yiqipo
Hong Kongese expat in the Philippines
Forum posts
38
About me
Hong Kongese
Registration: 28 November 2022
Where to next itenary needed. by Canikissyou2859
I am going to porto galera for 2 weeks after angeles and makati now i'm wondering i'm looking for a place to live i want to beach water ocean palm trees women and son where should i go after leaving puerto galera i have another 4 weeks on my journey ...
USD2k a month would be tight in Metro Manila. Try places like Siargao and Bohol for beach life that is affordable. Read More
New members of the Philippines forum, introduce yourselves here - 2025 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Philippines forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
@AlohaGuy welcome to the Philippines. Regarding long term stay, since you have a pension/social security, getting a visa from the Philippine Retirement Authority like a SRRV should be the best option, since you would not have to pay fees every time ... Read More
HOA Billing CondoCorp Horrors馃槺馃サ by KenUSA
Does anyone have experience dealing with Condo CORP HOA Billing for condos in Bonifacio Global City, TAGUIG 鉂� I have two condos there and even after paying 12 months in advance all my dues they keep sending me bills and penalties and ...
Trion Towers and 5th Avenue Place are developed by Robinsons Land Corporation. I did not know their reputation, but at least now I know the accounting department for these two condos are terrible, based on your story. Personally, my bad experience ... Read More
Philippines Mandatory Mobile Phone SIM Card Registration By Mid 2023 by manwonder
Gd day guysWishing you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.Just a heads up....I understand that there is a NEW mandatory ruling that requires all local mobile phone SIM cards to be officially registered by mid 2023 which if left ...
If you want to get a new sim registered now, take note that the SMART sim reg system is not foreigner-friendly at all. First, they want to scan your passport, but their software cannot scan my passport of which the data page has a transparent ... Read More
I'm looking to buy a business in the Philippines. Any advice? by JustCallMeJoe
I haven't visited the Philippines ever. But I'm going to fix that. I'll make one or two exploratory trips and do some investigation before applying for an SRRV. Once all that's done, I want to buy a business. I have 40+ years of business experience ...
as regards grocery wholesale business, I am sure there are many. During COVID, these suppliers drove around BGC, my area, to deliver to individual households since restaurants were forced to close. They may even have something similar to Indonesia's ... Read More
I'm looking to buy a business in the Philippines. Any advice? by JustCallMeJoe
I haven't visited the Philippines ever. But I'm going to fix that. I'll make one or two exploratory trips and do some investigation before applying for an SRRV. Once all that's done, I want to buy a business. I have 40+ years of business experience ...
@JustCallMeJoe I used to own businesses here in the Philippines as a foreigner, and the last one was a fully foreign owned company. However, they all failed, I guess because I am not knowledgeable about the local market. For example, I opened a tea ... Read More
Driving in the Philippines by Col Rootentoot
`Here's a Philippines newspaper item today regards driving in the Philippines.Wise to invest in a 360 degree Dash Cam, and use it every time when in cars?鈥楢nti-Kamote Driver Bill鈥� filed in HouseBy: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - Reporter -聽 ...
This is a welcome news, if the proposed law gets passed. No one should be penalized if he/she did not cause an accident. As a related issue, foreigners driving in the Philippines should note that there are differences in driving styles here as ... Read More
A cautionary tale by Brojeslov
In 2020 I met a seemingly lovely young lady from Butuan City and things progressed quickly into a relationship. I never went to Butuan because she said it was boring and I've got insurance issues travelling to Mindanao, so we met elsewhere in places ...
it is not easy to know someone well, we must accept. When we have 'long distance' and 'money requests', though, it is a red flag, for sure. Even if she did not have a lover, I would hesitant to continuously give someone money without actually seeing ... Read More
Building a House in the Philippines by PalawOne
My wife and I are thinking of perhaps building another house in the Phils. What do people think of this?This time we're thinking of building something like this house design from pinoyeplans.comIt's a very traditional looking design, on purpose, but ...
