Living in the Philippines is amazing. With so many different things to do and see all over the 7 thousand plus islands here, it’s no wonder many Philippine Explorers have yet to cover every location in this country. Oh, sure, it has its ups and downs, but we love it here. The best way we can describe living in the Philippines is that it’s like an amusement park. You step off the airplane from your country of origin or wherever you happen to be coming from. You get into the cart that looks a bit beat up and maybe not the safest. You’re told to keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times during the ride… It’s going to be scary, it’s going to be exciting, and you’re going to have the time of your life and want to go for another ride as soon as it’s over.
Beautiful places in the Philippines
With so many beautiful places in the Philippines, it’s no wonder why so many travelers and tourists choose the Philippines as their top tourist destination year after year. If you have never been to South-East Asia, then your first few days in the Philippines will be wild, eye-opening, and most of all, fun. You’ll arrive and you’ll probably be slightly nervous as things here tend to be a little on the “go now, ask questions later” side of things. The Philippines will surprise you in many ways. Some things will be familiar, such as the mega shopping malls, the multi-million dollar freeways, and the towering skyscrapers. While on the other hand other things will shock you and make you wonder just how you got here in the first place.
The Philippines is a third-world country. Yes, there are rich people here, but the vast majority of people live below the poverty line. Many people earn less than $5 a day, with some people earning as little as $1 a day. You will see beggars sleeping in the streets, many more times than you will ever see in the west. Some will be missing limbs. Some will jingle a cup in your face because they want some coins. It is also quite common to see many people setting up places to live in some of the most uninhabitable places you would expect someone to live, but that’s the way things are done here in the Philippines when you make what most of the locals are making in pay every day.
Despite the overwhelming poverty, almost everyone has a cell phone and a means of contacting friends and family. This is one of the fascinating things about some countries in Southeast Asia. People struggle to find enough money to eat, yet they all have cell phones. One of the reasons that living in the Philippines is like riding a rollercoaster is the total unpredictability of everything. In most Western cities, everything is very structured and orderly and it’s safe to say that if a schedule is made that most of the time that schedule is adhered to. In the Philippines, nothing could be further from the truth. There is very seldom a normal routine and often times this is a very concerning issue especially when traveling around the islands as the information from yesterday, could be completely different the following day with no warning or information given to the public about these issues that may arise and the impact this change will have on the regular set schedule. The 7:30 am boat to Puerto Galera almost never leaves at 7:30 am.
The traffic is a mess. If you want an adrenaline rush, rent a motorcycle and go riding through normal traffic in the Philippines. You’ll need to weave in and out of cars, trucks, buses, and jeepneys to get around the place. Warning: there are no rules when it comes to driving around on the streets here in the Philippines. If you want the right of way, you’ll need to honk or make as much noise as possible to force your way into that position in the road and hope that the other driver gives you the space to move forward.
Going around a corner? Honk. Overtaking someone? Honk.
You’ll also find people talking about “Filipino Time”. What they mean is that 3 pm doesn’t mean 3 pm, especially when a Filipino tells you to meet them at 3 pm. It might mean 3 pm, but it might also mean 3:30 pm. People have a much more fluid understanding of time in the Philippines than we do in the West.
Business in the Philippines
If you plan on conducting business in the Philippines or perhaps planning on trying to make a living while moving to the islands you have a few options for doing so. First of all, starting a business in the Philippines is far more different than let’s say starting a business in a western country. You will have many agencies and companies in a western country helping your business grow and prosper and offering you some peace of mind in protection against others trying to sabotage your business or undercut your business’s profits from you. Here in the Philippines, you won’t have any of that at all.
Often times many foreigners in the Philippines realize that it is far more work to start a business here than it ever would be back home. You have many individuals that will try to do the least amount of work while charging you the most they feel they can get away with. As I have said in many of my other blogs and youtube videos the best type of business you can do here in the Philippines will be something you can manage or control online. Whether an online business back home or online work for another company this is usually the best strategy here in the Philippines when it comes to finding work as a foreigner.
All in all, living in the Philippines is absolutely fantastic. Even just visiting for a week or two is bound to set your spirit alive. Traveling broadens the mind and forces you to grow. When you come to the Philippines, be sure to stay at Badladz! With fantastic nightlife and awesome activities, you’ll have a blast.
Cheers,
Sean
