icarusrising

March 12th, 2009, 09:54 AM

^^:lol::lol:daming pinay na kumakapit sa pana kasi ....datung lang ang needed nila:)

Seriously, the Indians are more risk-takers than we are. In Dubai, you see a lot of them getting rich because they're into businesses rather than employment getting a fixed wage. So mas yumayaman talaga sila. In HK, a saw a lot of them engaged in the selling of electronics and housewares too. We should be emulating them.

manila_eye

March 12th, 2009, 09:57 AM

we are emulating them just look at our brother muslims in quiapo. we are not just yet in that international level but we will get there soon.

venntro

March 12th, 2009, 10:00 AM

:lol: luko

Koreano din naman pagkatapos kumain ng kimchi tapos di nagbrush. Eeew.

^^ :lol: :lol: :lol:

icarusrising

March 12th, 2009, 10:23 AM

we are emulating them just look at our brother muslims in quiapo. we are not just yet in that international level but we will get there soon.

Yup we should... Some of them are in the Top 50 World's Richest like...

Mukesh Ambani
$19.5 billion
Petrochemicals/India
51. Married, three children

Lakshmi Mittal
$19.3 billion
Steel/India
58. Married, two children

These two are number 7 and number 8 respectively. There were a total of 24 Indian billionaires this year though there were more Indians in the billionaire's list last year.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/11/worlds-richest-people-billionaires-2009-billionaires-intro.html

kyle@1008

March 12th, 2009, 11:16 AM

funny, many people did not actually know that we had many well-connected expats living here before, take for instance, James Smith Bush who died in the Philippines, he was an uncle to President George H. Bush and grand uncle to Dubya.... he died penniles in a veterans hospital in manila cared for by a prostitute... many people did not even know who he was.....(parang soap opera noh?)

amigo32

March 12th, 2009, 11:37 AM

TambayBlues

March 12th, 2009, 07:33 PM

one big concern is healthcare..
senior citizens have free healthcare in their own country,including medicines.
am sure they'll have enough to pay for private care in pinas,
but outside manila,good facilities are not just there.
let alone med staff to look after them.
maybe some fil dr retirees,nurses,med techs,physios & other in med field will build own hospitals..would be fun to be still doing something for the community..
keep the oldies young lol..

Free healthcare? Are you kidding me? Majority of retirees paid for their Medical Insurance during their active years up to the time of their retirement. But the one major issue of people who have plans on retiring there is whether their Private medical insurance will be honored in the Philippines i.e. Blue Cross etc. I know for a fact that there is a hospital in Cebu that is being put up that will honor Blue Cross as well as US Medicare and most of their doctors are also US Trained. I hope it is replicated in other regions of the country as well coz it's a step in the right direction. Can you imagine how many caregivers a retirement industry in the Philippines will spawn assuming it does develop to its full potential? At the same time one of the major issues that a lot of Filipinos aren't qualified to apply for Canada's Live in Caregiver Program is due to the lack of experience even though majority of them have already undergone training. If we had a retirement industry setup here in our country, our caregivers planning to migrate to Canada can be employed locally as a stepping stone in applying under Canada's LCP program and that means more OFW remittances for our country if they do make it.

crappypants

March 12th, 2009, 07:46 PM

yup sayang mga foreigners ang mga bumibile ng mga magagandang lugar sa aten, sila nagi-invest at developep nito. kung sana mga overseas pinoys maging entrepreneurial maraming opportunity sa tourism at retirment communities , maginvest at magdevelop once you get the ball rolling. problema lang sa mga overseas pinoy maraming ignorante at walang tiwala sa potential ng Pilipinas.

TambayBlues

March 12th, 2009, 08:09 PM

^^most crimes in the metro are probably not reported. regarding the gun toting sekyus and gun toting rich goons, that doesn't bode well that the only reason crimes aren't committed is because of gun prevalence everywhere you look. LA very dangerous? I wouldn't know, wait most residents there are Mexicans and Filipinos and other Asians?

Filipinos and Asians are still a minority. As for Latinos they comprise a substantial percentage but overall not as many as whites. The number of crimes commited by Pinoys and other Asians in LA hardly makes a dent in their overall crime rate that it's practically negligible. Why? Coz, very few Asians ever get involved in gangs and their mostly drug related activities. I agree with you that a lot of crimes also go unreported in the Philippines but majority of them are petty crimes like snatching etc which isn't really life threatening and can be handled with a bit of common sense like not wearing jewelry and flaunting your money in public, using a cheap cellphone etc. But the statistics I've posted are for major life threatening crimes which I'm sure aren't just brushed off by Pinoys if it does happen to them. And most retirees will probably be more concerned about these stats than petty crimes. How many Filipinos do you know don't report a robbery or a murder that happened to them or a relative of theirs? I'm sure that if there were, the quantity would be so small to really change the true picture that one has a higher likelihood of becoming a serious crime victim in other countries than in the Philippines. Let the numbers speak for themselves and look at the overall picture. Now since retirees will be living in a particular locality and not in the entire country itself I guess that's a different matter altogether. That's the major reason for anyone planning to retire here to survey the crime situation in a particular place as it varies from one to the other. All the more reason for our government to provide a longer stay visa to potential retirees for scouting purposes.

icarusrising

March 12th, 2009, 08:12 PM

@ Maritess- Galak ang hatid sa akin ng iyong tinuran. Sana marami pang mga kababayan natin sa ibayong-dagat ang magkaroon ng kaisipang kaisang-diwa ng sa iyo. :cheers:

ritche

March 17th, 2009, 08:45 AM

Philippines as retirement haven: Readers' views (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446754&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
FULL DISCLOSURE By Fidel O. Abalos Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM

Apparently residing in Cebu, Byran Bellamy talks about how the Philippines lost its marketability to foreigners-retirees and why Mexico tops as the world’s most preferred destination. He further commented that “I’m afraid the boat has sailed on this one and is not coming back in the foreseeable future. Because Cebu is big, we don’t really see the exodus of foreigners. But this weekend, a friend from Dumaguete said that when he went there three months ago, there was hardly a place to rent. Now, the paper is full of vacancies. I’m Canadian and have been living here for over 6 ½ years. Then, I saw a great potential for retirement haven. But now, it’s gone with the wind. If the government and the private sector jumped on it 6 years ago and at the same time eliminated corruption and self-interest, it should have been established by now. Others think that the ongoing financial crisis will bring more foreigners here. But I think this economic downturn will bring more OFWs back home than new foreigners coming. There are just too many options as far as future immigration is concerned. For instance, I lived in Mexico 10 years ago. The entrance visa was good for 6 months for $20. Then you could get a fm3 that put you on a yearly renewal visa at a small cost of about $100 a year and you never have to leave. The Philippines is 50 years behind in this area. Also, in Mexico you can own property in some kind of a renewable 50-year lease. Here, as a foreigner-retiree, you can’t own real property on a similar program. Of course, you can own properties here through corporations. But for the average retiree this is not an option. Through the years, I’ve seen Americans leaving and I have considered the same option. I’m sick of the attitude here. You’re white, you’re rich, you’re in my country, you owe me, etc. are just some of the nasty comments we’ve heard from locals. But that’s not the reality. Except for the USA, every currency has lost about 20% against the peso. In my two-year stay in Mazatlan, Mexico, I never got this attitude. They appreciated having me and my money. It was real money from outside coming in. Just look at a scenario where all foreigners leave and all the foreign countries send back to the country all OFWs, what will happen to the Philippines? It will be the next Atlantis. Generally however, I do admit, I’m treated pretty good here. But part of the reason is, I’m established here and fairly well known. The horror stories that happen here, as you know, are just my perspective.”

Yeah, foreign retirees would have a lot of rest and recreation in Mexico nowadays with the government and the police being increasingly under the payroll of druglords, and policemen and officers being slaughtered in many towns and cities. :lol:

I believe that with our affinity to American and western culture, retirement is an industry that we could win over other countries. I am quite surprised that Thailand is making it big, and even Malaysia when our culture is closer to the westerners.

In order to come up with high end retirees, I guess localities would have to come up at least with respectable facilities and come up with well trained personnel.

boy muscovado

March 19th, 2009, 05:33 AM

^^

Negros Oriental, Philippines, is One of the Twenty Best Islands for Foreigners To Live On

http://www.negros-island.com/images/120-july-aug-07-lrg.jpg

Negros Oriental and its capital Dumaguete City, Philippines, lives up to the moniker "the city of gentle people" as Islands Magazine (http://www.islands.com) listed it as one of the 20 best islands in the entire world to live on in the magazine's July-August, 2007, issue.

The province joins the list of other exotic addresses such as the Grand Cayman, Gozo in Malta, Carriacou in Grenada, and Vieques in Puerto Rico, which all offer a mix of indigenous culture, friendly neighbors, uncomplicated living and adventure attractions.

Islands Magazine is one of the widest circulated and most trusted travel publications in the United States, with a readership of 500,000, comprised mostly of frequent tourists who take more than one annual holiday and say for an average of seven days a any given vacation.

The editors if Islands Magazine chose 20 islands around the globe that have the best living conditions for foreigners who would like to relocate. Deciding factors included weather, languages spoken, ease of immigration and accessibility to hospitals. Experts were also interviewed for an insider's opinion.

Negros Oriental earned three of the five flip-flops, or ratings, from the magazine. Of note was Dumaguete City's youthful vibe courtesy of the prominence of academic centers. Also cited was the city's picturesque Rizal Boulevard, the seaside promenade lined with cafes and art galleries.

Georg Bender, a German expat who moved to the island in 2001, spoke of the great diving experiences awaiting scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts.[/QUOTE]

To be geographically exact, negros Oriental is not an island but a province of Negros so it should be statred as Negros Island. Better if it was stated "Dumaguete City in Negros Island was chosen as...etc etc etc...."

BOB-bXu

March 20th, 2009, 05:28 PM

guys check this new cool website...maybe it could help those planning to retire here :)

click:
http://butuantoday.tumblr.com/

Planning Democracy

March 25th, 2009, 11:29 AM

in_a_rush

March 25th, 2009, 06:21 PM

Philippines offers haven for crisis-hit executives

A SILVER LINING IN THE CREDIT CRUNCH
Many unemployed expats are shunning a return home for a relaxed and cheap Asian lifestyle
Simon Parry
Sunday Morning Post
Hong Kong, 22 March 2009

A black joke doing the rounds in Hong Kong's financial circles as the global economic crisis casts an ever-longer shadow goes like this: Q: "What's the definition of an optimist?" A: "A banker who has five shirts ironed on a Sunday."

It is a joke that Barry Emmerton--who lost his HK$120,000-a-month job as an interest rates derivatives specialist with its five-month, end-of-year bonus--can afford to smile at, even though the question of how many shirts he should iron is already an irrelevance.