@hongkongvancouver21 a fellow hongkonger to this forum? welcome! we are also looking for land to buy in the Philippines. We have a Filipino relative whom we will partner. Good luck to you, and us! Read More
Mexico Pampanga Setbacks by mangomon
My fianc茅e and I bought a property in Mexico Pampanga, what are the setbacks for a house, if any? I noticed from video/pictures it looks like the neighbors built their house up to their fence on their property line. Is this legal? Does anyone ...
@mangomon May I know what do you mean by building it by yourself? do you hire workers directly? we are planning to buy a lot in Pampanga as well, but we have no construction experience. Read More
Mexico Pampanga Setbacks by mangomon
My fianc茅e and I bought a property in Mexico Pampanga, what are the setbacks for a house, if any? I noticed from video/pictures it looks like the neighbors built their house up to their fence on their property line. Is this legal? Does anyone ...
@bigpearl that's good to know, thank you. We are looking for land to buy in Pampanga also. Knowing all the pitfalls would save us some trouble. Too bad there are so many crooks here. Read More
Foreign driver license conversion by Filamretire
So I'm in Philippines now and have 90 days to use my US driver license. I want to convert it but need ACR-I card. I am on balikbayan one year visa. Went to immigration and they wont give me an ACR -I card since I have one year on visa. I said I will ...
As for foreign license conversion, I did mine many years ago, at the office in Quezon City, and at that time no test was required. But if it is the same online theory test, I think you should just do it at home and bring a copy of the certificate. Read More
Foreign driver license conversion by Filamretire
So I'm in Philippines now and have 90 days to use my US driver license. I want to convert it but need ACR-I card. I am on balikbayan one year visa. Went to immigration and they wont give me an ACR -I card since I have one year on visa. I said I will ...
It seems most people posting here do not check the LTO website. The procedures for renewal etc are clear. For renewal, take an online driving theory test, get a medical report, and if you do not have penalties, your license will get renewed for ten ... Read More
Waste Management in the Philippines by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in the Philippines, waste management can often pose challenges and requires an understanding of local standards and regulations. Understanding local practices is essential for environmental compliance and seamless ...
I think it is not just money, but the political will and organizational capability. Since Legazpi City can do it, a small number of Filipino leaders are capable. Too bad they are the minority. I think a country like the Philippines stay poor exactly ... Read More
Most Reliable Way to Send Important Documents to the Philippines by Moon Dog
I have several apostilled documents I will be sending to my wife in the Philippines in a couple weeks for the purpose of adopting a child. Does anyone know of a reliable mail service that does not involve PhilPost? I'm in a remote area of West ...
Agreed with both. We use DHL for sending important documents from Metro Manila, and they deliver our Amazon orders from USA. Definitely not PhlPost. Read More
Expatriation in Manila by milkiouais
Hello,My husband has an expatriation opportunity in Manila and I'd like some information about life there. Is it easy to find halal food/restaurants? Which neighbourhoods are ideal for expat families with children? I've heard that the traffic jams ...
There are quite a few international schools in Metro Manila, especially an area called Bonifacio Global City, in Taguig City, which is an area suitable for expat living, especially if you don't mind condo living. Apart from driving, you can get ... Read More
Nice bread? by C D87
14 months now since I came from the UK to live here and I have adapted well to the local foods BUT the one thing I cannot find is any delicious bread. Everything here seems tasteless and pappy. Anybody got any recommendations?
If you can go to Metro Manila, you should be able to get some good croissants and baguettes. One bakery is Lartizan, and it has several branches in Metro Manila. Read More
Brit with Chinese wife to settle somewhere safe and secure in Luzon ? by petercc028
First post and hello to all members, perhaps you could point me in the right direction to settle somewhere in a quiet area at not an exorbitant cost.I am an old Brit pensioner married to my Chinese wife of 14 years and have been living in China for ...
There are many Chinese mainlanders (and other nationalities) living in Metro Manila, so even with the South China sea issue, being Chinese should not be a problem. If you or your wife have done something to upset them, such as cutting in front of ... Read More
Recommendations for a bank for a joint account? by yiqipo
hi we are having problems with our joint bank account at Metrobank. Specifically, it does not give every account holder of a joint account independent access for online banking. So only one account holder in a joint account can access the account ...
