How can I enter Philippines?

[Allovertheworld 355]

1 hour ago, RO_AH said:

Just like in America some states have been much more restrictive than others, in the Philippines some areas are more restrictive than others. I built a house in the Philippines. Do you know how much I paid for a building permit and how long I had to wait for it? Ummm I didn't because I didn't need one. My wife has a store. She sells alcohol, beer, and pretty much anything else she wants. Do you know what kind of liquor permit she needs? None. Do you know what restrictions she has on what time of day she can sell alcohol? None. 

 

It's fine if you choose to see all of the negatives of the Philippines, but there are 2 sides to every coin. America is supposed to be the land of the free. But in a lot of ways they are much more free in the Philippines.

She has a store that allows her to sell liqour during a liqour ban?  Is this like a grocery store or a sari sari store?

[Allovertheworld 355]

9 hours ago, top_secret said:

Me and my Filipina wife DID get married in Costa Rica in December.  That part can be done.  I 'should' be able to get a Philippine visa and be eligible to enter the Philippines now, and I will tackle that hurdle in a month or so when I have a bunch of other paperwork in order.  I haven't tried yet.  I am also filing an i-130 for a spousal visa to the US for her, but that is of course a time consuming process.  If you are hoping to get married and then return to the Philippines together on the same trip, that becomes more complicated as you would have to get married, get the paperwork in order, apply for a visa at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate, etc.  (Philippines Embassy in Mexico City has consular jurisdiction over Costa Rica for example)  A time consuming process dealing with bureaucracies in more than one country.  Realistically I'd think it would take a couple of months to go from a Costa Rica wedding, to having possession of an actual Philippine Visa as the spouse of a Filipina.  But if you are in it for the long haul, it may be the quickest option?  I don't really see how else you would be allowed into the Philippines right now.  I guess it also depends on how much time and money you have for the necessary travel.

I am still impressed with your story, you figured out a way to make things happen.  

 

Instead of sitting on sidelines crying, you got out there and figured a way around the system legally.

[oldmunchi 1]

7 hours ago, NoMansLand2020 said:

Life in the Philippines isn't all it's cracked up to be either. Take a look at how they have handled the pandemic. Restricting people of certain ages from leaving their homes. Only allowing people to leave their homes with a pass.. And one person at a time. You have less freedom there than you do in the US. 

Atleast out in the providence's people actually act like human beings, interacting with those living around them, strong families, close communities, things you only find in certain closed cult like communities in the US. Atleast if I made a US wage and was over there it we would be okay. We have the k1 visa, because the access to be able to do something like that for both of us is an option. 90%+ of the people in my community here dont make more than 2 or 3 dollars above the minimum wage and live at or near the poverty level. You take that with the general isolation US citizens live like in comparison to those in PH and it really is not an amazing picture.

[John & Rose 7,239]

Right now there is no way for non-spouse or child to enter.  That changes often but I doubt if that part will change for a while.  It is killing the economy as tourism is huge but that is their decision.  Here is a great website that is update often.  It has the requirements for all countries so you can see where each currently stands.

 

https://infopages.traveldoc.aero/Information/Coronavirus

[flicks1998 1,044]

2 hours ago, oldmunchi said:

Atleast out in the providence's people actually act like human beings, interacting with those living around them, strong families, close communities, things you only find in certain closed cult like communities in the US. Atleast if I made a US wage and was over there it we would be okay. We have the k1 visa, because the access to be able to do something like that for both of us is an option. 90%+ of the people in my community here dont make more than 2 or 3 dollars above the minimum wage and live at or near the poverty level. You take that with the general isolation US citizens live like in comparison to those in PH and it really is not an amazing picture.

I was born and raised in the US but have spent about 25+ years living out of the country and just recently returned last year to the US to do this K1 visa.  Ten of those years were spent working in the Philippines.  When the Philippines was just another tourist country to myself, I enjoyed my time here, however once I started working and had responsibilities to my job and to get things done, it was a whole new ballgame.  I see the country in a while different light and not necessarily in a favorable way. 

