In my previous article, “Moving to the Philippines and Why”, I talked about Philippines Visas, the Philippines cost of living and buying property in the Philippines.
In this article, I want to show my thoughts on the Filipino people. Their culture and other reasons I love the Philippines and the people.
What is it like to be an ex-pat in the Philippines and why western men are looking to the Philippines for their new life partner.
Of course, the other consideration is what you want as an ex-pat and your idea of the best place to retire in the Philippines.
Metro Manila
Metro Manila region is where you will find Manila which is a beautiful city and is constantly changing. The current population is just over 14.1million people at around 636 Square Kilometres. When you visit the Philippines, this will probably be your first stop.
If you love the bustling city lifestyle, then Manila will certainly not disappoint you. It lives 24hours a day and is seriously busy.
The government is constantly investing in the area, and development is fast.
The downside to the city (as with other world cities) is that the poverty is very apparent; you will see the very poor on the streets, and the most heart-breaking part is the homeless children. There are, however, social welfare groups that are actively trying to combat this.
Whilst walking around, you will see the remnants of the Spanish occupation, which lasted from 1521 to 1898.
When you move to the Philippines no matter where you travel to, you will see the Spanish influence in the buildings and the people.
A famous Filipino comedian Jo Koy, whose stand-up act revolves heavily around Filipino culture, talks about how hard to distinguish between Filipinos and Mexicans due to the Spanish influence.
The Province
However, if you are like me and want peace and quiet, then it is off to the provinces you must go to. Basically, the provinces are the countryside made up of jungle, farms, and most of all beautiful beaches.
The scenery will never get old. No matter how much you see, you will still find something new. Look, and you will find the hidden waterfalls, slow and lazy meandering rivers and secret romantic beaches. It is, in my opinion, a small piece of heaven.
What’s the downside?
The only downside is if you like the convenience of popping to the shops or mall to get that item you need. You will need transport and be prepared to drive to the city when you need something.
You won’t starve, though. Your local town will have all the food you could ever eat, and it will be fresh, but it will be local food. So, if you want western food, then prepare to drive. But, if you only want to eat western food, you need to ask yourself if the Philippines is the place for you.
Culture
For me, this is the most significant reason for moving to the Philippines to retire.
I believe the western world has completely lost its way. In the hunt for the perfect democracy with the perfect inclusive society, we have developed into a society with no consequence to our actions.
Bad behaviour from children and adults alike is blamed on everything but the individual. They no longer take responsibility for themselves. Minority groups can ride roughshod over the majority in the name of diversity and inclusion. For me, this is the same as the tail wagging the dog.
Go and visit a Filipino house. On my first ever visit to a Filipino house, one of my partner’s nephews came up to me, and after being introduced, he took my hand and pressed it against his forehead.
For a westerner, this was strange.
However, when we arrived at the family home of my partner’s parents, all the children, grandchildren and family members lined up, in turn, to do the same with my partners mum and dad.
Respect! That is the word. Respect for your family, your friends and your country. If I go to town in the UK and, for instance, I want to know the time I will find someone and say, “Excuse be but have you the time?” In the USA, they will probably use “Sire or “Ma’am”.
In the Filipino culture, regardless of where in the world they are, they will refer to each other as “Kuya” or “Ate”, meaning “Older Brother” or “Older Sister”.
This respect they have for each other and themselves is, in my opinion, the most impressive part of Filipino culture.
Filipinas
More and more western men are heading to the far east in search of a partner to share their lives with. Especially moving to the Philippines.
When you consider the respect, the family values that all Filipinos live by. You can understand what I mean when I say Filipinas are not only beautiful outside but also on the inside.
If you are lucky enough to have a Filipina partner like me then you will understand the differences between them and the typical western woman. Check this channel on youtube, “The Filipina Pea“
Filipinas are very loving; they care about how they look not only to their partners but also in public. They also care about how you look, especially in public! If you think you are going out looking like a tramp guess again, because if you look bad your Filipina will think people look at her as a bad partner and that she is not looking after you properly.
Filipinas although strong women are also proud of their femininity. They appreciate when a gentleman opens a door for them, they appreciate when a gentleman gives up his seat for her and they appreciate it when they receive a nice respectful compliment.
The same behaviour in the west will get you fired from your job, berated in public or even land you in court.
Filipinas have the same rights as the men, as they do in the west and actually appreciate it.
In summary to both articles, I have had enough of being man bashed in the modern western world for being the gentleman my mother was proud of. I have my life’s partner and with the help of this blog, my photography we will be able to build a new life by moving to the Philippines together.