@tphgawn thanks so much for the info! Read More
Recommendations for a bank for a joint account? by yiqipo
hi we are having problems with our joint bank account at Metrobank. Specifically, it does not give every account holder of a joint account independent access for online banking. So only one account holder in a joint account can access the account ...
@tphgawn thanks so much for the info! Read More
Recommendations for a bank for a joint account?
hi we are having problems with our joint bank account at Metrobank. Specifically, it does not give every account holder of a joint account independent access for online banking. So only one account holder in a joint account can access the account ... Read More
Suing my sons mother by Jason Mclaughlin
Hello all. I would love your feedback about the local barangay and the court process in the philippines. The mother of my child broke our agreement to give our child American citizenship. She has already stole from me five times while trying to bond ...
if the mother does not want to give up the child, there is unlikely much you can do. So your best chance is to persuade her that it would be in HER best interest to do so. Maybe you can promise to help her get US citizenship as well? Give them free ... Read More
Newbie from earth. by Ivo sonnenberg
Hello there, i am Ivo an old piece of iron. In 3 months or so i go back to the Phillipines to retire for good. undo on paper i am not retired yet. I know the country well i have lived there 4 years in a row before. Wenn i went before i was just ...
hi Ivo, it is great that you are coming back to the Philippines with a desire to do good. There are many needs here in the Philippines, although I get dishearted sometimes for trying to help people, when I see that they are not able to make the best ... Read More
Which Visa ??? by Dave & Ruby
Hey Fellow Expats, just trying to get all my ducks in a row so to speak, should I be applying for a 13a visa or a special resident visa for when my wife and I move permanently to the Philippines ??? Thank you
So far SRRV works great for us, their service is superb, renewal is a breeze. Don't know other visas, but heard stories that anything to do with Immg Dept directly could be painful and costly. I have friends that are here on 9G dependent (working ... Read More
9G working visa. by Gabrieleuno
I am Italian citizen, I have company in HongKong and right now I live in China, I would like to transfer in Manila to live for this reason I want make 9G Working Visa and AEP, I would like to know if there are company can assist me and offer ...
I don't know much about applying for 9G visa, as I am here as retiree. Just in case you have dependent that you would like to bring in as well through 9G visa, I will share what I have heard. In 2022, a friend who is here on 9G needs his daughter's ... Read More
Start business as a foreigner in Philippine by 21hannah
Hi good day all, I鈥檓 Hannah, foreigner but living in Philippine. I want to ask all of you have any recommendation for having and start a small business cafe? How can I start and who should I getting help? How much all the cost? Please give me ...
Many tourists come here, make YouTube about the Philippines, then get paid wherever they are in the world. Many freelancers, called digital nomads, live around the world while earning from online work, and I believe quite a few are here in the ... Read More
Start business as a foreigner in Philippine by 21hannah
Hi good day all, I鈥檓 Hannah, foreigner but living in Philippine. I want to ask all of you have any recommendation for having and start a small business cafe? How can I start and who should I getting help? How much all the cost? Please give me ...
If youtube asks for it, i guess you need to get a BIR number. If they accept just an individual BIR number, called a TIN, then it is simple. Note though, registering a business in the Philippines involves filing quite a bit of paper work every ... Read More
build a house in philippines by Mikko Alfonso
i am a foreigner who want to get plot and build a house on philippines, i know foreigners can't buy plots, so i want to get leased plot.what shall the contract looks like, and what is the maximum period, is it 50 years? or can go longer?what kind of ...
@WHITE ASIAN thanks for the info. We are thinking about buying here by using a trust for the longest time but don't know how. Could you advise where can we find a trustworthy Land Lawyer in Metro Manila? Our kid is Filipina, but not yet 18 Read More
Philippines Mandatory Mobile Phone SIM Card Registration By Mid 2023 by manwonder
Gd day guysWishing you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.Just a heads up....I understand that there is a NEW mandatory ruling that requires all local mobile phone SIM cards to be officially registered by mid 2023 which if left ...
