Live in the Philippines

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Have you got a plan?

Expats / by

The events in Egypt over the past week and half or so should make one thing clear for expats, no matter where in the world they are living.  What is it?  If you are living in a country that is not your “home country” you probably need to have an “exit strategy.”  What are you going to do if things become unstable in the country you have decided to live in?

Will the Philippines go the way of Egypt with massive street demonstrations?  Anybody who would categorically say “no” better stop and think, because it has already happened twice in the Philippines.  First, there was the EDSA revolt in 1986 when Ferdinand Marcos was booted from the Presidency by throngs of people who had grown tired of him holding on to office, and the illegitimate 1986 elections.  Millions of Filipinos filled the streets around the EDSA Shrine and eventually, Marcos was driven from power.  It happened again in 2001 when EDSA 2 occurred, same place, different President.  In 2001, Joseph Estrada was booted from office and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the Presidency.  In both of these cases, the standing President lost control and fell from office when the Philippine military abandoned their support and shifted their support to the other person who later became President.  It showed that when a President no longer has the support of the military, they really don’t have any way to hold on to power.

Right now in Egypt, it would appear that the Military has stepped back from it’s support of Mubarak.  Military leaders have already stated publicly that they will not fire upon, or in any way interfere with the protesting public.  What can Mubarak do?  Mubarak’s only “ace in the hole” is the Police, as the Egyptian Police are still supporting Mubarak.  It’s a standoff right now, but things are turning violent in Egypt, and it’s not a place or a situation for foreigners, even if they live there, to step in with their opinions, or to take any action.

Today, I saw that the US Government had sent out a message to Americans in Egypt that they must either leave the country today or they are on their own and should not expect assistance from the US Government.

So, wherever you choose to live, do you have a plan of what you will do if the situation turns dark like it is for expats in Egypt?

To be honest, over the years, this is a topic that I have discussed with close expat friends many times.  The biggest question we have addressed is “where would you go if we were no longer welcome here in the Philippines?”  To that question, we have often had a very difficult time coming up with a place that would be as good or better than the Philippines.  There are choices, sure, but I cannot think of a place without some fairly major negatives in this regard.

But the question right now, given the situation in Egypt is not “where would you go” but rather “how will you get out” if things turn bad in the Philippines?  To be honest, I have 3 or 4 ideas how I would exit the Philippines with my family, if it became necessary to do so.  I don’t have a firm plan in place, though, just a few general ideas in mind.  It is probably a good idea to have some kind of “back door” plan that would not involved going to Manila to exit from there, because that is what everybody else will do, and there will be a huge bottle neck jam in Manila if such a time should come.  The plans that I have in mind would not involve traveling through Manila.

I do not expect that such an occurrence will happen in the near future, and probably not even within my lifetime.  Even if there were unrest in Manila (which there has been during my time here), we live very far from Manila, and even during the two EDSA events that have occurred in the Philippines, there was no trouble this far from Manila, so it’s not a huge concern for me.  Still, though, it’s good to have a plan in mind.  Even having said that, I do believe that the day is going to come when the lower classes of Philippine society will become tired of living on basically nothing and being oppressed by the upper classes, and they will rise up.  That could be a bloody time, even though such action is really not within the Filipino culture.  I do fear that the time will come when the oppression will boil over, though, and it could become violent.  In my mind, though, it will not happen in the near term, and probably not within my lifetime.

What do you think?  Do you have an exit plan?  What is your strategy?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Quite an important article to discuss. On one occasion in 2007 we were ready to abandon our house and seek safer ground. It was a reality check at the time. Lucky there are 7,107 islands to escape to if there is a problem.

  2. Hi Bob
    Relocating in times of trouble could be very expensive for a family. I would think that a good percentage of ex pats chose to live in the Phillippines because they didnt have a great deal of finances in their home country and phil was much better for them financially, some might struggle to up and leave for that reason…..Personally speaking if it was that bad i would probaby take the wife and family to Malaysia or Thailand for a holiday , rent a cheap home and hope it all blows over soon. I have not done much research on your topic so im not sure how we would go for visa extensions in those countrys if we went down that path.

    • Hi David – Yeah, I would not think of it as “relocating” rather a temporary “get out of the country” type of situation, hopefully returning when things have calmed down. If a person cannot afford to take a quick trip when safety is at stake, he probably has no business living here, or is doing so in a way that is quite dangerous.

  3. My back door plan?- a fish boat out of the Zamboanga area to Indonesia. Obviously a last resort solution !

  4. Don’t have time now to read your article, but it appears to me that you continually are able to synthesize global events and relate them to the Expat condition in this clime. Well done, again.

  5. Things that happen in Manila have little affect on the province as far as protests and things of that nature. I remember the protests about the “Subic rape case”. I was new in the country about that time and didn’t know what to think. Could filipinos take their anger out on other foreigners? Even though that was a small protest compared to what happening in egypt I put my fears aside and stuck it out. I suppose if I really did have to leave in a moments time I have money saved for that. I call it my “bail out” money. Its just enough money to get back home to the US. I’m a police officer by profession (graphic designer by choice) so there would be no problem getting a job back in the US. There is also the option of the repatriation loan for the poor sap who refuses to plan ahead. haha

    • Things did get kind of rough up north during that Subic Rape Case a couple years ago, thankfully there really was not much reaction here in Davao, which was good.

      • Bob;
        The Subic Rape Case stirred up a lot of anger here, in the Subic area where I live, but at the same time I found that the average Filipino does not paint everyKano with the same brush. My pat response when asked was; “If guilty. he deserves to be punished.”
        But if all went south like in Egypt, I might have a vacation in Singapore and visit our daughter. But until it got really bad. I’ll just stay on the mountain here in Bataan, until cooler heads prevail, I’m well known and feel very safe here. It’s what I did during EDSA II with Erap’s troubles. To answer your question; Yes I have a plan, and everyone should.

  6. Thank you Greg. I think that it is important to view world events and think about how they relate to life as an expat, so that is what I did with this article. Take care.

