Foreign Expat Retirement in the Philippines
The Philippines – a great place where it's possible to retire and live comfortably on around US$1000 a month.
If you haven't done so, please visit our Introduction to the Philippines page.
The islands are well known for being home to many expatriates from all over the world. Many lead an exciting but inexpensive, relaxing lifestyle among beautiful and friendly people, in a warm and tropical climate. Yes there are cyclones occasionally, but that doesn't stop Americans living near the Gulf of Mexico! The Republic of Philippines is a favorite retirement location for Americans and other nationalities, many of them former US military personnel.
Many thousands of foreigners are already living the 'Philippines dream'. See the Philippines Retirement Story below about the real life experience of just one ex-US military man (there are many American and other retired servicemen and personnel living comfortably in the Philippines). Check the various links below to learn more about each location including the variety of accommodation.
Popular Foreign Retirement Locations in the Philippines
There are numerous islands suitable for tropical retirement. Retirement savings, pensions and ongoing income will allow comfortable living. $500 a month would be enough in a rural province. In Visayas you will find Boracay and Cebu. On Mindanao there is Davao or Puerto Galera, Mindoro where you can live very well on $1,000 and with $1,500 you might even choose Luzon Island in either the Philippines capital Manila, Subic Bay or popular expat 'hangout' and entertainment center Angeles City.
Note that domestic help such as maids, housekeepers, cooks and drivers are part of Philippines culture and live-in staff costs from $30 a month!
Some of the attractions of retirement in the Philippines:
-
Beautiful People – guapo, guapa! - Cheap accommodation
- Beaches
- Scuba diving
- Boating, Fishing
- Off-road 4WD adventures
- Camping
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Golf
- Swinging in a hammock
- Bar hopping
- Nightclubbing
- Movie
- Restaurants
- Modern Shopping Malls
John Welch's life was fading. Like a well-worn pair of Jeans, he was losing the color of his youth. Retired at 66 years of age, he just sat around his home.
Of course, it hadn't always been like that. He'd had a good life. It just stalled.
He was 18 when he joined the US Air Force in 1952. An aircraft engine mechanic, he worked on Second World War-era P-51 Mustangs to F-15 Eagles. On the 'ground floor' of Air Force air power development, Welch moved a lot and saw the world. He loved his job, the service and the lifestyle.
When he retired as a master sergeant in 1974, he went to work for an aircraft company. After 24 years there, he retired again. But living in Apple Valley, California was just plain boring. There was no excitement. He wanted thrills back in his life again.
"I was wasting my life," he said. "Each day I tried to find something to do to keep busy." Most days that didn't happen.
Then, about six years ago, Welch received a letter from his old pal Ralph Milward, a retired Army warrant officer who lived in Angeles City, near the former US Air Force base at Clark Field in the Philippines.
(Clark Air Base is 40 miles (60 km) northwest of Manila, the Philippines capital, on Luzon Island where there is also the Clark Field Holiday Inn Resort. The ex-base is now called the Clark Special Economic Zone, and is located on the northwest side of Angeles City in the province of Pampanga.)
"I told him to get off his butt and visit me," Milward said. "What did he have to lose?"
A little hesitant at first, Welch eventually relented after visiting one of the free dating sites for Filipina to see what might be in store for him. He certainly wasn't disappointed. He also knew there were many retired GIs living happily in the Philippines, many with Filipina partners. However, military personnel may prefer a new partner from their own 'ranks', so to speak.
"Ralph told me to grab my AWOL bag and get over here," Welch said. The visit changed his life. Within days he knew he had no future in California. "So I'm still here."
He was alive again. Now when he's bored, he has his pal to keep him company. And he can hang out with other retirees at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
"This is the life I've always wanted," Welch said.
Milward first went to Angeles, as the locals call it, in 1993 for a VFW convention. He met a local woman and fell in love. He went back home, resigned from his GS-12 civil service job, returned to Angeles City and married her.
"I've never been happier," Milward said.
Both men have been dumbstruck by the hypnotic lure of the Philippines.
That's nothing new, though. The islands have attracted retirees since the first American GIs set foot there after the Spanish Civil War ended in 1899. It continued to entice them to stay – even after U.S. forces started pulling out in 1991 following the Mount Pinatubo eruption.
Today there are several thousand American retirees living in the Philippines. More than 2,000 live in Angeles, once home to Clark Air Base. Other cities include Manila, Mindoro's Puerto Galera, Davao and more. There are expatriates from dozens of other countries and backgrounds too, living in cities and communities scattered around the thousands of islands of this 'tropical paradise' (well almost!) called the Philippines.
Catch them on any given day and, like Welch, most will say they'll never leave.
(Adapted from an article by Louis A. Arana-Barradas)
Relationships and Marriage in the Philippines
Numerous Americans, Canadians, British, Australians, Europeans and others have married Filipina. Many of those couples met before the Western man or woman had even visited the Philippines. There has been a lot of bad publicity about Mail Order brides and similar matchmaking services, but it's a fact that many people meet for the first time online, and successful relationships are not uncommon.
