I've lived in the Philippines for ten years now. I rarely watch Philippine vlogs because I'm soooooo tired of the sugar coating "nomads", or the bitter "old men", but I actually enjoyed your video and you got both my thumbs up and subscription. Good job man.
who sugar coat ahh you mean your country you sugar coat that there no Homeless in your country and there no inflation there ???😃😃😃 is that what you mean ??
Thank you for sharing your honest opinions Tom. I am a Canadian expat married to a Filipina and have been here for exactly 3 years now. We live in the provinces just 100km south of Cebu City in the Moalboal/Badian area. We manage on 37k pesos per month (less than $1000CAD). We own our own little house and live very simple lives. Like you said, that is not for everyone. More than the food, what irritates me by far the most is trying to get anything done. I don't know if I will ever get used to that, so I have to think it's a good tradeoff for many of the things I love about here, mainly the most beautiful and loving partner.
The frustration will only get worse. I was there for most of 30 years until 2020. Will never go back to live. I did not realize how much it had damaged me psychologically until I decompressed in the USA for 2 years. I now have PTSD from living there too long. Lost an eyeball in that sh8thole country.
@@Anonymint-vj7bt I also lived in America for 2 years as a nurse. It's also a country I would never go back to, damaging me psychologically with all the racism and foul mouths of people in your country.
I'm a westerner here 7 months now, the food is quite good and healthy, yes there are some things I don't like ( shrimp paste ). it's a laid back country and depends on where you go in there Philippines its opposite to your experiences ...I definitely will live here full time on Luzon ( bataan ) , after coming from Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean General statement - lots of people come here with the wrong mindset, you come here to live a simple humble life like Filipinos do...don't come and try to change the country, its a happy place ..with happy contented people no matter what little they have...so accept the life , of find another place....that's why I will stay I want a simple life .with genuine people
WHY WOULD YOU EAT SHRIMP PASTE OR EVEN TRY THAT IS NORMALLY AN AD - ON TO SOUP AND COOKED FOOD FOR COOKING . not for typical foreigner, that for was already here for thousand years but only for STAINLESS THROATS
Thank for keeping it 100. I've lived here for a little over 4 years. I'm married to a Filipina and we live in the Metro Manila area. A lot of bloggers try to skip over the bad parts to get more views, but I can tell your portrayal is honest. Keep up the good work!
Metro Manila? Closest mountains to visit for cooler temperatures? Tagaytay is 3 hours from Muntinlupa, but I heard that maybe Antipolo has some closer highlands... Also, any advice for getting out on the water of Laguna De Bay? I'll be in Muntinlupa for 6 weeks, Soon...
@@seaweedhero1707 Yeah Antipolo is much closer to us than Tagaytay and the resorts have pools and are quite fun. There are some boats that leave some of the fishing ports that can take you to Talim island and they have a nice resort there, although I don't remember where we docked, because that was back during the pandemic the last time we went to Talim.
@@duals-growthofculture2085 Thanks! So, Antipolo has some cooler mountain areas? Someone said cool caves...? Also interested in natural springs, and hot springs, lakes, rivers, waterfalls...
@@seaweedhero1707 Yea, Antipolo has a beautiful mountain area. Although I like it for the resorts. even better mountain area are Buscalan and Baguio. If you want caves and waterfalls, you may want to check out other islands though. Palawan has some really nice caves and Cebu has one of the best waterfalls.
My wife and I have lived here for a year, coming from the US. I agree with most of what you said about the pros and cons. We live on Luzon in the province in a residential farm area. The closest small municipality is about a 40 minute drive on our e-trike. Some things are very frustrating, and other things are fantastic just like everywhere else in the world.
I like your honest opinions. I was born in the Philippines and still speak Tagalog!! I’m now a U.S. citizen.. Your opinions matter the most so Pilipino can improve themselves!!!!
Filipino need to rid themselves of Pinoy Pride and Crab Mentality. Then the people and country will become great. Get rid of jealousy and support each other.
Good video Tom and I pretty much agree with everything you said. I've been traveling back and forth from the U.S. to the Philippines since 2015, I retired in 2018 and lived there for 20 months with my girlfriend in the home I bought for us in the province of Bulacan. I returned to the U.S. a year ago and I can't wait to come back in January. My favorite line is this video was "the Philippines will test your patience" omg so fricken true...I think two reasons for that is just the sheer volume of people there and secondary the infrastructure and lagging technology but I accept it as a trade off because I love it there. Thank you and keep up the good work!
He's right about food in the PI. It's at the bottom of Asian cuisine. I lived and worked in Asia for most of my life in Taiwan, Philippines (3 years in Manila), Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, Japan. It is bland and tends to be served lukewarm. Thank God for good Korean, Chinese and Japanese restaurants.
I work in US health care . Lots of Filipino nurses over the years. Their food is only better than Chinese. Bleak! Japanese and Thai all day long 🎉 But probably comes down to being foodie or lover? I like what you say about Thailand living but I’d have to be cool with celibacy. Which maybe I am? Thanks for the feedback on your experiences. That SRRV smile visa is just so dang tempting They make it easy as a retirement destination.
His the wrong person to ask about Filipino food. The guy eats home foods in the barrios high sugar, fats and prepared by non cooks. He needs to go out and experience the true Filipino cuisine at the highest level in Manila area and then he'll be singing a different tune. Ive been to a few and I was impressed Filipino dishes are like home food at its best. Just like a good pot roast or a plate of grandma's spaghetti if done right.
Thank you for your honesty. I hope filipino people will not take your honesty as a negative. I have been to the Philippines many times and have spent 3 weeks each time. I find what you said to be 100 percent accurate.., Have a blessed day
Of course, that is very true. However, Tom may sound dumb and stupid that he still remains in the Philippines despite the negatives still outweigh the positives while living in the Philippines. He can easily leave the Philippines as he has no obligation to his girlfriend as they're not married yet. I don't think MJ is the reason for his continued stay in the Philippines because if it is, then he's like torturing himself to death. Untimely death is upon him from all those stressors that hound him everyday. The Philippines is really not for those who are lazy and materialistic. Because lazy people are incessant whiners and complainers. Visitors should leave as soon as they feel the heat because it would be ungracious or ungrateful of you if you keep complaining and whining about your host while at the same time still getting his hospitality.
I am living on the Phils for over 20 years with a lot of joy. If you ask me about the negative feelings for me its the arrogancy , the money talking , no interest on the environment its like a garbage place , traffic & driving , municipalities steeling the money from the poor with all their so called taxes, there is almost no digitalisation so everything goes by many documents which can be very frustrating and the corruption. But it still a great place to live.
I agree with corruption and traffic the most. These are the worst things that kept impeding the Philippines progress. After actors retire they get to politics to get more money from corruption. Lol. Funny thing is that most Filipinos vote for them. Pathetic. I'm a 100% Pinoy by the way but I don't vote for this crocodiles in the government.
I'm a filipino and I totally agree. Thank you for setting realistic expectations for future potential visitors. It really pains me to see how other content creators just raise the bar SO HIGH (not showing the negatives) then end up disappointing tourists. Thank you for your honesty , I really appreciate it.
Great vid, Tom. You're right on target here. Just to add... NOISE is a HUGE problem for a lot of westerners. Dogs, dogs and more dogs and 3AM karaoke bass thumping EVERYDAY gets old real quick. Choose your locale carefully! Aside from that I found it very much like you, not as 'inexpensive' as people think. Food can a much bigger expense if you want quality... and housing is the same. I currently spend near $1500 USD a month in Manila for a small condo. Manila vs Cebu City: Manila is a scamming rathole in my experience. Better food choices but traffic is miserable. WAY better vibes in Cebu City by far. People are so much warmer there. Been in PH for 8 months now. Headed to Thailand next.
Are you in Makati or somewhere similar? I was wondering if living in a condo in those type areas would be relatively quiet. I would appreciate your input. thx
@@puppyupper4565 Nah. Don't be too fast. Read lots of stories from dozens if not hundreds of expat sad stories about living in the Philippines. Philippines is not the place Westerns want to retire or live for long term. You see, negatives far outweigh than positives. Based on Tom's experience, the negative is 90% as opposed to 10% positive. I wonder if Tom will last another month or less. Based on his personal experience he's not happy living in the Philippines. Yes, I think there's a high 98 to 100% of expats currently in the Philippines are not happy and considering leaving anytime soon. Don't be a fool of yourself. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and most countries in the Latin America are 1 million times better than the Philippines. Ask Tom and he'd certainly don't bat an eye before he can even nod his head to agree.
@@lionhearted1969 I have been to several Asian countries and two Latin American countries. I think I would love Vietnam but not so keen on the communists. I absolutely love the food in Thailand. But the world is really turning to shit economically. I can see another Pol Pot rising out of the mire. That won't happen in the Philippines. I am unique. I have lived off grid over half of my life in Oregon and California and for months at a time in the Philippines. I did have electricity from solar that never had brownouts. I love Filipinos. I do think Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese girls are the prettiest on the planet. But a pretty Filipina is pretty enough for me. I am not a fan of gov at all and the gov of the Philippines is probably the worst is SE Asia. But for the most part, they leave the remote places in the provinces alone. I plan to lease seafront acreage in the Visayas. I am well to do now. And plan to operate several businesses including raising beef cattle from Brazil. They developed an Angus/Brahma breed that is very tasty yet able to survive the tropics. I do agree that the Philippines is not the best destination for most westerners. Yet, I truly love being there.
@@puppyupper4565 Then be prepared to cut your life expectancy by a few years. You'll be stressed everyday here your BP will soar high to new heights. Be warned. Latin America is more welcoming to Western expats. An exodus of foreign expats from the Philippines is reported everyday. Why come when others who have tried living here are leaving with bitter taste in their tongue?
I’m a Filipino but like Thai food and French …I like variety and more choices …But I think food is not a really a big problem cause lots of fresh vegetables fruits available you can cook yourself or hire a cook for a cheaper price ✌🏻🇫🇷
Tapos yyng pinagyayabang pinoy na masarap daw pagkain natin.sus.anlayo sa lasa ng thai, viet, korea chinese japanese, at indo pagkain natin na maalat... Nakadepende kasi sa kanin panlasa ng pinoy......
@@allanllorca5604 pano naman kasi, kapag may foreigner na gusto ng pinoy food eh ang unang ipapakain ng mga papansin eh dinuguan, balut, isaw, papaitan, lahat ng kadiri at nakakasukang pagkain. Sinong matutuwa doon diba? lol
Yeah , like the thai insect street food, more varities 😆. It is now time to open your Filipino traditional recipe book to learn how to cook the lots of varities.
Salamat for liking French food ! I have plan for living my retirement in your wonderful country,in Negros especially where I have Philippinos friends . I hope I can go end of 20224 .Greetings from France.
Very wise advise Tom!👏. If I may add also, the Philippines is not the place for you if you have existing mental health issues, substance dependency especially. It might worked out for some, really depends on your particular situation. But I think the key to living successfully in the Philippines is resilience and lots of patience++++!
Like in most countries the quality of one's lifestyle is dictated by their budgets. I stay in Metro Manila and the quality of Italian, Chinese, Japanese and S Korean food is very good. There are also high quality Filipino restaurants in Metro Manila where the food is prepared with a more delicate touch. If you have a low budget then your food selection is very limited. The food quality is there, it's just your budget that's limiting you.
I was going to say the same.. I was so confused, I never had a problem or complained about the varieties or qualities of food the Philippines had to offer. If I had to compare my city in the US food selection vs Manila's selection, I say Manila wins it hands down! Not even close!
@@LuvMyLilBabe I think he was talking about money. If you can afford, you can have everything you want. If your money is limited, then of course you cannot do what you want. In short it’s money if you can afford, period.
Exactly that's what I was about to say. The problem is budget not the selection. I've read in one of the vlogs about a guy complaining about not eating steak fort a long time. Buy a cow and hire a butcher then. it can't be that expensive compare to the States.
@@raycuizon8226 had the best Kobe beef at a Japanese restaurant in Cebu, best beef I ever had in my life and only cost me under $20 lol. Compare to $299 a lbs in Canada last time I check! 😂
Although I enjoy eating filipino food I can honestly say I couldn't eat it every day and I definitely wouldn't want to eat fried food daily. This is a major reason I been looking at Vietnam Thailand and other Asian countries (food) as main reason. The biggest draw towards the Philippines would be the people and having English as a second language makes it easier than both Thailand and Vietnam where it's not easy communicating.
Exactly. Mi brother lived in columbia and now in filipins.His wife is from there. I woud rather adapt to any country,like foraigner have to in usa. And first of all,learn spanish,all of them.
agreed, I live in South Korea very important to 'adapt'. How you survive after the honeymoon period will show you everything you need to know about living in another country.
I've been living and working abroad in various countries since 2009 and it's pretty obvious that there is no perfect coutnry, especially no the US where I'm from, so you just have to choose which problems and inconveniences you're willing to deal with. All things consider the Philippines is a pretty awesome country.
Then you'll live in misery and sorrowful life here in the Philippines. Remember, Filipinos have some of the lowest life expectancy in the world due to many negative vibes that Tom has already pointed out. Better reconsider your plan and you still have enough time to cancel your plan. Or you will regret the rest of your life. Life's too short to be wasted.
I agree with what you say its a great country to visit as a tourist nice beaches etc. I have visited many times over 10 years but I personally wouldn't want to live in the Philippines full time. The country still has a lot of issues safety, being over charged as a foreigner I can see how it would work for a older guy with a pension coming in not having to find work and not having to be anywhere in a hurry. Thanks for sharing.
Same with me I can't live there, been there about 20 times, fun times, but the food, the poverty and just not much to do would keep me from living there, I can take it like at one month at a time, I couldn't live there full time.
@@mikejones5364 your correct the food is very basic i don't mind it for a month but I couldn't eat it all the time its difficult to find good restaurants. Its a really good country to visit for a month at a time but I couldn't live there permanently. Also I have found that living like a westerner cost more in the Philippines 🇵🇭 than my own country. And the boredom is another thing we have to deal with. The Philippines 🇵🇭 has a lot going for it amazing beaches ⛱️ etc but there's a lot of work that needs doing in order to make the country tourist and expatt friendly.