  8. I have wittled down to three places I would ever find myself living based on my journeys here so far. If Air Departure is out of the question then If I am in Mindanao (Davao – city of choice) I would drive to Gen Sen and take a Large Banca boat to Indonesia. If I am in the Visayas (Cebu, Bacolod or Dumaguete Cities of Choice) probably the same but definetely more inconvenient. For sure I would get onto the water as quickly as possible as Expats will certainly be huge targets even though we have nothing to do with anything.

    • Hi Dwayne – you can fly to Indonesia or Singapore from Davao, so air is an option. You can also take a boat from Davao to Indonesia, no need to go to GenSan to do that.

      • Bob- I think both Dwayne and I are thinking of a real threat-to-life kind of emergency. [ as in the movie the year of living dangerously.]
        Airports closed, military road blocks, etc.
        Foreigners getting shot without cause. Thus a way to get out of the country without documents – as you put it a back door escape.

        • Yeah, if you go by air you would need papers, for sure. But, there are ways out of Davao to Manado or Sabah where I believe you could get out without paperwork.

  9. Bob;
    I was stationed in Subic Bay in 1986 with my family as a Military Policeman When People Power threw Marcos out of power. In fact Oue boys rescued Marcos and his family from the palace by a underground waterway. They had more guns loot and bodyguards than you could count took four watercrafts to carry it all. As far as security back them we had the safety of the military for all US Citizens. All they did was secure the bases and told us we would have be notified if things changed.
    However it is a completly different animal the expats (US) who live in the Philippines don’t have that option available. So your right you need to have a exit plan maybr to guam or somewhere close until it blows over.
    If the Philippines ever had People Power III I really don’t think it will a life threating and homebreaking event for US expats. Because the bond between the Philippines and the US is very strong. They have family and friends in the US and we Have the same in the Philippines.
    Besides Philippines is a heavy Christian Nation most of the turmiol is in Isliamic Nations.
    So I believe everything would be fine, But have a empty visa just in case.
    Hey Bob! would that be a good reason to rent and not own. 🙂

    • Hi Bruce – If you were here when the Subic Rape case happened you might not feel as strongly about those Philippine-US ties. When something like that happens, foreigners are certainly targets, I can tell you that for sure.

      You’re right… another reason to keep renting! 😉

      • Bob;
        OH I WAS THERE TRUST ME!!!! I’m not saying that foreigner would not be targets. But I believe in 1989 with Marcos it was more Filipino to Filipino not so much US. But the base strike on the other hand was a different animal.
        The reason I say strong Pilippine -US ties is during all the chaos that both those events cuased No American family at Subic or Clark were hurt(sure they had to stay close to their homes, but no one really bothered them.). And we had many Fhilipnos helping us and our commands get money and messages to them. In many ways they risks their live and that of their families for us. That’s were I’m coming from. Been There got the T-Shirt not once but twice!
        Note: That was then and this is now and I’m not so nieve to think that they would be that gracious to us now. So your right have a plan.

        • Hi Bruce – You were here during the Subic Rape Case about 2 years ago? Sorry, I didn’t realize. You just don’t know what might happen, the US could do something that would really upset Filipinos and such, it’s just a good idea to plan for the worst, and hope it never happens.

          • Bob;
            No I wasn’t here for the rape case. In 1988 the base workers went on strike on damn near shut down Subic Bay and Clark Air Force base. It lasted about a month.
            They had all the gates Blocked with protesters and would not let anyone in or out. And several time they tried to break into the base to loot and destroy things.
            That and along with The over throw of Marcos in 1989. Those are the two I personally went through.
            But your right hope these events never happen agin in the Philippines,Because the people will always lose in the end New Goverment or not the people will always come out on the short end.

  10. Interesting article Bob. When I first relocated to the RP the company I work for offered me a complete insurance package with so many rules it makes my life almost impossible to live freely. I can’t fly RP airlines nor travel to most parts of the RP etc, there are even suggestions about specific areas within MNL. One suggestion is that I always have cash, and I mean a large sum on hand at all times, in either Canadian/Pounds/Euros/HKD or USD

    It is quite detailed about evacuation, and suggest to stay in Manila, and in case of an emergency prepare for access to Manila Airport/Subic/Clark/Laoag, it only covers Luzon since that is my location. Like we see in Egypt currently, Cairo is a bottleneck and some countries are assisting citizens in Alexandria. If there was unrest which I highly doubt as well, I believe it would be located as we saw in Edsa or a certain area, it wouldn’t be widespread at first, and I would have time to leave, I hold 3 passports and I am confident one of them would come to my rescue LOL.

    I am leaving the RP and locating to Thailand shortly. There are more protests, and there is a potential for more uprisings in Thailand but I feel so much safer there in good times and in bad, they have amost 25,000 foreigners arriving daily and the Expat community is huge compared to theRP, I think we would see a major airlift if things were to get bad and of course there are so many land borders to cross.

    My back door plan out of the Philippines always involved lots of cash and boarding a freighter out Manila Bay, the only problem is when I see water I almost toss my cookies.

    I was taught democracies don’t go to war with democracies, and I highly doubt whatever happens in the future the RP would ever have a situation like Egypt.

    • I forgot one point, wont help the US folks but Commonwealth Citizens.

      In case of emergency Commonwealth Citizens are able to use other Commonwealth Embassy’s for evacuation plans. So Brunei would be part of my back door exit plan.

        • What I meant was if you were in the RP, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Brits could also contact the Brunei Embassy in Manila and request assistance, since they are so close it may make sense.

          • I don’t really understand, maybe I am missing something. If you are in the Philippines already, why go to the Brunei Embassy rather than the UK Embassy?

            • As another option, if you cannot reach your home country’s Embassy. All over the news regarding Egypt they were advising Canadians if you cannot get in touch try this Embassy and that Embassy. It is an option available for Citizens of the Commonwealth.

    • Hi John – Personally, I think something like another EDSA movement could happen any time in the Philippines. Would it get violent? Probably not, but Egypt has mostly been non-violent too, except for one or two days of it. Seems non- violent today. Anyway, I think it’s always good to have a plan, although I don’t think I’d ever really need one.

