Picturesque Cities

[Lili]

What I want to do if and when I retire in the Philippines, is to be a motivational speaker. I want to learn as much in terms of life experience and equipping yourself to attain your dreams and have a successful life and then, I want to impart that message to my fellowmen. To inspire and educate -- that is my goal.

[cheersmate]

Originally Posted by sandrin

I will definitely retire in the Philippines. I will build an empire that will create jobs and uplift the lives of our kababayan. All the knowledge that I'd gain here will be siphoned back to the Philippines.

may the force be w/ u

[amigo32]

Originally Posted by macky

That bad ha...that's sad because some retiring pinoys i spoke to would like to volunteer their time to do and help in someway their needy kababayan there. Basic needs like medical, education,clean water, sustenance,etc,etc. I know the goverment may welcome all this, but what concerns me deep down is if you dig around what the root of the problems are you might open a whole can of worms at magkakalabasan ng baho na.

I am at risk pero nag eenjoy naman ako dito. hehehe
Basic needs? medical>maraming albularyo dito, yung iba nga nag sasideline na sa mga spa. nurse iniexport na rin
education? marami din titser dito yung iba nga nasa US na tinuturuan ang mga puti paano mag english.
clean water? puede na yung tubig galing sa pasig river...

and i am not kidding

[amigo32]

Originally Posted by Lili

What I want to do if and when I retire in the Philippines, is to be a motivational speaker. I want to learn as much in terms of life experience and equipping yourself to attain your dreams and have a successful life and then, I want to impart that message to my fellowmen. To inspire and educate -- that is my goal.

Parang si Stephen Covey? Si Anthony Robbins?

[3cr]

Macky,
I understand your concern but I also hope you don't become discouraged. Btw I hope you get a little pick-me-up out of these articles I came across. These articles I'm posting for you are not new but I still found them especially interesting because it's quite flattering to see FilAms and Foreigners alike who are already living in "paradise" seriously consider leaving Hawaii for the Philippines enough to convince them to buy a property/unit in Pinas now with future plans of going back when they retire. Ang sarap malaman at mapakinggan that despite all of the problems and hardships our country is facing, there is really no place like home (the Philippines). May those people who eventually comeback to stay help the country get up on its feet.

Isle Filipinos fuel boom in real estate near Manila
By Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.com

TAGAYTAY, Philippines » Overlooking the crater lake of a volcano high above the heat and humidity of Manila, Dr. Emil and Ellen Suzara have built a home where they expect to live the rest of their lives.

The Suzaras took the profits from the recent sale of their home in Waimea on the Big Island to return to the Philippines to retire.

"The dollar is magnified here," said Dr. Suzara, who was a surgeon at North Hawaii Community Hospital. "You can live like a king and a queen."

The Suzaras, who were both born in the Philippines, are among a growing number of Filipinos from Hawaii and the mainland who are fueling a real estate boom here.

In Kalihi meanwhile yesterday, a steady stream of potential buyers talked with sales representatives from Robinsons Land Corp. about their high-rise luxury condominium projects in Metro Manila.

A sales DVD played on the wall of a restaurant conference room as families, mostly recent immigrants, put down a refundable deposit to reserve units.*

Bobit Pablo, the international sales manager for Robinsons' high-rise building division, said the recent political crisis in the Philippines has not really affected business.

He said Filipinos who were born in the country have grown up with coup rumors.

"In every crisis there's an opportunity," Pablo says with the conviction of a salesman. The unrest means the U.S. dollar will buy more, and the condos he is selling are cheaper today if someone is ready to buy now.

Kevin and Zena Diaz Smith of Kaneohe sold their home last year and used half of their profit to buy a home and lot in Canyon Woods for about $200,000 and the other half for a down payment on a new home here.

On Saturday they put down a deposit for a two-bedroom condominium that sells for about $100,000. The Smiths said once the condo is paid off, they might move to the Philippines with their two children.

"We're living paycheck to paycheck over here," said Kevin Smith, who works at Kaiser Medical Center.

The condo is near a private school and hospital. Smith thinks he should be able to get a job at the hospital, and they could either rent or sell their house here to supplement their income.

His Filipino co-workers at Kaiser are also thinking of moving back because they can now afford a nicer place and a better lifestyle, Smith said.

Smith has been to the Philippines three times, but his wife was born there.