I think the main reason that Filipinos are considered the friendliest in SE Asia is simply because they speak English. It’s very hard to be friendly and welcoming to a foreigner if you can’t speak their language. I spent most of my time in SE Asia in Indonesia. They were very friendly with me…..especially if they spoke any English. My Indonesian is basic “street talk” at best. I do plan on finally going to the Philippines when I start traveling again, but as of now Indonesia will be home base again. Aku akan kembali Indonesia. 🇮🇩
We Filipinos are friendly because as deep rooted Catholics we believe in treating other people as our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. While we are far from perfect, it is our deep faith that mainly drives how we treat other people.
Hey nobody is perfect believe me. Americans are far from perfect. To be honest…. The country is so divided now. Everyone is fighting. I’m a racist simply for being white. I’ve had enough. I liked it so much better in Indonesia. I think I’d feel the same in the Philippines.
This was an honest video , and what I needed to hear . Was debating between Thailand or Philippines . For those that read this comment, I hope your day tomorrow is amazing 🤍
For sure there are challenges in living in Philippines. I am currently in mindanao in province and have gf for 10 years. The relationship is the easy part. I'm having hard time adjusting to the food hot weather and jeepneys to name a couple. I've decided to stick it out for the relationship. It is obviously expense wise reasonable. We can get by on about 2,000 usd per month. Baring any emergencies that still leaves me about 600 per month to save. I have just had to accept there will be challenges. These micro ants 🐜 are hard to get used to and they hurt when they bite. Middle of the day best to stay inside. Through it all I am happy and look forward to what comes next.
I live in Florida so lizards fire ants microwave even the little tiny bugs called no-seums I can deal with I hate mosquitoes but they usually stay I have lots of plants around my house that will deter mosquitoes you can do the same there as well I'm assuming. I'm basically looking to move there just to have a nice simple life I'm tired of the rat race
If hot weather is the problem, there are 10 places in the Philippines that have a cool weather. Baguio is number one and it is cool weather all year round, then if you like to go the beach go to La Union beach which one hour and half away. Your $2,000.00 budget should be okay there. But then, if your wife is from where you guys live now, she may not want to move to Baguio.
Then I'm very certain that your life expectancy here would shrink living in the Philippines. Life's too short so live it to the fullest. Pack up your things now while it's not too late and live happily elsewhere or go back to the comfortable life you left in your home country. Your anxiety level here in the Philippines will skyrocket everyday that you won't be able to control until it's too late. I suggest you leave the Philippines and take Tom's words. Live your life happy and die happy. You don't want mourners to see your remains with sad face.🙂
My husband and I bought a house in FL as a second home for when it gets cold in Alaska where we’re living in retirement (I’m watching snow flurries coming down right now, October 10! Already?! Eeeek!) We turned around and sold it before we could completely move in. Didn’t like their oppressively hot summers, crocodiles, insects like love bugs that come in so thick they can ruin your car…and tornadoes…just to name a few.
You're very honest Tom and I can't disagree with much of what you say. My lovely wife of 30+ years was a Filipina and although she always enjoyed going back she much preferred her life in the UK. Also she became a wonderful cook in the UK and would cook food from all around the world but apart from a few favourite dishes she didn't cook much filipino food. For me the best food there is the fish and seafood, there is wonderful fruit too. I'm planning on spending some more time there in future but not sure I could live there full time.
Thanks for this, Tom. Nice getting to know you better. It also gave me the opportunity to know differing perspectives from everybody here, be they positive or negative about my beloved homeland. I was born and raised there but left the country when I was but a sophomore in college and never returned, as I got married shortly after I graduated from college in the US, built a life here and only now go home on occasion. I am planning to go back this winter to see my Mama’s humble beach home in the province that I had renovated/rebuilt. Can’t wait to see it, have it blessed and reunite with my siblings and their families. Of 12 siblings, there are six of us left. Yes, big Catholic family. There is nothing like family, home and birthplace 😊🌺🌴🇵🇭
Believe me no matter where you live there's challenges and discomforts, you just have to adjust and accept what makes you comfortable. I can live just about anywhere and make it a comfortable life been there and done it. I am now retired at 62 for 12yrs now, and thinking of visiting my birth country Laguna Philippines. Watching your video has given a thought to visit. Love watching the video how you interact with the people very accepting and caring not many will not step on those dirty alley ways. You are one of a kind good person. Thank you.👍😎♥️💕♥️🇺🇲🇵🇭😊
The slow-pace transactions of everything, "doesn't seem to bother" the locals--not true, we're the ones that are bothered first but we're hand-tied. We suck it--the only choice. Personally I would lose it if I keep thinking why leaders, politicians "who can change the primitive system" don't change things THAT CAN BE CHANGED, IF THEY LIKE. No wonder the Philippines is not really a favorite expat destination.
@@dormamo6917 Malaki lang ang palit ng dollar sa piso. May kotse ka. May bahay. May trabaho. Maraming comforts pero Walang discomfort? Sa utang mo pa lang discomfort na eh. Sa America din ako nakatira at lahat ng tao ay may utang. Di ka tatanggapin sa mga ibang trabaho kasi di ka marunong ng Ingles ng gaya nila at di ka puti. At marami pang ibang discomfort. Pero, oo, malayo ang Pilipinas kapag kabuhayan ang pag uusapan.
Good for you Ate, retired at 50. You think you can adjust to the humidity and extremely slow paced? The roosters and karaokes? I tried it twice & I couldn’t. It’s challenging for me as an older person. I will give it another chance in December especially that spouse loves it (in Cebu province). Thank you Landers and S&R for establishing your stores in Cebu (also).
Hi Tom, nice honest video. Well said! I’ve been traveling to Philippines from U S once a year except during the pandemic. I vacation there, So many beautiful islands the ocean (water) makes me happy relaxing, swimming and other sightseeing. The people are so nice & friendly. I will be traveling, vacationing there after Christmas. May God Bless & protect you throughout your life. From Chicago USA
Greetings from United States I have a wife in Philippines I plan to retire in the Philippines I’ve been to the Philippines a couple of times very good advice from you very good but as far as the food goes if you know how to cook what you like it is not so bad I showed my wife and daughter pancakes grilled cheese sandwiches ham and cheese sandwich tunafish salad and they could not believe simple things in life good video Tom I wish the best for you and Mel Jean❤
yea dude. the daily annoyances of everything taking forever eats away at you over the years. I dealt with it for about 12 years before I finally threw in the towel and left. In a lot of ways it's gotten worse, not better, over the past decade. but what really sealed the deal for me leaving was noise pollution, lack of animal control, and daily frustrations of the simplest tasks. i eventually felt like I had wasted years of my life and gotten little accomplished due to all the hours lost. In Thailand I can get my haircut, visit the dentist, visit the doctor, go grocery shopping, visit the Pharmacy, and eat lunch all by 3pm. In Philippines those tasks would eat up 1-2 weeks of time minimum. Filipino's are slow AF, it's embedded into the culture. EVERYTHING is so inefficient and done in a way that I can't even make sense of. Another thing I will say is that I've flown on Cebu Pacific about 25 times, and I don't think I've ever had a flight that wasn't cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled. It's like the entire country is run by adolescent teens or something.
EVERY THING YOU SAID IS SO RIGHT. A LOT OF CLIPS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. MISS LEAD PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE TO PHILIPPINES. HONESTY HURT LESS THAN BEING FAKE. YOU ARE FOR REAL. THANK YOU
As you know just like any other country, the Philippines has it’s struggles. I am a filipino. I can’t eat balut and other fishy food that smells. I miss a lot of original food but they can be found here in US too. I cant go home for good in the Philippines because all my family is here. There is no standard of care in the Philippines. Hospitals outside big cities are not up to par which is a “no, no” for me. I love my country and I am hoping one day it will meet standards for all human expectations. In the meantime it is only trying to survive but progress is eminent with a lot of foreign investors. Good luck to your life in the Philippines. I hope someday you will learn to accept it as other expat do. I totally get you. The comment here is not from this person but his wife who just have to express herself. I am in CA and very proud to be an American citizen with all it’s problems of homelessness, high gas prices, political and religious challenges.. but we need to unite and be there for each other. I stand with the citizen of this country. God Bless America and the World!! Good luck. Find your happiness and contentment in life. We all have a lot to learn from each other.
You must have it good over there in the westcoast. Here in the east coast. Either you are too rich or too poor to get healthcare. Working people like myself get sh*t.
What? A Filipino that doesn't like smelly food? Impossible :) my wife is filipina (from cebu) and just recently after many years tried balot. I tried but I can't get over the beak :) anyway I have been visiting Philippines for about 20 yrs have house and other properties in Cebu. I agree with some of the cons but disagree with the foodie comment. To each his own I guess but I've heard so much about how great Japanese food is. Been living in Japan for 7+ years and to me the food has no taste. Not a fan. But there are some Filipino dishes, if prepared with quality ingredients, rival anything I've eaten around the world. I love kinilaw but if the fish usually tanigue, is not fresh, then the dish is trash. Bicol Express is another favorite. Do I need to even mention Lechon Baboy or Manok with sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, onions and chilis? Chicken dishes like chicken adobo are great but for me it's only with chopped up breasts. So for me, that dish would be less appealing with thighs, legs, and wings...but cheaper to make and make a profit from. How about bringing? Now that's some good eating. However I will say that I am partial to Cajun style blackened blackened yellow fin tuna steak cooked in olive oil. Good thing my wife trained as a chef and picked up on that one quick. Her cooking is hands down, the best and she is not reading this. Urging her to open a restaurant here and serve some spicy Cajun style blackened fish but she not wanting the headache of running a restaurant. Anyway I've been all around the world and had lots of food including real Chinese, Singaporean, Hong Kong, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, German, etc, etc. All comes down to quality ingredients and the skill of the cook. Now I did read and agree with comments about fatty meat being put in the dishes but starting to see a few restaurants conscious of this over 20+ years coming to the Philippines. But gotta say I love some of the food here and overall hands down better than Japanese food, better than some Thai dishes but like comparing apples and oranges. Some people like apples more than oranges. So yeah, I disagree. And lastly, Jollibee trump's McDon any day :)
If you are old you shouldn't expect some first world healthcare in exchange for young girls. Come to Philippines if you are just a regular old aging dude with no prior issues
Thanks, Tom, for the information. I can see the value of what you speak. I am, as you have said, an oldie but I have traveled Europe twice. First as a gap year tourist traveling at night by train. I save a large amount of going from city to city at night. I flew from NYC to Bergen on a student fair ticket then all by train until it was time to return to the states. I also sailed with the Navy to several coastal cities in Europe, middle east, Aisia, North Africa and West Africa. These were short stay of course but I got to sample far more over the years. So.... traveling at night, eating local street food often and know enough to spot a good deal is some of my advice.
Just joined your channel. Thanks for the brutal honesty and no political correctness or BS. I did 20 years in the US Navy but never made it to The Philippines. I live in The Bronx now and will retire in maybe 5 years and would like to bounce around a bit so your channel is absolutely invaluable to me. Thanks. ☘️
Dude I like the brutal honesty, that’s what keeps me tuning in. You nailed it talking about the food…the one thing that concerns me every time I return is location and what’s going down the hatch,it’s true most locals don’t get it , us westerners can’t get by on gizzards,hearts etc…can’t complain to much about the red horse or Tanduay
Thanks Tom, I'm married to a Filipina for 20 years. I born in the US and have lived in Thailand and the PH. What you have said is 100% spot on. The down side for me is the slow way it takes to get just a simple task done also the food. Also as a foreigner the locals call you Joe and walking ATM. I still prefer it in the PH over the state's. Thanks for telling it like it is
Then your life expectancy here will surely shorten. Remember that a stressful and unhappy life will take away some years off your life expectancy. If you surround yourself with all sorts of things you abhor, your immune system will plunge down to its lowest level. So I advise you to plan your exit from the Philippines this early.
@@lionhearted1969 yeah, I must agree... hahaha I am a filipino but I really can attest to all the negative sides in living here in my country. There's a lot of corruption from the barangay level up to the national level. That is the reason why the socio-economic condition of the majority of the filipinos is so horrible. The poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer. The government agency services are so frustrating like the issuance of our National Identification Card. I can really say OMG! WTF?hahaha imagine, it was already over a year but there were only few that had been released from the PSA hahaha...what a fuckin service they do they have all this time, it can really suck your patience hahaha.
Don't get me wrong. Foreigners expect with their meager pension or income can give them a kingly lifestyle when it's not. A lot of them are at the crossroads to leave it not to leave from their own home country. There's just so many downtrodden in the states. Time has changed.
@@wayneromero4090 I agree. Unfortunately enough, the Philippines becomes the magnet of these scumbags because of the Philippines' visa-free policy to most travelers from the developed countries. Yes, the country attracts the wrong retirees, majority of them are poorly-educated, ignorant and contemptible.
Have to agree about the food. Unless you want to live on street food it is expensive or on a similar level cost wise to the UK. As my Girlfriend says about the "bureaucracy". Philippines is Philippines.
Thank you for being honest, Tom. I remember watching you and MJ in Bangkok and in Saigon, and I thought you seemed a lot happier there. Had it not been for MJ, I think you would’ve stayed there. Am I wrong? I live in California, so I’ve tried Filipino restaurants in Carson, Temecula & San Diego. I didn’t like the food very much. I agree with you that Filipinos are very friendly people, probably the friendliest people anywhere. In fact, I will visit there next year on my way to Japan.
I too live in Southern California in the Orange County area and there are a lot of Filipino restaurants. Being born in Manila and moved to the US as a child that’s my comfort food. I will always chose my food over other ethnic food. American food is ok took me a long time to adjust to it coming here as a child. My immediate family always enjoys going to Filipino restaurants it reminds us of home. If and when I retire in the Philippines it will be in Makati since I have lots of relatives that live in the area. Southern California has the best weather very little humidity. Rarely rains always nice and sunny outside but very expensive but I’m used to this living conditions. Patience will be difficult to adopt since it’s always fast pace here in the US but in time we adapt to our environment. I can eat Filipino food everyday makes me happy.
@@robocop581 Subscribers mean little, it's the number of views that determines how much TH-cam pays. All in all, only 10-20% of subscribers are "faithful", most are casual drop-in viewers.