  12. Hi bob ,my family have always said to me why do you want to live in the phillipines ,others i talk to who are from manila say oh mindanao trouble ,and my wife says to me never to get into an argument with anyone there is it really that bad there ?
    chris

    • Getting into an argument can be very dangerous here, chris, if you cause the other person to lose face, you may lose your life. Could happen anywhere in the Philippines.

      • You’re so right about that, Bob. It can’t be stressed enough what the consequences are to cause a Filipino to lose face, especially there in the Philippines. Insulting Filipinos and his country online while hiding behind the anonymity of the internet is one thing, but doing it face to face? Well, let me say this: You had better have worn clean underwear that morning because it would be kind of embarassing to be found with filthy underwear at the morgue!

      • In all of Asia, saving face is so important to daily life, it isn’t unique to the RP only. But what I have found in the RP the women can dish it out, that you don’t see in other parts of Asia, so balance face and being a gentleman.

        • Didn’t say saving face is unique to the Philippines only. What I meant by “especially there in the Philippines” is when the insult is done to a Filipino in the Philippines as opposed to an insult done to a Filipino in the West. In the West, the Filipino tends to have more restraint when insulted, “over there” he may not be as tolerant and may go on a murderous frenzy.

          • Ricardo

            Yes i agree with you. If he went on a murderous frenzy in the west he would probably be in prison for life compared to the Philippines where he may not do any prison time at all.

        • Hi John – Yeah, I was talking of the Philippines, since that is what the site is all about, but I didn’t mean to imply that saving face is only unique to the Philippines.

  13. Hey Bob – Manilaphobic? He he. Just kidding. Expats are safe. One thing they can’t escape in the city.. yep.. traffic! One reason why a lot would like to settle in the province. You’re correct whatever happens here in Manila, it doesn’t really affect, expats living in Davao or Cebu or provinces far away from the city. But of course it’s always better yo have backdoor plan just in case …

    • I learnt after the Ondoy chaos always be prepared. I hadn’t given much thought to escaping but with Ondoy it made me more aware.

      With Egypt what shocked me was them cutting cells and internet, if that ever happened in the RP I don’t think any back door plan would be easy.

    • Hi sugar – I am not Manilphobic, but to be honest, I really don’t like the place. I have lived in the Philippines for 11 years and have been to Manila twice in that time. I would only go there if absolutely necessary!

  14. Hi Bob, over the years, protest against the government has always been in the Metro area. And that’s the bone of contention also of other island and provinces that events in metro Manila influences the rest of the country and some doesn’t like it. As some posters said, the beauty of these 7,000 plus islands are in some areas, nobody cares what they do in Metro Manila area. People are so busy trying to survive and opt to just do their daily business.

    Of over 250K Americans living in the Phl (numbers often being throw around by the US State Dept), I wonder what percentage are in the Metro Manila area or does these numbers include US tourist?

    • Hi Mars,
      Knowing the tourism industy inside and out, the numbers the RP Government reports are based on Passport holder, whereas the norm in almost every other country the numbers are based on place of birth for tourism, since your numbers are from the US Govt I would suggest the 250K Americans would be mostly Filipino and would be fortunate to have family in the Provinces as an option to evade any situation in Manila.
      Where I live in Manila, there are 20 or so Filipino Americans, 2 Expat Americans (married to Filipinas), 1 Brit, 2 Canadians, 4 Singaporians and about 30 Koreans(all short term)

    • It is true that protests have centered on Manila in the past. However, what we all need to keep in mind is in the future. You never know where events will happen in the future, so it’s a good idea to plan for the worst.

      I have never hear the figure 250k Americans in the Philippines. The biggest number I’ve ever heard (which was also a USG number) was 100k. To be honest, I don’t think anybody really knows the number. And, it is complicated by the fact that there are lots of Filipinos who also hold US citizenship! That makes it hard to know who to really count.

  16. I was stuck in Manila during the 1986 EDSA revolution (the airport was closed down). The people in the street were the same, always friendly and it was a party-fiesta atmosphere. Marcos had declared a curfew, but it was largely ignored. A lot of the stores and the few malls that existed back then were closed.

    • Hi Rob – Yes, I agree that people were friendly back then, but you never know what may happen in the future. For example, if the US Government took some action that angered the Philippines, or something like that, well, it may not be the same as ’86.

  17. ….dye your hair black, apply spray on darkening ‘sun glow’ body spray wear flip-flops and blend in….seriously the best approach is have cash on hand in mixed currency (peso, USD , bhat) passport and a ticket out of the RP to any close asian country..once safe decide from there…to many people take to long to decide where and when to go….mob mentality can manifest in hours, move fast. You own nothing worth your familys lives !

  18. For a lot of ex pats that live in the Phillipines ..Brians idea sounds like a winner…Just convert to Fillipino and blend in to the providence where probably most of your family live and hide in a nippa hut, and Bob since you all ready speak the spoken word there..( the native language) you probably have no problems blending in….

  19. HI BOB

    a good posting and yes it is good to be on the safe side no mattter where u and i live mate and if u need to get out dont leave it to te last min to make up ur mind do it mate as it is better to be on the out side looking in and being there when it happen and say why did i not go be for all this happend like most that get hurt or die in a big storm thay dont make up there mind to go and take when thay need with them and stay some where safe so all ways look a head and leave be for it is to late mate god bless………peter martin tassie

    • Hi peter – Well, I would not want to decide too early, as you would tend to leave every time there is any bit of bad news… but it is true that I’d rather be on the outside looking in if there was a bad crisis! It’s a fine balance!

  20. A thought provoking article, Bob. It’s good that you pointed out the problem of Manila. Probably 90% of the expats living here come and go through NAIA, and if there ever is a time when unrest makes me decide that retreat is the best course of action, it will NOT be through Manila, even though I live very close to the city.

