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I spent a lot of time there before the covid. We traveled a few of the islands nearby to Cebu. When I went out by myself I was amazed at how friendly everyone was. Malls, restaurants, sight seeing, it didn't matter. People make eye contact and smile. They are happy to start up a conversation.
The Catholic Church would steer me away. When poor people won't stop breeding, there is little hope.
The Catholic Church doesn't have a lot of sway in the Philippines anymore. President Duterte openly talks ***** about the Catholic Church. He made fun of the Pope, and he called Jesus stupid. But the majority of Filipinos did not care. The Catholic Church is more like a tradition for Filipinos than an actual belief system. Most of the beliefs are still the old animistic beliefs.
Also, the birth rate has been dropping steadily almost every year for the past 60 years. It's not 2.5 children per woman. It 1960, it was more than 7. The Reproductive Health Law, passed in 2012, subsidizes free birth control for poor Filipinos. And polls show that the vast majority of Filipinos were in favor of this law.
In 2007 I vacationed in the Philippines with the goal of looking at the possibility of retiring there. Flew into Manila and spent a few days seeing the sights. Pampanga, Olongapo & Boracay were also on the list of places to visit. I spent a few nights in the PI when I was in the service, but I never got far from the base's main gate.
Boracay was spectacular. A quite large hotel room on the beach was $43 US per night. Great beaches there. There was a ton of Europeans there which I found surprising. I was able to get a crew to sail us around. A 3 person crew for 2 of us. They approached us and only wanted $45 US for 3 hours. That worked out to $5 each per hour. They were happy to take us around. Even with a $30 tip, it was very reasonable to spend a few hours on the water. On the island there are a lot of food choices. But for the most part the food was Filipino style. I got a pizza in 1 of the shops. It was the worst pizza I've ever eaten. A high school cafeteria slice would have been better. Live & learn. We spent the bulk of our vacation in Boracay.
When I got back to Luzon, I went to the Jolly Bee fast food place to get a burger. I was so tired of adobo and rice. I didn't think I could ever get tired of eating lumpia & pancit. But a steady diet of that changed my preference for ordering what had been 1 of my favorite Filipino food dishes. So 18 days was well past my limit of the local cuisine.
1 other unusual thing was the rice laying in the road drying out. Driving around the countryside, there wasn't a lack of rice drying operations going on. It forced the driver to have to change lanes and drive towards oncoming traffic. I didn't drive while I was over there. I was glad to be the passenger. But a driver has to be alert. I took a few jeepneys which only cost a few pesos. It's a reliable mode of transportation if that is an option where you are staying.
At that time, the logic was that you could live well there with around $1,500 US outlay per month. I'm not 100% sure but I recall the exchange rate being 48 to the dollar. I don't remember anything being expensive when we were there. I bought mostly consumables and services.
Anyone that was there when the navy base was open would be surprised by how much the main drag outside the base has changed. They did a good job turning the sailor based watering holes into a decent economic zone.
The final analysis is that cost wise, it's a doable endeavor. The lack of diet variety was the deal breaker for me. It's a super long flight to get there which also figures in. I have not been back to Asia since I got back from that trip. I'm glad I investigated if it would be a good fit for me. That doesn't mean it won't work for someone reading this. That sort of decision is very individualized.
A few years later, I purchased an RV. I lived in it full time while traveling around the country for parts of 14 years. 3 months ago I sold that rig and settled in a beach community. For me this was a better fit for what I enjoy doing. YMMV
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