"I was challenged with it at first," Smith said about the poverty, politics, crime and other aspects of life in the Philippines. "But you can't judge a book by its cover," he said. "The culture is incredible; the people are incredible."

Buying real estate in the Philippines is not for everyone, said Bob Bishop, former liaison to the Philippines for the president of the National Association of Realtors.

It can be profitable and worthwhile, but people need to do their homework, he said. Land titles are not always clear, and disputes can be tied up in expensive court battles, he said.

Bishop advises buyers to hire an attorney in the Philippines to look over the contract and investigate the title before signing any deal.

Most developments emphasize security; kidnappers sometimes target Americans for ransom, Bishop noted.

The key in any real estate purchase is to make sure you are dealing with a reputable developer, Bishop said.

Reputation is a selling point for Danilo Ignacio, general manager of Robinsons' High-Rise Buildings Division. The company is affiliated with one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines, with interests including airlines, banking, food, hotels, telecommunications and textiles.

Ignacio points out his window on the 32nd floor of the Ortigas Center in Metro Manila at an empty facade of a nearby building.

The project is mired in debt after the Asian financial collapse in 1997, he said.

It is a reminder of what can happen because of fraud or an underfinanced developer.

Robinsons survived the financial crisis and emerged a stronger company, Ignacio said. "We delivered to our customers," he said.

In nearby Fort Bonifacio, a high-rise city is rising on a closed Philippine military base. Shopping centers, office buildings for the booming call center industry, and numerous condos are under construction. Robinsons has two condominium projects here.

Last month, on a tour of Fort Bonifacio, Pablo pointed to where the private St. Luke's Medical Center is being built.

The hospital is a selling point for retirees who fear medical care in the United States could eat up their savings, Pablo said.

Norman Oshiro, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Food Products Inc., bought a one-bedroom condo at Robinsons' Fifth Avenue development in Fort Bonifacio.

Oshiro might retire in the Philippines, but said he bought the condo more as an investment and a place to stay when he visits Manila. "It's cheap," he said. "It probably went up already."

Oshiro is not Filipino, but is a member of the Hawaii Filipino Chamber of Commerce. Filipino co-workers in his office also bought units on the same floor.

The government, through the Philippine Retirement Authority and other agencies, is trying to encourage overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals to retire and buy property in the Philippines.

A dual citizenship law allows Filipino Americans to buy land and businesses.

Foreigners who buy condos can qualify for a special investment visa that will allow them to stay in the country.

But while foreigners can also own condominiums and townhouses, there are restrictions on the purchase of land.

So far, Robinsons is concentrating its international marketing on Filipino workers in the United States, Ignacio said. But they are starting to look at the market for non-Filipinos overseas.

Pablo said he started marketing units in the United States in late 2004. Overseas purchasers now account for about 30 percent of the company's sales and could rise to about half.

In Tagaytay the Canyon Woods development was originally marketed as a weekend home for upper-middle-class families from Manila.

But about three years ago, purchases by overseas Filipinos accounted for 80 percent of the sales in December, the time of year when many foreign workers traditionally return home for the holidays, said Tony Villa-Real, a director at Canyon Wood.

"That opened our eyes," he said.

Villa-Real opened an office in San Bruno, Calif., to market to U.S. buyers, and he and his wife held seminars on Oahu and Maui last year. They are planning to return to Hawaii to promote Canyon Woods next month.

"For them it's like paradise," Villa-Real said of his U.S. customers. "It's easy for Filipino Americans to adjust. It's like their home away from home."

The numbers of Filipinos from Hawaii who are moving to the Philippines are still small, nothing like the numbers of people who moved from here to Las Vegas for a more affordable lifestyle.

But Dr. Suzara would not be surprised to see more people from Hawaii as neighbors.

"We have casinos here, too," he said.



Economic boom pulls balikbayan back home

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

MANILA - -- Eighteen months ago, Luis Butay, a Hawaii businessman, bought 17.3 acres of farmland in his native country of the Philippines for about $128,800.

Now it's worth almost three times as much.

A real estate boom and government incentives have persuaded a growing number of Filipino Americans to invest in their birth land. The "sick man of Asia" is finally seeing economic growth after decades of martial law, regulated industries and political instability.

The number of returning balikbayan -- those born in the Philippines with citizenship overseas -- has almost tripled since 1981, when 57,798 came back. Last year that number reached 142,753, according to the Philippine Department of Tourism.