    Internet and phones being cut off? Heck, that happens to me every week or so anyway, so I know how to deal with that 😉

    Many foreigners live their life around the ATM m… and that’s a problem area that I seldom see people planning a backup for. Not only could some issue cause the Phils government yo restrict access there, many don’t seem to think about the very real issue that the US government could cut the flow of funds to the Philippines unilaterally. The Philippines still is on the list of terrorism supporting countries and the American Patriot Act allows the President to cut off funds flowing anywhere to ‘stem the tide of terrorism’. He doesn’t require a court order, Congressional hearings, etc.

    I’m more concerned how I would keep my lights turned on and keep eating in the event of some disruption in government here. It’s well worth thinking through, especially if one’s life here involves regular trips to the ATM.

    I still have work to do on my plan, everyone probably ought to spend some time working through theirs, just to be more secure. Good food for thought.

    • No problem, Dave. There’s always the bamboo trusses of your nipa hut into which you can stash your cash for the rainy days ahead. Many Ilocanos in Zambales keep their entire year’s savings in bamboo trusses from the last fiesta to the next… LOL

    • Dave, You are right so many depend on the ATM for cash, 10K limit wont cut it if you need serious cash to hit the dusty trail. We all have seen the lines and then you finally get to the front spot and the ATM is out of money.

        • 10K per transaction even at HSBC in Taguig, I wish I could do 40K in one shot, the only way I can do that is multiple transactions. Citi Bank lowered the limit per transaction from 20K to 10K as well and the machines seem to stop at two transactions.

          • Wow, really? I know that both Davao and Cebu HSBC will do 40k/transaction. There is no sign or anything, you just punch in 40k and that is what comes out.

            • Which ATM machine did Gen. Douglas McArthur used for his back door escape to Oz in a submarine, the one in Taguig or in Davao, Bob, I wonder? 🙂

    • Hi Dave – I, for one, have to admit that we pretty much live via the ATM machine. There are backups for what we could do, though. However, if the US cut off the flow of funds to the Philippines, I have to admit that after burning through reserve funds, I would be in trouble! I suppose we all would. Hopefully that will never happen.

        • I only know about a Paypal business account in the RP which requires a local credit card for verification, which in itself is a real pain. Elsewhere a Paypal business is verified with your business bank account. I don’t know about personal accounts what the verification process is. I have heard HORROR stories about accessing your account in the RP, if it was set up abroad, it sets of alarms to the Paypal folks and they freeze the account.

          • Getting a Paypal account in the Philippines is very simple, John. Yes, a local credit (or debit) card is needed, but easy to get. Get an “Eon” account at Union Bank, which gives you a Visa Debit Card and works well with Paypal. It is all very, very easy. You can get a personal or business account.

            Ten years ago, if you accessed your Paypal account in the Philippines, they would shut down your account. Now, even foreign activated accounts can be accessed here, no problems at all. I use Paypal extensively, so I know that this is correct.

            • That is personal or business you are talking about ? Of course opening a business account isn’t easy in the RP. The frozen account happened to a neighbour from the UK who has a busness account from the UK and he was doing a bunch of transactions in MNL and they froze his account. When he got back to the UK he has to jump thru hoops. This was only 6 weeks ago.

              • Hi John – for a personal or a business Paypal account, you do not need a business bank account. A personal bank account can be used for a business paypal account, it’s no problem.

                If your friend had this problem 6 weeks ago, he did something else wrong, because Paypal changed their policy on this about 5 years ago. I know Paypal… I do at least 5 figures (US Dollars) through Paypal every month.

          • I think it is different for each country, I know for a fact in Canada you need a Business bank account to become verified for a business account with paypal. In order to open a business bank account you need to be registered etc, so I guess different rules for each country.

            I get what you are saying in the RP both are the same and it is easy to get verified.

            • The hardest thing about becoming verified in the Philippines is working with the local bank and getting the information you need. It can be done though if you are patient.

  21. I have been giving a lot of thought to this problem recently and more so since the uprising in Egypt. I do not have any plan to speak of. I know I would want to avoid Manila if at all possible. I have given thought to possibly taking a boat to a neighboring country and thought that I should look into how one would go about securing sea transportation in such a situaiton.

    My main problem is that I have now made a terrible mistake of having the bulk of my money in Philippine banks and investment accounts. I went last year to take out $10,000 and it took two days. They had to know why I was withdrawing the money, etc. I am sure that it would be near impossible if not impossible to get money out if there was a national crisis. The banks would probably close for a period of time. I do not keep money in the house for fear of robberies.

    The thing that worries me most is the Bishops stand on the RH Bill. They have stated they were the ones that opened the door to EDSA I and EDSA II. They have stated that they believe the RH Bill has more moral value than even the situations in EDSA I and EDSA II and they will have no problem calling for EDSA III if Congress and the President insist on passing the RH Bill.

    I am not convince an EDSA III could take place without blood shed. Times have changed. I am disappointed that the hierarchy of my Church would make such puclic statements and I realize that a lot of what they say may be simply idle threats, but if they are only idle threats I think making idle threats as they have made is not healthy. There are too many nuts in the world looking for a reason to try and start a revolution. That is true even in the U.S. today.

    I suppose the first place I would go is Malaysia. It has some attractive retirement policies for expat’s, but I do not think I would be as happy there as I am in the Philippines. I have not experienced any part of Malaysia except the large cities and I may find that I would like life outside the cities better. I would want to check it out before returning to the U.S.A. I have lived in Thailand and liked it, but language is more of a problem than in the Philippines and it seems in recent years there is constant political unrest there. You may arrive one day in Thailand and have to leave the next, who knows.

    I have gone to check out Cambodia for a possible place to live if I got tired of living in the Philippines. I like it okay, but found that the services offered that I as an expat need simply were not available as of yet.

    I hope that a problem never arises in the Philippine, but I share your views that the poor and lower class will only take the poverty for so long. They now have access to television and Internet and they know the eonomic discrimination they are experiencing is not the way it should be. I think the fact that the Philippines gets a stronger middle class each year only compounds the problem of a possible street revolt. I think the time will come when a strong middle class will not be content with 2 percent of the Filipino people controlling all the wealth and land.

