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[QUOTE=Turdycurdyone]Would you please clarify? I may be misinformed. I thought marriage to Filipina allowed you to get a resident long term visa? You sure it does not? .........[/QUOTE]
I am afraid CS got it wrong.
I have a permanent visa 13a gained immediately after I married my filipina wife in 2006.
No hassles and no worries.
I just need to rock up to the BoI between Jan 1 and March 30 each year, do my "foreigner resident in the PI" report, pay 310 pesos and I am good for another year
I am not suggesting the "market basket" of Filipino goods are more expensive than the "market basket" of American, Australian or European goods. I can cite example after example of buying in the Philippines is cheaper than other countries. Take cigarettes, they are about 40 peso a pack (about $1 U.S.), but Marlboro Lights here are made with crap tobacco that has you coughing a lung out. What I am suggesting is that people talk about costs here, without a consideration of the quality they receive. See these forums talk about apartments for 4,000 peso or 8,000 peso per month (that is about $100 to $200 per month), but I won't live in them. My apartment costs $30,000 peso per month. That is about $700 per month. For that I get air conditioning, hot water, a semi modern kitchen and bathrooms, with swimming pool. Yes, cheaper than many countries, but its not $100 per month. You want to buy your fish for dinner in the open market, with the flies and bugs crawling all over them or are you going to buy in a store with some sort of hygene. I can buy cheap Filipino goods (actually most manufactured product is cheap Chinese goods), but the quality and repair is a major factor. My point is that one has to do some analysis of the lifestyle they expect and the true cost to get it here. Can't just look at the price of beer and P..sy.
I don't know about marriage visa. THANK GOD!!!! I just know guys who have gotten stiched up by their ex when she had their visa revoked. Its extortion, you pay the money I want, or I have your visa revoked. To me nothing is permanent if the wife can pull you up by the short hairs. Not even getting into your being evicted from the family home, her keeping all of your furniture and assets, filing false charges against you for physical abuse. Recommend you don't get married. Get married so you can get a visa to the Philippines, laughable.
There was some sound advice about investment strategies and returns. Think it was a general statement, so allow me to add the Philippine caveat. There is no return on investment in the Philippines, large or small. Anyone here that is trying to sell you something on a return basis, be aware you will lose money. Don't look at those few foreigners who make money here, there is a whole lot of connections, relationships and background stuff that none of you will have. Further, when the guy who claims to have all these connections, relationships and background stuff is going to "let you in" on his wonderful investment....run fast, as the only return will be made by him. You will lose...period. So many will not take this to heart, because they are smarter than the other guy. People here do make a good living off the "smarter" guy.
Now all this sounds negative, don't really mean it that way. I am happy here, have a good life and have no desire to leave. It is though a minefield, and we can speak of how beautiful the grass is, or how to avoid being blown up. You cannot retire here with $20,000 of savings, unless you have only 12 months to live. If you are a young guy, make your living in a developed country, then retire here, you will not make your fortune here. For most, this is a tourist destination, the flowers are in full bloom (if you know what I mean), come here, enjoy and then go home to your life.
[QUOTE=Turdycurdyone]Would you please clarify? I may be misinformed. I thought marriage to Filipina allowed you to get a resident long term visa? You sure it does not? Why was the Phil driving you crazy, what was it about the place you could not take?[/QUOTE]
Whoops, looks like I'm talking out my arse again:D.
I think any westerner who lives here for any extended period of time and who say that they don’t get mightily sick of the place is either a liar or a flatliner. The place has a way of getting way under your skin, like a chronic skin infection. This is particularly the case when you are foolish enough, like me, to base yourself in Manila. It’s a combination of factors varying from the weather and pollution to the all pervasive stink of urban decay, poverty and corruption to the shortage of things like good restaurants and cultural events. You want to catch a play or a good band in concert or a sporting event that isn’t held indoors with 2 hoops, a ball and some tall guys … then its tough shit.