Today, instead of waking up to the prospect of another nerve-shredding week in Hong Kong's money markets, the 34-year-old Briton is instead listening to the sound of the sea in a tropical beach house in the Philippines with his wife, Jo, and four-year-old daughter, Chloe.

On Wednesday, he handed over the keys to his HK$42,000-a-month apartment in Stanley, put most of his furniture and belongings into storage and, with just three small suitcases, a suit bag and a laptop computer, set out with his family for the adventure of a lifetime.

Mr Emmerton is one of a growing number of expatriates who have lost well-paid jobs in Hong Kong's financial sector and, rather than head home, put their worldly possessions in storage and head off to do something they would never otherwise have the opportunity to do.

Two major Hong Kong relocation companies--Crown and Relocasia--told the Sunday Morning Post that they had seen dramatic rises in calls and orders for storage facilities that far outstrip calls and orders from expatriates intent on shipping their things back home.

For Mr Emmerton, putting his goods in storage for HK$1,500 a month means he can swap executive job hunting for life in a thatched bamboo beach home in Bohol in the Philippines, where he calculates that just living off the rental income from his two London properties, his family can live indefinitely without touching their savings.

The Emmertons arrived on Thursday at the Alumbung resort 800km south of Manila, where a two-storey beach home will cost them HK$8,000 a month. "We'll look around and get something for around half the price after the first month, I reckon," says Mr Emmerton, who has given his family a budget of HK$10,000 a month.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Mr Emmerton, who admits he felt "panic and terror" when he first found himself jobless in December and, after a Christmas break in Britain, lined up two interviews upon his return which were both cancelled at short notice as the economic crisis deepened.

Soon after, a friend suggested he should take a six-month career break, planting an idea that slowly grew into a plan. "He told me 'Why don't you just leave your apartment before Chloe is old enough for school? Do it now, because you won't be able to do it for another 10 years'," Mr Emmerton says.

Once the decision was made, Mr Emmerton's anxieties lifted. "Before, there was the uncertainty--the worry over the job interviews, the contract on this apartment," he said two days before flying out to the Philippines. "But since we handed in our notice and booked our flights, I haven't been able to stop smiling about it."

After considering Vietnam and Thailand, the Emmertons opted for Bohol Island because it has WiFi and daily flight connections to Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. That means Mr Emmerton can be at a job interview, if one comes up, in a matter of hours.

"Some people are a bit taken aback when I tell them what we're doing because it's not the sort of thing you immediately think of at our age," he says. "You think, 'I'm 34, I've got a family, I should be moving on with my career, my potential is increasing and I should be making the most of it'.

"But everyone I know is looking over their shoulder at the moment. It's an insecure world. There are jobs coming up in London but there are 300 people fighting for each one. It's pretty miserable there. While we are still in Asia, I can look out for work in Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney, and live this great lifestyle in the meantime. We can live for a fraction of the cost and live on a tropical island by the beach and enjoy ourselves for six months and worry about everything else later.

"Since I left school at 18, I have always worked. For 16 years, I've never had any time away from work apart from two weeks for the summer holidays. Most people do a gap year at university or go travelling. I never did that. Now I can do this before Chloe goes to school. It's quite liberating."

Already, Mr Emmerton says, the experience of losing his job has broadened his horizons. "The last three months have just been fantastic," he says. "People say 'Are you getting bored?' But I've got a four-year-old daughter so there's always something to do. I know my daughter so much better now, already, than when I was working."

It is a lifestyle option that a growing number of expatriates who have fallen victim to the global slump are considering. Sherry Liu, general manager for Crown's Hong Kong relocations division, said there had been a "dramatic" increase in inquiries about storage from expatriates in the past quarter.

"I think people realise there are not necessarily better opportunities back home at the moment and no safe harbours anywhere. That's why there's a tendency to see if they can sit it out in Asia for a bit or at least wait until the school semester is over for their children. Families are considering all these things and hoping there will be a turn-around which will allow them to stay in Asia."

Ben Tyrrell, director of Relocasia, which put Mr Emmerton's household goods into storage, said there had been an "absolutely massive increase" in the number of people taking the storage option and heading out on career breaks.

"We are getting daily phone calls from people doing the same thing. When the downturn first started, we were moving a lot of panicked people back to their parents' homes overseas. In November and December, there was a definite switch.

"People started thinking 'Hang on, let's look at putting our things in storage. It's affordable, it keeps our options open and we can use the money we would be spending on rent to go and enjoy our lives'." Recent clients who put their goods in storage included an Airbus executive who had gone off to ride a motorcycle across Nepal and settle in Kathmandu, and a former Macau casino executive who had left to teach English in Cambodia.

The current trend was in stark contrast to the exodus of expatriates that followed the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, he says.

"During Sars, people thought the world was coming to an end," he says. "They just wanted to get everything out and get out of town as fast as they could.

"I think they all start off with the optimism that they can come back to Hong Kong at the end of it. What will be interesting will be to see their impressions at the end of the six months compared to their impressions at the beginning of the six months.

"I would wager fairly highly that the experience these people have will influence the type of work they want to do and the type of lifestyle they want to lead.

"It may make them question how much they really need to live on. They will ask themselves 'Do I need to live in an HK$80,000-a-month apartment or could I live in a HK$20,000 apartment and spend more time with my family and not work so much?' I think people will ask some really fundamental questions of themselves."

Matthew Gollop, group managing director of executive search recruitment business Connected Group, says that for some people, there was little downside in taking a career break. "In the worst case scenario, you'll get a job offer two weeks after you leave," he says. "In the best case scenario, you'll be sitting on a beach while everyone else is scrambling around looking for work."

Mr Gollop believes expatriates in Hong Kong are more likely to take a career break than former colleagues back home. "There are locations like Thailand and the Philippines you can go to which are very close," he says.

"It's very difficult if you're somewhere like the UK. In Asia, people are a bit more broad-minded because they travel around the region more."

Spending time on a beach rather than hunting for work might actually do candidates good, Mr Gollop insists. "There were a lot of good candidates at the end of the last downturn in Asia who had a career break on their CV and it was easy to explain. If you were here, you understood how difficult it was.

"In fact, some people did more damage to their CVs by taking themselves off in a different career direction or taking too big a salary cut. If you can afford to wait for the right thing to come around, I think it's a good move, certainly over the next six months. So long as you're available to consider opportunities--and with the internet it's easy to keep in touch--you can go somewhere like the Philippines and be back within a day if you need to be."

It is one of many considerations Mr Emmerton mulled over carefully before deciding on his Philippines getaway. "I concluded that no one is going to look at your CV in this day and age and question it," he says. "Why stay in Hong Kong going through all your savings when you can do something like this instead?"

As he prepared for his last night with his family in their Stanley apartment, Mr Emmerton already knew how a typical day might play out in the lazy months ahead.

"I'll have breakfast," he said. "Then I'll run a couple of miles up and down the beach, sit down in the garden for a couple of hours and play with Chloe, go to lunch, go fishing, come home for some dinner, put Chloe to bed--then sit outside with a cold beer and listen to the sound of the sea and the chirruping of the insects."

kiretoce

March 29th, 2009, 08:47 AM

In one way, some parts of Manila are pedestrian friendly such as this one in Recto Avenue (U-belt area)
http://images.habagatcentral.multiply.com/image/3/photos/214/600x600/19/Ubelt00029.jpg?et=o7buGP%2BmhyBEjNmVzrAzAw&nmid=108728328

Sigh....if only the rest of the Metro will be like that, then it'll be a pleasure to walk around and get lost in the caophony of it all.

ritche

March 29th, 2009, 09:14 AM

To be geographically exact, negros Oriental is not an island but a province of Negros so it should be statred as Negros Island. Better if it was stated "Dumaguete City in Negros Island was chosen as...etc etc etc...."

I guess it is in the best interest of both provinces of Negros for each of them to progress well. Yeah, the whole Negros Island could become one of the most prosperous and one of the best places in the country to live in.

kiretoce

April 4th, 2009, 07:29 PM

The BEST - The people. Warm, friendly, caring, and hospitable.

The WORST - The people. Rude, inconsiderate, gossipers, and just plain nasty sometimes.

johnmizer

April 5th, 2009, 03:07 AM

manila - the history, the spanish buit houses
- lim, his face is all over manila, even business permit! and if you closlye his face covers the logo og manila: alomost all of the people act like they live in a 3 world country

artvision

April 6th, 2009, 01:55 AM

+ pioneering spirit, independent, discipline, environmentaly conscious

- tendency for mediocrity & decadence, bit unimaginative, lack of creative flair, elitism

barrera_marquez

April 6th, 2009, 02:11 AM

+ punung-puno ng historical sites, parang field trip lamang sa museo ang commute ko sa Malolos everyday; nice people; maraming masasakyan

- ang liit ng kalsada namin dito sa paseo del congreso... aspalto nga pero mukhang spanish era pa rin ang lawak ng kalsada, pang-karwahe lang talaga. 2 lanes naman siya kaso nagkakaroon ng traffic pagdating sa barasoain church hanggang city hall.

diego

April 7th, 2009, 01:46 PM

for pasay city (i'm not from here)
the worst - a very dirty city...you could see it for yourselves...go to edsa (pasay part)

Animo

April 7th, 2009, 06:04 PM

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT (http://mb.com.ph/articles/201561/integrated-approach-bolster-rp-retirement-destination-sought)
April 6, 2009, 6:07pm

As Mexico , Panama and Spain are overheating in hosting the world’s rich retirees, the Philippines could be the next retirement destination but it should first get its act together by putting up an integrated approach led by the government.

Susan Barlin, chief executive officer of the US-based Barlin International Group (BIG), a consultancy firm on business development specializing on the real estate sector, said the potential of these retiring baby boomers are huge and not one country can monopolize them all.

"Our message to American baby boomers is that they can still retire luxuriously at prices they can afford and with facilities and lifestyle that are now at par with U.S. standards," she pointed out.

“But then we have to know how to do it, how to offer it and learn about the market,” Barlin added. To put up a credible global pitch for the country, Barlin urged a united effort that is spearheaded by the government.

She urged the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Retirement Authority, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, private real estate developers, realtors and the hospitality sector should put their heads together to promote and develop destinations.

“But this should be spearheaded by the government to lend credence to this effort,” she reiterated. Barlin noted that American homebuyers, especially the growing number of baby boomers, are presented with affordable local and international real estate investment opportunities.

Barlin said that Malaysia and Thailand are both above the Philippines in terms of retirement destination. “But we can do this with the government spearheading and we can do it while everybody else are sleeping, but we have to do it right,” she added.