Although foreigners cannot own property, the amount of rural land balikbayan can purchase was tripled last year to three hectares, the equivalent of about 71/2 acres. The government also increased the amount of urban land balikbayan could own to 5,000 square meters (6,000 square yards).

"Balikbayan can realize 100 percent profit in one year," said Reynaldo Duterte of RP Duterte Realty in Manila.

"Filipino Americans should look here to invest and retire."

Land in the provinces, including the Ilocos region where most Filipinos in Hawaii were born, is still affordable and a good investment, Duterte said. "Prices won't go down but maybe slow down," said Duterte, past president of the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines. Still, he predicted at least 20 percent to 30 percent annual growth for the next five years in the provinces.

Prices in Makati, where a glut of condos and office space is expected to flood the market, will level out, Duterte said. Some economists predict Manila could follow the path of Bangkok, where inflated real estate and overbuilding have burst the economic bubble.

The longer-term value of agricultural land will depend on the infrastructure that develops around it, economists say. And that's something you can't count on yet in the Philippines.

Butay, owner of Loulen Hawaii Sports Wear and part-owner of Crown Court Restaurant, is keeping an eye on real estate in provinces like Ilocos Norte.

"I've seen the economy improve every year," Butay said. "The middle class is starting to grow. My friends are rich. The shopping centers are much better here than in Hawaii and the mainland."

Butay bought his property, located in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon southeast of Manila, with other family members.

He uses it to raise chickens -- a profitable business, he said, because the Filipino middle class is more health-conscious about red meat. More poor also can afford to buy it now.

Manny Valin, a Hawaii tax consultant, bought 15 hectares (37 acres) of Batangas land in 1993 with a Philippine partner and plans to house 150,000 chickens in the first stage.

Ten years ago, he probably wouldn't have considered buying land here. But now Valin knows others in Hawaii who also are considering it. Rose Churma, president-elect of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, also said there is growing interest in doing business in the Philippines.

According to the Philippine Department of Tourism, real estate prices started rising about five years ago, Duterte said. But they "went wild" after the sale of land in the military's Fort Bonifacio triggered prices in nearby Makati, and real estate values now sound like the kind you hear in Waikiki.

The skyline of Makati, the financial hub of the capital, is laced with tall cranes and bamboo catwalks, and the always-congested traffic is even worse because of heavy construction. Inch your way a few miles down the city's main artery known as Edsa to the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank, once the only business complex in Ortigas Center. Now a high-rise city surrounds it. And Manila's megamalls are some of the biggest in Asia.

Values in some areas have multiplied five to 10 times: Makati property that sold four years ago for 100,000 pesos, or $4,000 (25 pesos to the dollar) per square meter now goes for 450,000 pesos, or $18,000 per square meter. A square meter equals 1.2 square yards.

The boom spreads in all directions into the countryside. Once-

tranquil rice paddies and carabao paths are now subdivisions and industrial zones.

Agricultural land north of Manila in La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and the Ilocos provinces still sells for 40-80 pesos per square meter, Duterte said.

Cebu is one of the fastest-growing areas. Even in the southern island of Mindanao, which has suffered years of Moslem insurrection and kidnappings, prices are skyrocketing.

Deregulation that allowed foreign banks into the Philippines has loosened up the property market, Duterte said. Interest rates for home and condo loans used to run 27 percent-40 percent but have dropped to 15 percent-17 percent. Most people, however, still pay with cartloads of cash.

Foreigners without Philippine partners are prohibited from buying land but can purchase condos, government officials said.

But constantly changing foreign investment laws and a court system that favors Filipinos still throw up red flags for foreign investors, Duterte said.

Butay agreed that doing business isn't easy in the Philippines because of government red tape, corruption and payoffs in return for security. But with the minimum daily salary in the Philippines roughly equivalent to the minimum hourly wage in Hawaii, and with an educated, hard-working and English-speaking work force, the advantages outweigh the problems. He's planning to open two restaurants.

Specialty of the house: chicken.



Retirees’ low costs earn Philippines top billing

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

MANILA - -- Alex Caday, a retired real estate agent who lived in Hawaii for 20 years, collects about $1,500 a month in Social Security and retirement.

That didn't go very far in Hawaii. But in the Philippines, where he retired in 1989, he can afford two maids to help him and his wife, who also receives Social Security and retirement.

"I'm more secure here financially and socially," said Caday, a U.S. citizen who was born in Ilocos Norte province. "My roots are here. My old friends are here. I have property."