Put it like this … honestly how many of us would put up with the place long term if it wasn’t for the compensations which brought most of us here in the first instance.
Funny thing is though, that when I’m away for any length of time I do start to miss the place, and not only for the easy availability of willing young pussy. But, for the good of my health (and because I can), I will now restrict my visits to a few months of each year and at the best time weather wise which is from about now until March. I always hated the hot and the rainy seasons (the rest of the year) in any case.
GL's discussion of the profitability of the banking sector is off the mark.
While the general adage of return is proportionate to risk applies to most investments, it does not do so in the banking industry.
When the banks were about to go belly up during the GFC, the taxpayer stepped in and guaranteed and/or bailed out the banks. So the bank actually carries zero risk - at the gross business level.
This has prompted a lively discussion in Australia about the degree of profit that banks should be able to make. The concept is that since the taxpayer carries the risk for the bank, then the taxpayer has become a latent partner in the bank, and should be rewarded appropriately. That is, modest interest rates for loans and modest rates of return for the bank.
It is an interesting debate. Worth following.
G
Here is a lively conversation I just had with a "not for games" girl.. good to know there are still well mannered girls with a solid catholic upbringing and family moral values :)
Lily: so what are you plan tonyt?
FastBuckArtist: want to go out? where do I meet you
Lily: with my friend...please
FastBuckArtist: why you want to bring other people
Lily: coz they are horny now.. so you try 3 some thats more fun dont be shy..its a normal
FastBuckArtist: lol I am not shy.. I am just not in the mood for a groupie tonight. can I just meet you?
Lily: so i come there now?
FastBuckArtist: give me half an hour.. I need to take a shower
Lily: ok...you pay me na?
FastBuckArtist: I have 2000 here.. are you happy with that? and dinner and drinks are on me on top of that ;)
Lily: can u make it 2200? coz my taxi pay..
FastBuckArtist: I'll come get you no need for taxi.. just tell me where to pick you up
Lily: i finish eat no need to pay me for the food...make it cash all
FastBuckArtist: geez.. you are so professional.. feel like I am bargaining for a used motorbike
Lily: your right hehehe im frunkly
============
"Frunkly" indeed lol.. this one can truly say she is "not for games" haha... strictly business :| what a fine well brought up 19 year old
[QUOTE=Fast Buck Artist]Here is a lively conversation I just had with a "not for games" girl.. good to know there are still well mannered girls with a solid catholic upbringing and family moral values :)
Lily: so what are you plan tonyt?
FastBuckArtist: want to go out? where do I meet you
Lily: with my friend...please
FastBuckArtist: why you want to bring other people
Lily: coz they are horny now.. so you try 3 some thats more fun dont be shy..its a normal
FastBuckArtist: lol I am not shy.. I am just not in the mood for a groupie tonight. can I just meet you?
Lily: so i come there now?
FastBuckArtist: give me half an hour.. I need to take a shower
Lily: ok...you pay me na?
FastBuckArtist: I have 2000 here.. are you happy with that? and dinner and drinks are on me on top of that ;)
Lily: can u make it 2200? coz my taxi pay..
FastBuckArtist: I'll come get you no need for taxi.. just tell me where to pick you up
Lily: i finish eat no need to pay me for the food...make it cash all
FastBuckArtist: geez.. you are so professional.. feel like I am bargaining for a used motorbike
Lily: your right hehehe im frunkly
============
"Frunkly" indeed lol.. this one can truly say she is "not for games" haha... strictly business :| what a fine well brought up 19 year old[/QUOTE]
Sounds like a real virgin to me, quite frunkly! lol
[QUOTE=Red Kilt]I am afraid CS got it wrong.
I have a permanent visa 13a gained immediately after I married my filipina wife in 2006.
No hassles and no worries.
I just need to rock up to the BoI between Jan 1 and March 30 each year, do my "foreigner resident in the PI" report, pay 310 pesos and I am good for another year[/QUOTE]
Thanks much for the clarification. I thought what he said was incorrect also.