Appreciate the honest comments. I got stuck in Davao city with my suitcase summer 2022 - island hopping there was more expensive than international flights. I'll never bring a checkin to a PI airport again.
I have lived here now for 7 months and my biggest complaint as you said is how long it takes to do anything. The next biggest thing is nothing is done via computer like in the west. Even trying to set up the online banking with a bank here is near impossible. I have to say that is really my only complaint up until now.
It will wear you down and drive you insane if stay there too long. You have been warned from a foreigner who was wrecked by staying there too long (30 years).
❤️Great content Tom. Real talk, that is very informative. I'm a Filipina living here in Europe for 15 years. I notice the big difference in the system. This content will give a good idea for foreigners on how to do or process things in the Philippines. I hope you can make a content when you will process documents there like visas. My husband is from Ecuador, Spanish citizen. And we want to see at this moment how things are going there when it comes to processing documents. Looking forward for these kind of videos in your vlog. More power and God bless you more and Meljean. 👏👍😉
Great video but I think you can make 5-6 more videos about the pros and cons of the Philippines hehe. I lived 10 years in Cebu City/Bantayan Island and enjoyed myself. I think older people get a little scared when reality hits them and when they find out it's a long way to a hospital even when you live in Cebu City. It doesn't get better when they realize that the hospitals are commercially run at the same time that they have prioritized not having good insurance because they haven't had the finances to do so. I struggle to trust commercial hospitals from my own experience.
Hi Tom a very good video when it comes to food I to love my food and I agree Philippine cuisine is basic but you have to take into consideration the cooking facilities I'm for a lot of Filipinos it is a wok with some steaks on fire underneath if you have the basics skills to cook and with the help of social media you can surprise yourself what you can achieve when you still cooking and you can have all the foods you like that you would normally eat in the West you can buy all the ingredients in the Philippines but you need a good oven whether it be gas or electric and you can prepare some fantastic meals low price and also enjoy a good English Sunday roast not a problem you just need a oven
I agree.. we filipinos are immune already, we accepted all those lining up, slowness and etc hahah! that's why foreigners should really think thousand times before moving to Phils. For travelling and having fun, Phils. is the best coz lots of islands to visit. If you want to settle in Asia, travel in different countries around then contemplate which one is good for you.
@@anxiousdog you're right, i used a wrong word.. Phils. will keep on improving and developing, maybe slowly coz we still have lots of things to do specially with technologies, we are behind of other Asian countries. With laziness and sluggishness, it's up to the person already.
@@shakoy2215 no it will never change. Crab bucket mentality will not allow it to change. And you know exactly what I mean even though most foreigners do not.
i like the honesty ..but life for me is simple..if you dont like where you are, why not leave and dont comeback..enjoy your life in a place where your lifestyle fits
Or - and here's a cray idea 🙄- voice some of the things that you think aren't so good so that they can be improved. Seriously, I can't believe how thin skinned so many Filipinos seem to be here in the comments section. You're acting like he trashed the country when he did no such thing, just talked about pros and cons. I've seen plenty of foreign TH-camrs highlight some of the issues with my country. 10 ten reasons NOT to visit London! That type of thing. I'm totally fine with it. I usually agree actually 🤣 Seriously some people here need to grow up. Screaming "get out and never come back foreigner!" Is a bit over the top 🙄
Thank you for the insight. 2 years is a long time. I cant imagine the amount of friends and memories you have created. Wishing you all the best and a happy Sunday!
Yes, thank you for your honest opinion of the Philippines. And i agree with you when you said, choosing where to live depends on your priorities and what kind of life you would like to.
Watching from Dublin City .I have been to the Philippines once for 3 weeks and traveled around seeing the main points of interest in approx 2008 .The people are friendly for sure .I once worked in a big Hotel in London with lots of Philippine employees and they were nice there also so i knew what to expect. Overall i prefer Thailand though and i lived there for 15 years .
You are so right Tom, there are many great things about PH but it is getting very expensive compared to other Asian countries. In a week we are leaving NZ and coming back to Cebu to start a new adventure. Not sure where in the Visayas we will settle but will give it time and find what suits us better. Food wise you are correct, if you want all those western options then be prepared to pay the price. Might see you there somewhere, love to catch up for a brew or 6.
I've been that minimum of six months over there, and you're spot on on everything you've said. I'm trying to get back myself to the financial position to return and I really want to, but I also know what I'll be leaving behind, and it's no small stuff.
@@Anonymint-vj7bt Er... THIRTY years is hardly a "thing", man. What you've done (or don't) in that time is what matters for you thinking that way. We carry our burdens and the way we see life and others, wherever we go. Take Tom, for example. I'm sure that even if we went to Somalia he'd still have a great time with the locals, instead of being kidnapped. 😀
@@Abelius enjoy your gulags 🐑person. Meanwhile search about Bicutan Detention Center to put some salve on your blind eyes. To insinuate that I did not have vastly more experience interacting joyfully with the locals in my youthful 30 years in the Philippines is mighty presumptuous of you. Maybe you are the one who needs to check your attitude at the door before entering this discussion. Something to think about.
I was there for two weeks. You are right about the food. Other than adobo I can't think of much in terms of food. Rice is over consumed. They can eat rice 3 times a day. Other than food very friendly and welcoming people and beautiful scenery.
Thank you. I stay in the province of cebu and one more thing to be patiënt with is the periodic cut of water supply in the morning hours.. you keep your bucket to flush your toilet and wash your hands. Food is a problem especially if you're not into seafood. The meat is salty and lack spices. Bread is sweet and soft. I will start my vegetable garden with some more choice than onions peppers, zucchini and aubergine. Life is cheap when you can avoid supermarkets as much as you can. I love the people. I just get used to the roosters in the morning and karaoke at night.
Then chances are your life would be stressful and anytime soon, your health will deteriorate due to stressors surrounding and hounding you every single day. You better pack up your things and leave for other countries which are way way way way cheaper and better where almost everything is to your liking.
Hey Tom, just like all your videos, I also enjoyed this one. Very much from the heart. I have a Filipina wife and one day may end up retiring there. I am from the US so things are certainly different in every way you can imagine. I personally think your videos are very informative and educational. I wish you the best always, take care. I would love to grab a drink with you someday, God Willing. I love how you do not pull any punches and tell things like they are, No Bull and we the viewers appreciate that for real.
If you like Vietnam why came to the Philippines? You should have stayed in Vietnam. If you have a big budget go to Manila and you will taste excellent food and luxurious places to enjoy. It depends on your budget.
Ty for being honest. You hit the nail in the head. I prolly have more to say as i grew up there. I've visited a lot of countries and i have to be honest, PI is still home and theres no place like home but it's prolly still light years away from most countries when it comes to infrastructures, systems, processes and anything else in between. However, it's these disadvantages that makes PI and Filipinos unique, different, resilient and strong.
@@mmirafuentess1990 one can never say “ all” But I’m struck by the way Filipinos accept rude , overbearing treatment from anyone in authority. As an Australian I feel like saying “ Go f### your mother “ to some of these people. Watch how they stand waiting for ferries that don’t respect timetables. Rude , dismissive staff talking thru a tiny hole in security screen Tourist bureau staff who look at you blankly when I say “ Good morning “ In this instance I pointed out to her that her response would get her fired in any place else.
@@alfredopampanga9356 I was immediately thinking of and in relationships only. Indeed, there many rude and disrespectful people everywhere we go in the universe & yes $SOME$ management or higher positioned people in PI treat their employees horribly. And, I myself have experiences rude, dismissive or less acceptable Filipino behaviors (@ the airport, McDonald’s and JB’s (don’t go there), whilst the tourists received preferential treatment (mostly light skinned). Happened each time when I’m behind a tourist or a foreigner. (I looked scraggly after a 17 hour flight, yet, I bothered to say, how’s your morning or day or evening.) Yes, the “reply would get him/her fired any place else”. Smh, as the moment this happens, he/she chooses not to be tipped. And, I may (just) write an email to corporate, I have her/him give me their name and badge number. We should all be considerate, less robotic, (let go of your) smiles, say hello. Leave your worries $nd problems at home because the moment you bring them with you at work, (game over). It affects your productivity. You’re here to do your job and get paid. Lastly, speak up if you’re mistreated behind closed doors. Amen.
@@mmirafuentess1990 It’s too easy to say there are rude disrespectful people everywhere. I can assure you that the relationship between authority and people is different in Philippines. Case in point. Ferdinand Marcos steals 9 billion dollars. What happens? No prosecution. And the Filipinos elect his son as president. This would never happen in another country
I’ll be coming to Cebu in a few weeks for 2 months. I am 42 so I am calling this my mid life reset trip lol. Id like to get together and have a meal or some coffee if you would like to do that. Maybe you can show me what to do there, I’ve never been before!
Nice video Tom.. . Your always honest and straightforward... we all see the good that is posted on TH-cam but it's the raw footage and insights given by people like you and your actual thoughts and opinions on what you experience daily that is so useful and enjoyable to watch. 👍
@Phil Gee...True. Don't believe in those vloggers who always use clickbait on how nice or good Philippines is because they only want to grow their channel. The Philippines shouldn't be in the map for expats to live. Take the words from Tom, he's the living witness to how bad the Philippines as a country to live. I think he's already plotting his exit plans now. I think Vietnam and Thailand are the countries he'd likely move to very very soon. I'm sure Tom isn't dumb and stupid to stay in the Philippines where he only finds two positive things (friendliness and English-conversant Filipinos). Tom is very smart person and smart person knows how to live their life. Dumb persons allow themselves to be swallowed in miseries. The Philippines has only two positive things: friendliness and English speaking ability (but not quite fluently). Everything else is not up to the standard of any country. The Philippines is, indeed, for Filipinos only. Because only Filipinos can swallow their own food and have the nerve to do things like in slow motion movie.
I lived in Manila when i was a child, my father was army. The only con I can remember is no running water for 2 years and the open trash pits. Otherwise, it was a wonderful experience, you adapt. But then again I was about 9 yrs old, half day school, swimming everyday. To this day, I am now in my 60's, I hate wasting water, it makes me mad.
I'm Filipino but I'm not offended by what your opinion is, becoz it's true, even, we Filipinos are sometimes frustrated by the negativity you mentioned but nonetheless I'm proud and love our country and the new government is trying their best to fix most that can be fixed.
Really? The new government is trying to fix most🤣🤣🤣🤣you're funny it's more than 100 days since bbm became Pres of the Phil's.. he has done nothing.. nada, as in zero.. oh wait there is, he went back to Singapore to watched the F1😬
@@florasegovia4914 wala akong mgagawa kung jan ka masaya sa being nega at pagbubulag bulagan. Halatang toxic ka na crab mentality ,dilawan anti Marcos. 😝
I'm with you and your honesty is refreshing. I have been married to A pinay for 20 years now, and she means the world to me. However, we live in the USA, and she and I pretty much like it that way. I've been all around Philippines, and as you mentioned, the people are beautifully friendly. Living there though is just not my thing.. I admire you, and keep up your informative videos!!! Love ya, Keith (In Florida USA)
You can't win either way. I lived in the Philippines for a year in 2006. I had a nice apartment in the financial district of Makati. But the USA is going down quickly. Come on Bruh, our country is going to hell in a handbasket unfortunately. I am in Florida as well, and this place has become so over-developed and crazy. The "Florida Man" thing is real. :-) I will retire to the Philippines in another year. it's a matter of "pick your own poison." The Nordic countries are great to live, but being from Florida I don't do cold winters so cold weather climates are out for me.
Having lived in bohol, Cebu Laguna and manila, I can guarantee in Manila supermarket prices are the same if not higher than the west. If you're a fussy eater like me be prepared for huge supermarket costs. Provinces are better for retirement anyway, if a party animal then manila or Cebu. Most people are friendly and usually English is pretty much understood though they don't always admit it. Some don't like to speak English in case they get something wrong and they get laughed at by fellow Filipinos. Tom's right, find a spot, check it out for a few months and decide.
I think it's safe to just skip the Philippines than waste time if you already know that there are only two positive things in the Philippines. Life is too short to waste time on 'trial and error'. You heard it from Tom and other thousands of expats who don't have favorable words about the Philippines except the nature and friendliness of the people. Latin America and most other Asian countries have the most positive things any Westerner is looking for.
Rice is life. Like you, I been here a lot and living in BGC was a great life. But now I live in province, I love it and just except people and culture different. But like I say to my partner. We go out and eat meet other people. Yes province life is cheaper. Love the fruit and most food . I just miss my steak
Again there you go being very honest and upfront about your experiences in between the Philippines Thailand and Vietnam which one do you think is the best to be and it is Thailand as cheap or cheaper than the Philippines
Absolutely nailed it. Very fair analysis. I've lived in both Thailand and the Phils and spent extended periods in half a dozen other SE Asian countries. The Philippines has some definite strong plus points. Lovely friendly people often times who speak good English, amazing natural beauty and just a very positive vibe I found. But for food I found it pretty grim. Thailand is just amazing for food. Not only is the local food endlessly varied, really affordable, healthy and delicious but they are also brilliant at almost every other cuisine. Ive had some of the best Italian food outside of Italy in Bangkok. I've had English roast dinners in Thailand that would put an English pub to shame. Meanwhile in the Phils if you're over adobo and local sugary pasta 😬 then the international stuff is very hit and miss I found. I had dinner in one of Manilas fanciest french restaurants and not only was it London prices it was honestly very disappointing in terms of quality. Accommodation it's much the same story. For the same budget in Thailand you just a get a much much higher quality offering. So many stunning condos and pool villas in Thailand at great prices compared to Phils. Private health and dental care again I found to be top notch in Thailand but nowhere near as good in the Philippines. I do actually love the Philippines inspite of the above but I'd wouldn't choose to live there again whereas I'll probably end up retiring in Thailand or possibly Malaysia which is also fantastic I found.