 

If you are going to work remote in the Philippines there are a few things to consider.  Your going to need 2 internet providers at your home for when one is down or unstable, you can use the other.  Youll need a 3rd provider (your mobile phone provider) as a 3rd option for last resort of a hotspot.  Also, if your here on a 13a (marriage visa) you can legally work, BUT thats under the premise that your paying taxes to the government which are absurdly high with nothing in return.  I work in Global Mobility so about 35% of my time was spent working with Philippine immigration moving expats into the country.  Before COVID, Immigration was trying to find a way to collect tax etc on all the mobile workers in the country.  Actually, many countries are trying to do this.  This is on the afterburner for now until the COVID situation improves, but expect that to come back to the table in 2022 or 2023. 

 

If ever you move into the direction of managing a team locally, this is where the burnout could come.  I wont go into specifics, but its very challenging leading a team locally, to put it mildly.  I moved thousands of expats into the country and all of them were excited for their new assignment, however after 2 years or more, whenever they were ready to repatriate home or move on to a 3rd country, more than 95% of them were completely burned out.  

 

I still feel like a foreigner in the US having been gone so long, but I agree with your assessment in alot of ways on the country.  One of the biggest things that stood out between 10 years of not visiting was the increase in the have's and have nots.  Also the deterioration of the education system has been another surprise, especially the K-12 grades.  I still feel universities in the US have a huge quality advantage over most every country.  Then you can go into small things such as why does everyone have to say something when you get on an elevator, why are there so many "fees" to do just about anything, etc.  For me the hardest part will always be the general lack of understanding on foreign affairs etc. 

 

Given all of that, I would take your time and clearly evaluate what and where you want to work etc.  The grass is not always greener on the other side.  Of all the countries I have worked in, Im most impressed by the workforce in Singapore, Hong Kong and Iran but Singapore and HK tend to have a high cost of living.   

 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by flicks1998

[oldmunchi 1]

24 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

I was born and raised in the US but have spent about 25+ years living out of the country and just recently returned last year to the US to do this K1 visa.  Ten of those years were spent working in the Philippines.  When the Philippines was just another tourist country to myself, I enjoyed my time here, however once I started working and had responsibilities to my job and to get things done, it was a whole new ballgame.  I see the country in a while different light and not necessarily in a favorable way. 

 

If you are going to work remote in the Philippines there are a few things to consider.  Your going to need 2 internet providers at your home for when one is down or unstable, you can use the other.  Youll need a 3rd provider (your mobile phone provider) as a 3rd option for last resort of a hotspot.  Also, if your here on a 13a (marriage visa) you can legally work, BUT thats under the premise that your paying taxes to the government which are absurdly high with nothing in return.  I work in Global Mobility so about 35% of my time was spent working with Philippine immigration moving expats into the country.  Before COVID, Immigration was trying to find a way to collect tax etc on all the mobile workers in the country.  Actually, many countries are trying to do this.  This is on the afterburner for now until the COVID situation improves, but expect that to come back to the table in 2022 or 2023. 

 

If ever you move into the direction of managing a team locally, this is where the burnout could come.  I wont go into specifics, but its very challenging leading a team locally, to put it mildly.  I moved thousands of expats into the country and all of them were excited for their new assignment, however after 2 years or more, whenever they were ready to repatriate home or move on to a 3rd country, more than 95% of them were completely burned out.  

 

I still feel like a foreigner in the US having been gone so long, but I agree with your assessment in alot of ways on the country.  One of the biggest things that stood out between 10 years of not visiting was the increase in the have's and have nots.  Also the deterioration of the education system has been another surprise, especially the K-12 grades.  I still feel universities in the US have a huge quality advantage over most every country.  Then you can go into small things such as why does everyone have to say something when you get on an elevator, why are there so many "fees" to do just about anything, etc.  For me the hardest part will always be the general lack of understanding on foreign affairs etc. 

 

Given all of that, I would take your time and clearly evaluate what and where you want to work etc.  The grass is not always greener on the other side.  Of all the countries I have worked in, Im most impressed by the workforce in Singapore, Hong Kong and Iran but Singapore and HK tend to have a high cost of living.   