[QUOTE=Cunning Stunt]Whoops, looks like I'm talking out my arse again:D.
I think any westerner who lives here for any extended period of time and who say that they don’t get mightily sick of the place is either a liar or a flatliner. The place has a way of getting way under your skin, like a chronic skin infection. This is particularly the case when you are foolish enough, like me, to base yourself in Manila. It’s a combination of factors varying from the weather and pollution to the all pervasive stink of urban decay, poverty and corruption to the shortage of things like good restaurants and cultural events. You want to catch a play or a good band in concert or a sporting event that isn’t held indoors with 2 hoops, a ball and some tall guys … then its tough shit.
Put it like this … honestly how many of us would put up with the place long term if it wasn’t for the compensations which brought most of us here in the first instance.
Funny thing is though, that when I’m away for any length of time I do start to miss the place, and not only for the easy availability of willing young pussy. But, for the good of my health (and because I can), I will now restrict my visits to a few months of each year and at the best time weather wise which is from about now until March. I always hated the hot and the rainy seasons (the rest of the year) in any case.[/QUOTE]
Well you're not alone for sure. I have a friend who tried to live there twice and could not hack it. I also had a friend who had a successful biz in Manila that got so sick of all the bribes and delays he move out lock stock and barrel to the Fiji Islands and his much happier with his biz there.
As I said previously many mongers on one Thai board assured me that of all the countries in SE Asia, the Phil would be the LAST on their list of places to live.
But as you stated, if you want the comforts of home you're not going to find that with the cheap and willing young girls. Pick one, you won't get both, unless your filthy rich that is and they will only be cheap in comparison to your very large bank account.
It's really a pity though that the Phil is not a better place for foreigners to live. I guess one reason is they don't want foreigners usurping their country. It's not much but it's theirs.
I am speculating that maybe the reason you miss the place is that you remember the cheap poon and forget all the other crap that comes with it?
[QUOTE=Matius]I am not suggesting the "market basket" of Filipino goods are more expensive than the "market basket" of American, Australian or European goods. I can cite example after example of buying in the Philippines is cheaper than other countries. Take cigarettes, they are about 40 peso a pack (about $1 U.S.), but Marlboro Lights here are made with crap tobacco that has you coughing a lung out. What I am suggesting is that people talk about costs here, without a consideration of the quality they receive. See these forums talk about apartments for 4,000 peso or 8,000 peso per month (that is about $100 to $200 per month), but I won't live in them. My apartment costs $30,000 peso per month. That is about $700 per month. For that I get air conditioning, hot water, a semi modern kitchen and bathrooms, with swimming pool. Yes, cheaper than many countries, but its not $100 per month. You want to buy your fish for dinner in the open market, with the flies and bugs crawling all over them or are you going to buy in a store with some sort of hygene. I can buy cheap Filipino goods (actually most manufactured product is cheap Chinese goods), but the quality and repair is a major factor. My point is that one has to do some analysis of the lifestyle they expect and the true cost to get it here. Can't just look at the price of beer and P..sy.
I don't know about marriage visa. THANK GOD!!!! I just know guys who have gotten stiched up by their ex when she had their visa revoked. Its extortion, you pay the money I want, or I have your visa revoked. To me nothing is permanent if the wife can pull you up by the short hairs. Not even getting into your being evicted from the family home, her keeping all of your furniture and assets, filing false charges against you for physical abuse. Recommend you don't get married. Get married so you can get a visa to the Philippines, laughable.
There was some sound advice about investment strategies and returns. Think it was a general statement, so allow me to add the Philippine caveat. There is no return on investment in the Philippines, large or small. Anyone here that is trying to sell you something on a return basis, be aware you will lose money. Don't look at those few foreigners who make money here, there is a whole lot of connections, relationships and background stuff that none of you will have. Further, when the guy who claims to have all these connections, relationships and background stuff is going to "let you in" on his wonderful investment....run fast, as the only return will be made by him. You will lose...period. So many will not take this to heart, because they are smarter than the other guy. People here do make a good living off the "smarter" guy.