Caday said more balikbayan -- those born in the Philippines but have citizenship elsewhere -- are retiring here, especially since the economy has improved and the security and government have stabilized. But more than balikbayan are eyeing this country for their graying years.

International Living magazine last year chose the Philippines as its top retirement pick after omitting it from the list during the troubled years following the Marcos dictatorship.

"Its combination of low costs for housing, domestic help and medical care coupled with a fine benefits package give it top billing," the magazine wrote.

Vernette Umali-Paco, chief executive officer and general manager of the Philippine Retirement Authority, said President Fidel Ramos holds the authority "close to his heart."

And with good reason: Foreign retirees bring hard cash.

The authority has become self-supporting with almost 5,100 retirees from 50 countries joining its membership association. Its assets last year reached $3.2 million, and members invested hundreds of millions of dollars more in the country.

About half of the authority's members are from Taiwan, followed by mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, the United States, Great Britain and South Korea. Of the total, 180 are balikbayan from the United States. The average age is 56-58, and most set up businesses in the country and continue to work.

To get a special retiree-resident visa, which doesn't require re-entry permits, foreigners ages 35-49 must invest $75,000; those over age 50, $50,000; and balikbayan, $1,500, in listed banks for at least six months. The money must stay in the Philippines as long as the retiree does. All members pay an application fee of $1,500 to $2,000 for the special visa.

They also can buy up to $7,000 in tax -- and duty-free personal items and cars without the costly value-added taxes. Any retirement pay coming into the Philippines from outside is not taxed.

Umali-Paco said, however, that financial incentives are not the main reason people move to her country. "They come for the kind of life," Umali-Paco said. "They don't like cold weather. They have an affinity with Asian cultures. They can play golf and travel.

"Health facilities are not as excellent, but more important is the quality of care. Nurses show genuine concern, and 24-hour care doesn't make you sick over the cost. It's personalized."

She said retirees have to carry their own health insurance, but the authority hopes to establish a plan as well as build a retirement facility, probably by the sea.

The Japanese media has paid special attention to the Philippines as a retirement haven.

The Japanese government is worried about how it will take care of its huge and growing gray population.

[macky]

Kung sa good time lang siguradong marami diyan. But once you reach a certain point or age in life medyo iba na rin ang trip mo. One of them is, i would like to join or form a bikers(motorcycles) group that would cruise around all over the remotest provinces while making good contact with the local people and at the same time enjoy the scenery, food, and traditions of those provinces.

[macky]

3cr, Oh no, i'm not a bit discouraged at all.

[Lili]

^ Kung matanda ka na, baka matagtag ka niyan sa biyahe.

Originally Posted by amigo32

Parang si Stephen Covey? Si Anthony Robbins?

But with more of a personal touch. I am not into coming up with a money-generating self-improvement empire. I am into touching people's lives personally and have a positive and lasting impact on them.

[amigo32]

Originally Posted by macky

Kung sa good time lang siguradong marami diyan. But once you reach a certain point or age in life medyo iba na rin ang trip mo. One of them is, i would like to join or form a bikers(motorcycles) group that would cruise around all over the remotest provinces while making good contact with the local people and at the same time enjoy the scenery, food, and traditions of those provinces.

Marami na ring bikers dito. May riders club din sa company namin. Meron ding mountaineers.

[amigo32]

Originally Posted by Lili

^ Kung matanda ka na, baka matagtag ka niyan sa biyahe.



But with more of a personal touch. I am not into coming up with a money-generating self-improvement empire. I am into touching people's lives personally and have a positive and lasting impact on them.

Meron ka bang free service? Try ko muna. hehehe.

Seriously, maganda yang goal mo sa buhay. makatulong sa kapwa pinoy.

[marites4]

That's all very good news I hope pinoy expats when they return also share and invest their new knowledge, skills, and wealth where it will have the greatest multiplier effect at the same time improving the environment of their new retirement place.

[3cr]

Originally Posted by Lili

What I want to do if and when I retire in the Philippines, is to be a motivational speaker. I want to learn as much in terms of life experience and equipping yourself to attain your dreams and have a successful life and then, I want to impart that message to my fellowmen. To inspire and educate -- that is my goal.

Originally Posted by Lili

But with more of a personal touch. I am not into coming up with a money-generating self-improvement empire. I am into touching people's lives personally and have a positive and lasting impact on them.