 

 

Yeah, perhaps what we can do is just get her over her and get citizenship so we both have access to a US based work from home arrangement and then can be more mobile in our choosing of where we are going to stay. Neither of us wants to spend the rest of our life in US though. We are in our early 20s 

[NoMansLand2020 298]

6 hours ago, oldmunchi said:

Yeah, perhaps what we can do is just get her over her and get citizenship so we both have access to a US based work from home arrangement and then can be more mobile in our choosing of where we are going to stay. Neither of us wants to spend the rest of our life in US though. We are in our early 20s 

Do have kids or want kids? That's probably the only deterrent for us. My fiancée has two young kids and we want several more. I think they will have more opportunities here in the US than the Philippines and I don't frankly think the Philippines would be a great place to raise them.

[oldmunchi 1]

20 minutes ago, NoMansLand2020 said:

Do have kids or want kids? That's probably the only deterrent for us. My fiancée has two young kids and we want several more. I think they will have more opportunities here in the US than the Philippines and I don't frankly think the Philippines would be a great place to raise them.

That is true and definitely something huge to consider. I think they maybe benefit from say some summers back there though. Totally them having US citizenship is a clear advantage, yes 

[RO_AH 1,623]

I guess we all see things differently depending on the lens that we see life through. I love the culture in the Philippines. I love my wife, her values, character, and her morals. I love being around her family and friends and see something that I miss from how America was when I was young. I feel my kids will be blessed growing up there. They are dual citizens so they will always be free to come to America if they decide that in their future. They will all join me here soon and start their early years of schooling here, and then we will move to the Philippines in 5-6 years. I have seen the schoolwork there and here for k-12 and they are far ahead of the US as is most of the world. They will attend private school in the Philippines. I will start some sort of business with my wife to occupy our time. I hear a lot of talk of jobs an workforce, but surprisingly no talk of entrepreneurship. There is so much opportunity there. I for one can't wait to live there and hate whenever I have to leave.

[seekingthetruth 1,219]

10 hours ago, NoMansLand2020 said:

Do have kids or want kids? That's probably the only deterrent for us. My fiancée has two young kids and we want several more. I think they will have more opportunities here in the US than the Philippines and I don't frankly think the Philippines would be a great place to raise them.

I agree.  My daughters are almost 5 and almost 7.  We are moving to the U.S. to give them more opportunities.  My step-daughter is is 16 and has been in private schools since kinder.  She has done well but one of the main complaints I and others have about most of the PH schools is that they don't teach critical thinking, in general.  It all about memorization.  Her current school is doing a better job at challenging her and making her think.

 

There are a lot of people here in PH who have college degrees, and that gets them a job at SM.  It is true here as well as the U.S. that you can only succeed if you believe in yourself.  And unfortunately the smart ones, the thinkers, often leave the Philippines for better opportunities overseas.

 

My young daughters are also dual citizens, so it is true that they could move over of their own free will later in life.  However, our situation I doubt that they would have much in the way of U.S. family support at that time, so I think it is best if my wife and I are with them to help them integrate.

[seekingthetruth 1,219]

49 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

I guess we all see things differently depending on the lens that we see life through. I love the culture in the Philippines. I love my wife, her values, character, and her morals. I love being around her family and friends and see something that I miss from how America was when I was young. I feel my kids will be blessed growing up there. They are dual citizens so they will always be free to come to America if they decide that in their future. They will all join me here soon and start their early years of schooling here, and then we will move to the Philippines in 5-6 years. I have seen the schoolwork there and here for k-12 and they are far ahead of the US as is most of the world. They will attend private school in the Philippines. I will start some sort of business with my wife to occupy our time. I hear a lot of talk of jobs an workforce, but surprisingly no talk of entrepreneurship. There is so much opportunity there. I for one can't wait to live there and hate whenever I have to leave.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but you might change after living here

 

Family values, better here in a lot of cases.  Opinions differ.  I am conservative and I live traditional values.  I am worried abut the schools in the U.S., but I am being very deliberate in choosing an area with good schools.

 

If I did not have the two young kids, I would probably live out my life here in PH.  I can deal with the negatives.  I live in an area that has less of the negatives, but they are still there.  One of the main ones I don't want my kids to live with is the culture of corruption.  It is built into almost every level of society.  It is the way business is done.  It is the way government is run.  It is the way common people deal with many things.  It is the way politicians are elected.  My wife says that is just the way it is and everyone accepts it.  When I moved here, I had high hopes that PH was making improvements, but after 10 years, I think it is back to square one.  Covid really enhanced the issues.  It is going to take years to recover here.