    I look at the changes that are taking place in the world and sometime I am thankful that I am not young. We did worry about the Cold War as I was growing up, but I do not think we had the pressures on us that the younger generation presently has and the future generation will have.

    • Hi Tom – Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I knew that the Catholic Church was against the RH bill, of course, but I did not realize that they had threatened an EDSA III over it! That is scary to me. If the Church holds that much power, the Philippines is practically a theocracy. I suppose that should have been obvious to me.

      I am curious… when you withdrew money from the bank and you had to tell them why you needed to withdraw it, what do you think they would have said if you told them that it was not any of their business? Because, really it is not their business!

      • I do not know what they would have said. I really did not pursue that angle. They suggested I say that the money was for travel abroad. I have gone back to the bank since reading your article and made some general inquires of one of the Vice Presidents that I know and he said that withdrawing a thousand or two is not really an issue because you can always claim it is for travel, but when you try to withdraw $10,000 plus is when it gets more complicated. He said that is the disadvantage of keeping a lot in a dollar account.

  22. Anybody here, living in Manila area that can get more than 10,000p from a ATM?? If so, how much, what bank??? Bob, your lucky, it cost me almost $100.00 a month for withdrawals. $3.00 per transaction and 3%… Plus the ATM wants 200p extra for transaction… Can only get 10,000p per transaction and its a s/s debit government card, so I can not get a different set up.

    • Same here Lenny, my debit cards are BPI/BDO/HSBC as well as 4 foreign accounts. The last best was Citi Bank then they changed, of course my limit is higher than $200 bucks, it must be a Manila thing, the last time I was in Pampanga I was able to get 20K at BPI and back in MNL 10K only.

      • Lenny, I was stand corrected I thought Citi was 10k from 20. It is 15K per transaction at the Eastwood Libis branch.

    • Lenny, I think it depends which bank. Maybe Standard Chartered or HSBC. You can do over the the counter for more with BPI. I recently got an HSBC card. I know they have more than 10K withdrawal limit.

  23. Efforts ARE being made to turn things around in the Philippines. There seem to be many good people in the medical profession there. (Jose Rizal was a doctor too!) If only there wasn’t SO MUCH needed to be done! A Filipina here in Pennsylvania linked her Facebook page to a portfolio of still shots taken from some of the amateur videos submitted to the Quisumbing Escandor Film Festival for Health. If you can’t navigate successfully to this FB page, the 2 YouTube videos below give you a preview.

    http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Quisumbing-Escandor-Film-Festival-for-Health/168444713158

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPUCIM0x5QU&feature=player_embedded
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWDs0xB1Cg&NR=1

    Bob, I think that some day you may stumble into the “Progressive” camp. I like to think of you as a Conservative with a Liberal Heart! 🙂

    • Hi James – I am conservative on many issues, but more liberal on others. I suppose that I am a libertarian, and I expect I always will be. Thanks for your comment.

  24. I’m a news junkie. While stuck at home for three consecutive snow days I watched the Egypt demonstrations from their onset, non-stop. I had to catch up to speed on Tunisia, via the internet, to understand how the uprising in that country triggered what exploded out-of-the-blue in Egypt (facilitated by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube).

    The take away: — Young, well educated, often secular (not driven by ideology), and unemployed poor people aren’t going to take it anymore and social networking technology like Facebook and Twitter are game changers — look at the near immediate actions the King of Jordan (actually a good guy) and leader of Yemen took (firing their cabinets and announcing reforms, or promising not to run for another term). ALL the oppressive dictatorships that have been in place for decades are on extremely thin ice.

    People in Iran almost did this a few years ago (also a secular popular uprising of well educated young people). If images and reports of what is happening in Egypt are getting into Iran (and they will) I see a rematch coming — and this time I’m-a-dummy-jad is going down. Most Iranians are NOT radical islamists…they are well-educated and under employed young people who just want a better life and universal rights and freedom. Egypt is providing a very powerful example to this younger generation. I teach in Fairfax County, Virginia. My students come from all over the world, including Iraqi and Egyptian students. I was so moved when one of my Iraqi students said “The Egyptian people are so awesome…they are showing my people how to do it. They are peaceful and just want freedom and a better life.”

    Then my thoughts turned to the Philippines and my own retirement plans in say 8 years. And I thought…hmmm…lots of young, educated, smart and under employed people in the philippines — and all EXTREMELY connected by Facebook, twitter, and probably many other home-grown social networks. It made me think this could easily happen in the Philippines. I do not expect it from people over 40. This will start with 20 and 30 somethings who are incredibly interconnected online, have wealthier family members doing much better in the USA, Australia, Europe, etc., AND watching what is happening in Egypt and thinking their situation (few rich, many poor) is quite similar to the plight of most young Egyptians. I immediately thought the Philippines could be next — BEFORE I plan to retire there.

    The transformational power of social networking technology is stunning beyond words, and I’m convinced it is changing the world from the bottom up and will continue to do so. It amplifies the “power of the people” and in a vicarious way “educates” the masses. A young person who never pays attention to the news is more likely to pay attention when they get news via their social networks (or John Stewart…LOL).

    If all these young and well educated and often secular protesters had decent jobs and even slightly more than adequate salaries, religious extremism and Al Queda and the rest will dry up. When people can live decent lives, have decent productive jobs that build self esteem and well being — they don’t feel the urge to strap on a bomb or act out of anger and frustration. Typically, I’m rather pessimistic about the future….but oddly, I’m rather optimistic about the unrest in the middle east, because it’s been started by YOUNG, EDUCATED, and mostly SECULAR people who want DEMOCRACY and ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

    Here is the best evidence that we may be seeing the end of the extremist movement in the middle east: The president of Iran and the Ayatolla issued a statement that Egyptians should rally behind Islam and against the west. The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt firmly responded “The popular uprising is not about religion, it is about Egypt”.

    How long before it spreads to the Philippines remains to be seen, but I’m sure it is coming and the leaders in Manila would be smart to start the economic reforms NOW, and I’m sure some in power are already connecting the dots and know Philippines may not be far behind Egypt if they don’t act swiftly.