Will Smith - thank you, it was interesting to read your own story and to see how much you agree with Hogan in this video. I am British and just returned from a three-week 'exploratory' trip to the Phils, with a view of potentially retiring there. Naturally, I knew that three weeks was not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of the true Philippines life, but I really wanted to see the landscape for myself, having viewed countless TH-cam videos on the subject. I came home feeling despondent and very disappointed - mainly because of the infrastructure and poor value for money with living accommodation. Hogan mentioned favourable value-for-money in Thailand and Vietnam, so I think either of those countries will be next on my list. I have been to Thailand many times as a tourist, but never as a potential resident. I have never visited Vietnam, but I have heard from sources outside YT that it is certainly worth a tour. I can see why so many people love the Philippines as it has so much to offer in many respects, but in my own way and at my time of life, I need a little bit more 'familiarity' and inner satisfaction.
Pardon me but I find your comment hilarious, "Grim" Filipino food compared to what? Thai insects street food😆? There are so many Filipino food varieties different in each region. In my opinion the taste are almost similar for all southeast asian countries(ph, thai, indo and viet) except that the others have indian/chinese fusion while philippines has spanish/chinese fusion. I cooked pininyahang manok( pineapple chicken) for my two female eu(french and british) friends and they loved it , they're forcing me to share my secret recipe so they can cook it for their family back home 😆.
@@rondj3495 I'm not sure I'd call insects street food exactly, more an alternative snack to chips. Thai street food I've always found really varied and delicious,, especially in the night markets. As for my comment about Filipino food, that's just been my personal experience having been to the country many times and travelled extensively. It's obviously not put me off coming given I'm a repeat tourist, but I'm definitely coming for the diving and the beaches and the friendly people - not the food. And I'm.hardly alone in that opinion, so many travelers and tourists comment on this - are they ALL wrong? Also as I think was said in the video, many types of SE Asian food are so popular in the West that you'll find Indian restaurants everywhere with Thai and Vietnamese joints not far behind. But Filipino restaurants, and I'm.not talking jolibee 🙄, not exactly ubiquitous 😁 I'm in Hong Kong and have been to Filipino friends houses many times where they home cook what I think is typical for a celebration buffet, so adobo,, lumpia, Filipino chop suey, Filipino spaghetti etc .etc . I've eaten this type of thing counless times and I'm just being honest that it's not something I get excited about. Lots of sugar in everything and lots of oil, often very bland. So a bit like Scottish food then where I'm from 😂 It is interesting to me though how incredibly defensive many people are in the comments section. Some more or less telling him to get out if he doesn't like it. Almost Trump levels of thin skinnedness and over the top nationalism. Mind you they just voted in Marcos 2 with a side order of Duterte ( hey those drug addicts are gonna kill themselves quickly enough) so I guess that's not surprising. But anyway - people need to chill!
@@willsmith39 You're Filipino friends might be just dull cooks. I worked with Filipinos in south africa and let me tell you that there is always a sort of competition among them for who cooks the best "adobo". Their adobo's basic ingredients are always soy sauce, sugar, salt, peppercorn onions and garlic . But there's this one guy from cebu who cook it differently instead of sugar he put freshly squeezed pineapple juice, and added some spices like banana blossoms, star anise and bay leaves. The quantity of his spices ingredients were very well balanced with the portion of meat. It was still sweet but oh boy that was one of the most indulging savory sweet I have tried. The only complain I had was he served me with a huge family size humba portion( typical filipino serving size). If it was only served in small portion like in the fine dining french restaurant it would deserve a michellen star. Aside from Filipinos I also have Thai , indian and indonesian co workers. Indian food (always curry) so lame . the Thais always cook tom yom ,the indonesians always cook spicy chicken and nasi goreng , and filipinos always cook adobo and lumpia.
NO ONE STOPPING YOU , YOURE COMMENTS ARE VALID , DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS . IF YOU PREFER OTHER PLACES LIKE THAILAND OR MALAYSIA GOOD FOR YOU. YOU CAN COME AND GO TO THE PHILIPINES AS YOU PLEASES. YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. EVERYONE ARE ALL THE SAME. WE DO WHAT PLEASES US . HAPPY TRAILS.
Great food comment, exactly as I describe Filipino food. I always add that when mankind moved from Thailand Cambodia or Nam over to the Philippines, the cook fell overboard.
I agree that it's hard to get things done in PH when it comes to dealing with local gov't, a throwback to our Spanish culture. If you're in a corporate setting, though, things get done faster as PH is now no. 1 in the world for customer call center support. Question: If things were managed by a company (promising to make things done and faster) instead of local PH government, would you be interested in that? What would be the most important errands, paperwork in PH you want solved, even digitally or be settled or done online?
There are a lot of fresh vegetables there especially in SM. You can make your own green salad, add cooked bbq chicken breast. The grocery stores have all kinds of fruits.
@@walking_in_the_shade hehehe i know right... certainly helped with learning the language though. Was aprehensive since our whole colonial history but have met nothing but good vibes. Mabuhay pilipinas!
Thats what these foreigners did not understand our history,philippines is influence by spain,we have spanish food that is hard to prepare,thailand vietnam,got chinese influence,thats they have good streetfood
I'm Filipino and I appreciate your honesty. I hate vloggers who just say nice things about Filipino food just to gain subscribers. I myself, can cook better, than some carinderias or restaurants in my city so I agree with you that the Philippines is not the best place if you want fine dining or honest-to-goodness delicious food. There are many delicious dishes but many are overrated. If you don't like salty food that much then you might not like it here. Edit: If you're Filipino and you don't like my comment then leave. Don't write a comment. I won't read it anyway.
Dude you live in the province if you want fine dining live in socialist part of manila lots of fine dining restaurants stop complaining or get out of the Philippines asap nobody forces you to lived in the Philippines
@@rhythmax0593 I don't need anyone to believe that I can cook better. My food is for myself. Keep your words. You have your opinion and I have mine. You cannot stop me.
I respect all the facts you shared base on your Experience living here As a Fil-American theres nothing negative about food. Filipino cuisines serve their traditional dishes they dont add any fancy flowers to make the food colorful and yeah Your always free to cook your own Foods in the Philippines you can smoke or grilled steaks if you want to, wet market is always available for any spices or ingredients that you want to cook with.
Firstly he is not American and European have different tastes. The food he is totally right to a full westerners who have been spoilt with great cuisine. Best you try other Asian countries food first then take his content to heart
Food is always a tricky subject as it is subjective and he is entitled to his own opinions. I don't agree with his comments though as the food in Manila is amazing and there are a variety of different restaurants of many different cuisines to choose from and will keep many foodies happy. Ofc in the province the choice is limited but that's the same anywhere. This is from somebody who lives in Europe and London for 20 years.
This is spot on. Ive experienced exactly this. I wouldnt want to be in the Philippines if it wasnt for my lovely gf. In fact i think youre still being too kind about the place. 😊
I agree, mostly spot on. I'm a Filipino, left Pinas 35 yrs ago at 21 to join US Navy. Been all over Southeast Asia, stationed in Japan for 7 yrs. Live in San Diego now, I will only take long vacations back there but probably not live there. The place will test your patience at times but still love and miss the chaos. Thanks for your video.
I agree with the part about trying to get stuff done Especially the way you want it to be done. For example; building a house. Be sure you are there from start to finish. But I do love the Philippines.
I was there with my beloved for 6 months. We were living in Sibonga (near Cebu) - a three bedroom house, with a walled garden and a nice kitchen, was 22000 PHP per month for us. Or, ~ 400 to 420 dollars USD depending on the exchange rate. It had a nice kitchen, - oh and servants quarters, which we opened once so I could gawk, but we didn't use - an equivalent house - minus the servants quarters, in the US would cost at least 1600 USD (~90,000 PHP) and usually closer to 2500 USD (~140,000 PHP). We shopped at the Metro in Carcar generally, and I found the food to be between 1/3rd and 1/2 of US prices there. We got our fruit from local vendors and some other things that my love wanted to get us. We cooked mostly at home, he was not into eating out much, and that was fine, so I can't comment on food out - although the few times we ate out (once in SM Seaside mall - in the food court - when we went there to buy his engagement ring from a jeweler, and then on our fourth anniversary in Diane's) the food was fine. We also had takeout from Jollibees a few times and weird (but tasty) takeout pizza a couple of times. We also did not find it ridiculously slow, but I've lived in NYC (not in the last 20 years) and I will tell you, not everything in the US is fast (though NOTHING compares to USCIS for being ridiculously slow, we applied for his fiance visa over 8 months ago and its still in the very initial stage - which is driving us both crazy - we chat every day, morning and evening, and video chat all the time, but we would like to be back together, over here (I'm back in the US now). I absolutely agree, the people there are the literal best people I've ever met in my life. His family never blinked when he told them, and they welcomed me. We lived together while I was there, but we would go a couple of times a week to visit his family and I have never felt more accepted and loved anywhere. Kind thoughts to you all.
Tom thank you for being so honest, my respect for you got even bigger. And yes some vloggers are too scared to speak the truth . American food tastes better in the USA. Filipino food tastes better in the Philippines. It's cheaper in the Philippines but money goes faster, they charge more for foreigners. Supermarkets are expensive few thousands each time especially for more than one person. You rent condos and homes are tiny. Then if you find a good big size in manila or qc they're asking for 40k or 50k or more. It's a different story too if you want to live in a good area it costs more. And you're so right about getting things done Philippines is extremely slow, it's frustrating it doesn't matter how big your patience is, in the US I can do everything in one day off, Philippines takes one or only two things done in a whole day. Filipinos are used to doing things slow because they're not as busy as Westerners. Weather is too hot or constantly storming. Restaurants good restaurants are expensive. Ride fares like grab is expensive. Taxi and tricycle drivers ripps off foreigners. If you take the jeep it's too packed and it's hot or you get wet if it's raining. Manila has most everything but it's more expensive than any province. Right on on the 6 mos to 1 year staying in the Philippines before deciding to move completely. Great vlog Tom. I'm waiting for you to go to Bali.
You made a comment that you don’t want to live here in the Philippines full time but you have MJ who lives here with family . What’s your plan without getting too personal. I live on Mactan island and I do agree with all your negative things.
The best thing to do is ween the Filipina off her family. And GTFO of that sh8thole. I was there 30 years. It only gets worse over time. Btw, I had my kids in elementary school on Mactan island ~16 years ago. Mactan is much more congested now. Used to be sort of a get away paradise. First time I visited Cebu City in 1991 it still had a small town vibe itself. All has changed for the worse.
First video I've seen of yours, after the channel popped up on my feed. I appreciate your candor and you have a new subscriber here! I appreciate it man!🤙
Hi Tom, are you the same Tom who was with the lady who built her small home in phils? Has a her own channel .I recognise your accent i think from those videos. Any way great videos mate, keep it up.
I've lived in the Philippines for ten years now. I rarely watch Philippine vlogs because I'm soooooo tired of the sugar coating "nomads", or the bitter "old men", but I actually enjoyed your video and you got both my thumbs up and subscription. Good job man.
Completely agree!
Thats my thoughts exactly.
Thanks for the info.!
who sugar coat ahh you mean your country you sugar coat that there no Homeless in your country and there no inflation there ???😃😃😃 is that what you mean ??
Thank you for sharing your honest opinions Tom. I am a Canadian expat married to a Filipina and have been here for exactly 3 years now. We live in the provinces just 100km south of Cebu City in the Moalboal/Badian area. We manage on 37k pesos per month (less than $1000CAD). We own our own little house and live very simple lives. Like you said, that is not for everyone. More than the food, what irritates me by far the most is trying to get anything done. I don't know if I will ever get used to that, so I have to think it's a good tradeoff for many of the things I love about here, mainly the most beautiful and loving partner.
The frustration will only get worse. I was there for most of 30 years until 2020. Will never go back to live. I did not realize how much it had damaged me psychologically until I decompressed in the USA for 2 years. I now have PTSD from living there too long. Lost an eyeball in that sh8thole country.
Getting anything done here is a challenge... cebu city
@@micahraths3981 Cebu Shitty
America is your country. Why don't you go back with your loving wife to America so things can be done properly?
@@Anonymint-vj7bt I also lived in America for 2 years as a nurse. It's also a country I would never go back to, damaging me psychologically with all the racism and foul mouths of people in your country.
I'm a westerner here 7 months now, the food is quite good and healthy, yes there are some things I don't like ( shrimp paste ). it's a laid back country and depends on where you go in there Philippines its opposite to your experiences ...I definitely will live here full time on Luzon ( bataan ) , after coming from Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean
General statement - lots of people come here with the wrong mindset, you come here to live a simple humble life like Filipinos do...don't come and try to change the country, its a happy place ..with happy contented people no matter what little they have...so accept the life , of find another place....that's why I will stay I want a simple life .with genuine people
👍🏽
“Lots of people come here with the wrong mindset”…”Don’t come and try to change the country.” Amen!
Dont come and try to change the country - they already do. BGC is no longer affordable to ordinary filipinos and prices have already been pushed up.
SHRIMP PASTE IS NOT A MAIN DISH LOL , and it is not a food for westerners they will die lol
WHY WOULD YOU EAT SHRIMP PASTE OR EVEN TRY THAT IS NORMALLY AN AD - ON TO SOUP AND COOKED FOOD FOR COOKING . not for typical foreigner, that for was already here for thousand years but only for STAINLESS THROATS
Thank for keeping it 100. I've lived here for a little over 4 years. I'm married to a Filipina and we live in the Metro Manila area. A lot of bloggers try to skip over the bad parts to get more views, but I can tell your portrayal is honest. Keep up the good work!
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD HAS BAD WEATHER BAD PERSONALITY WHO COUNTRY HAS NO BAD PERSON TELL ME ???
Metro Manila? Closest mountains to visit for cooler temperatures? Tagaytay is 3 hours from Muntinlupa, but I heard that maybe Antipolo has some closer highlands... Also, any advice for getting out on the water of Laguna De Bay? I'll be in Muntinlupa for 6 weeks, Soon...
@@seaweedhero1707 Yeah Antipolo is much closer to us than Tagaytay and the resorts have pools and are quite fun. There are some boats that leave some of the fishing ports that can take you to Talim island and they have a nice resort there, although I don't remember where we docked, because that was back during the pandemic the last time we went to Talim.
@@duals-growthofculture2085 Thanks! So, Antipolo has some cooler mountain areas? Someone said cool caves...? Also interested in natural springs, and hot springs, lakes, rivers, waterfalls...