@Moon Dog try getting a barangay ID for this purpose, or a postal ID from post office. In any case, in Smart's registration system, they do not seem to read the uploaded ID. When and if they do, they can always contact the applicant if they reject ... Read More
Pros and Cons of Retiring/Living in the Philippines by Cherryann01
The more I think about this subject the more I seem to be persuading myself that the Philippines is not a great place to retire, contrary to what others think and every body is entitled to their opinion.So after reading some of the recent posts, I ...
What does a retiree look for in a place of residence? Everyone has their own unique connection to different places. For us, we have our work history here in the Philippines at first. Other important considerations are medical services - availability ... Read More
PHILIPPINES DRIVING LICENCE - TOURIST VISA by SilverBirch
I see another topic on Driving Licence - but this is specifically for those that are recent to PH and or on a TOURIST VISAI am getting different advice and would like to know if anybody KNOWS what I should do next;GOV.PH Before I came I checked on ...
if it is just for ID purpose, you can get post office ID, I have been told and it is very easy. Find your local Phlpost office. Or a barangay ID, check with your barangay office. Read More
white / yellow onions by FindlayMacD
Nothing to do with any of the threads I have read on here, but I live here in Cagayan De Oro and for some time now (at least three months or more) we have been finding it hard to buy onions, red onions not so bad still expensive, but white onions ...
I wonder in how many countries that the president of the country is also the Secretary of Agriculture. This crazy prices for basic agricultural products only happen since 2022, after the new president got into office. Read More
"Philippines to reach upper middle class status in 2025" by PalawOne
Philippines to reach upper middle class status in 2025, NEDA chief saysManila Standard December 18, 2022 https://manilastandard.net/news/314288587/ph-to-reach-upper-middle-class-status-in-2025-neda-chief-says.htmlThe Philippines is likely to achieve ...
@B F Blackstone i have been in the Philippines since 1993. I was full of optimism for this country then, seeing how good the people were, how richly endowed with resources, great geographical location and so on, but as years pass, i have seen ... Read More
Absurdity of Looking for Work in the Philippines by drjs
I acquired my spousal visa in the Philippines a couple of months ago and started looking for work. Since I'm not Filipino, I knew it would be difficult.First you have to deal with the fact that several companies flat out refuse to hire anybody who ...
My only job interview here in the Philippines was with an international company that my husband (a foreigner) worked in. The interviewer, a Filipina, told me after a few questions: "I actually have no intention of hiring you, but was just curious ... Read More
Absurdity of Looking for Work in the Philippines by drjs
I acquired my spousal visa in the Philippines a couple of months ago and started looking for work. Since I'm not Filipino, I knew it would be difficult.First you have to deal with the fact that several companies flat out refuse to hire anybody who ...
@manwonder I wonder how up to date is the information in that report. In 2014, I set up a web development corporation with 99% foreign ownership with a fully paid up capital of US$200,000. Read More
Buying a Condo by Tariq1983
So I have been living in the Philippines roughly 3 months and I have to say I have found the place I want to settle. 聽I love the hot weather friendly people beautiful women beaches mountains etc. my next step is to start looking into buying a ...
@Dane Juju whether a property is overpriced or not is determined by the market. Many years ago we considered buying a unit at Serendra, but looking at its build quality which is not too good, the price seemed too high. But 15 years later, it has ... Read More
Building a House in the Philippines by PalawOne
My wife and I are thinking of perhaps building another house in the Phils. What do people think of this?This time we're thinking of building something like this house design from pinoyeplans.comIt's a very traditional looking design, on purpose, but ...
@aalottjr you and others here are doing a great job training the local workers, well done! for the rest of us who do not know about construction, we will just have to hire a licensed architect to supervise workers, and even then we will have to ... Read More
Building a House in the Philippines by PalawOne
My wife and I are thinking of perhaps building another house in the Phils. What do people think of this?This time we're thinking of building something like this house design from pinoyeplans.comIt's a very traditional looking design, on purpose, but ...
@Guest9272 thanks for sharing the useful information. I am thinking of buying land in Bulacan to build a house, with solar panels so as to save electricity costs. The off-the-shelf house design that I have seen in the Philippines so far seem a bit ... Read More