She said that government should come up with incentive packages and programs to capture investments from foreign investors. Government should also make available properties in the provinces that can be developed as a lifestyle destination and not a hodge-podge development.

Given the efficient health and wellness products available for tourists, Barlin said, the Philippines is ready to serve the boomer market segment. This is the best time for us to hit the market but we have to be united. We have to create a destination that will offer a solution for them to have a lifestyle in this country,” Barlin said.

According to Barlin, Panama used to be the retirees’ favorite destination in the last five years but Mexico has topped that in the last two years. Spain is an all-time favorite.

habagatcentral1

April 7th, 2009, 06:48 PM

^^
here in SSC-Pilipinas, and perhaps all over SSC, we people keep highlighting the good, the bright, the fascinating, the positive...we almost never fail to showcase the best things about our cities, and would even go to extremes to fight for them should anyone else question these...

but what about a novelty?

the moon has a dark-side, a coin has another face...

in this thread, feel free to post certain things about your city that could qualify as a 'worst'; lets discuss the things that make living difficult in our otherwise pleasant cities; you could also opt to post bad-news; or simply talk about things in your city that piss you off...

examples: that really ugly building that you'd wish to see demolished...or perhaps that misplaced landfill sitting next door to prime real-estate...

dont be shy...show the world your ugly side...:D
Para iwas away na lang...:D This was indicated at the first part of the thread by the thread starter.

Sleepwalker

April 8th, 2009, 03:34 AM

Cebu City:

+ LGU, private sectors, heritage sites, malls and universities

- The continuous rift between Tom O.(Cebu City mayor) and Gwen G.(Cebu Province governor) is no longer amusing.

- Squatters, canals

adgaps

April 8th, 2009, 02:18 PM

caloocan city

+ it's relatively peaceful here compared to Manila...

- the city government... walang nagagawang development sa caloocan, bukod sa paglalagay ng naninilaw niyang smiley sa lahat ng sulok ng lungsod...

- monumento district is SO DIRTY... konti na lang magmumukha nang Divisoria...

KING CITY

April 8th, 2009, 05:36 PM

DAVAO CITY

Best :
Fireworks / smoking is strickly prohibited.
911
most dangerous city for criminals :lol:
Traffic lights is considered as the most modern in Asia

Worst:
pirated dvds/cd's vendors
outside Victoria Plaza, San Pedro Street, and GMall overpass :ohno:

Marni

April 8th, 2009, 05:41 PM

Tacloban City

Best:
The food, the bay, the people, developments, the history

Worst:
Illegal Dwellers, Spaghetti Wires all over downtown, The roads (ilang part), the politicos [Romualdezes vs. Petillas nagiging City vs. Province], the media. :ohno:

Wolfranz

April 8th, 2009, 07:52 PM

^^wow, Tacloban worsts are similar to Cebu's
illegal dwellers, spaghetti wires, some ill-maintained roads and the Garcia vs. Osmeña rift (also a full-fledged war between Cebu City and Cebu Province)

Wolfranz

April 8th, 2009, 07:57 PM

CEBU

+
skyline (has the same Feng Shui with HK's)
progressive & dynamic local economy
great heritage
hospitable & beautiful :lol: people
splendid beaches and dive sites
cuisine
creativity (the British Council's Creative City of the Philippines)
Kenneth Cobonpue
Monique Lhuillier
and more

-
politics
some bad roads
trash & litterbugs
illegal dwellers
bad sewerage system
haphazard road network

geebeng

April 11th, 2009, 07:09 AM

For Fil-Ams with a sizeable nest egg ... you might want to consider this ....

Purchase a Piece of Paradise With a Self-Directed IRA

Now could be the time to turn your dream of retiring overseas into reality via self-directed IRAs

Most of us have the picture of our dream retirement home tucked away in a corner of our mind. Maybe it’s a 200-year-old cottage with herb-filled gardens in the south of Spain, or an airy beach-house along the Pacific in Costa Rica.

Well, it’s time to dust off that vision and act on it—because desirable overseas properties are being snapped up at incredible speeds by those desiring vacation homes or simply wishing to invest in hot real estate. This means that the charming condo you’ve had your eye on ever since you honeymooned in some slice of paradise may no longer be there by the time that you retire, or it will be so exorbitantly priced that it will be untouchable. So the time to buy is now.

Don’t let a lack of capital dissuade you from making that purchase. Thanks to specially structured retirement accounts called “self-directed IRAs,” you can use your retirement funds before you retire to buy your retirement home today. And to make the investment, you don’t have to take a distribution or pay taxes or penalties for using that money. While you can’t purchase a house that you will live in now, you can buy it, rent it out and funnel that money tax-deferred back into your IRA. Or you can just let the property build equity within your IRA for the time being. Once you hit retirement age (59 1/2 when it comes to IRAs) you can take your standard distribution and essentially purchase your dream home from your IRA.

Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Surprisingly, such transactions have been possible with IRAs since 1974 when the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) gave account holders the right to personally direct their retirement monies into investments of their choosing, including real estate. And because the investment is made on behalf of the retirement account—just like the IRA investing in stocks and bonds—the acquisition is made without triggering a taxable event.

Self-directed IRAs and Real Estate IRAs come with an important caveat: You are required by law to avoid any “self-dealing” transactions that create a conflict of interest between you (the account’s fiduciary) and the account itself. In other words, every purchase/investment must be made to the exclusive benefit of the IRA. So the real estate you purchase with your retirement funds must be used for growing your retirement account.

This is why leasing out your future retirement home is not only allowable, but smart. While you may not be able to travel the world now using that rental money, it will be growing inside your IRA, and you’ll have the reassurance of knowing that your dream retirement home is waiting for you to take occupancy when the time is right.

The establishing of a self-directed IRA is an involved process, so you’ll want to work with a qualified provider who specializes in self-directed IRA LLCs. Self-directed IRA LLCs give the IRA holder checkbook control of IRA funds, which means you can literally write a check on the spot to make a purchase or investment. By contrast, traditional “IRA custodians” allow foreign investments, but charge a percentage fee for each transaction and then must coordinate the transaction.

According to David Nilssen, president and CEO of self-directed IRA service providers Guidant Financial Group (www.guidantfinancial.com), more and more people are discovering the joys of self-directed IRAs. “The majority of our clients are Baby Boomers who are now taking a much closer look at their retirement funds and are eager to personally make those accounts grow faster,” he says. “Buying one’s retirement home as an IRA investment is particularly popular with our clients. And in light of today’s housing market woes, foreign real estate investments are growing hotter by the day.”

The purchase of a retirement home combined with investing in high-demand foreign property is an ideal combination. Investors might call it a match made in heaven. And someday—sitting on the front porch of your exotic Belize bungalow or sprawling Malaysian plantation—you might call it a match made in paradise!

More Information: Self Directed IRA LLC & Small Business Financing

Marni

April 12th, 2009, 06:50 AM

-
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu214/marnicc/bahahatacloban002.jpg

Baha ha Tacloban - One of the common problems in the city. Hindi lang sa Tacloban pati rin sa ibang lugar sa bansa ang nakakadanas ng ganitong problema. :ohno:.

bukid

April 13th, 2009, 05:25 PM

^^

bad: may baha sa tacloban.

good: clear yung tubig baha sa tacloban.

:D:D:D

flesh_is_weak

April 15th, 2009, 09:30 PM

CEBU

+
skyline (has the same Feng Shui with HK's)

ngayon ko lang na-get ito...apparently, maganda daw ang feng shui ng isang lugar o gusali kapag nasa harap nito ay tubig at ang sa likod naman ay bundok

artvision

April 16th, 2009, 12:54 AM

^^ on a practical observation, mas aliwalas din tirhan ang isang lugar kung ganyan ang katangian , especially when it is well nurtured that makes the atmosphere refreshing and panoramic, and cause to inspire its inhabitants during their daily chores and may thus affect productivity.

bukid

April 16th, 2009, 07:10 AM

ngayon ko lang na-get ito...apparently, maganda daw ang feng shui ng isang lugar o gusali kapag nasa harap nito ay tubig at ang sa likod naman ay bundok

true, because it must look like a chair. if the building is a person. his back would be suppported by the mountain. nakasandal siya sa bundok. while the flowing water in front would be where the "chi" travels. and he would be able to absorb a better "chi" if there's no obstruction to its path.

the practicality would be the fact that it would have better protection against bad weather because it is supported by the mountain at the back. and the open space in front like roads and the sea means good traffic, the sea in front means a good port nearby, while the road means good access for cars and people. so it's practical. they say feng shui is an art and a science.

and i agree with @artvision too.

johnmizer

April 17th, 2009, 02:55 AM

tsaka masarap ang hangin , ie hongkong

TambayBlues

April 18th, 2009, 08:02 PM

Donald Trump and Korean partners see the potential for retirees spending their money in the Philippines by putting up an integrated resort with medical facilities as well. They probably know that it's not really as bad as the Western press paint the picture in our beloved nation. :banana:

Koreans eye $250-M Subic resort

Written by Daxim Lucas - Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday, 04 November 2008 02:23

Regions - Zambales

A Korean-led consortium that includes the flagship firm of American billionaire Donald Trump has unveiled plans to build a sprawling integrated leisure development at Subic Bay, northwest of Manila, close to the site of a former US naval base.

Officials of the Heung-A Property Group said at a news briefing that the first phase of the project would cost $250 million and that the project would include a master-planned community, a resort and a casino complex, among others.

The consortium, Subic Neocove Corp., also includes Westgate Resorts Asia Ltd., which is a unit of the world’s largest “timeshare” leisure firm, and local businessman Robert Aventajado, who once served as a Cabinet-level adviser of President Joseph Estrada.

“Our initial foray in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone signals the extreme confidence of various highly funded multinationals with respect to both near- and long-term economic prospects [of] the Philippines,” Neocove chair Seung Guk Yang said at the news briefing.

Under the consortium’s plan, a 457-hectare beachfront property will be developed in the village of Cawag, across the bay from the Subic Bay Freeport and the international airport, and close to the Hanjin shipyard.

As envisioned, the project will have a total of 1,512 high-end residential units, a leisure sports and entertainment facility, a 54-hole golf course, a casino resort hotel, a convention center, marina and riding club, as well as a medical center and an international school.

The consortium hopes to break ground by the first quarter of 2009, and the first phase is slated for completion by 2011. Combined with the planned second and third phases, the entire project will have a value of $1 billion, Yang said.

Yang expressed confidence that the project would move forward despite the prevailing global economic crisis, as well as the proliferation of leisure resort projects mushrooming around the country.

“The difference is that we’re looking at [B]long-term tenants, and not just weekend stays [that other resort developments depend on],” he said.

Yang added that the consortium is targeting the high end of the market, which is more insulated from the effects of the economic slowdown.