@@seaweedhero1707 Yea, Antipolo has a beautiful mountain area. Although I like it for the resorts. even better mountain area are Buscalan and Baguio. If you want caves and waterfalls, you may want to check out other islands though. Palawan has some really nice caves and Cebu has one of the best waterfalls.
My wife and I have lived here for a year, coming from the US. I agree with most of what you said about the pros and cons. We live on Luzon in the province in a residential farm area. The closest small municipality is about a 40 minute drive on our e-trike. Some things are very frustrating, and other things are fantastic just like everywhere else in the world.
@@johnnygwapo.Lapu-Lapu lol... Actually that is what they call it. It's a tiny village in the middle of farmland.
@@johnnygwapo.Lapu-Lapu A real house with electricity and everything. 😁
Agree, Philippines is just like everywhere else in the world. That's fair to say
@@cathyvuelta1585 where did u decide to live?
How's the internet connection? Is it possible to have fast internet connection in the country side/farm?
I like your honest opinions. I was born in the Philippines and still speak Tagalog!! I’m now a U.S. citizen.. Your opinions matter the most so Pilipino can improve themselves!!!!
Filipino need to rid themselves of Pinoy Pride and Crab Mentality.
Then the people and country will become great.
Get rid of jealousy and support each other.
Finally someone that doesnt get offended. thanks for being honest and wise
@@cammontreuil7509 Yup! I really hate Pinoy pride! It is so cringy and stupid. Ang daming kailangan pang iimprove sa Pilipinas.
@@cammontreuil7509 Yup! I really hate Pinoy pride! It is so cringy and stupid. Ang daming kailangan pang iimprove sa Pilipinas.
@@cammontreuil7509 that will never happen that's why Filipinos will ALWAYS be a 3rd world country.
Great video mate. I have been travelling to the Philippines for 10 years now and you are pretty spot on.
Good video Tom and I pretty much agree with everything you said. I've been traveling back and forth from the U.S. to the Philippines since 2015, I retired in 2018 and lived there for 20 months with my girlfriend in the home I bought for us in the province of Bulacan. I returned to the U.S. a year ago and I can't wait to come back in January. My favorite line is this video was "the Philippines will test your patience" omg so fricken true...I think two reasons for that is just the sheer volume of people there and secondary the infrastructure and lagging technology but I accept it as a trade off because I love it there. Thank you and keep up the good work!
He's right about food in the PI. It's at the bottom of Asian cuisine. I lived and worked in Asia for most of my life in Taiwan, Philippines (3 years in Manila), Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, Japan. It is bland and tends to be served lukewarm. Thank God for good Korean, Chinese and Japanese restaurants.
I work in US health care . Lots of Filipino nurses over the years. Their food is only better than Chinese. Bleak!
Japanese and Thai all day long 🎉
But probably comes down to being foodie or lover? I like what you say about Thailand living but I’d have to be cool with celibacy. Which maybe I am?
Thanks for the feedback on your experiences.
That SRRV smile visa is just so dang tempting They make it easy as a retirement destination.
His the wrong person to ask about Filipino food. The guy eats home foods in the barrios high sugar, fats and prepared by non cooks. He needs to go out and experience the true Filipino cuisine at the highest level in Manila area and then he'll be singing a different tune. Ive been to a few and I was impressed Filipino dishes are like home food at its best. Just like a good pot roast or a plate of grandma's spaghetti if done right.
Thank you for your honesty. I hope filipino people will not take your honesty as a negative. I have been to the Philippines many times and have spent 3 weeks each time. I find what you said to be 100 percent accurate.., Have a blessed day
Of course, that is very true. However, Tom may sound dumb and stupid that he still remains in the Philippines despite the negatives still outweigh the positives while living in the Philippines. He can easily leave the Philippines as he has no obligation to his girlfriend as they're not married yet. I don't think MJ is the reason for his continued stay in the Philippines because if it is, then he's like torturing himself to death. Untimely death is upon him from all those stressors that hound him everyday. The Philippines is really not for those who are lazy and materialistic. Because lazy people are incessant whiners and complainers. Visitors should leave as soon as they feel the heat because it would be ungracious or ungrateful of you if you keep complaining and whining about your host while at the same time still getting his hospitality.
Filipino always takes honesty as negative.
Try talking about Pinoy Pride or Crab Mentality. A filipino favorite pastime.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt.
I am living on the Phils for over 20 years with a lot of joy. If you ask me about the negative feelings for me its the arrogancy , the money talking , no interest on the environment its like a garbage place , traffic & driving , municipalities steeling the money from the poor with all their so called taxes, there is almost no digitalisation so everything goes by many documents which can be very frustrating and the corruption. But it still a great place to live.
So it's like Canada except 99% less expensive? Sounds great
I agree with corruption and traffic the most. These are the worst things that kept impeding the Philippines progress. After actors retire they get to politics to get more money from corruption. Lol. Funny thing is that most Filipinos vote for them. Pathetic. I'm a 100% Pinoy by the way but I don't vote for this crocodiles in the government.
You're all right. Thinking I'll give it miss....😊
I'm a filipino and I totally agree. Thank you for setting realistic expectations for future potential visitors.
It really pains me to see how other content creators just raise the bar SO HIGH (not showing the negatives) then end up disappointing tourists.
Thank you for your honesty , I really appreciate it.
true that, absurd expectations vs simple reality
Great vid, Tom. You're right on target here.
Just to add... NOISE is a HUGE problem for a lot of westerners. Dogs, dogs and more dogs and 3AM karaoke bass thumping EVERYDAY gets old real quick. Choose your locale carefully!
Aside from that I found it very much like you, not as 'inexpensive' as people think. Food can a much bigger expense if you want quality... and housing is the same. I currently spend near $1500 USD a month in Manila for a small condo.
Manila vs Cebu City: Manila is a scamming rathole in my experience. Better food choices but traffic is miserable. WAY better vibes in Cebu City by far. People are so much warmer there.
Been in PH for 8 months now. Headed to Thailand next.
Are you in Makati or somewhere similar? I was wondering if living in a condo in those type areas would be relatively quiet. I would appreciate your input. thx
if you can get out on acreage in the provinces, it can be very peaceful. I love it there. I plan to move there soon, God willing.
@@puppyupper4565 Nah. Don't be too fast. Read lots of stories from dozens if not hundreds of expat sad stories about living in the Philippines. Philippines is not the place Westerns want to retire or live for long term. You see, negatives far outweigh than positives. Based on Tom's experience, the negative is 90% as opposed to 10% positive. I wonder if Tom will last another month or less. Based on his personal experience he's not happy living in the Philippines. Yes, I think there's a high 98 to 100% of expats currently in the Philippines are not happy and considering leaving anytime soon. Don't be a fool of yourself. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and most countries in the Latin America are 1 million times better than the Philippines. Ask Tom and he'd certainly don't bat an eye before he can even nod his head to agree.
@@lionhearted1969 I have been to several Asian countries and two Latin American countries. I think I would love Vietnam but not so keen on the communists. I absolutely love the food in Thailand. But the world is really turning to shit economically. I can see another Pol Pot rising out of the mire. That won't happen in the Philippines.
I am unique. I have lived off grid over half of my life in Oregon and California and for months at a time in the Philippines. I did have electricity from solar that never had brownouts. I love Filipinos. I do think Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese girls are the prettiest on the planet. But a pretty Filipina is pretty enough for me.
I am not a fan of gov at all and the gov of the Philippines is probably the worst is SE Asia. But for the most part, they leave the remote places in the provinces alone. I plan to lease seafront acreage in the Visayas. I am well to do now. And plan to operate several businesses including raising beef cattle from Brazil. They developed an Angus/Brahma breed that is very tasty yet able to survive the tropics.
I do agree that the Philippines is not the best destination for most westerners. Yet, I truly love being there.
@@puppyupper4565 Then be prepared to cut your life expectancy by a few years. You'll be stressed everyday here your BP will soar high to new heights. Be warned. Latin America is more welcoming to Western expats. An exodus of foreign expats from the Philippines is reported everyday. Why come when others who have tried living here are leaving with bitter taste in their tongue?
I’m a Filipino but like Thai food and French …I like variety and more choices …But I think food is not a really a big problem cause lots of fresh vegetables fruits available you can cook yourself or hire a cook for a cheaper price ✌🏻🇫🇷
Tapos yyng pinagyayabang pinoy na masarap daw pagkain natin.sus.anlayo sa lasa ng thai, viet, korea chinese japanese, at indo pagkain natin na maalat... Nakadepende kasi sa kanin panlasa ng pinoy......
@@allanllorca5604 pano naman kasi, kapag may foreigner na gusto ng pinoy food eh ang unang ipapakain ng mga papansin eh dinuguan, balut, isaw, papaitan, lahat ng kadiri at nakakasukang pagkain. Sinong matutuwa doon diba? lol
Yeah , like the thai insect street food, more varities 😆. It is now time to open your Filipino traditional recipe book to learn how to cook the lots of varities.
Salamat for liking French food ! I have plan for living my retirement in your wonderful country,in Negros especially where I have Philippinos friends . I hope I can go end of 20224 .Greetings from France.
But only Filipinos say that
Very wise advise Tom!👏. If I may add also, the Philippines is not the place for you if you have existing mental health issues, substance dependency especially. It might worked out for some, really depends on your particular situation. But I think the key to living successfully in the Philippines is resilience and lots of patience++++!
Very true!
The key is just do, buy etc. Which is available In the phil. That make you happy and eat like your were still in your home country.
@Charles White mental health issues. Just that.
Like in most countries the quality of one's lifestyle is dictated by their budgets. I stay in Metro Manila and the quality of Italian, Chinese, Japanese and S Korean food is very good. There are also high quality Filipino restaurants in Metro Manila where the food is prepared with a more delicate touch. If you have a low budget then your food selection is very limited. The food quality is there, it's just your budget that's limiting you.
I was going to say the same.. I was so confused, I never had a problem or complained about the varieties or qualities of food the Philippines had to offer. If I had to compare my city in the US food selection vs Manila's selection, I say Manila wins it hands down! Not even close!
@@LuvMyLilBabe I think he was talking about money. If you can afford, you can have everything you want. If your money is limited, then of course you cannot do what you want. In short it’s money if you can afford, period.
Exactly that's what I was about to say. The problem is budget not the selection. I've read in one of the vlogs about a guy complaining about not eating steak fort a long time. Buy a cow and hire a butcher then. it can't be that expensive compare to the States.
@@raycuizon8226 had the best Kobe beef at a Japanese restaurant in Cebu, best beef I ever had in my life and only cost me under $20 lol. Compare to $299 a lbs in Canada last time I check! 😂
😊😊😊
Although I enjoy eating filipino food I can honestly say I couldn't eat it every day and I definitely wouldn't want to eat fried food daily. This is a major reason I been looking at Vietnam Thailand and other Asian countries (food) as main reason. The biggest draw towards the Philippines would be the people and having English as a second language makes it easier than both Thailand and Vietnam where it's not easy communicating.
Anywhere in the world..If u want to live happy 'adapt' is the key
Exactly. Mi brother lived in columbia and now in filipins.His wife is from there. I woud rather adapt to any country,like foraigner have to in usa. And first of all,learn spanish,all of them.
agreed, I live in South Korea very important to 'adapt'. How you survive after the honeymoon period will show you everything you need to know about living in another country.
I've been living and working abroad in various countries since 2009 and it's pretty obvious that there is no perfect coutnry, especially no the US where I'm from, so you just have to choose which problems and inconveniences you're willing to deal with. All things consider the Philippines is a pretty awesome country.
Thanks for being real with us about both negatives and positives of the Philippines.
I'm moving to Baganga in 3 months, can't wait to be honest. Live like a local and enjoy life, you only get 1 chance. Keep it real always Tom.
Then you'll live in misery and sorrowful life here in the Philippines. Remember, Filipinos have some of the lowest life expectancy in the world due to many negative vibes that Tom has already pointed out. Better reconsider your plan and you still have enough time to cancel your plan. Or you will regret the rest of your life. Life's too short to be wasted.
I agree with what you say its a great country to visit as a tourist nice beaches etc.
I have visited many times over 10 years but I personally wouldn't want to live in the Philippines full time.
The country still has a lot of issues safety, being over charged as a foreigner
I can see how it would work for a older guy with a pension coming in not having to find work and not having to be anywhere in a hurry.
Thanks for sharing.
Same with me I can't live there, been there about 20 times, fun times, but the food, the poverty and just not much to do would keep me from living there, I can take it like at one month at a time, I couldn't live there full time.
@@mikejones5364 your correct the food is very basic i don't mind it for a month but I couldn't eat it all the time its difficult to find good restaurants.
Its a really good country to visit for a month at a time but I couldn't live there permanently.
Also I have found that living like a westerner cost more in the Philippines 🇵🇭 than my own country.
And the boredom is another thing we have to deal with.
The Philippines 🇵🇭 has a lot going for it amazing beaches ⛱️ etc but there's a lot of work that needs doing in order to make the country tourist and expatt friendly.
I think the main reason that Filipinos are considered the friendliest in SE Asia is simply because they speak English. It’s very hard to be friendly and welcoming to a foreigner if you can’t speak their language. I spent most of my time in SE Asia in Indonesia. They were very friendly with me…..especially if they spoke any English. My Indonesian is basic “street talk” at best.
I do plan on finally going to the Philippines when I start traveling again, but as of now Indonesia will be home base again. Aku akan kembali Indonesia. 🇮🇩
We Filipinos are friendly because as deep rooted Catholics we believe in treating other people as our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. While we are far from perfect, it is our deep faith that mainly drives how we treat other people.
Hey nobody is perfect believe me. Americans are far from perfect. To be honest…. The country is so divided now. Everyone is fighting. I’m a racist simply for being white. I’ve had enough. I liked it so much better in Indonesia. I think I’d feel the same in the Philippines.
I haven’t ruled out the Philippines as home base, but gotta go there first like Tom suggested.
Indonesian people are kin to Filipinos, that is why their traits are the same.
@@neilgunns8391 I have no ooyoyoyoygupiuppxixuiddidudud to h6
I agree with you Tom and hats off to you, for your transparency. This will help those who do not know what really Philippines is.