But instead of learning from your own mistakes first, it's wise to find out how to avoid the possible pitfalls of a relationship or marriage with someone not only from another country, but from a different culture.
From personal experience, I can highly recommend the cheap but invaluable Philippines guidebooks from Perry Gamsby, an Australian who now divides his time between the two countries and married to a Filipina. Having made many mistakes himself, he wanted to help his fellow expats avoid them by first writing Philippine Dreams, an ideal first guide for foreigners interested in living in the Philippines.
These were later followed by Filipina 101 and Filipina 202, and the latest title Filipina 303 released in 2009, also available as a 'trilogy' at considerable saving together with free bonuses. They are definitive guides to meeting, understanding, setting up home or marrying a Philippine woman (Filipina), either in your home country or the Philippines itself. After purchase of any title, you get free access to a members only forum and many articles, advice, questions, answers and genuine feedback from foreigners already living or thinking about moving to the Philippines – all for just $30. You can learn more on our Filipina page.
Many guides are written to tell you HOW to do something. In the case of the Philippines, some are full of facts and figures about the country and do supply answers to many questions and are in this sense, valuable to the potential retiree or long term resident of the islands.
Retirement in the Philippines ebook
The author of "Retirement Living in the Philippines" has 30-odd years of entrepreneurial experience – in the USA as well as having lived in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, Alaska, and Fiji. He feels that the most difficult aspect of foreign retirement in the Philippines is not just getting information, but involves four things: making the decision, having a plan of action before making the move, having enough courage to overcome fear and anxiety, and having a further plan of action for at least five years after arrival in the Philippines.
Emphasis on these points set this guide apart from other books written on the subject. Learn more about “Retirement Living in the Philippines”.
Accommodation in Angeles City (Pampanga province), formerly the USAF base at Clark Field, very popular with American expats, is wide and varied. It ranges from apartments, condos and residential hotels to spacious villas with pools, in safe, secure compounds.
As a first stop you might want to stay at the Clark Field Holiday Inn. It has tons of facilities, and you are in easy reach of everything Angeles has to offer. It's an ideal 'base' from which to begin your search for your Philippines retirement home. Room rates are cheap when you book online. Airport Shuttle service too.
Apartments and condos in Manila
The range of accommodation in Manila 'Metro' is as one might expect, wide and varied, with residential hotels, apartments, condo's, houses and villas priced to suit all budgets. Vacation rentals may be a good starting point; very different from staying in a hotel, and on a per person basis, a lot cheaper. Click any listing on the right for full details.
As an example, in a popular Manila Bay high-rise like Baywatch Tower, (see right) for around $500 per month it's possible to rent a one-bedroom condo with marble floors, central air-conditioning, balcony, fitted kitchen with marble counter tops and waterfront views. It's conveniently located near the Mall of Asia, Manila Yacht Club, US Embassy, Robinson Mall, Casino Filipino, seaside restaurants, ferry boat rides etc. Condominiums usually have a swimming pool, gymnasium and sauna, restaurant and laundry for residents and many apartments overlook Manila Bay, seen below.
Owning or renting property in the Philippines
When you ready to consider getting a property in the Philippines, Perry Gamsby, a long-time Philippines resident has written this comprehensive guide book, the Philippines Property Primer. Not only where to look, but what to look out for, and more. This will be an invaluable investment itself!
Leasing out your vacation/retirement home
Many foreigners who want to spend a part of their time in the Philippines or other tropical location, purchase or lease a property there. It may be a condo, house or villa they're not using the whole year. It could also be a guest house or hotel. An important aspect of renting out property to earn extra income is managing reservations and collecting payment. Villarenters.com has a great system that brings owners and renters for properties all over the world:
Visa Options for Staying in the Philippines
The Philippines government recently lowered their requirements for retirees. Previously $50,000, now it is only $10,000 per retiree including a spouse. In addition, a retiree needs evidence of a monthly pension of $800 for a single person or $1,000 for a couple.
As long as you do not intend working or running a business in the Philippines, it's also possible to retire on a Philippines tourist visa, and many do; especially those who either do not want or qualify for a retirement visa. It costs $20 per month to stay on a tourist visa, and you can do it indefinitely provided you leave the country for at least one day, once a year. Though you are officially a tourist, you have effectively retired in the Philippines. For the annual trip there are several options, such as spending a few days making a trip to Hong Kong or Thailand. Package deals are available costing less than $300. You can also check Philippine Hotel accommodation.
For many single men, their Philippines Dream will mean a relationship or marriage. See above.
Marriage with a Filipina citizen (Philippines woman) allows you to live in retirement in the Philippines without the above limitations, other than an annual visit to an immigration office. If you want to work or run a business, then learn more here.
Philippines Retirement bulletin board
Visit our introduction to the Philippines page.