He added that the Trump Organization would be the project’s lead developer, while Westgate would act as co-developer under the memorandum of understanding inked recently.

Aventajado said most of the property on which the project would rise was largely acquired from two large landowners. Heung-A is a Korean conglomerate with interests in real estate, shipping and logistics.

TambayBlues

April 18th, 2009, 08:12 PM

Ottawa's Warnings To Canadians About Mexico Are Disturbing :cheers:

Wednesday January 10, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff

It's another case of who done it - and whether anything was done at all.

The latest instance of tragedy for a Woodbridge citizen in Mexico has once again raised the troubling question of just how safe it is to travel to the land south of the border.

Appeals to various levels of government to get involved in the case of Domenic and Nancy Ianiero have already been made and more may be coming in the latest death of Adam De Prisco.

But it turns out the feds aren't totally unaware of the hazards of heading to Mexico - although the tourist city of Acapulco was likely deemed to be safer than most.

What do the folks in Ottawa tells Canadians planning to head there?

Foreign Affairs has a special page dedicated to the country called "Mexico: Que Pasa?" (pictured top left.)

It advises tourists about passport requirements, cultural differences and even what shots you should get before you leave.

But its caveats about crime are especially interesting and not a little disturbing.

It blames an economic crisis and a devalued peso for the rise in attacks against travellers, and notes that street crime has increased.

"You should take common-sense precautions to protect yourself," it warns.

Among the worst hazards cited are robbery and thefts, especially in the larger cities. Crooks know that tourists bring lots of cash with them, making them easy targets.

It tells you to avoid beaches at night and that Canadians should return "directly to their hotels from restaurants and nightclubs," a scenario that sounds more like a prison stay than a vacation.

The government also urges caution when taking a cab or a bus, since taxi drivers have been known to beat and rob foreign passengers.

Another area of concern: ATMs. Visitors have been held captive while thieves clean out their account before setting them free.

Among the steps Ottawa suggests those going to Mexico take:

* When calling radio taxis, always obtain the name of the driver and the number of the vehicle coming to pick you up.
* Take taxis only from authorized stands, and never in front of nightclubs or tourist facilities.
* Leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a hotel safe or other secure location.
* Don't wear expensive jewellery, carry objects of conspicuous value or wear expensive designer clothing.
* Carry only the money and credit cards you need for any individual trip away from your hotel.
* Make copies of your credit card and ATM numbers so they can be cancelled quickly.
* Don't drive at night and never pick up hitchhikers.
* If you must use an ATM, do so during business hours at a location inside a bank, supermarket or large commercial building.
* Avoid drinking alone in bars, especially at night.
* Avoid the subway during rush hour and hold purses and other valuables securely when using any public transportation.

All the advice applies to the bigger cities. Things get even worse when you wind up in rural areas, especially after dark.

As for the justice system, the feds are coy. They remind Canucks that anyone who gets into legal trouble in the country won't get any special protection from officials here and that their citizenship won't do anything to help them get bail.

And it concludes with another ominous sentence: unlike Canada and the U.S., anyone arrested in Mexico is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

And while the government site doesn't deal with this, some travellers continue to allege the cops in the country take bribes and that justice comes mostly at the end of a dollar bill.

le Reine

April 19th, 2009, 12:32 AM

And it concludes with another ominous sentence: unlike Canada and the U.S., anyone arrested in Mexico is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

And while the government site doesn't deal with this, some travellers continue to allege the cops in the country take bribes and that justice comes mostly at the end of a dollar bill.:nuts::nuts::nuts::bash: What?!

mwg12a

April 19th, 2009, 05:08 AM

There is some truth to it. You don't want to be caught doing something in mexico and be thrown in jail, you'd lose half of your life rotting in their jails if you still be remembered in the end. Justice there is so slow and it takes really a long long time for one to receive justice. So, if you are innocent, you'd rot first before you get released. Their jails are even worst than in the Philippines.

Rodel

April 19th, 2009, 01:28 PM

Iriga City, Cam Sur

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h315/req2000/Iriga%20City/100_2067.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h315/req2000/Iriga%20City/100_2125.jpg

Marni

April 19th, 2009, 04:41 PM

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu214/marnicc/NearPalaro129.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu214/marnicc/Panorama4.png

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu214/marnicc/Panorama3.png

bulakeno

April 19th, 2009, 07:24 PM

Rodel

April 22nd, 2009, 10:16 PM

Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (baywalk)

http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu4/rhodel2000/Palawan-Puerto%20Princesa/100_2570.jpg

http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu4/rhodel2000/Palawan-Puerto%20Princesa/100_2575.jpg

johnmizer

April 23rd, 2009, 01:50 AM

no mtahc baywalk n g manila, salamat kay lim

Henz

April 23rd, 2009, 08:59 AM

Oo.. ang ganda pala ng Baywalk sa Puerto Princesa!

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

April 23rd, 2009, 09:15 AM

really really really love the mountains! ;)

vynzdelz

April 24th, 2009, 09:17 AM

wow ang linis nang dagat!!!!

olineil

April 25th, 2009, 03:37 PM

;35268912']So last Wednesday, I finally 'conquered' Kapuntukan (Sleeping Lion) Hill, here's the view from up there:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/LegazpiPortPanorama2copy.jpg

:)

olineil

April 25th, 2009, 03:39 PM

;35387320']Here you go, hehe:

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4218/legazpipanoramamonsi.jpg
Photo by: Monsi
Stitched by: Dex

LorodePico

May 14th, 2009, 08:43 AM

Tagaytay is obviously my choice since I retired there.The air is fresh, the surroundings clean, the view of the lake and the volcano is spectacular. There are so many places to see and so many things to do. And Manila is just an hour or two away. Same with the beaches of Batangas. With the recent opening of the Tagaytay Doctors Medical Center, the medical care gap is no longer there. So what else can I say but root for Tagaytay.

kiretoce

June 13th, 2009, 08:50 AM

Retiring in the Philippines (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/06/13/09/retiring-philippines)

Most, if not all, Filipinos that I’ve spoken to abroad all dream of retiring in the Philippines. Whether they’re an Overseas Filipino Worker or Filipino-American, they see the P.I. (as they call the Philippines), as a place where they can spend and enjoy the rest of their retired lives, early or long overdue.

Last Thursday, June 11, 2009, I had the opportunity to speak with the Chairman of the Philippine Retirement Authority, PDGen Edgar B. Aglipay. We discussed the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa or SRRV. This special non-immigrant visa is issued not only to foreigners but also former Filipino citizens who are at least 35 years old. The SRRV allows them to multiple-entry privileges with the option to reside permanently in the Philippines. It also allows the spouse and children (unmarried and under 21) to join the retiree. The visa for the principal applicant (foreigner or former Filipino) and the dependents remain valid as long as the applicant remains in good standing with the Program requirements.

Of course, to avail of the SRRV, there are age and deposit requirements. If the principal applicant is the beneficiary of a pension and he/she is 50 years old and above, a time deposit of US $10, 000 plus a monthly pension of US$800 is required for a single applicant and US$1,000 for couple. If the principal applicant is not receiving any pension, then a time deposit of US $50,000 is required for applicants aged 35 to 49 years old. However, only a US $20,000 time deposit is required for applicants aged 50 years old and above. For former Filipinos, who are at least 35 years old, they are required only US $1,500 regardless of the number of dependents. This amount is the same for Ambassadors of foreign countries who served and retired in the Philippines, current and former staff members of international organizations including ADB and who are at least 50 years old.

It is worth noting that it only takes one month from the date of issuance for the applicant to be able to touch the deposit and turn it into an investment. So you’re only separated from your money for a short period of time. Such investments include a purchasing a condo unit(s), leasing a residential property, and even golf shares.

When an SRRV visa is issued to the applicant, the benefits include the following: (1) Option to retire, study, and work in the Philippines permanently, (2) ability to exit and re-enter the Philippines multiple times, (3) exempt from income tax over your pension and annuities, (4) exempt from certain Bureau of immigration requirements such as acquiring exit and re-entry permits, annual alien registration, customs and duties tax from importation of household goods and personal effects (limited), travel tax, and I-Card.

But with these benefits accorded, there are responsibilities that follow. Among them – (1) the yearly renewal of the PRA ID Card, (2) payment of annual visitorial fee, (3) notification for change of contact information, (4) cancellation of the SRRV status.

You can catch my interview with Chairman Aglipay on Crossing Borders aired in the Philippines on ANC and globally on TFC this week. For more information and the SRRV, visit the Philippine Retirement Authority’s website at www.pra.gov.ph and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration’s website at www.immigration.gov.ph.

federalist

June 27th, 2009, 04:46 PM

Syntech mulls building retirement villa in Cebu
Updated June 27, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Singapore-based property developer Syntech Properties, Inc. might invest on a retirement village in Cebu after it completes the P1.3 billion City Lights Gardens condominium expansion project.

“We like Cebu. But we have to be very careful on how and what to invest in. Everybody is in condominium [developments] now,” said Syntech Properties Inc., director director Janice Ngiam-Chong.

Although, Cebu has the good potential for retirement village facility, Ngiam-Chong said there are also problems that have to be addressed first, like a proper urban planning.

“Cebu does not have [sound] an urban master plan. You can’t tell what will happen to an area [in the future],” she said referring to the effective zoning and geological study on every potential site.

She said developing a retirement village is far different from a condominium development, as it demands serious support from the government in terms of providing infrastructure, accessibility, global insurance network platform, and others.

Syntech already started similar development projects in other countries like Japan and Australia. She said Cebu has very good potential for a “retirement village” facility, but there is a need the government to address some problems that hamper the development of medical tourism sector in general.

She mentioned that it is good for the Philippine government to aggressively promote the Philippines’ potential to attract medical tourists, but similar support should also be given to the investors, like providing attractive infrastructure set-up and other requirements for medical-tourism related investments like retirement village.

Syntech Properties, in partnership with the Gallego family of Cebu, is one of the pioneers in developing condominium facilities in Cebu when it started to construct the two condominium Towers in Nivel Hills in 1997.

The company already invested a total of P2.6 billion for the four condominium City Lights Gardens Condominium Towers, of which the two remaining Towers (Towers 3 and 4) will be turned-over to owners this coming June 25, 2009.

Aside from a comprehensive study, and finding out a good partner for its planned retirement village project, Ngiam-Chong said the company will also see to it that it has the full support from the government.

She said a retirement village facility is a very integrated project. Cebu has the environment for it, but infrastructure and government policies should be in place properly in order to attract investors in developing this kind of project.

So far, Cebu has yet to provide a retirement village facility, despite its fit and attractive environment as retirees’ haven.

In study released by commercial and real estate services firm, CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc, it showed that Cebu is yet to provide a proper infrastructure to capture the growing medical tourists.