 

The other thing about living here is there really not much to do.  Beach and ocean related, yes, if you are in the right place.  However, a lot of those places don't have good schools and hospitals.  Nice parks for kids.  Extremely rare.  Nice, safe and clean places to take the kids are also rare.  I know Manila has a lot to offer in some ways, but I can't stand it there.  Too much corruption. poverty, pollution and traffic.

 

We live in what would be considered a wealthy area, next to Olongapo, a city with quite a bit of middle class, but still a lot of poverty.  When I drive through some areas, I see certain things and ask myself, "is this the environment I want my kids to grown up with?"  I want something better.  Buildings that are only a few years old, covered in dirt and mildew, falling apart.  Roads dug up and replaced 2 or 3 times in the last 8 years.  Main roads widened and then just used for illegal parking.  Crumbling sidewalks covering the sewers.  If your child falls through a hole, so be it.  Etc., etc.  Very few people have the mindset to maintain things after they are built.  

 

Another thing is, the cost of living is currently skyrocketing here.  Housing in a nice area is outrageous, and the quality in even an expensive house is always suspect.  We may have a lot of rules, regulations and fees in the U.S., but at least you can get a well built house with quality.  Currently, in nice areas of Luzon, they are asking higher prices than houses I am looking at in the U.S.

[Allovertheworld 355]

2 hours ago, RO_AH said:

 I will start some sort of business with my wife to occupy our time. I hear a lot of talk of jobs an workforce, but surprisingly no talk of entrepreneurship. There is so much opportunity there. I for one can't wait to live there and hate whenever I have to leave.

The main issue in Philippines on having a business is the margins are so slim on everything, it crazy in my opinion. 

 

I have owned a few businesses in the USA in different areas, and I have looked into business in the Philippines, it just worth my time or investment to deal with them over there due to the low margins they find acceptable in the Philippines. 

 

 

[Allovertheworld 355]

15 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

The other thing about living here is there really not much to do.  Beach and ocean related, yes, if you are in the right place.  However, a lot of those places don't have good schools and hospitals.  Nice parks for kids.  Extremely rare.  Nice, safe and clean places to take the kids are also rare.  I know Manila has a lot to offer in some ways, but I can't stand it there.  Too much corruption. poverty, pollution and traffic.

 

Agreed

 

That is the reason I would never move there, it just plain boring after a while.  I enjoy fishing and traveling, going to concerts and seeing bands, and traveling. I enjoy living in a clean city, where I have walking trails, nice restaurant and lots of entertainment, nothing like that exists maybe in Manila area.

 

Many years ago I was like you I couldn't stand Manila, I have actually grown fond of it due to all the entertainment and restaurant and things to do, but there is no way I could live there.  Great place to visit, but no a long term destination for me.

[seekingthetruth 1,219]

2 hours ago, Allovertheworld said:

Many years ago I was like you I couldn't stand Manila, I have actually grown fond of it due to all the entertainment and restaurant and things to do, but there is no way I could live there.  Great place to visit, but no a long term destination for me.

Actually, I should clarify.  I have enjoyed quite a few visits to Manila.  What really got me off to a bad start in Manila was the driving and the related corruption.  Perhaps part of it was just bad luck, but the first 4 or 5 times I drove in Manila, I got pulled over for a "violation".  Only one of those times did I really have a violation, when I did turn down a one way street.  That time, my Filipino BIL, a NZ citizen now, was with me in the passenger seat.  He quickly jumped out, saying "I'll take care of this". One minute later we are on the way, with the traffic cop helping me back up onto Edsa, and p500 in his pocket.  That was when I was still learning about how things are done here.  Systematic corruption.  Another time, I was taking my U.S. nephew to the airport in Manila.  We got to Manila really early, so we stopped for lunch.  After leaving lunch, I got pulled over by a traffic cop.  I forgot what he said, but basically it was "driving with two foreigners in the front seat".  Another time, after visiting BI in Intramuros and leaving late afternoon, I was pulled over at a nearby V intersection, for "swerving"  when I took the right road of the V.  There was a whole group of traffic cops operating there, which I have found out since, is illegal.  My wife was with me that time, and argued with him (actually 2 guys) for a long time before we gave up the p500.  While we were pulled over there, there were 3 or 4 other cars pulled over for the same thing (I assume).  All of that was pre-Duterte.  I don't know if it got much better after he was elected.