This was an honest video , and what I needed to hear . Was debating between Thailand or Philippines . For those that read this comment, I hope your day tomorrow is amazing 🤍
Thailand is way way nicer and clean !!!
Thailand is way way nicer and clean !!!
Totally agree as I’ve traveled a lot. Thailand is still much more value for the dollar. Obviously depends on where you live in Thailand
But Thais are not nice and rest westerners as a financial opportunity, period
For sure there are challenges in living in Philippines. I am currently in mindanao in province and have gf for 10 years. The relationship is the easy part. I'm having hard time adjusting to the food hot weather and jeepneys to name a couple. I've decided to stick it out for the relationship. It is obviously expense wise reasonable. We can get by on about 2,000 usd per month. Baring any emergencies that still leaves me about 600 per month to save. I have just had to accept there will be challenges. These micro ants 🐜 are hard to get used to and they hurt when they bite. Middle of the day best to stay inside. Through it all I am happy and look forward to what comes next.
Thank you for mentioning having savings account while living abroad. Good point.
I live in Florida so lizards fire ants microwave even the little tiny bugs called no-seums I can deal with I hate mosquitoes but they usually stay I have lots of plants around my house that will deter mosquitoes you can do the same there as well I'm assuming. I'm basically looking to move there just to have a nice simple life I'm tired of the rat race
If hot weather is the problem, there are 10 places in the Philippines that have a cool weather. Baguio is number one and it is cool weather all year round, then if you like to go the beach go to La Union beach which one hour and half away. Your $2,000.00 budget should be okay there. But then, if your wife is from where you guys live now, she may not want to move to Baguio.
Then I'm very certain that your life expectancy here would shrink living in the Philippines. Life's too short so live it to the fullest. Pack up your things now while it's not too late and live happily elsewhere or go back to the comfortable life you left in your home country. Your anxiety level here in the Philippines will skyrocket everyday that you won't be able to control until it's too late. I suggest you leave the Philippines and take Tom's words. Live your life happy and die happy. You don't want mourners to see your remains with sad face.🙂
My husband and I bought a house in FL as a second home for when it gets cold in Alaska where we’re living in retirement (I’m watching snow flurries coming down right now, October 10! Already?! Eeeek!) We turned around and sold it before we could completely move in. Didn’t like their oppressively hot summers, crocodiles, insects like love bugs that come in so thick they can ruin your car…and tornadoes…just to name a few.
You're very honest Tom and I can't disagree with much of what you say. My lovely wife of 30+ years was a Filipina and although she always enjoyed going back she much preferred her life in the UK. Also she became a wonderful cook in the UK and would cook food from all around the world but apart from a few favourite dishes she didn't cook much filipino food. For me the best food there is the fish and seafood, there is wonderful fruit too. I'm planning on spending some more time there in future but not sure I could live there full time.
Thanks for this, Tom. Nice getting to know you better. It also gave me the opportunity to know differing perspectives from everybody here, be they positive or negative about my beloved homeland. I was born and raised there but left the country when I was but a sophomore in college and never returned, as I got married shortly after I graduated from college in the US, built a life here and only now go home on occasion. I am planning to go back this winter to see my Mama’s humble beach home in the province that I had renovated/rebuilt. Can’t wait to see it, have it blessed and reunite with my siblings and their families. Of 12 siblings, there are six of us left. Yes, big Catholic family. There is nothing like family, home and birthplace 😊🌺🌴🇵🇭
Believe me no matter where you live there's challenges and discomforts, you just have to adjust and accept what makes you comfortable. I can live just about anywhere and make it a comfortable life been there and done it. I am now retired at 62 for 12yrs now, and thinking of visiting my birth country Laguna Philippines. Watching your video has given a thought to visit. Love watching the video how you interact with the people very accepting and caring not many will not step on those dirty alley ways. You are one of a kind good person. Thank you.👍😎♥️💕♥️🇺🇲🇵🇭😊
True to enjoy living in any place depends on how you adapt with the culture and adjust to the environment !
The slow-pace transactions of everything, "doesn't seem to bother" the locals--not true, we're the ones that are bothered first but we're hand-tied. We suck it--the only choice. Personally I would lose it if I keep thinking why leaders, politicians "who can change the primitive system" don't change things THAT CAN BE CHANGED, IF THEY LIKE. No wonder the Philippines is not really a favorite expat destination.
No, i live in america and there was no discomfort at all. Ang sarap mamuhay rito.
@@dormamo6917 Malaki lang ang palit ng dollar sa piso. May kotse ka. May bahay. May trabaho. Maraming comforts pero Walang discomfort? Sa utang mo pa lang discomfort na eh. Sa America din ako nakatira at lahat ng tao ay may utang. Di ka tatanggapin sa mga ibang trabaho kasi di ka marunong ng Ingles ng gaya nila at di ka puti. At marami pang ibang discomfort. Pero, oo, malayo ang Pilipinas kapag kabuhayan ang pag uusapan.
Good for you Ate, retired at 50.
You think you can adjust to the humidity and extremely slow paced? The roosters and karaokes?
I tried it twice & I couldn’t. It’s challenging for me as an older person.
I will give it another chance in December especially that spouse loves it (in Cebu province).
Thank you Landers and S&R for establishing your stores in Cebu (also).
Hi Tom, nice honest video.
Well said! I’ve been traveling to Philippines from U S once a year except during the pandemic. I vacation there, So many beautiful islands the ocean (water) makes me happy relaxing, swimming and other sightseeing. The people are so nice & friendly. I will be traveling, vacationing there after Christmas.
May God Bless & protect you throughout your life.
From Chicago USA
It is my first and only choice
Greetings from United States I have a wife in Philippines I plan to retire in the Philippines I’ve been to the Philippines a couple of times very good advice from you very good but as far as the food goes if you know how to cook what you like it is not so bad I showed my wife and daughter pancakes grilled cheese sandwiches ham and cheese sandwich tunafish salad and they could not believe simple things in life good video Tom I wish the best for you and Mel Jean❤
If you have been there a couple of times, how do you have a wife?
You would fit so well in Thailand. It’s more welcoming n care free there n lots of stuff to do n see.
yea dude. the daily annoyances of everything taking forever eats away at you over the years. I dealt with it for about 12 years before I finally threw in the towel and left. In a lot of ways it's gotten worse, not better, over the past decade. but what really sealed the deal for me leaving was noise pollution, lack of animal control, and daily frustrations of the simplest tasks. i eventually felt like I had wasted years of my life and gotten little accomplished due to all the hours lost. In Thailand I can get my haircut, visit the dentist, visit the doctor, go grocery shopping, visit the Pharmacy, and eat lunch all by 3pm. In Philippines those tasks would eat up 1-2 weeks of time minimum. Filipino's are slow AF, it's embedded into the culture. EVERYTHING is so inefficient and done in a way that I can't even make sense of. Another thing I will say is that I've flown on Cebu Pacific about 25 times, and I don't think I've ever had a flight that wasn't cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled. It's like the entire country is run by adolescent teens or something.
Thanks Tom for the updates, especially on the Medical Care side of things, subscribed to your Channel.
EVERY THING YOU SAID IS SO RIGHT. A LOT OF CLIPS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. MISS LEAD PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE TO PHILIPPINES. HONESTY HURT LESS THAN BEING FAKE. YOU ARE FOR REAL. THANK YOU
As you know just like any other country, the Philippines has it’s struggles. I am a filipino. I can’t eat balut and other fishy food that smells. I miss a lot of original food but they can be found here in US too. I cant go home for good in the Philippines because all my family is here. There is no standard of care in the Philippines. Hospitals outside big cities are not up to par which is a “no, no” for me. I love my country and I am hoping one day it will meet standards for all human expectations. In the meantime it is only trying to survive but progress is eminent with a lot of foreign investors. Good luck to your life in the Philippines. I hope someday you will learn to accept it as other expat do. I totally get you. The comment here is not from this person but his wife who just have to express herself. I am in CA and very proud to be an American citizen with all it’s problems of homelessness, high gas prices, political and religious challenges.. but we need to unite and be there for each other. I stand with the citizen of this country. God Bless America and the World!! Good luck. Find your happiness and contentment in life. We all have a lot to learn from each other.
You must have it good over there in the westcoast. Here in the east coast. Either you are too rich or too poor to get healthcare. Working people like myself get sh*t.
What? A Filipino that doesn't like smelly food? Impossible :) my wife is filipina (from cebu) and just recently after many years tried balot. I tried but I can't get over the beak :) anyway I have been visiting Philippines for about 20 yrs have house and other properties in Cebu. I agree with some of the cons but disagree with the foodie comment. To each his own I guess but I've heard so much about how great Japanese food is. Been living in Japan for 7+ years and to me the food has no taste. Not a fan. But there are some Filipino dishes, if prepared with quality ingredients, rival anything I've eaten around the world. I love kinilaw but if the fish usually tanigue, is not fresh, then the dish is trash. Bicol Express is another favorite. Do I need to even mention Lechon Baboy or Manok with sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, onions and chilis? Chicken dishes like chicken adobo are great but for me it's only with chopped up breasts. So for me, that dish would be less appealing with thighs, legs, and wings...but cheaper to make and make a profit from. How about bringing? Now that's some good eating. However I will say that I am partial to Cajun style blackened blackened yellow fin tuna steak cooked in olive oil. Good thing my wife trained as a chef and picked up on that one quick. Her cooking is hands down, the best and she is not reading this. Urging her to open a restaurant here and serve some spicy Cajun style blackened fish but she not wanting the headache of running a restaurant. Anyway I've been all around the world and had lots of food including real Chinese, Singaporean, Hong Kong, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, German, etc, etc. All comes down to quality ingredients and the skill of the cook. Now I did read and agree with comments about fatty meat being put in the dishes but starting to see a few restaurants conscious of this over 20+ years coming to the Philippines. But gotta say I love some of the food here and overall hands down better than Japanese food, better than some Thai dishes but like comparing apples and oranges. Some people like apples more than oranges. So yeah, I disagree. And lastly, Jollibee trump's McDon any day :)
If you are old you shouldn't expect some first world healthcare in exchange for young girls. Come to Philippines if you are just a regular old aging dude with no prior issues
Thanks, Tom, for the information. I can see the value of what you speak. I am, as you have said, an oldie but I have traveled Europe twice. First as a gap year tourist traveling at night by train. I save a large amount of going from city to city at night. I flew from NYC to Bergen on a student fair ticket then all by train until it was time to return to the states. I also sailed with the Navy to several coastal cities in Europe, middle east, Aisia, North Africa and West Africa. These were short stay of course but I got to sample far more over the years. So.... traveling at night, eating local street food often and know enough to spot a good deal is some of my advice.
Just joined your channel. Thanks for the brutal honesty and no political correctness or BS. I did 20 years in the US Navy but never made it to The Philippines. I live in The Bronx now and will retire in maybe 5 years and would like to bounce around a bit so your channel is absolutely invaluable to me. Thanks. ☘️
Dude I like the brutal honesty, that’s what keeps me tuning in.
You nailed it talking about the food…the one thing that concerns me every time I return is location and what’s going down the hatch,it’s true most locals don’t get it , us westerners can’t get by on gizzards,hearts etc…can’t complain to much about the red horse or Tanduay
Thanks Tom, I'm married to a Filipina for 20 years. I born in the US and have lived in Thailand and the PH. What you have said is 100% spot on. The down side for me is the slow way it takes to get just a simple task done also the food. Also as a foreigner the locals call you Joe and walking ATM. I still prefer it in the PH over the state's. Thanks for telling it like it is
Then your life expectancy here will surely shorten. Remember that a stressful and unhappy life will take away some years off your life expectancy. If you surround yourself with all sorts of things you abhor, your immune system will plunge down to its lowest level. So I advise you to plan your exit from the Philippines this early.
@@lionhearted1969 yeah, I must agree... hahaha I am a filipino but I really can attest to all the negative sides in living here in my country. There's a lot of corruption from the barangay level up to the national level. That is the reason why the socio-economic condition of the majority of the filipinos is so horrible. The poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer. The government agency services are so frustrating like the issuance of our National Identification Card. I can really say OMG! WTF?hahaha imagine, it was already over a year but there were only few that had been released from the PSA hahaha...what a fuckin service they do they have all this time, it can really suck your patience hahaha.
Don't get me wrong. Foreigners expect with their meager pension or income can give them a kingly lifestyle when it's not. A lot of them are at the crossroads to leave it not to leave from their own home country. There's just so many downtrodden in the states. Time has changed.
@@wayneromero4090 I agree. Unfortunately enough, the Philippines becomes the magnet of these scumbags because of the Philippines' visa-free policy to most travelers from the developed countries. Yes, the country attracts the wrong retirees, majority of them are poorly-educated, ignorant and contemptible.
@@wayneromero4090 Well said
Have to agree about the food. Unless you want to live on street food it is expensive or on a similar level cost wise to the UK.
As my Girlfriend says about the "bureaucracy". Philippines is Philippines.
Thank you for being honest, Tom. I remember watching you and MJ in Bangkok and in Saigon, and I thought you seemed a lot happier there. Had it not been for MJ, I think you would’ve stayed there. Am I wrong?
I live in California, so I’ve tried Filipino restaurants in Carson, Temecula & San Diego. I didn’t like the food very much.
I agree with you that Filipinos are very friendly people, probably the friendliest people anywhere. In fact, I will visit there next year on my way to Japan.
I too live in Southern California in the Orange County area and there are a lot of Filipino restaurants. Being born in Manila and moved to the US as a child that’s my comfort food. I will always chose my food over other ethnic food. American food is ok took me a long time to adjust to it coming here as a child. My immediate family always enjoys going to Filipino restaurants it reminds us of home. If and when I retire in the Philippines it will be in Makati since I have lots of relatives that live in the area. Southern California has the best weather very little humidity. Rarely rains always nice and sunny outside but very expensive but I’m used to this living conditions. Patience will be difficult to adopt since it’s always fast pace here in the US but in time we adapt to our environment. I can eat Filipino food everyday makes me happy.
A lot of TH-camrs moved to the Philippines to get Subscribers. Thailand is obviously not enough to increase their viewer base
@@robocop581 Subscribers mean little, it's the number of views that determines how much TH-cam pays. All in all, only 10-20% of subscribers are "faithful", most are casual drop-in viewers.
theres alot of filipino restaurants in northern california, come up here.