In Cebu, one of the problems is the availability of retirement village facility that is duly registered by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).

A legitimate retirement village, must have an integrated facility offerings situated in a huge land property, providing facilities like the basic high-end housing/villa accommodation, to golf course, commercial complex component, boutique clinic or personalized hospital/or clinic, other leisure facilities, among others. Establishment of this kind of facility involves a huge sum of investment capital. — Ehda M. Dagooc

Planning Democracy

June 27th, 2009, 07:33 PM

AmbutLang

June 27th, 2009, 08:26 PM

Aside from "learning english in Philippine universities", has anyone ever asked Koreans why they choose to live in the Philippines??

Their cities in Korea are so modern, I don't get why they choose to live here in the Philippines.

^^I think they are tired of cold winter season. Those heavy bulky winter jackets.:ohno: While in the Philippines, Wet and warm or hot and humid.:) They have this weather too. But the water dagat is still ice cold.

amigo32

June 28th, 2009, 04:53 AM

Carjel

June 28th, 2009, 08:12 AM

Aside from "learning english in Philippine universities", has anyone ever asked Koreans why they choose to live in the Philippines??

Their cities in Korea are so modern, I don't get why they choose to live here in the Philippines.

Well maybe yung mga korean na tinutukoy mo eh napamahal na dito saatin. Friends, Place, Love etc..:)

Porknight

June 28th, 2009, 08:33 PM

Aside from "learning english in Philippine universities", has anyone ever asked Koreans why they choose to live in the Philippines??

Their cities in Korea are so modern, I don't get why they choose to live here in the Philippines.

well how many of them actually live here ??? there are not many are they ? maybe less than 500.000 ?

federalist

June 28th, 2009, 09:28 PM

maybe they are starting to evacuate in preparation for another Korean War. j/k

Planning Democracy

June 29th, 2009, 04:42 AM

maybe they are starting to evacuate in preparation for another Korean War. j/k

Somehow I was thinking the same thing. Don't have any statistics on how many Koreans live here, but they're ubiquitous enough for you to notice them. Actually 500K is a lot for an estimate, pero kung ganun nga sila karami ang dami na nyon mas malaki pa population sa iba nating probinsya.

Porknight

June 29th, 2009, 08:41 AM

amigo32

June 29th, 2009, 09:35 AM

TambayBlues

July 3rd, 2009, 05:37 AM

I would say several factors motivated the Koreans to migrate to our beloved nation. :cheers:

1). Since Korea is one of the most protectionist countries in the world, a lot of the things that they don't produce especially foodstuffs, fruits and meat etc. are imposed with high tariffs which make food and other basic necessities so expensive even for the average Koreans. Is it any wonder then that Seoul is in the top three most expensive cities in the world? In that sense, you can just connect the dots on why inspite of the progress they've attained, a sizeable number of their population wants to migrate to other countries. The Philippines in contrast has one of the lowest cost of living in the world especially for those coming from countries with a higher purchasing power.

2). Most parents in Korea want their kids to study in one of the top universities in Korea whose entrance exams are so highly competitive and where it is an advantage to acquire proficiency in the English language to gain admission that students are being pressured by their respective families and even by the government to learn the language. And the Philippines being the closest and cheapest English speaking country to learn it is a natural choice for those who cannot afford to send their kids to Western countries to pursue this goal.

3). Applicants for Canadian permanent residency who come from Korea, Japan, Hongkong etc. are processed in the Philippines since our country is the Regional Processing Center of the CIC which gives us an added attraction as a temporary place to live in before they eventually settle in the land of the maple leaf.

4). Applicants from Korea, Japan, HK etc who want to travel to and pursue higher studies in the UK are processed in the Philippines since our country was designated by the UK Border Agency as the Regional Visa Processing Hub for applicants coming from these countries. Another attractive reason to study or even settle here at least temporarily to facilitate easier coordination and followup of one's application.

5). If they graduate from a Philippine educational institution, the immigration authorities in Canada or the UK usually won't require them to have their diplomas or even their transcipt of records translated into English which would not be the case if they graduated from their home countries.

6). Our country's air agreement with Korea gave their airlines more landing rights and also the more focused promotion of the DOT to entice them to come also contributed to the dramatic increase in the number of their citizens visiting our shores.

7). Since Korea's labor market is also highly competitive a lot of their big companies or chaebols (LG, Samsung, Hyundai etc. ) put a premium on hiring applicants who are also proficient in the English language. And workers know that you're almost assured of a secured job once you get hired. Hence, the predilection to learn the language.

8). Their government is also well-aware of the current trend of outsourcing by the West to countries like India and the Philippines etc., who have been benefitting immensely due to our relative proficiency in English. They see that this trend is the next wave and hopefully they want get their own share of the outsourcing pie. Hence, their policy towards education is for their own citizenry to learn the language to enable them to compete more effectively.

9). Their government realized that the Internet is largely written in the English language and a lot of the Western technology is available on the net. But even though they probably have one of the best broadband infrastracture on the planet, the key to getting the most out of the Web is to understand its content especially for research and development purposes.

bumbilya

July 5th, 2009, 04:28 AM

why is the philippines not in the list? :bash:

it was a consevative estimation but i based it on grocery items that they can buy and cook in their houses. it was no misguiding or whatsoever. PhP 4500 more or less for a single person for the whole month worth of groceries is i think just enough.

i had my stint in the US and seriously not all of them can consume the meal served to them in restaurants. i for one couldn't.

----------------
i think it's true that P4500/mo or $1 per meal is a good estimate if one cooks at home, not when one eats out. but then other expenses like electric ang gas utils, though maybe not quite as significant, need to be considered as well. but even adding the cost of services of a cook, it's still a heckuva deal.

eonynx

July 5th, 2009, 06:08 AM

I would say several factors motivated the Koreans to migrate to our beloved nation. :cheers:

1). Since Korea is one of the most protectionist countries in the world, a lot of the things that they don't produce especially foodstuffs, fruits and meat etc. are imposed with high tariffs which make food and other basic necessities so expensive even for the average Koreans. Is it any wonder then that Seoul is in the top three most expensive cities in the world? In that sense, you can just connect the dots on why inspite of the progress they've attained, a sizeable number of their population wants to migrate to other countries. The Philippines in contrast has one of the lowest cost of living in the world especially for those coming from countries with a higher purchasing power.

2). Most parents in Korea want their kids to study in one of the top universities in Korea whose entrance exams are so highly competitive and where it is an advantage to acquire proficiency in the English language to gain admission that students are being pressured by their respective families and even by the government to learn the language. And the Philippines being the closest and cheapest English speaking country to learn it is a natural choice for those who cannot afford to send their kids to Western countries to pursue this goal.

3). Applicants for Canadian permanent residency who come from Korea, Japan, Hongkong etc. are processed in the Philippines since our country is the Regional Processing Center of the CIC which gives us an added attraction as a temporary place to live in before they eventually settle in the land of the maple leaf.

4). Applicants from Korea, Japan, HK etc who want to travel to and pursue higher studies in the UK are processed in the Philippines since our country was designated by the UK Border Agency as the Regional Visa Processing Hub for applicants coming from these countries. Another attractive reason to study or even settle here at least temporarily to facilitate easier coordination and followup of one's application.

5). If they graduate from a Philippine educational institution, the immigration authorities in Canada or the UK usually won't require them to have their diplomas or even their transcipt of records translated into English which would not be the case if they graduated from their home countries.

6). Our country's air agreement with Korea gave their airlines more landing rights and also the more focused promotion of the DOT to entice them to come also contributed to the dramatic increase in the number of their citizens visiting our shores.

7). Since Korea's labor market is also highly competitive a lot of their big companies or chaebols (LG, Samsung, Hyundai etc. ) put a premium on hiring applicants who are also proficient in the English language. And workers know that you're almost assured of a secured job once you get hired. Hence, the predilection to learn the language.

8). Their government is also well-aware of the current trend of outsourcing by the West to countries like India and the Philippines etc., who have been benefitting immensely due to our relative proficiency English. They see that this trend is the next wave and hopefully they want get their own share of the outsourcing pie. Hence, their policy towards education is for their own citizenry to learn the language to enable them to compete more effectively.

9). Their government realized that the Internet is largely written in the English language and a lot of the Western technology is available on the net. But even though they probably have one of the best broadband infrastracture on the planet, the key to getting the most out of the Web is to understand its content especially for research and development purposes.

very informative!

nicolebluenewyork

July 5th, 2009, 04:54 PM

I would say several factors motivated the Koreans to migrate to our beloved nation. :cheers:

1). Since Korea is one of the most protectionist countries in the world, a lot of the things that they don't produce especially foodstuffs, fruits and meat etc. are imposed with high tariffs which make food and other basic necessities so expensive even for the average Koreans. Is it any wonder then that Seoul is in the top three most expensive cities in the world? In that sense, you can just connect the dots on why inspite of the progress they've attained, a sizeable number of their population wants to migrate to other countries. The Philippines in contrast has one of the lowest cost of living in the world especially for those coming from countries with a higher purchasing power.

2). Most parents in Korea want their kids to study in one of the top universities in Korea whose entrance exams are so highly competitive and where it is an advantage to acquire proficiency in the English language to gain admission that students are being pressured by their respective families and even by the government to learn the language. And the Philippines being the closest and cheapest English speaking country to learn it is a natural choice for those who cannot afford to send their kids to Western countries to pursue this goal.

3). Applicants for Canadian permanent residency who come from Korea, Japan, Hongkong etc. are processed in the Philippines since our country is the Regional Processing Center of the CIC which gives us an added attraction as a temporary place to live in before they eventually settle in the land of the maple leaf.

4). Applicants from Korea, Japan, HK etc who want to travel to and pursue higher studies in the UK are processed in the Philippines since our country was designated by the UK Border Agency as the Regional Visa Processing Hub for applicants coming from these countries. Another attractive reason to study or even settle here at least temporarily to facilitate easier coordination and followup of one's application.

5). If they graduate from a Philippine educational institution, the immigration authorities in Canada or the UK usually won't require them to have their diplomas or even their transcipt of records translated into English which would not be the case if they graduated from their home countries.

6). Our country's air agreement with Korea gave their airlines more landing rights and also the more focused promotion of the DOT to entice them to come also contributed to the dramatic increase in the number of their citizens visiting our shores.

7). Since Korea's labor market is also highly competitive a lot of their big companies or chaebols (LG, Samsung, Hyundai etc. ) put a premium on hiring applicants who are also proficient in the English language. And workers know that you're almost assured of a secured job once you get hired. Hence, the predilection to learn the language.