Now all this sounds negative, don't really mean it that way. I am happy here, have a good life and have no desire to leave. It is though a minefield, and we can speak of how beautiful the grass is, or how to avoid being blown up. You cannot retire here with $20,000 of savings, unless you have only 12 months to live. If you are a young guy, make your living in a developed country, then retire here, you will not make your fortune here. For most, this is a tourist destination, the flowers are in full bloom (if you know what I mean), come here, enjoy and then go home to your life.[/QUOTE]
Would you care to elaborate on what you mean by getting "stiched up" by some filipina you're married to? I don't know maybe your referring to the case where the filipina claims ur abusing her or breaking some phil law? That might be grounds for revocation. But simply revoking based on her say so? Seems hard to fanthom even by Phil standards. Sure if you marry a lying , unscrupulous little c*nt, but that's your bad judgement coming back at you, no?
[QUOTE=Turdycurdyone]Would you care to elaborate on what you mean by getting "stiched up" by some filipina you're married to? I don't know maybe your referring to the case where the filipina claims ur abusing her or breaking some phil law? That might be grounds for revocation. But simply revoking based on her say so? Seems hard to fanthom even by Phil standards. Sure if you marry a lying , unscrupulous little c*nt, but that's your bad judgement coming back at you, no?[/QUOTE]
I understand this may seem unreal, but let's start with this premise. The Philippines is the only country in my experience, that actually writes into law, different violations and penalties for foreigners versus citizens. Check out the [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url] laws for the Philippines. Similar laws in regards to women.
Now the reality, as a foreigner in the Philippines, you have no rights. The police and judicial system is totally corrupt. When it comes down to you versus a Filipino/a, you lose. Let's assume you get shot, nothing more than an innocent victim, but you are not dead. You will find even if they catch the person, he will probably get off by paying a small fee to you, or will do very light jail time. I assume he has some sort of basic connections. This is a real life situation, not a hypothetical.
Forget the laws also. My experience has been, whenever we are speaking of ex-wives, women scorned, or husbands that have been unfaithful, break up a relationship..most if not all become c.nts. If it comes between them going back and living in the squatters huts and your keeping your assets, or them extorting you to maintain their lifestyle, guarantee what will happen.
Let's assume you did nothing. Let's assume you caught her cheating on you with her Filipino trike driver boyfriend. You want to break up, but there is no law allowing divorce. So you have to try to get an annullment, which can take years. She comes after you with an abuse charge, maybe groundless, maybe you have evidence to support your position, but with the charge comes jail. You can bail, but the police want 300,000 peso to let you out (they can make up any amount they want). You say that is too much, so you sit in jail, in a cell designed for eight they have 35 people, can't even sit. Ok you get through that. The legal system can take years, there is no fast track (again unless you have a lot of money and connections). Example: if the prosecution fails to come to court three consecutive times, then the case is dismissed. But if the prosecution comes on the third time, and asks for a continuance (which will always be granted against a foreigner), they have two more times they can miss. Repeat the third appearance and request for continuance, over and over again. This alone can go on forever. It takes at least a month for each appearance, if you fail to show you lose, so you are paying lawyers and associated costs forever. If you've not made bail, then god help you. Another real life experience.
Assume you get your annullment, your visa is tied to your being married. But see you aren't married anymore, by definition an annullment means you never were married, so you have no right to a visa. Another real life experience.
And here is an even funnier quirk. If you have charges filed against you in the Philippines, you can't leave the Philippines until the charges are resolved. So you don't have a visa to live in the Philppines, but you can't leave. Immigration picks you up every six months for being illegal, extorts money from you, then lets you go for another six months. Or the bail is revoked on the charges, because you violated it by being illegal, so back in jail on that occurance. Of course by law you can fight this injustice, but you are in jail..remember the living conditions. Another real life experience.