@@robocop581 thats weird, im thinking of retirement in the philippines and im not a youtuber, do i need subcribers ? lmfao get real
Appreciate the honest comments. I got stuck in Davao city with my suitcase summer 2022 - island hopping there was more expensive than international flights. I'll never bring a checkin to a PI airport again.
This is valid! As an original Filipino and Cebuano I totally agree with the pro's and con's....
I have lived here now for 7 months and my biggest complaint as you said is how long it takes to do anything. The next biggest thing is nothing is done via computer like in the west. Even trying to set up the online banking with a bank here is near impossible. I have to say that is really my only complaint up until now.
It will wear you down and drive you insane if stay there too long. You have been warned from a foreigner who was wrecked by staying there too long (30 years).
❤️Great content Tom. Real talk, that is very informative. I'm a Filipina living here in Europe for 15 years. I notice the big difference in the system. This content will give a good idea for foreigners on how to do or process things in the Philippines. I hope you can make a content when you will process documents there like visas. My husband is from Ecuador, Spanish citizen. And we want to see at this moment how things are going there when it comes to processing documents. Looking forward for these kind of videos in your vlog. More power and God bless you more and Meljean. 👏👍😉
Absolutely spot on and to the point 👌👌
Thank you for your honesty. anyone planning on living here permanently should watch this vlog.
Great video but I think you can make 5-6 more videos about the pros and cons of the Philippines hehe. I lived 10 years in Cebu City/Bantayan Island and enjoyed myself. I think older people get a little scared when reality hits them and when they find out it's a long way to a hospital even when you live in Cebu City. It doesn't get better when they realize that the hospitals are commercially run at the same time that they have prioritized not having good insurance because they haven't had the finances to do so. I struggle to trust commercial hospitals from my own experience.
Hi Tom a very good video when it comes to food I to love my food and I agree Philippine cuisine is basic but you have to take into consideration the cooking facilities I'm for a lot of Filipinos it is a wok with some steaks on fire underneath if you have the basics skills to cook and with the help of social media you can surprise yourself what you can achieve when you still cooking and you can have all the foods you like that you would normally eat in the West you can buy all the ingredients in the Philippines but you need a good oven whether it be gas or electric and you can prepare some fantastic meals low price and also enjoy a good English Sunday roast not a problem you just need a oven
Especially the kids.... everywhere you've been the kids are automatically your best friends....so cool !!
I agree.. we filipinos are immune already, we accepted all those lining up, slowness and etc hahah! that's why foreigners should really think thousand times before moving to Phils. For travelling and having fun, Phils. is the best coz lots of islands to visit. If you want to settle in Asia, travel in different countries around then contemplate which one is good for you.
not really the best if you've become immune to the bureacracy, sluggishness and the lazyness. being immune just means the country will never change.
@@anxiousdog you're right, i used a wrong word.. Phils. will keep on improving and developing, maybe slowly coz we still have lots of things to do specially with technologies, we are behind of other Asian countries. With laziness and sluggishness, it's up to the person already.
Exactly. If only the foreigners would listen but they will not. I lived in the Philippines for 30 years - biggest mistake of my life.
@@anxiousdog that is what they want. Do not try to fight it. Accept it or leave. I suggest leave.
@@shakoy2215 no it will never change. Crab bucket mentality will not allow it to change. And you know exactly what I mean even though most foreigners do not.
I agree 100% on the food and everything else you talked about.
Excellent information Tom. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
This is such a useful video . Thanks for this informations Tom 🤙🏽🙌🏽
i like the honesty ..but life for me is simple..if you dont like where you are, why not leave and dont comeback..enjoy your life in a place where your lifestyle fits
Or - and here's a cray idea 🙄- voice some of the things that you think aren't so good so that they can be improved.
Seriously, I can't believe how thin skinned so many Filipinos seem to be here in the comments section. You're acting like he trashed the country when he did no such thing, just talked about pros and cons.
I've seen plenty of foreign TH-camrs highlight some of the issues with my country.
10 ten reasons NOT to visit London!
That type of thing. I'm totally fine with it. I usually agree actually 🤣
Seriously some people here need to grow up. Screaming "get out and never come back foreigner!" Is a bit over the top 🙄
Balat sibuyas ka masyado relax ka lng opinyon nya yan
All you have to do is listen and accept his opinion..
Thank you for the insight. 2 years is a long time. I cant imagine the amount of friends and memories you have created. Wishing you all the best and a happy Sunday!
Nice work. Very honest review I'd say, especially regarding the food!
Yes, thank you for your honest opinion of the Philippines. And i agree with you when you said, choosing where to live depends on your priorities and what kind of life you would like to.
Watching from Dublin City .I have been to the Philippines once for 3 weeks and traveled around seeing the main points of interest in approx 2008 .The people are friendly for sure .I once worked in a big Hotel in London with lots of Philippine employees and they were nice there also so i knew what to expect. Overall i prefer Thailand though and i lived there for 15 years .
You are so right Tom, there are many great things about PH but it is getting very expensive compared to other Asian countries. In a week we are leaving NZ and coming back to Cebu to start a new adventure. Not sure where in the Visayas we will settle but will give it time and find what suits us better. Food wise you are correct, if you want all those western options then be prepared to pay the price.
Might see you there somewhere, love to catch up for a brew or 6.
I've been that minimum of six months over there, and you're spot on on everything you've said. I'm trying to get back myself to the financial position to return and I really want to, but I also know what I'll be leaving behind, and it's no small stuff.
That itch to go back destroyed my life. Thirty years in the Philippines was the dumbest thing I have ever done.
@@Anonymint-vj7bt Er... THIRTY years is hardly a "thing", man. What you've done (or don't) in that time is what matters for you thinking that way. We carry our burdens and the way we see life and others, wherever we go.
Take Tom, for example. I'm sure that even if we went to Somalia he'd still have a great time with the locals, instead of being kidnapped. 😀
@@Abelius enjoy your gulags 🐑person. Meanwhile search about Bicutan Detention Center to put some salve on your blind eyes. To insinuate that I did not have vastly more experience interacting joyfully with the locals in my youthful 30 years in the Philippines is mighty presumptuous of you. Maybe you are the one who needs to check your attitude at the door before entering this discussion. Something to think about.
@@Abelius thanks for disrespecting knowledge and experience.🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻
@@Abelius Ever observed how people disrespect anyone who has experience and knowledge that is counter to their blind desires?
I was there for two weeks. You are right about the food. Other than adobo I can't think of much in terms of food. Rice is over consumed. They can eat rice 3 times a day. Other than food very friendly and welcoming people and beautiful scenery.
Definitely the people is what I go for! I send food ahead and on the plane ride, Tri Tip freezes really well for the trip...
Thank you. I stay in the province of cebu and one more thing to be patiënt with is the periodic cut of water supply in the morning hours.. you keep your bucket to flush your toilet and wash your hands. Food is a problem especially if you're not into seafood. The meat is salty and lack spices. Bread is sweet and soft. I will start my vegetable garden with some more choice than onions peppers, zucchini and aubergine. Life is cheap when you can avoid supermarkets as much as you can. I love the people. I just get used to the roosters in the morning and karaoke at night.
Then chances are your life would be stressful and anytime soon, your health will deteriorate due to stressors surrounding and hounding you every single day. You better pack up your things and leave for other countries which are way way way way cheaper and better where almost everything is to your liking.
Hey Tom, just like all your videos, I also enjoyed this one. Very much from the heart. I have a Filipina wife and one day may end up retiring there. I am from the US so things are certainly different in every way you can imagine. I personally think your videos are very informative and educational. I wish you the best always, take care. I would love to grab a drink with you someday, God Willing.
I love how you do not pull any punches and tell things like they are, No Bull and we the viewers appreciate that for real.
If you like Vietnam why came to the Philippines? You should have stayed in Vietnam. If you have a big budget go to Manila and you will taste excellent food and luxurious places to enjoy. It depends on your budget.
Was in Manila in these luxurious places food still meh 🫤
Ty for being honest. You hit the nail in the head. I prolly have more to say as i grew up there. I've visited a lot of countries and i have to be honest, PI is still home and theres no place like home but it's prolly still light years away from most countries when it comes to infrastructures, systems, processes and anything else in between. However, it's these disadvantages that makes PI and Filipinos unique, different, resilient and strong.
Also fatalistic , accepting of bad treatment from above, submissive
@@alfredopampanga9356 not all Filipinas are submissive? Fatalistic yup.
@@mmirafuentess1990 one can never say “ all” But I’m struck by the way Filipinos accept rude , overbearing treatment from anyone in authority. As an Australian I feel like saying “ Go f### your mother “ to some of these people.
Watch how they stand waiting for ferries that don’t respect timetables. Rude , dismissive staff talking thru a tiny hole in security screen
Tourist bureau staff who look at you blankly when I say “ Good morning “ In this instance I pointed out to her that her response would get her fired in any place else.
@@alfredopampanga9356 I was immediately thinking of and in relationships only. Indeed, there many rude and disrespectful people everywhere we go in the universe & yes $SOME$ management or higher positioned people in PI treat their employees horribly.
And, I myself have experiences rude, dismissive or less acceptable Filipino behaviors (@ the airport, McDonald’s and JB’s (don’t go there), whilst the tourists received preferential treatment (mostly light skinned). Happened each time when I’m behind a tourist or a foreigner. (I looked scraggly after a 17 hour flight, yet, I bothered to say, how’s your morning or day or evening.) Yes, the “reply would get him/her fired any place else”.
Smh, as the moment this happens, he/she chooses not to be tipped.
And, I may (just) write an email to corporate, I have her/him give me their name and badge number.
We should all be considerate, less robotic, (let go of your) smiles, say hello.
Leave your worries $nd problems at home because the moment you bring them with you at work, (game over). It affects your productivity. You’re here to do your job and get paid.
Lastly, speak up if you’re mistreated behind closed doors.
Amen.
@@mmirafuentess1990 It’s too easy to say there are rude disrespectful people everywhere. I can assure you that the relationship between authority and people is different in Philippines.
Case in point. Ferdinand Marcos steals 9 billion dollars. What happens? No prosecution. And the Filipinos elect his son as president. This would never happen in another country
Thumbs up for the honest video. Way better than the overhypers only covering the positives like an ad.
I’ll be coming to Cebu in a few weeks for 2 months. I am 42 so I am calling this my mid life reset trip lol. Id like to get together and have a meal or some coffee if you would like to do that. Maybe you can show me what to do there, I’ve never been before!
Nice video Tom.. . Your always honest and straightforward... we all see the good that is posted on TH-cam but it's the raw footage and insights given by people like you and your actual thoughts and opinions on what you experience daily that is so useful and enjoyable to watch. 👍
@Phil Gee...True. Don't believe in those vloggers who always use clickbait on how nice or good Philippines is because they only want to grow their channel. The Philippines shouldn't be in the map for expats to live. Take the words from Tom, he's the living witness to how bad the Philippines as a country to live. I think he's already plotting his exit plans now. I think Vietnam and Thailand are the countries he'd likely move to very very soon. I'm sure Tom isn't dumb and stupid to stay in the Philippines where he only finds two positive things (friendliness and English-conversant Filipinos). Tom is very smart person and smart person knows how to live their life. Dumb persons allow themselves to be swallowed in miseries. The Philippines has only two positive things: friendliness and English speaking ability (but not quite fluently). Everything else is not up to the standard of any country. The Philippines is, indeed, for Filipinos only. Because only Filipinos can swallow their own food and have the nerve to do things like in slow motion movie.
I lived in Manila when i was a child, my father was army. The only con I can remember is no running water for 2 years and the open trash pits. Otherwise, it was a wonderful experience, you adapt. But then again I was about 9 yrs old, half day school, swimming everyday. To this day, I am now in my 60's, I hate wasting water, it makes me mad.
I'm Filipino but I'm not offended by what your opinion is, becoz it's true, even, we Filipinos are sometimes frustrated by the negativity you mentioned but nonetheless I'm proud and love our country and the new government is trying their best to fix most that can be fixed.
Really? The new government is trying to fix most🤣🤣🤣🤣you're funny it's more than 100 days since bbm became Pres of the Phil's.. he has done nothing.. nada, as in zero.. oh wait there is, he went back to Singapore to watched the F1😬
@@florasegovia4914 wala akong mgagawa kung jan ka masaya sa being nega at pagbubulag bulagan. Halatang toxic ka na crab mentality ,dilawan anti Marcos. 😝
To Sacmar Cela It is not my opinion. It is the solid fact.
@@florasegovia4914 Do NOT go into the politics. We are talking about regular people of the Philippines.
@@florasegovia4914 for you. Do not talk as if all filipinos felt like that.
Definitely honest. Good for people to hear what many expats really think about these things.
I'm with you and your honesty is refreshing. I have been married to A pinay for 20 years now, and she means the world to me. However, we live in the USA, and she and I pretty much like it that way. I've been all around Philippines, and as you mentioned, the people are beautifully friendly. Living there though is just not my thing.. I admire you, and keep up your informative videos!!! Love ya, Keith (In Florida USA)
You can't win either way. I lived in the Philippines for a year in 2006. I had a nice apartment in the financial district of Makati. But the USA is going down quickly. Come on Bruh, our country is going to hell in a handbasket unfortunately. I am in Florida as well, and this place has become so over-developed and crazy. The "Florida Man" thing is real. :-) I will retire to the Philippines in another year. it's a matter of "pick your own poison." The Nordic countries are great to live, but being from Florida I don't do cold winters so cold weather climates are out for me.
Having lived in bohol, Cebu Laguna and manila, I can guarantee in Manila supermarket prices are the same if not higher than the west. If you're a fussy eater like me be prepared for huge supermarket costs.
Provinces are better for retirement anyway, if a party animal then manila or Cebu. Most people are friendly and usually English is pretty much understood though they don't always admit it. Some don't like to speak English in case they get something wrong and they get laughed at by fellow Filipinos.
Tom's right, find a spot, check it out for a few months and decide.