8). Their government is also well-aware of the current trend of outsourcing by the West to countries like India and the Philippines etc., who have been benefitting immensely due to our relative proficiency English. They see that this trend is the next wave and hopefully they want get their own share of the outsourcing pie. Hence, their policy towards education is for their own citizenry to learn the language to enable them to compete more effectively.

9). Their government realized that the Internet is largely written in the English language and a lot of the Western technology is available on the net. But even though they probably have one of the best broadband infrastracture on the planet, the key to getting the most out of the Web is to understand its content especially for research and development purposes.

i love it.... hope demand to leave here in manila keeps up

Planning Democracy

July 5th, 2009, 07:49 PM

I would say several factors motivated the Koreans to migrate to our beloved nation. :cheers:

1). Since Korea is one of the most protectionist countries in the world, a lot of the things that they don't produce especially foodstuffs, fruits and meat etc. are imposed with high tariffs which make food and other basic necessities so expensive even for the average Koreans. Is it any wonder then that Seoul is in the top three most expensive cities in the world? In that sense, you can just connect the dots on why inspite of the progress they've attained, a sizeable number of their population wants to migrate to other countries. The Philippines in contrast has one of the lowest cost of living in the world especially for those coming from countries with a higher purchasing power.

2). Most parents in Korea want their kids to study in one of the top universities in Korea whose entrance exams are so highly competitive and where it is an advantage to acquire proficiency in the English language to gain admission that students are being pressured by their respective families and even by the government to learn the language. And the Philippines being the closest and cheapest English speaking country to learn it is a natural choice for those who cannot afford to send their kids to Western countries to pursue this goal.

3). Applicants for Canadian permanent residency who come from Korea, Japan, Hongkong etc. are processed in the Philippines since our country is the Regional Processing Center of the CIC which gives us an added attraction as a temporary place to live in before they eventually settle in the land of the maple leaf.

4). Applicants from Korea, Japan, HK etc who want to travel to and pursue higher studies in the UK are processed in the Philippines since our country was designated by the UK Border Agency as the Regional Visa Processing Hub for applicants coming from these countries. Another attractive reason to study or even settle here at least temporarily to facilitate easier coordination and followup of one's application.

5). If they graduate from a Philippine educational institution, the immigration authorities in Canada or the UK usually won't require them to have their diplomas or even their transcipt of records translated into English which would not be the case if they graduated from their home countries.

6). Our country's air agreement with Korea gave their airlines more landing rights and also the more focused promotion of the DOT to entice them to come also contributed to the dramatic increase in the number of their citizens visiting our shores.

7). Since Korea's labor market is also highly competitive a lot of their big companies or chaebols (LG, Samsung, Hyundai etc. ) put a premium on hiring applicants who are also proficient in the English language. And workers know that you're almost assured of a secured job once you get hired. Hence, the predilection to learn the language.

8). Their government is also well-aware of the current trend of outsourcing by the West to countries like India and the Philippines etc., who have been benefitting immensely due to our relative proficiency English. They see that this trend is the next wave and hopefully they want get their own share of the outsourcing pie. Hence, their policy towards education is for their own citizenry to learn the language to enable them to compete more effectively.

9). Their government realized that the Internet is largely written in the English language and a lot of the Western technology is available on the net. But even though they probably have one of the best broadband infrastracture on the planet, the key to getting the most out of the Web is to understand its content especially for research and development purposes.

Where did you get this info? Or are these your own theories?

bumbilya

July 8th, 2009, 12:34 AM

^^ I'm sure they are not even 100.000 out of 90 million ,You can notice them only in Makati where near Koreans restaurants or Taguig . We don't have enough foreigners or immigrants , our country is not yet attractive enough.

check out aguirre st. in bf paranaque. it is at least a 2 mile stretch of korean shops, restaurants, schools, and other commercial establishments. i welcome their presence and investments but in addition i hope some form of technology transfer is happening in infrastructure development. it is a give and take proposition. there are benefits the philippines provides as stated in the previous posts. in turn, we can sure learn a lot from their advanced knowhow.

TambayBlues

July 16th, 2009, 11:45 PM

Where did you get this info? Or are these your own theories?

The foregoing is kinda old news but just the same it will give you another facet about my earlier post regarding the increasing numbers of Koreans who visit or even migrate to our country. :cheers:

Farming Is Korean's Life and He Ends It in Despair
JAMES BROOKE / NY Times 16sep03

Lee Kyung Hae Cancún

JANGSU, South Korea, Sept. 15 — Before Lee Kyung Hae left for Mexico on his final mission to defend South Korean farmers, he climbed a hill behind his old apple orchard here. In the quiet solitude of his former farm, he cleaned up around his wife's tomb.

"He cut all the grass before departing," Lee Kyang Ja, his older sister, said with surprise today, coming upon the site after climbing a dirt road behind the farm. On Wednesday in Cancún, Mexico, Mr. Lee, a 55-year-old farm union leader, scaled a barricade outside a meeting of the World Trade Organization and then fatally plunged his old Swiss Army knife into his heart.

The big news out of Cancún this week was the breakdown in the World Trade Organization talks, as the developing nations walked out in frustration over farm subsidies. To most of the world, Mr. Lee's act may have seemed like a sideshow, the latest face of extreme antiglobalist protest, perhaps, just a final desperate measure by a disturbed man.

But in rural communities like this one in southern South Korea, Mr. Lee, a three-time member of the provincial assembly, was seen as a heroic figure, a defender of debt-ridden farmers struggling to maintain an age-old agrarian tradition in a fast-developing country where manufacturing is king.

"Mr. Lee committed suicide to save the farmers," said An Sung Hyun, 65, a neighbor. "He sacrificed himself for farmers like me."

That sentiment is echoed in a new banner that greets drivers as they enter Jangsu. "The late Lee Kyung Hae, patriot and hero, we will follow your goal," it reads. "We strongly oppose W.T.O. globalization."

To protect farmers, South Korea has tariffs of over 100 percent on 142 farm products — consumers here pay about four times American prices for rice — helping support six million farmers in a nation of 47 million people.

But South Korea's real money is made selling cars, ships and cellphones around the world. To keep markets open for its economy, the world's 12th largest, South Korea has recently made concessions on food imports, in bilateral talks and in preliminary negotiations in the W.T.O. With each concession, life gets a little harder for the farmers.

"It is not hard to guess why he chose to terminate his life," said La Jung Han, an official in Seoul at the the Korean Advanced Farmers Federation, a group Mr. Lee headed for many years. "Probably, the main motivation was despair." It was "a despair deeply imbedded in the conditions of the farmers, the agriculture industry and the rural communities."

From his wife's grave, Mr. Lee's view would have included his modest one-story brick house and his experimental 40-acre farm. In the 1970's it was an effort by a college graduate from Seoul, much commented upon, to demonstrate how farmers could survive and compete despite declining prices for their products.

As documented by national television at the time, he taught students from agricultural colleges ways to extract greater yields from their crops, herds and orchards, all in an effort to breathe economic life into South Korea's countryside. Four years ago, he lost the farm in a foreclosure sale.

Beyond Mr. Lee's sloping farmland, the view extends to fertile, green bottom lands, where rice paddies intermingle with weed lots.

"Even now the land is being abandoned," An Sung Hyun, said, pointing out paddies abandoned across the valley floor. "If we import more food, more land will be abandoned."

At the local community hall today — as in dozens of rural communities throughout South Korea — a memorial altar, which bore Mr. Lee's portrait, was framed by seven-foot-high arrangements of white carnations, lightly illuminated by two mourning candles. All day long, groups of rough-cut men with sunburned faces arrived, removed their shoes, deposited carnations and bowed before his portrait.

"He was very strong and tender even though his image is one of violence," said Lee Young Jin, a printer and childhood friend. "He kept his faith and loyalty to the farmers."

Despite his loyalties to his rural roots, Mr. Lee, the printer, said that he was forbidding his own two children, both college students, to go into farming.

"Parents who are farming, don't want their children to do farming," he said, speaking in a room filled with farmers. "There is no hope. They cannot get any benefits from farming."

A city guide to Geneva, home to the World Trade Organization, was on the bookshelf today of the spare room where Mr. Lee lived in a family house here. In the room where his clothes still hung on hangers, a daughter, Lee Goh Wun, pulled out scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings chronicling his 30 years of farm protests, first in Seoul, then in cities around the world.

A decade ago, Mr. Lee stabbed himself in the stomach in Geneva. Last February, he returned there, living in a tent outside the trade organization's building and conducting a one-month hunger strike.

"He staged hunger strikes 30 times," said Lee Kyang Ja, his older sister, who followed his protests even though she lived in Chile for most of the 1990's. "For him, the most important things were farmers, his parents and his three daughters."

His daughter Goh Wun was to be married on Sept. 28. But today she was dressed in black. The wedding has been postponed.

"Frankly speaking, I am really, really proud of him," she said. "Because he sacrificed himself not for himself, but for the nation."

Mindfully.org note: His sacrifice was perhaps even greater than for his country. We believe that it was for all farmers, as well as people who eat the food that farmers grow. Lee Kyaing Hae was, above all, a good person fighting the evil of the world. In this case, it was in the form of globalization. His was a struggle for human dignity and well-being.

A Farmer's Suicide o the Editor:

Your Sept. 16 news article about the tragic suicide of a South Korean farmer, Lee Kyung Hae, near the World Trade Organization conference in Cancún, Mexico — a political act to highlight the cruel consequences of globalization on agricultural communities around the planet — should give us all pause.

Dependence on a few large, low-cost areas of production around the globe imposes profound long-term risks on everyone's food supply: we are becoming much more vulnerable to the vagaries of weather, pests and other natural blights in those few breadbaskets that will remain. And once taken out of agricultural use, land cannot so easily be restored to it.

If the human tragedy in agrarian communities around the world underscored by Mr. Lee's suicide isn't enough, our own collective self-interest should give us serious pause about the religious-like zeal with which "globalization" in agriculture is being touted.

ADEEB FADIL

New York, Sept. 16, 2003

TambayBlues

July 17th, 2009, 12:00 AM

i love it.... hope demand to leave here in manila keeps up :bash:

I take it that you mean "LIVE" and not "LEAVE". Anyways, this is a common error that I encounter among our countrymen and I realize my post also has grammatical mistakes too for which I didn't get enough time to edit.

federalist

July 17th, 2009, 08:56 PM

PRA pushes Cebu as retirement destination
Updated July 18, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Because of in-placed tourism facilities and high quality support services from the health and wellness industry and housing and entertainment sectors, Cebu has been chosen as one of the retirement provinces that are being promoted by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).

Together with other provinces like Baguio in Northern Luzon, Clark and Subic, Tagaytay in the Southern Tagalog region, and Davao in Mindanao, Cebu has been specifically identified as one of the retirement areas in the country because it has all required facilities to accommodate the influx of foreign retirees, said PRA chairman retired general Edgar Aglipay.