Wow walanjo si Lili pala ay may mala"Oprah"ng aspirations! Good for you ayos yan "Ate Lili"! HiHiHi...

[AkafloresToo]

I have to agree with DoggMann. Many folks in their retirement years would like to unwind, kickback and retire from the grind of the busy life. Many will find it hard to imagine retiring back there just to start a new career of changing the world by creating jobs.

Having said that, retirees would like the sense of security on their lives and belonging. After all, we all know retirees have the money available to them in a daily/mthly basis and that alone is enough to raise awareness. If I cannot be guaranteed that, I might as well go back to where I used to live and spend majority of my time in the place where I worked. I will just be in the Philippines as a frequent tourist, staying in hotels and major cities.

[macky]

Lili, i think you're a perfect candidate for a talk show host like 3cr said. Why not? You have the beauty, charm,wits, and sense of humor. You posessed all the qualities and personalities of a great talk show host. I think we have a star waiting to be discovered here. If you want to do a sample project like that, i can help you . I think it will be fun and exciting. What do you think ha ?

[Lili]

Haha! Salamat @macky and @3cr (Boe). Pinahihinog ko pa yung sarili ko para talagang may 'K' (with a capital K) na ako.

[sugarboy]

Originally Posted by Lili

What I want to do if and when I retire in the Philippines, is to be a motivational speaker. I want to learn as much in terms of life experience and equipping yourself to attain your dreams and have a successful life and then, I want to impart that message to my fellowmen. To inspire and educate -- that is my goal.

I had an occupation before which was somewhat like this. Just won't go into detail.

[cruizer333444]

retiring in the philippines is still the best. but i will try to go home at the age of 46. i like to enjoy life with out having to worry about going to work from 9 to 5.

[cruizer333444]

philippines is the best place for filipinos with money. why stay in america if you can have a nice life style in the philippines. most filipinos in america who dont want to go back home are the janitors, housekeepers, the low income filipinos because they can't save money even working here in states. i have a white_american friend who is married to a filipina. he told me his filipina wife doesn't want to back home to the philippines anymore. i know why because she can't save money here in america to have a good life style in the philippines. she works at washington club as a cleaning lady. i knew her husband from high school. his 35 yrs old and they got 2 kids and still staying at his parents house because he only likes to work part time. but what is funny is she likes to go back home to the philippines for vacation and pretend she is super rich here in america. in her mind people in the philippines think they are super rich here in america because she got a white husband. but in reality they live in a trailer at his parents house back yard with thier 2 kids. if people in the philippines only knew how hard life in america also. most filipino balikbayans from america only like to show the good part of america. if you are a filipino with money, philippines is still the best place to live not america

[marites4]

even so when they retire they will get a montly pension right? enough to live on in the PHils albeit modestly but i think comfortable enough.

[bitoy]

Originally Posted by cruizer333444

philippines is the best place for filipinos with money. why stay in america if you can have a nice life style in the philippines. most filipinos in america who dont want to go back home are the janitors, housekeepers, the low income filipinos because they can't save money even working here in states. i have a white_american friend who is married to a filipina. he told me his filipina wife doesn't want to back home to the philippines anymore. i know why because she can't save money here in america to have a good life style in the philippines. she works at washington club as a cleaning lady. i knew her husband from high school. his 35 yrs old and they got 2 kids and still staying at his parents house because he only likes to work part time. but what is funny is she likes to go back home to the philippines for vacation and pretend she is super rich here in america. in her mind people in the philippines think they are super rich here in america because she got a white husband. but in reality they live in a trailer at his parents house back yard with thier 2 kids. if people in the philippines only knew how hard life in america also. most filipino balikbayans from america only like to show the good part of america. if you are a filipino with money, philippines is still the best place to live not america

As you said, not everyone is like that. Life is what you make it in America.
Bust your butt to work and you'll be compensated properly here in the US.
Those who complain to have a hard life in the US are those choosy ones who complained a lot. Even a minimum wage earner here can save whatever he wants, not a lot but enough. It all depends on each and everyone's lifestyle if they can afford to showoff or just live enough a frugal life to save for their future. There are more long term benefits and medical insurance assistance here in the US than in the Philippines.
Overseas retirement pose a lot of insecurities to each individual. If the Philippines extend their medical services to carry on the retiree's US Medical benefits and guarantee a peaceful settlement for everyone there, then most ex-pats will surely make a place for them out there. (It might be too much to ask the government )