    As for the role of the Catholic Church in Philippines playing some sort of catalytic role in an EDSA III… Hmmm…I think Manila should be more concerned about FACEBOOK!

    Jon

    • Hi Jon – I agree that Facebook and Twitter are real drivers of the unrest around much of the Middle East. With such technology, it could spread anywhere in the world.

      • Bob,
        The difference is that in a police state that forces guys to “meet” on the soccer field (talking and planning while playing) Facebook offered Egyptians a virtual gathering and planning place with anonymity. In the Philippines it would develop differently because there is not the overt oppression. Still, Facebook and Twitter are the now the revolutionaries weapon of choice. Check out this article that gives the blow-by-blow of how Facebook launched all of what happened in Tunisia and Egypt — in just a few days.

        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41442005/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/

    • Spot on Jon, Social Media will change our lives forever.

      It looks like change is happening in Egypt and the pressure from so many countries is having an affect. I am so pleased with the unified pressure, protecting the region and Israel is so important for peace.

      I wonder how many countries would step up to the plate if something like this happened in the RP ?

      • John,
        Sadly the reaction of international attention and support would only be the same for the Philippines if the country had oil or an important canal — and shared a border with Israel.
        Jon

    • Very interesting, Jon, the role of social networking technology that you described. Let’s see:

      Facebook was launched in February 2004. YouTube was born in February 2005. Twitter was launched in March 2006.

      Young, educated, underemployed Filipinos took to the streets ARMED WITH CELLPHONES in January 2001 to topple Estrada, before any of the networking tools mentioned above was available to them. Texting each other and informing one another when and where to rally spread like wildfire. The cell phone, as young Filipinos recognized in those days, was the key in achieving critical mass and the success of the revolution.

      Can we say with modesty that young Filipinos in 2001 were the pioneer in recognizing the power of social networking technology to galvanize, organize, launch, and sustain a revolution?

      • Texting caught on in the Rp because it was cheap and easy, Frienster got its boost in the RP now it is on its way to AE.

        The power may have been there 10 years ago, technology has improved but how many really have access? The Ipad was 13 months late in the RP. Internet cafes are still a good business there.

        How will Social Media impact the youth if they dont have access?

      • Ricardo,
        You sure can! I was thinking about a new cell phone application I read about on my flight out of Manila last summer. It was about a social networking text application that an Indian techie developed precisely because most people in India do not have computers and internet access, but large numbers own cell phones. The article stated that the cell phone social networking text application was coming to the Philippines. The features will just enhance what you described.
        Jon

        • Don’t forget that the ’86 Edsa People power were organized mostly thru texting. Filipinos popularized the mass media usage of texting way back.

          • mars z.

            texting back in 86?? you must be joking hehehehe. the cellphone in those days are as big as the military 2-way radio, and it is analog too! most of them are DynaTac 8000 series! and i am very certain that sms technology hasn’t reached Philippines yet.

          • Mars – The cell phone was a new novelty in the Philippines in 1986. There is no documentation of its wide use by the Filipinos to launch People’s Power in that year. It was in EDSA II, in 2001, that the cell phone was widely used for texting to start the revolution:

            http://www.forbes.com/asap/2001/0910/028.html

              • You’re absolutely correct, Bob, but it was EDSA I when Cardinal Sin, Ramos, and Enrile were the key players, not EDSA II when the cell phone came of age and played a very important role in the success of the revolution.

            • Yep, I meant the Edsa II, in 2001. Yup, those 5-lb radio would have been way too much to carry but would make a good weapon.

  25. Hi Bob,

    I have to admit that Jon’s comment certainly has profound implications about how a crisis could erupt in the Philippines. Westerners could be targeted as objects of jealousy for being perceived as being “rich”.

    My wife and I have decided to keep our home in Canada as a backdoor escape in case of emergency. Our plans are to live in Mindanao, Surigao del Norte province, which doesn’t have a history of violence or demonstrations. Nevertheless, I do agree it’s important to have
    an escape plan if an uprising engulfs the whole country. I suppose the best route would be
    a fast drive to Davao and fly out to Singapore.

    • Hi Randall – In past crises of this kind in the Philippines, thankfully westerners were not targeted. But, I do believe the day could come when it happens, especially if it is more of an economic protest, the poor protesting because they have been financially marginalized by the upper class in the Philippines.

      Personally, I would not choose to go back to the States, I would look elsewhere, with an eye on returning to the Philippines as soon as possible. But, it all remains to be seen, and hopefully would not happen here in the future, at least within my lifetime!

    • Randall, it seems like a plan but keep in mind that is the only International flight out of Davao, and it is operated by Silkair, so who knows if they would continue to offer flights.
      We all know it is damn near impossible to get into an airport in the RP without a ticket, assuming computers are down, staff wouldn’t have a clue what to charge a walk-up passenger. If you are concerned about the risk, I would have an unrestricted ticket and keep rolling it over and over again, with all of the rules and restrictions printed out.

      • Hi John – Actually, there are other International Flights from Davao, although that Singapore flight is the only major airline that flies International out of Davao. There are several small players who also fly to International locations from Davao, including to Indonesia and Palau.

        • Hi Bob, Silkair actually only does 2 flights a week and thrice weekly via CEB. The others must be charter service? They dont show up in the GDS (travel/airline system)

          Maybe air isn’t the best back door option, what do you think ?

          • Bob,
            My only concern as a filipino is i hope Philippines will never ever engage in any civil war bcoz this is the most scary and dangerous things for us pinoy, i watched a lot of documentary films about civil war in African countries where neighbors to neighbors and even distance family members killing each other. if this will happened ( i hope not) in the Phils. no matter how much i love my country, we will pack right away and get a boat going to the nearest country i don’t know w/c one but Manila is out of the question.

            • Hi rebecca – I really don’t foresee a civil war here. Of course, there is insurgency from the MILF and the NPA, but those are both relatively small uprisings.

              • I don’t see a civil war too in the Philippines since most Filipinos ignore and dislike the MILF and NPA. I even heard stories from people living near the NPA areas where the NPA would barge in their houses with guns whenever they are hungry.