He said that through their so-called Local Integrated Retirement Area (LIRA) project, the business establishments and the government sector is brought together to a mutual covenant of supporting our local retirement industry.

Recently, Cebu’s city council, other government representatives along with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and major stakeholders in the housing, real estate, hospitality and medical tourism industries have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in support for the LIRA project which will promote Cebu as a retirement haven.

“If we are going to wait for retirement facilities to be developed, it will take so much time so we have thought of integrating all the facilities in our key cities instead so we can provide all the best preferential services to our foreign retirees,” said Aglipay.

He said that for Cebu in particular, its golf courses, top-end hospitals and world-class condominium developments are already in placed and these are among the things that retirees are looking for in a particular area where they would want to retire.

Other than the LIRA, Aglipay said that they are also doing other approaches in promoting our retirement industry such as developing big corporation integrated areas which integrates hospital facilities with a nearby residential facility and entertainment venues.

There is also a so-called small town integrated areas wherein bed and breakfast systems are developed in a small town and the group-home system which puts in one residential facility a big group of retirees tended by a group of doctors.

Meanwhile, Cebu Investment and Promotions Center (CIPC) managing director Jose Mari Yu said that for the past five years, they have managed to attract investors to come to Cebu and put up manufacturing firms and business process outsourcing operations like call centers in the area.

He said that now is the time to do the next step which is to promote Cebu not only as an investment destination but as place to retire.

“We can ask them now to purchase or lease our condominium and subdivision units and participate in our economy through their living expenses and this way we can expand Cebu’s contribution to the country’s economic development,” said Yu.

“We just have to position Cebu as a retirement destination and as a second home by creating a value proposition and to do that all stakeholders need to get our acts together and promote a Live in Cebu campaign,” added Yu.

Meanwhile, Department of Tourism (DOT) Central Visayas regional director Patria Aurora Roa said that Cebu has a huge potential to fly high as a retirement destination.

She said that by the end of this year, PRA will already be attached to DOT because of the implementation of the Tourism Act which was previously signed and with this development; they are looking at establishing closer relationship with the agency.

“DOT is looking forward to a closer relationship with PRA in promoting the retirement program of the country. Cebu will fly high as a medical tourism destination and we hope to soar higher and get more warm bodies to Cebu.,” said Roa.

Right now, PRA has 21, 000 foreign retiree members from 17 countries worldwide and about 900 of them are in the Visayas region because of the fast development in the area.

PRA is also currently declaring more areas in the country that can provide products to support the Philippine retirement industry and some of which include: La Union in North Luzon, Cabanatuan and Zambales in Central Luzon, Legazpi City in the Bicol region, Iloilo and Bohol in Visayas and Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga in Mindanao. — Rhia de Pablo

dessertfox

July 20th, 2009, 09:30 AM

No. 4 Philippines
Cost of Living including housing: Manila 73.4
(Base: New York = 100)

This former U.S. colony is known for the hospitality of its people, and English is widely spoken. Safety can be an issue in the south of the country where there is an Islamic insurgency with links to Al Qaeda. Domestic help and in-home health care are extremely cheap. Many military vets choose to move here.

SOURCE: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/06/0622_best_retirement_destinations/5.htm

Retirement: Best Overseas Locations

More retirees are opting to spend their golden years thousands of miles from home, thanks to the Internet, budget airlines, and government enticements

By Frederik Balfour

After John Barclay sold his Glasgow-based Levis jeans franchise in 2005, he and his wife, Lorraine, knew they didn't want to spend their retirement braving the local weather. "We always said we didn't want to be old and cold in Scotland," says Lorraine. "I wanted to be warm all year round." They spent the next two years doing reconnaissance trips to Malaysia, which offered an enticing package aimed at foreigners over 50. But their plans to move to Malaysia evaporated on the strength of just one idyllic weekend in Bali. "We were blown away by it," Lorraine remembers.

Three months later, they had purchased a villa and were ensconced in the Indonesian tropical island. Life is good—and inexpensive. In Bali, Lorraine's monthly hair coloring bills are a third of what she used to pay in Scotland, and she and John can easily afford to employ a couple of cooks and a driver. Gasoline is dirt cheap, too, thanks to government subsidies.

The Barclays are part of a small but growing number of people opting to spend their retirement thousands of miles from home. Now thanks to the Internet, budget airlines, and rapid improvements in infrastructure and health-care services in many countries, the dream of spending one's latter years in an exotic locale is easier than ever and surprisingly affordable. With a monthly income as low as $2,500, you could be snorkeling the luminous coral reefs on the Philippine coast, breathing the fresh mountain air of Costa Rica, or enjoying the Mediterranean breezes of Cyprus.

Several countries are actively wooing retirees to their shores with special visas and discounts for retirees. The Malaysian government, for instance, has aimed its Malaysia, My Second Home campaign at people over 50; it provides renewable 10-year visas, duty-free auto imports, and the right to purchase property. Panama offers seniors an income tax exemption, a 20-year property tax holiday, and discounts on everything from movie tickets to physician visits. Belize has a formal program for seniors called Retired Persons Incentive Program.

With virtually the entire globe to choose from, retirees can find something to cater to every taste. Golfers will find plenty of fairways fringed with tropical vegetation in Thailand and Malaysia, epicureans can revel in the local cuisines of Provence in southern France or Tuscany in central Italy. Lovers of New World wines might choose Australia, while New Zealand, South Africa, and Croatia offer stunning natural landscapes. Israel is a natural draw for Jews in search of sunshine.

Weighing Safety, Language, and Health Care
Whatever one's leisurely pursuits, there are several important considerations one must weigh when contemplating retiring overseas. According to Mercer, an international human resources consultant, the cost of living in South Africa may look extremely cheap; it is ranked as the least expensive among 22 potential retirement destinations chosen by BusinessWeek, based on a cost-of-living index including housing compiled by Mercer. But the country ranks poorly on the safety scale: It has a score of 116 according to the Global Peace Index, a ranking compiled by Sydney-based NGO Vision of Humanity that rates countries based on their safety and political stability. (A high score corresponds to high risk.) By comparison, Auckland, New Zealand, is the ninth cheapest place to live but has a Global Peace Index score of 4.

Naturally most people will choose to resettle where language isn't a problem. In addition to English-speaking destinations like British Columbia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, English is also the first language in the former British colonies of Belize, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Philippines, an erstwhile U.S. colony, still shares an immense cultural affinity with the U.S., while Brits feel very much at home in the self-ruling colony of Gibraltar, where the weather is a lot better than what they left behind in Britain.

Health care obviously matters hugely, too. The low cost and high quality of medical service is a big selling point for Singapore and Thailand, which have heavily promoted medical tourism in recent years. Hospital costs are as much as one-half what they would cost in the U.S.

Finding housing can be relatively easy in places like Spain, Portugal, and Costa Rica thanks to a proliferation of property agents and developers catering to expatriates looking to spend their golden years abroad. While many Web sites may be somewhat self-serving, they do usually contain valuable information on relocation. A good place to start is Internationalliving.com, which comes up with its own yearly ranking of the best places to retire.

federalist

July 20th, 2009, 10:57 AM

from my own observation, The Philippines has lack promotions for this one.

Muffstar

July 20th, 2009, 01:18 PM

from my own observation, The Philippines has lack promotions for this one.

Not just for this, but it (Philippines) does not self promote anywhere in Australia at all. We are only 7.5 hours away but all Oz holiday destinations in Asia are for Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Malaysia.

There are so many nice places in PH to visit but not in travel brochures anywhere.

amigo32

July 20th, 2009, 02:47 PM

Not just for this, but it (Philippines) does not self promote anywhere in Australia at all. We are only 7.5 hours away but all Oz holiday destinations in Asia are for Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Malaysia.

There are so many nice places in PH to visit but not in travel brochures anywhere.

that's good:D j/k

nicko

July 24th, 2009, 09:03 AM

DUMAGUETE CITY

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/8122/dgte2.jpg

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5008/dgte1.jpg

nonXpert (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogelt/)

habagatcentral1

July 24th, 2009, 09:41 AM

hay naku!!! tsk! tsk! tsk!
punta n lng kau d2 mga bro... welcome keu d2,:)
Maybe its the perspective and imagery itself. It does look quite small in the front facade and big behind. The architect have created this kind of illusion that is perceived by many as such...especially most of us have haven't been to Tagum yet and see it with our very own eyes.

So you really couldn't blame most of us having this perception not unless we see it with our very own eyes. ;)

808 state

July 24th, 2009, 02:14 PM

LAOAG
http://i39.tinypic.com/afd9b5.jpg
Photo credit: franilicious (http://www.flickr.com/photos/franilicious/)

808 state

July 24th, 2009, 02:17 PM

DAGUPAN CITY
http://i42.tinypic.com/w2jfvt.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/14mds43.jpg
Photo credit: jhayzone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhayzone/)

Mars Uy

July 24th, 2009, 03:53 PM

Tacloban City and Mt. Danglay
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m350/CStrikers/DSC_9829-Editcopy.png?t=1248441700
flickr find

bisoy

July 26th, 2009, 01:33 AM

foreigners are still not allowed to buy residential lots in the philippines, thanks to the efforts of the opposition and leftist intimidating the masa that the intentions of this foreign old man is to set a foreign base in manila.:bash::bash:

ken_7

July 27th, 2009, 08:45 PM

Iloilo City

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2542/3740239568_d9b7ecbf14_o.jpg

(the old - the new)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2490/3739453893_0d8c0e4eb1_o.jpg

[dx]

July 28th, 2009, 06:01 AM

Guys, please stay on topic. This is the Photogenic Cities thread. We have a thread for Churches, Temples, Mosques and other places of worship. Thanks

Dakpa ang akong tiil

July 31st, 2009, 12:06 PM

Welcome to...
Tagum City
Davao del Norte

http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt14/Jheaux/Tagum%20Davao%20del%20Norte/Welcome-Landmark.jpg

sick_n_tired

August 1st, 2009, 03:05 AM

http://imgcash3.imageshack.us/Himg354/scaled.php?server=354&filename=cebuosmenacircleday.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=480

reancorbz84

August 6th, 2009, 08:09 AM

DAVAO - DAWOW!

feat: CHINATOWN, DAVAO
http://images.tonioboicorbz.multiply.com/image/2/photos/31/500x500/1/davao1.png?et=79jbfeWQ5d%2CovKYFcgVupw&nmid=259658827

http://images.tonioboicorbz.multiply.com/image/2/photos/31/500x500/2/davao2.png?et=ThPnZQO6HGuv1FpORTtS4Q&nmid=259658827

http://images.tonioboicorbz.multiply.com/image/3/photos/31/500x500/3/davao3.png?et=ajucnIRFdqjkMruDc2RzTw&nmid=259658827

federalist

August 6th, 2009, 08:42 AM

nice cam @rean.

bOrN2BwILd

August 6th, 2009, 06:03 PM

very beautiful...:okay:

reancorbz84

August 7th, 2009, 07:59 AM

^^ hehehe..

sinong may sabi na panget ang isang city na walang matataas na building?.. hehehehe :lol::lol::lol:

nicko

August 15th, 2009, 07:40 AM

DUMAGUETE CITY

http://images.ayandeato.multiply.com/image/2/photos/168/500x500/5/Dumaguete-4.jpg?et=8vXM9PzQ%2BKFOQx03smUyJQ&nmid=274459225

ayandeato (http://ayandeato.multiply.com/photos/album/168/City_of_Gentle_People)

superpilyoako

August 15th, 2009, 08:40 PM

pag may time ako (at pera), siguradong pupuntahan ko lahat ng lugar na yan sa Visayas at Mindanao, marami nmang magandang lugar sa Pilipinas, lets just all explore these cities and stop comparing one from another, every city is unique, it's just how we appreciate their uniqueness.

davaob4now

August 16th, 2009, 06:34 AM

^^ hehehe..

sinong may sabi na panget ang isang city na walang matataas na building?.. hehehehe :lol::lol::lol:

Paris, France :)
Jerusalem, Israel :)
etc...