 

Here is Subic Freeport, I think the same thing goes on with tourists, from what I have heard.  They enforce laws more strictly so a lot of people get pulled over.  I have been pulled over 4 times in 8 years, and as soon as they find out I am a resident, I just get a warning and don't have to pay the fine.  I think two of those times I was borderline on an infraction and the other two were complete BS.

 

It's more fun in the Philippines!  I need to clarify, this all sounds very negative, but there are a lot of things I do like about the Philippines, and I probably would not move if were not for the young kids.

[flicks1998 1,044]

3 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

I agree with a lot of what you say, but you might change after living here

 

Family values, better here in a lot of cases.  Opinions differ.  I am conservative and I live traditional values.  I am worried abut the schools in the U.S., but I am being very deliberate in choosing an area with good schools.

 

If I did not have the two young kids, I would probably live out my life here in PH.  I can deal with the negatives.  I live in an area that has less of the negatives, but they are still there.  One of the main ones I don't want my kids to live with is the culture of corruption.  It is built into almost every level of society.  It is the way business is done.  It is the way government is run.  It is the way common people deal with many things.  It is the way politicians are elected.  My wife says that is just the way it is and everyone accepts it.  When I moved here, I had high hopes that PH was making improvements, but after 10 years, I think it is back to square one.  Covid really enhanced the issues.  It is going to take years to recover here.

 

The other thing about living here is there really not much to do.  Beach and ocean related, yes, if you are in the right place.  However, a lot of those places don't have good schools and hospitals.  Nice parks for kids.  Extremely rare.  Nice, safe and clean places to take the kids are also rare.  I know Manila has a lot to offer in some ways, but I can't stand it there.  Too much corruption. poverty, pollution and traffic.

 

We live in what would be considered a wealthy area, next to Olongapo, a city with quite a bit of middle class, but still a lot of poverty.  When I drive through some areas, I see certain things and ask myself, "is this the environment I want my kids to grown up with?"  I want something better.  Buildings that are only a few years old, covered in dirt and mildew, falling apart.  Roads dug up and replaced 2 or 3 times in the last 8 years.  Main roads widened and then just used for illegal parking.  Crumbling sidewalks covering the sewers.  If your child falls through a hole, so be it.  Etc., etc.  Very few people have the mindset to maintain things after they are built.  

 

Another thing is, the cost of living is currently skyrocketing here.  Housing in a nice area is outrageous, and the quality in even an expensive house is always suspect.  We may have a lot of rules, regulations and fees in the U.S., but at least you can get a well built house with quality.  Currently, in nice areas of Luzon, they are asking higher prices than houses I am looking at in the U.S.

I 10000% agree with basically everything you say and it seems we have been in the Philippines about the same amount of time, just in two different cities.  With my son turning 8 soon, there is no way I would ever put him in a school here unless it was an international school and Im not paying $30K+ a year for that.  The schools have alot of problems in the US, but at least there is still some teaching going on.  Before COVID I had my son in what was considered a "decent" private school and in reality it was a joke.   Another book could be written just on the schools.  There is a reason the Philippines comes up dead last in math, science, reading, and every other important subject and this was all reflective when I had to conduct interviews for open positions at the company I worked at and nobody was qualified. 

 

Also COVID has really set back the country and if they cant get back to normal by end of this year, economic devastation could be close to when the Marcos were around.  Also your right on cost of living.  Expats were always complaining why housing was so expensive and the basic explanation was you are not just paying for housing, but paying for security as well.  My monthly expenses are more in the Philippines then they are in the US, especially for rent and food. 

 

The only way to tell if the Philippines is viable long-term place to live is come do it but keeping an open mind that from the time you arrive, you will change and what someone liked as a tourist, they may not like as a resident.  I just changed tremendously once I started working here.  It was no longer "fun in the Philippines."

 

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by flicks1998