            • One more thing Bob, if we cannot get out of the country on time, we will just hide to my parents remote island in Romblon and hide in a cave hehehe!!!. Until now “CORCUERA ISLAND in Romblon province is still undiscover and people will fight to the end to avoid mining companies to touch their tiny island.

          • Hi John – Flights on those other airlines can be irregular, but I do not believe they are charter services.

            No, air is not part of my back door plan at all.

            • Hi Bob,

              I agree unless you are in a hub, air shoudn’t be your first choice, irregular or charter doens’t cut it in time of need. In CAI people were charged $2000 and they had a ticket. I really feel for those folks, I’m glad people are thinking so they are not off guard.

    • Randall,
      Immediately after I posted my “article response” (LOL) I thought “But it won’t necessarily be an uprising we have to fear or run away from”. We are not the object of the unrest and the United States (or other “western” countries), without a military presence in the Philippines and no strong political influence in Philippine politics, is not likely to result in expats being targeted. In fact, a lot of expats provide jobs for locals and to some extent are well appreciated for their role in the local economy.

      I agree with Bob’s advice that we need to have an exit plan, but I’m not sure an uprising for economic reforms is necessarily going to be cause get out. I’m sure there will be some bad elements taking advantage of chaos in communities/city streets where the protests take place….but I’m fairly certain I won’t be living in one of those locations.

      I spent 3 weeks last summer in the CDO to Butuan, Agusan del Sur areas. I’ll be in Mindanao for 6 to 8 weeks this summer scouting places I didn’t reach last summer, particularly Surigao area. My retirement plans for the Philippines are still on track. Lots can happen in the next 8 years, pro or con…but one thing is sure – the pace of change is increasing because of social networking.

      Jon

      • Hi Jon,

        You’ve got some good points there. My concern is food price inflation could lead to widespread “rice” riots. Admittedly this would probably be most acute in the big cities.

        BTW, if you’re in Surigao del Norte province this summer, feel free to drop by and visit me.
        I’m in the beautiful little town of Mainit on the north shore of Lake Mainit. To get there, get off at the village of Magpayang and take a tricycle west to Mainit. Tell the driver you
        want “Ranelco Trading”, he’ll know where to take you. My cell number in the Phils when
        I’m there is 0999-736-4877.

        Cheers!

        • Randall,
          I’m excited to hear you live in Mainit. I’ve been checking out that town in Google Earth. I noticed one very impressive thing about Mainit— seems all the streets are PAVED! Google Earth has some high resolution photos and there are many photos embedded to click on. I really liked it. Actually, I was really impressed with ALL that I could see in Google Earth up to Surigao and north in the the islands in the Suriogao straights. There is a really LONG wooden foot bridge connecting two of the islands just north of Surigao city. It claims to be the longest in the world…over a quarter of a mile long. The photos in Google Earth are impressive.

          I think it all looks like a naturalists wonderland…but of course all the photos were taken on sunny days. It’s said to be the rainiest place in the Philippines…and the data I found confirm it. Still….I like the area a lot. I’m thinking about settling in Butuan because my retirement plans require a good internet connection. Mostly I need reliable internet with even moderate speed. I have some creative solutions for obtaining and updating huge data files like DEMs (data for 3-D elevation models for use with ArcGIS software). How is internet access in Mainit?

  26. bob,

    Wow! 107 comments and still counting!, although it is nice to have a backup plan to escape Philippines if things gets ugly, personally, I would not worry too much about it, Philippines has gone too many troubles and time and again, it doesn’t affect the foreigners too much living in the Philippines particularly the Americans.

    The only thing I would use a “backup” plan is when there’s a major catastrophe like the entire Philippine swallowed by the ocean or it’s entire existence will suddenly disappear from the face of the earth when an asteroid hits it!, if problems like “anti-foreigner” or another “people power” will ever happen in manila again, I would not worry too much about it either, because I know for a fact that majority of Filipinos inherently loves foreigners and would protect them from “other Filipinos” who hates them.

    I am not saying that foreigner should not have a backup plan at all, all I am saying is, why not try to relocate to some island in the Philippines that are much safer first? realistically speaking, how many foreigners who are living in some isolated island got affected during the people powers revolution? do you think a foreigner living in batanes island will be affected heavily if there’s a trouble happening in Luzon?

    having a backup plan is a nice idea but i would not put my mind too much about it, as George Carlin always say “have a little adventure and take some chances in your life” hahaha

    • Hi dan – Ah, 107 comments.. that’s just in the “normal” range for my articles on this site. I believe the record is around 350 or so, as I recall, maybe 3 months ago, I think.

      • Hey Bob – he he.. your site is popular! You have good topics and writers. But of course you know that . ^_^.

        And what Dan said, I feel the same, I’m more scared if another Mt. Pinatubo eruption should happen rather than unrest and revolt. Ash fall covered Manila it was scary. Back then, not sure if the servicemen from Clark had back up plans when the ash rained down.

        • Yep, LiP has turned into quite a site. When I think back to the early day of LiP when I was the only writer, and the visitors were few, I am amazed at how it has grown!

          Yeah, unrest may not be the only reason why there would be a need to leave… a bad typhoon, volcano, or a bad earthquake would be some of the other reasons I can think of.

        • Sugar;
          The US Air Force flew out as many people as the weather would allow, the rest were told to abandon their stuff and get to Subic Naval Base, Military Sealift Command, and a few Navy ships transported service members and dependents to Cebu, where the Air Force flew in the C5A transport planes and flew them to Guam and the states. BTW; the Air Force reimburse them for every thing, including the hundreds of cars that were abandoned on the streets of Olongapo, (The Subic Base ran out of room.) We used to wonder where all those cars went (lol).

          • Hi Paul – If I remember correctly during the evacuation of the ash-covered Subic Naval base, Admiral Mercer? placed the installation off limits to displaced Filipinos because of possible looting.

      • Bob, that means your site is getting more popular each passing days hahaha!, honestly speaking , you know more than enough about Mindanao than i know about Batangas and that’s sad…..