_leonell_

August 17th, 2009, 11:50 AM

The best of Cebu City is that it has a business friendly and motivated people with a diligent and progress oriented Mayor which makes it as one of the best cities in the country.............

blue++

August 17th, 2009, 04:16 PM

For me Bacolod IMO

Good Side:

* One of the Cleanest and Greenest Cities in Philippines
* Cheap Electricity and Power Stable
* Modern and Unique Infrastuctures
* Urban Life yet still in the province
* Good medical facilities
* Good road networks and wide concrete roads
* Good Educational Facilities
* Enough Work Opportunities
* Accessible to any parts of Philippines
* Delicious Cuisine
* Best Place to Live! The home of Masskara Festival and Home of Friendly, Loving, Beautiful and Handsome People!!!:lol::lol:

Bad Side:
* Public Market, not that presentable
* Illegal vendors in downtown area
* "Barumbadong" Drivers
* LGU?? Maybe some...
* Spaghetti Wires above
* Flooding
* Smelly Libertad area...:ohno:
* Traffic Built Ups...
* Some "Postes" are not functioning (sayang, nag patayo pa sila)
* Also some trffic lights, not functioning...
* Squatters

That's what i observed in my city...share ko lang po...:):)

Kristela

August 17th, 2009, 04:49 PM

Ciudad de ILOILO

BEST:
- Spanish heritage evident in structures all over the city, its History
- Old, grand Churches
- Stately, imposing Mansions
- The lilting, languorous Ilonggo Dialect
- Old-world European Charm of the city
- Romantic Iloilo river that snakes through the city
- Educational institutions, Universities
- The Airport, Domestic and International ports, one of the safest natural harbors
- Jeepneys!!
- Batchoy, Pancit Molo, Biscocho and other native delicacies
- Dinagyang Festival, Kasadyahan Fest, Paraw Regatta
- Vibrant Economy

WORST:
- PECO
- Floods
- Squatters
- Sec. Gonzales
- Illegal trades, DRUGS
- Traffic
- Electric wires
- Political squabbling
- Power supply
- Jeepney drivers

This is so far i can come up with... :lol:

SleMarKen

August 17th, 2009, 06:49 PM

the best and worst of Cebu City in this picture...
PROGRESS and POVERTY
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6976/57426740.jpg

federalist

August 17th, 2009, 08:37 PM

bullseye!:lol:

superpilyoako

August 17th, 2009, 11:00 PM

Taguig
best- the developments
worst- development is not well distributed

superpilyoako

August 17th, 2009, 11:01 PM

Metro Manila
Best- Kumpleto
Worst- Madungis

MatudNilaBaby

August 18th, 2009, 02:50 AM

the best and worst of Cebu City in this picture...
PROGRESS and POVERTY
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6976/57426740.jpg

is it still considered city property if the houses are on stilts?

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 18th, 2009, 10:44 AM

the best and worst of Cebu City in this picture...
PROGRESS and POVERTY
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6976/57426740.jpg

^^ WOW! :naughty::D:

PINOYmeat

August 18th, 2009, 12:15 PM

+ dynamic economy and tourism

- traffic

Escario
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8779/escd.jpg

kiretoce

August 19th, 2009, 04:09 AM

^^ Traffic is inevitable with huge cities, it's a necessary evil we all must learn to live with.

SleMarKen

August 19th, 2009, 05:04 AM

^^but Cebu is not huge:ohno: how much more.....

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 19th, 2009, 05:11 AM

goodbye jeepneys and welcome BRT!!!! :banana::banana:

mi.hyul

August 19th, 2009, 09:03 AM

but if you look at the pic, wala masyadong jeep ang escario st. the majority of those the clogged it are private vehicles and taxis. one of the days lang siguro ito.:ohno:

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 19th, 2009, 09:27 AM

right! but in a way when BRTs hit the road, people would be more inclined to using BRTs bec. its easy, safe, fast and reliable so those using their private cars would soon realize its better to use BRTs rather than using their cars coz in a way you are helping the environment and at the same time, save money for gas.

federalist

August 19th, 2009, 08:14 PM

but many still using their cars I believe. BRT cant take them anywhere, they have certain routes. bringing their own cars is more convenient actually.

_leonell_

August 20th, 2009, 12:55 AM

Don't think far too much on future amenities but think of now.............. strong rains........... quick changes in the weather.......... aren't those threatening enough?

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 20th, 2009, 04:36 AM

but many still using their cars I believe. BRT cant take them anywhere, they have certain routes. bringing their own cars is more convenient actually.

right! so might as well implement the number scheme! hehehe

federalist

August 20th, 2009, 09:24 AM

i dont like the number scheme. well, traffic can be lessen because jeepneys will be eliminated. but the real purpose is not to attract the private car users to ride the BRT. having left their cars and ride the BRT is inconvenient .

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 20th, 2009, 09:33 AM

^^
so i presume you have a car? hehehe

federalist

August 20th, 2009, 09:57 AM

bump car ra bai.:lol:

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

August 20th, 2009, 10:05 AM

oh well, i just want cebu city to have this BRT the soonest possible time. :D

wise_zech

August 20th, 2009, 01:35 PM

yup i want also the brt in cebu...

c6josh

August 25th, 2009, 04:54 PM

Aside from "learning english in Philippine universities", has anyone ever asked Koreans why they choose to live in the Philippines??

Their cities in Korea are so modern, I don't get why they choose to live here in the Philippines.

I used to work in an english school in Bacolod city and I had asked my Korean students this same question, why choose the Philippines and their answer is simple "very cheap, nice climate, beautiful beaches" well I agree on what they told me...it's just that we don't appreciate it cause we live in our own country but for them Philippines is a nice place to stay...

ruralvillage

August 25th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Investments in retirement industry seen to grow this year (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=499274&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=499274&publicationSubCategoryId=66)) Updated August 26, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Investments in the retirement industry are expected to increase this year in spite of the slowdown in the global economy, the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) said.

In a press conference yesterday, PRA acting general manager Reynaldo D. Lingat said they expect more investments in the retirement industry even if investments in other sectors are declining.

He said they are negotiating with several foreign investors for retirement villages. Lingat said an American firm will build a continuing care facility in Clark. He said the firm is looking at an idle land beyond Subic.

Lingat said a European firm has likewise expressed interest in investing in a retirement facility.

PRA chairman Edgar B. Aglipay said these investments came about as a result of a more integrated and wholistic approach combined with a sound partnership with the private sector.

Aglipay said that since 2006, investments in the retirement industry have reached P6.9 billion.

“We are confident that more investments in retirement industry will take place in the future. This means that more jobs will be created and an increase in economic activity will greatly help in developing our country,” Aglipay added.

Aglipay noted that the upward trend in investments in the retirement industry would continue in the next several years. He cited the efforts of top real estate developers such as Ayala Land, Filinvest Corp., Robinsons Land and Megaworld Corp.

PRA has adopted a program called Local Integrated Retirement Area (LIRA) system. “With LIRA local government units and private business organizations are bonded together to support our retirees in areas of safety, health and wellness,” Aglipay said.

Aglipay said the new theme line for Philippine retirement captures the spirit of the lifestyle and mindset we can offer to retirees.

He said that no one else in the world smiles from the heart the way Filipinos can, and the phrase “Smile at Life” promises the retiree that the second half of his or her life can be the best it can possibly can. It is also a phrase that can mean many things to many people, wonderful landscape and climate; warm, friendly people; an affordable yet luxurious lifestyle, he added.

ruralvillage

August 25th, 2009, 10:56 PM

US, European firms eye RP retirement industry (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090825-222004/US-European-firms-eye-RP-retirement-industry)
By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090825-222004/US-European-firms-eye-RP-retirement-industry)
First Posted 21:47:00 08/25/2009

MANILA, Philippines - Companies from the United States and Europe are looking at investing in the country’s retirement sector, with plans already on the table to set up “continuing care facilities” for retirees.

In an interview yesterday, Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) acting general manager Reynaldo Lingat said an American firm was looking for idle lands in Clark Field, Pampanga, and even beyond, including Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales to Morong in Bataan.

The land would be used to house continuing care facilities for retirees, he said.

These facilities will include a whole package of products and services that retirees can avail themselves of, including housing, healthcare and lifestyle facilities.

A European company, Lingat said, was also planning to put up facilities for retirees, particularly those in the “assisted” and “nursing” sectors.

According to him, retirees can be divided into three categories: active, 35-49 years old; assisted, 50-65 years old, and nursing, 65 years old and above.

“We should be targeting the assisted and nursing sectors. We have to have the facilities that can accommodate them. We need investments
, either from the retirees themselves or from other investors,” he said. “Once (these facilities) are established, there will surely be a domino effect.”

He said a Korean group was also looking at developing some retirement facilities on parcels of land along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

“Investments (in the retirement sector) are increasing this year, at least based on the number of inquiries that we have received in our office,” he said.

PRA accreditation specialist Bing Aquino said there were currently 85 PRA-accredited institutions in the country.

Of these, however, only eight were targeted at the elderly, she said. The others were mostly in the real estate and resorts sectors.

PRA chair Edgar Aglipay said about 20,000 retirees enrolled in its program, 30 percent of whom were Chinese, 20 percent Japanese, and 10 percent Koreans. For 2009, he said PRA was targeting to have another 4,000 enrolled retirees.