My advice is to not get married if you plan to live here in the Philippines. Marry the girl in your home country and live there, you at least got a rule of law, I would guess. Again, marry to get a visa, not a smart idea.
For most living here, they avoid getting tangled up in the police or legal system. Outside of a couple hundred peso when pulled over by the traffic police. They are not hauling every foreigner into the jail, or revoking his visa, but if you give someone a reason to come after you, then these things can and do happen on a very regular basis. As a general rule, money will be the motivation, either the police, judicial system or your woman.
Finally the same can be said for putting any type of property or business in the name of your woman or your woman's family. Consider it a gift, because you will only be allowed to use it as long as your relationship is maintained. After that, it is hers. And a final real life experience.
So many get stiched up here, in business, in assets, in love, in mongering, as stated earlier because they are smarter than the other guy. It won't happen to them. I don't know any guy who willingly goes out and marry's a lying, stealing, c.nt. Neither one who invests huge sums of money on the belief they will lose all. There are ways to do many things here, but most will not know how to do them, they will not have the connections, neither will they have the capital reserves to protect themselves.
[QUOTE=Matius]I understand this may seem unreal, but let's start with this premise. The Philippines is the only country in my experience, that actually writes into law, different violations and penalties for foreigners versus citizens. Check out the [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url] laws for the Philippines. Similar laws in regards to women.[/QUOTE]And nowadays everything gets stitched into [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url] including Employment Agents who didn't pay the right amount to the immigration authorities.
[QUOTE]Now the reality, as a foreigner in the Philippines, you have no rights. The police and judicial system is totally corrupt. When it comes down to you versus a Filipino/a, you lose. Let's assume you get shot, nothing more than an innocent victim, but you are not dead. You will find even if they catch the person, he will probably get off by paying a small fee to you, or will do very light jail time. I assume he has some sort of basic connections. This is a real life situation, not a hypothetical.[/QUOTE]Not going to say nothing. You are 100%. Make it 1000% correct.
[QUOTE=Turdycurdyone]Would you care to elaborate on what you mean by getting "stiched up" by some filipina you're married to? I don't know maybe your referring to the case where the filipina claims ur abusing her or breaking some phil law? That might be grounds for revocation. But simply revoking based on her say so? Seems hard to fanthom even by Phil standards. Sure if you marry a lying , unscrupulous little c*nt, but that's your bad judgement coming back at you, no?[/QUOTE]Mate,
You don't need to follow up with a court case etc. etc. (which only happens in Western / Developed countries .. ) - an accusing finger is all it is needed.
Maybe you choose to associate such mess wiht lying/unscrupulous little c**ts .. but the reality is far far away .. I know a guy, Filipino, who is an engineer, and married to an engineer, and the wife one day decided she needed a break and she filed a case of physical abuse and before even the due process took place, the guy was arrested upon his return from Malaysia, and placed into custody .. Not gonna get into details, the couple - who are my friends, are educated / intelligent and not the type fucking around and loyal as hell to each other.
And one more - a Brit Friend, of mine, married to a Civil Engineer - the wife suspected the husband of having another wife in China - where he spends atleast every other week due to his ongoing projects - and the wife too has been in China but preferred to do her existing consultancy in Makati - so the wife filed a case of "breach of trust" (God Bless me if I figure out how it turned out as breach of trust) and the guy was declared PNG - and he lost all he had bought, and more.
Be careful - very careful.
[QUOTE=Turdycurdyone]..
But as you stated, if you want the comforts of home you're not going to find that with the cheap and willing young girls. Pick one, you won't get both, unless your filthy rich that is and they will only be cheap in comparison to your very large bank account.
It's really a pity though that the Phil is not a better place for foreigners to live. I guess one reason is they don't want foreigners usurping their country. It's not much but it's theirs.