  27. The world seems to be getting to the point that there aren’t very many places that you can truly call “safe” from trouble anymore. Social networking and the internet has provided a way for those elements who want to organize change to accomplish it. Even the US is showing signs of political instability. There are extreme leftists that are fed up with capitalism and are working to incite the poor into political change and their rhetoric calls for violence to get it done. On a constant and daily basis there are more of them calling for a violent change to the US since they are not getting their demands met with the normal political process.

    What blows my mind is that here these groups are openly trying to incite killing and destruction to achieve their goals but every single time there is even the least incident that looks like it has a political agenda, the media here points to the “radical right”.

    My wife and I aren’t living there yet, but our retirement plan is to move to the Philippines when that time comes. Once there I certainly will look into multiple exit paths so that we have the best chance to get out if it would ever come to that.

    Like one of the other posters commented, I’m glad I’m not a young person starting out in this world now. When I was young I remember the great enemy to the free world was the evil Soviet empire, or so the west would have you believe. At least it was convincing enough that it caused the US and allies to spend untold amounts of money to appear stronger than they. So now the big world enemy is Islamic fascism?

    It seems the only place that looks safe these days is so far north that it’s just too blasted cold out for people to go outside to protest things! HAHA. Maybe Greenland?

  28. Just a thought for you Bob. I watched in the Lebanon as the USA refused to evacuate the families of US citizens unless each family member held a US passport or an Overseas birth certificate issued by the US government … Hope you covered that in your plan.

  29. Hi Bob,

    Thanks for another extremely insightful article about living in the Philippines (only those who’ve spent a reasonable amount of time living there can understand where you’re coming from). IMO due to the fragmented geology of the island nation, much Philippine unrest seems to be regional. For example, while living in Cotabato City from 86-87 the military was literally at war with the NPA and MNLF (I remember the shelling and machine gun fire!) Were folks in Manila or Cebu worried?…most likely not. My sponsors kept me at home and didn’t let me outside for sometime if I remember correctly, until events simmered down. Nowadays, if I were an expat living there you can guarantee that I’d have some sort of exit plan.

    • Hi Wade – Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, the Philippines is very regional, as you experienced. An exit plan is an important thing regardless of where in the country you live.

  30. IDK Bob, but these political stuff (I mean massive protests that tend to be violent) is usually just in Manila. If one remembers what they call “EDSA 3” where Erap supporters went on rampage, it was concentrated in Manila. Not even the nearby provinces of the NCR was close to it. In case such violence(God forbid) happens in Manila, the way it is in Egypt now, flying to Batanes is the a good option. Maybe Vigan is a good choice too (love that place, though I don’t like the Singsons.) Although political killings are spread thin in the Philippines, 95% don’t get as violent as Manila during protests. IDK but people from the capital (or living in the capital) tend to think they are the whole Philippines and that their opinion represents the opinion of the entire Philippines. When Manila wanted to oust Arroyo, yet there are other places where people would just want that she finish her term, people from these area threatened to secede (from north to south) and now, these NCR-centric people disdainfully called those “from the provinces” not nationalistic.

    I kid, I kid. LOL.

    • Hi Katrina – Bad things can happen anywhere, not just in Manila. There has been unrest in Davao during my time here, albeit minor. What about a major earthquake, flood, etc.?

  31. Hi Bob. It depends on how the community feels about me if I have to have an exit strategy in place. I plan on retiring to Leyte. I hope that I can be respectful of the people (including family) and the culture around me. If the community considered me as a person with moral character, I wouldn’t have to worry about a poltical uprising in Manila. If I was a jerk, I would probably wouldn’t realize it. Someone told me about being chased in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan by a group of men with firearms. After I got to know this person, I could understand the reason. The guy was an a_ _ and thought he knew everything possible about the Philippines.

    As already said above, I would be more concern with having an emergency plan in place for a natural disaster. Ormoc had one of the biggest natural disasters with Typhoon Uring. There were deaths in Leyte from a Tsunami with the 1960 Chile earthquake. Mindanao suffered many more deaths from a tsunami in 1976. Awareness is everything. Dealing with a natural disaster and having an emergency plan seems to deserve its own article. I feel like we are mixing apple and oranges with this discussion.

  32. The biggest problem with bailing out of a situation is hanging on too long by which time many of the options have gone. I got trapped in Iran in 1979 and was fortunate enough to dispose of all our family possessions but could not leave the country,after being at the airport for days a British Airways employee took pity on me and spoke to the captain of a BA flight to London,no seats were available but the crew took me out in the cockpit observers seat without a ticket,for which I am forever grateful.Do not ever rely on the Embassy to assist you -especially if you are British,the British community were basically abandoned and left to fend for themselves.I was asked to go personally to the Embassy to register when there was a major gun battle going on outside!I informed them I was not going to commit suicide when they could take my details over the phone – I encountered nothing but stupidity and apathy.

  33. Hey Bob, did you know Davao is only just over 2000km to Darwin by sea? 2 weeks in a slow boat island hopping through Indonesia’s most remote parts. In a banka doing 20kmh (about average cruise speed) on a straight run it’s 4 days and nights. In a real emergency I’m sure Americans would be very welcome in Australia.

  34. Bob, I read an interesting article on Yahoo Asia about the suicide of the filipno General who was paid funds from his retirement account. Here is a comment posted by someone in respone to the article.

    “The people of the Philippines should go around and check every politicians residence, in every town and every cities, and see how these corrupt politicians afforded mansions with their meager salaries. These mansions built from corruptions should be BURN DOWN.”

    It doesn’t take much to cause poor people to act in this way.

    Here is a link to the article.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110208/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_corruption#mwpphu-container

  35. A bangka boat would take about 15 hours from the edge of Mindanao to Sabah. Ive always been curious about seeing the transition from country to country although i think the transition there would be ironically more similar than say Manila to Zamboanga. Languages would be almost identical between tawi tawi islands and sabah

    • In Sabah, they speak Dusunic, and they speak Sama in Tawi Tawi. There are similarities, but not to the point where a Dusunic speaker and a Sama speaker can understand each other.