I think it's safe to just skip the Philippines than waste time if you already know that there are only two positive things in the Philippines. Life is too short to waste time on 'trial and error'. You heard it from Tom and other thousands of expats who don't have favorable words about the Philippines except the nature and friendliness of the people. Latin America and most other Asian countries have the most positive things any Westerner is looking for.
I'm in makati now. Food prices are higher. But chicken is cheap
Rice is life. Like you, I been here a lot and living in BGC was a great life. But now I live in province, I love it and just except people and culture different. But like I say to my partner. We go out and eat meet other people. Yes province life is cheaper. Love the fruit and most food . I just miss my steak
Again there you go being very honest and upfront about your experiences in between the Philippines Thailand and Vietnam which one do you think is the best to be and it is Thailand as cheap or cheaper than the Philippines
Is thailand not affected by inflation
Loved the video! Thank you for this type of content! The scenery around you is so calming as well.
Love the honesty!
Absolutely nailed it. Very fair analysis.
I've lived in both Thailand and the Phils and spent extended periods in half a dozen other SE Asian countries.
The Philippines has some definite strong plus points. Lovely friendly people often times who speak good English, amazing natural beauty and just a very positive vibe I found.
But for food I found it pretty grim. Thailand is just amazing for food. Not only is the local food endlessly varied, really affordable, healthy and delicious but they are also brilliant at almost every other cuisine. Ive had some of the best Italian food outside of Italy in Bangkok. I've had English roast dinners in Thailand that would put an English pub to shame.
Meanwhile in the Phils if you're over adobo and local sugary pasta 😬 then the international stuff is very hit and miss I found. I had dinner in one of Manilas fanciest french restaurants and not only was it London prices it was honestly very disappointing in terms of quality.
Accommodation it's much the same story. For the same budget in Thailand you just a get a much much higher quality offering. So many stunning condos and pool villas in Thailand at great prices compared to Phils.
Private health and dental care again I found to be top notch in Thailand but nowhere near as good in the Philippines.
I do actually love the Philippines inspite of the above but I'd wouldn't choose to live there again whereas I'll probably end up retiring in Thailand or possibly Malaysia which is also fantastic I found.
Will Smith - thank you, it was interesting to read your own story and to see how much you agree with Hogan in this video.
I am British and just returned from a three-week 'exploratory' trip to the Phils, with a view of potentially retiring there.
Naturally, I knew that three weeks was not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of the true Philippines life, but I really wanted to see the landscape for myself, having viewed countless TH-cam videos on the subject.
I came home feeling despondent and very disappointed - mainly because of the infrastructure and poor value for money with living accommodation.
Hogan mentioned favourable value-for-money in Thailand and Vietnam, so I think either of those countries will be next on my list. I have been to Thailand many times as a tourist, but never as a potential resident. I have never visited Vietnam, but I have heard from sources outside YT that it is certainly worth a tour.
I can see why so many people love the Philippines as it has so much to offer in many respects, but in my own way and at my time of life, I need a little bit more 'familiarity' and inner satisfaction.
Pardon me but I find your comment hilarious, "Grim" Filipino food compared to what? Thai insects street food😆? There are so many Filipino food varieties different in each region. In my opinion the taste are almost similar for all southeast asian countries(ph, thai, indo and viet) except that the others have indian/chinese fusion while philippines has spanish/chinese fusion. I cooked pininyahang manok( pineapple chicken) for my two female eu(french and british) friends and they loved it , they're forcing me to share my secret recipe so they can cook it for their family back home 😆.
@@rondj3495 I'm not sure I'd call insects street food exactly, more an alternative snack to chips.
Thai street food I've always found really varied and delicious,, especially in the night markets.
As for my comment about Filipino food, that's just been my personal experience having been to the country many times and travelled extensively. It's obviously not put me off coming given I'm a repeat tourist, but I'm definitely coming for the diving and the beaches and the friendly people - not the food.
And I'm.hardly alone in that opinion, so many travelers and tourists comment on this - are they ALL wrong?
Also as I think was said in the video, many types of SE Asian food are so popular in the West that you'll find Indian restaurants everywhere with Thai and Vietnamese joints not far behind. But Filipino restaurants, and I'm.not talking jolibee 🙄, not exactly ubiquitous 😁
I'm in Hong Kong and have been to Filipino friends houses many times where they home cook what I think is typical for a celebration buffet, so adobo,, lumpia, Filipino chop suey, Filipino spaghetti etc .etc .
I've eaten this type of thing counless times and I'm just being honest that it's not something I get excited about. Lots of sugar in everything and lots of oil, often very bland. So a bit like Scottish food then where I'm from 😂
It is interesting to me though how incredibly defensive many people are in the comments section. Some more or less telling him to get out if he doesn't like it.
Almost Trump levels of thin skinnedness and over the top nationalism. Mind you they just voted in Marcos 2 with a side order of Duterte ( hey those drug addicts are gonna kill themselves quickly enough) so I guess that's not surprising.
But anyway - people need to chill!
@@willsmith39 You're Filipino friends might be just dull cooks. I worked with Filipinos in south africa and let me tell you that there is always a sort of competition among them for who cooks the best "adobo". Their adobo's basic ingredients are always soy sauce, sugar, salt, peppercorn onions and garlic . But there's this one guy from cebu who cook it differently instead of sugar he put freshly squeezed pineapple juice, and added some spices like banana blossoms, star anise and bay leaves. The quantity of his spices ingredients were very well balanced with the portion of meat. It was still sweet but oh boy that was one of the most indulging savory sweet I have tried. The only complain I had was he served me with a huge family size humba portion( typical filipino serving size). If it was only served in small portion like in the fine dining french restaurant it would deserve a michellen star. Aside from Filipinos I also have Thai , indian and indonesian co workers. Indian food (always curry) so lame . the Thais always cook tom yom ,the indonesians always cook spicy chicken and nasi goreng , and filipinos always cook adobo and lumpia.
NO ONE STOPPING YOU , YOURE COMMENTS ARE VALID , DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS . IF YOU PREFER OTHER PLACES LIKE THAILAND OR MALAYSIA GOOD FOR YOU. YOU CAN COME AND GO TO THE PHILIPINES AS YOU PLEASES. YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. EVERYONE ARE ALL THE SAME. WE DO WHAT PLEASES US . HAPPY TRAILS.
Great food comment, exactly as I describe Filipino food. I always add that when mankind moved from Thailand Cambodia or Nam over to the Philippines, the cook fell overboard.
I agree that it's hard to get things done in PH when it comes to dealing with local gov't, a throwback to our Spanish culture. If you're in a corporate setting, though, things get done faster as PH is now no. 1 in the world for customer call center support. Question: If things were managed by a company (promising to make things done and faster) instead of local PH government, would you be interested in that? What would be the most important errands, paperwork in PH you want solved, even digitally or be settled or done online?
There are a lot of fresh vegetables there especially in SM. You can make your own green salad, add cooked bbq chicken breast. The grocery stores have all kinds of fruits.
You're talking about while strolling past some pretty nice-looking row crops.
What are they growing?
Coming from spain... the pilipino pace didnt strike me as slow😆 felt right at home.
That's coz they got it from you in the first place 🤣
@@walking_in_the_shade hehehe i know right... certainly helped with learning the language though. Was aprehensive since our whole colonial history but have met nothing but good vibes. Mabuhay pilipinas!
Thats what these foreigners did not understand our history,philippines is influence by spain,we have spanish food that is hard to prepare,thailand vietnam,got chinese influence,thats they have good streetfood
I'm Filipino and I appreciate your honesty. I hate vloggers who just say nice things about Filipino food just to gain subscribers. I myself, can cook better, than some carinderias or restaurants in my city so I agree with you that the Philippines is not the best place if you want fine dining or honest-to-goodness delicious food. There are many delicious dishes but many are overrated. If you don't like salty food that much then you might not like it here.
Edit: If you're Filipino and you don't like my comment then leave. Don't write a comment. I won't read it anyway.
Dude you live in the province if you want fine dining live in socialist part of manila lots of fine dining restaurants stop complaining or get out of the Philippines asap nobody forces you to lived in the Philippines
@@rhythmax0593 I don't need anyone to believe that I can cook better. My food is for myself. Keep your words. You have your opinion and I have mine. You cannot stop me.
@@pearloftheorient8336 You have your opinion and I have mine. I don't need your opinion.
@@pmgstn my opinion is for the vlogger not for you vice versa I don't need your opinion too
@@pearloftheorient8336 okay, then make your own comment and don't hijack my thread 🤣🤣
I respect all the facts you shared base on your Experience living here As a Fil-American theres nothing negative about food. Filipino cuisines serve their traditional dishes they dont add any fancy flowers to make the food colorful and yeah
Your always free to cook your own Foods in the Philippines you can smoke or grilled steaks if you want to, wet market is always available for any spices or ingredients that you want to cook with.
I am filo who lived in the west. My problem with the food is the lack of choices in vegies in takeaway shops. It is mostly about meat here.
Firstly he is not American and European have different tastes. The food he is totally right to a full westerners who have been spoilt with great cuisine. Best you try other Asian countries food first then take his content to heart
Food is always a tricky subject as it is subjective and he is entitled to his own opinions.
I don't agree with his comments though as the food in Manila is amazing and there are a variety of different restaurants of many different cuisines to choose from and will keep many foodies happy. Ofc in the province the choice is limited but that's the same anywhere.
This is from somebody who lives in Europe and London for 20 years.
Nicely balanced and just provocative enough to bring the people jealous of your relationship with MJ screaming our of the. woodwork
This is spot on. Ive experienced exactly this. I wouldnt want to be in the Philippines if it wasnt for my lovely gf. In fact i think youre still being too kind about the place. 😊
Thats the main draw. A pretty lady. Better to not Sugar Coat it.
I agree, mostly spot on. I'm a Filipino, left Pinas 35 yrs ago at 21 to join US Navy. Been all over Southeast Asia, stationed in Japan for 7 yrs. Live in San Diego now, I will only take long vacations back there but probably not live there. The place will test your patience at times but still love and miss the chaos. Thanks for your video.
US Navy with no patience
I agree with the part about trying to get stuff done Especially the way you want it to be done. For example; building a house. Be sure you are there from start to finish. But I do love the Philippines.
Thank you for your honest feedback Tom. Honestly the cost living of Philippines is getting costly and the convenience is not there.
I was there with my beloved for 6 months. We were living in Sibonga (near Cebu) - a three bedroom house, with a walled garden and a nice kitchen, was 22000 PHP per month for us. Or, ~ 400 to 420 dollars USD depending on the exchange rate. It had a nice kitchen, - oh and servants quarters, which we opened once so I could gawk, but we didn't use - an equivalent house - minus the servants quarters, in the US would cost at least 1600 USD (~90,000 PHP) and usually closer to 2500 USD (~140,000 PHP). We shopped at the Metro in Carcar generally, and I found the food to be between 1/3rd and 1/2 of US prices there. We got our fruit from local vendors and some other things that my love wanted to get us. We cooked mostly at home, he was not into eating out much, and that was fine, so I can't comment on food out - although the few times we ate out (once in SM Seaside mall - in the food court - when we went there to buy his engagement ring from a jeweler, and then on our fourth anniversary in Diane's) the food was fine. We also had takeout from Jollibees a few times and weird (but tasty) takeout pizza a couple of times. We also did not find it ridiculously slow, but I've lived in NYC (not in the last 20 years) and I will tell you, not everything in the US is fast (though NOTHING compares to USCIS for being ridiculously slow, we applied for his fiance visa over 8 months ago and its still in the very initial stage - which is driving us both crazy - we chat every day, morning and evening, and video chat all the time, but we would like to be back together, over here (I'm back in the US now). I absolutely agree, the people there are the literal best people I've ever met in my life. His family never blinked when he told them, and they welcomed me. We lived together while I was there, but we would go a couple of times a week to visit his family and I have never felt more accepted and loved anywhere. Kind thoughts to you all.
Nice experience Tom. Thanks for sharing and I look forward for more videos from you.
Tom thank you for being so honest, my respect for you got even bigger. And yes some vloggers are too scared to speak the truth . American food tastes better in the USA. Filipino food tastes better in the Philippines. It's cheaper in the Philippines but money goes faster, they charge more for foreigners. Supermarkets are expensive few thousands each time especially for more than one person. You rent condos and homes are tiny. Then if you find a good big size in manila or qc they're asking for 40k or 50k or more. It's a different story too if you want to live in a good area it costs more. And you're so right about getting things done Philippines is extremely slow, it's frustrating it doesn't matter how big your patience is, in the US I can do everything in one day off, Philippines takes one or only two things done in a whole day. Filipinos are used to doing things slow because they're not as busy as Westerners. Weather is too hot or constantly storming. Restaurants good restaurants are expensive. Ride fares like grab is expensive. Taxi and tricycle drivers ripps off foreigners. If you take the jeep it's too packed and it's hot or you get wet if it's raining. Manila has most everything but it's more expensive than any province. Right on on the 6 mos to 1 year staying in the Philippines before deciding to move completely. Great vlog Tom. I'm waiting for you to go to Bali.
Philippines sucks for living. Great for tourism. Lived there 30 years. Your summary is accurate but incomplete.
I absolutely loved Bali 30 years ago until around 2008 ,I hear it has been ruined by overbuilding and overcrowding now. 😢
When I lived overseas this is how I judged food. IF I dont get diarrhea the food is excellent
You made a comment that you don’t want to live here in the Philippines full time but you have MJ who lives here with family . What’s your plan without getting too personal. I live on Mactan island and I do agree with all your negative things.
This was his exit plan haha
The best thing to do is ween the Filipina off her family. And GTFO of that sh8thole. I was there 30 years. It only gets worse over time. Btw, I had my kids in elementary school on Mactan island ~16 years ago. Mactan is much more congested now. Used to be sort of a get away paradise. First time I visited Cebu City in 1991 it still had a small town vibe itself. All has changed for the worse.
Changed for the worse because they breed prolifically.
First video I've seen of yours, after the channel popped up on my feed. I appreciate your candor and you have a new subscriber here! I appreciate it man!🤙
Hi Tom, are you the same Tom who was with the lady who built her small home in phils? Has a her own channel .I recognise your accent i think from those videos. Any way great videos mate, keep it up.