..[/QUOTE]
Some very sobering thoughts from Matius. I agree that marrying a Filipina if you are planning to live in the Phils is a high risk strategy. As to TCO's question, I think the key thing to understand is that the Phils is that for the small number of very wealthy , well connected clans, who effectively control the country, excluding foreigners from the party makes huge sense. Then you get to own anything worth owning. For the vast majority of Filipinos it's not good news as it stifles economic activity and with that decent paid jobs etc.
[QUOTE=GregLondon]I think the key thing to understand is that the Phils is that for the small number of very wealthy , well connected clans, who effectively control the country, excluding foreigners from the party makes huge sense. Then you get to own anything worth owning. For the vast majority of Filipinos it's not good news as it stifles economic activity and with that decent paid jobs etc.[/QUOTE]
Philippines is basically a feudal serfdom with about 100 families of landlords owning 90% of the assets in the country, and using church and army to keep it that way.. parlament is 100% owned by the said landlords and its job is to pass laws preventing anybody, either local peasant or foreigner, from upsetting the status quo.
The sad shmucks would rather be lords of the sewer than equal men in a prosperous country.. this shit makes you realise why the french invented the guillotine 300 years ago.
[QUOTE=Econo Tech]Mate,
You don't need to follow up with a court case etc. etc. (which only happens in Western / Developed countries .. ) - an accusing finger is all it is needed.
Maybe you choose to associate such mess wiht lying/unscrupulous little c**ts .. but the reality is far far away .. I know a guy, Filipino, who is an engineer, and married to an engineer, and the wife one day decided she needed a break and she filed a case of physical abuse and before even the due process took place, the guy was arrested upon his return from Malaysia, and placed into custody .. Not gonna get into details, the couple - who are my friends, are educated / intelligent and not the type fucking around and loyal as hell to each other.
And one more - a Brit Friend, of mine, married to a Civil Engineer - the wife suspected the husband of having another wife in China - where he spends atleast every other week due to his ongoing projects - and the wife too has been in China but preferred to do her existing consultancy in Makati - so the wife filed a case of "breach of trust" (God Bless me if I figure out how it turned out as breach of trust) and the guy was declared PNG - and he lost all he had bought, and more.
Be careful - very careful.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for your assessment.
It is depressing that I may not be able to make the Phil work for me as a retirement destination. This thread only confirms my pessimissim about the Country. Every one has been quite negative about the status of foreigners in the Philippines, but none have offered specific ideas on how to counteract this, other than to come, spread your seed and leave, lieing low and only engaging in tourist type activites.
In reading about the Phil, it seems that their whole culture is based mostly on kissing up to the right people, with the understanding that one hand is obligated to wash the other and that family comes first. This family part is a little hard to believe considering how many broken families there are there. The whole system kind of smells to high heaven, no real values, its only who you know and how much money you have. The women there often are proclaiming their religious virtuosity, but I have found the ones that advertise the most usually offer the least (BTW, what the hell does "god-fearing" actually mean in practical terms?)
Also, the question naturally arises: Is this uneven playing field for foreigners equally true in other 3rd world sh*tholes, as in Central and S. America, Thailand, Cambodia, etc? For those of you who have lived for any length of time in these countries, it would be interesting to hear your comparisons to the Phil in terms of the unjust and disadvantageous environment for foreigners. While this thread is not directly about finding poon in the R.P. I think it is very important to understand how their system works in order to be successful in mongering activities also.
In my case, have been all over Mexico and have had no problems as a tourist, but I wonder how many I would have as a permanent resident. The Mexican authorities have mostly impressed me as being respectful of Americans, but I wonder if this would change as a resident. This, of course, is talking about Mexico PRIOR to the drug war. Since the drug wars I have not set foot in Mexico and would only consider flying to some of the southern towns that do not have alot of drug conflicts.
Maybe this is the reason people want to come to the USA. One of the few countries where by law they are mostly treated equally, although this too is changing.