While renting houses in Olongapo city years ago, I was still working on board merchant ships, when I was home from sea, every Sunday we would come up the Mountain in Bataan to visit my wife’s family there. While sitting under their mango tree I noticed that the temperature was at least 10 degrees cooler than in “Olongapo City”, normally at that same time of the afternoon, I’d be hiding in a room with the air/con going full blast.
Within a few months I bought a lot that was 997 square meters. I have no idea where the missing 3 square meters went. A couple of years later my wife started building her house, I helped by sending money every month. As the land was not level she built a wall and back filled the land with 67 dump trucks of fill. My man Cave was built first to store building materials and a place for the workers to live and cook. And since there is no city water we drilled our first deep well for water.
In 1999 she started construction, with a contract for labor only. She and the family would provide needed materials. They found out that you could save vast amounts of money if you buy the entire truck load of cement and re-bar at one time vice daily trips to an overcharging hardware store.
The house was build with as many windows as we could have and still support the roof, (which is an18 inches thick slab) to take advantage of the cooler air.
About the house;
Cost of the lot: (997 sq. meters.) $2,500.00
Cost of Wall: $1,500.00
Cost to level the land: $ 600.00
Labor Contract: $ 20,000.00
Cost of the House: I really don’t know, my wife’s not done with it yet. When I moved in to the house my bank account was light by $160,000.00 (1999 dollars) this included the cost 1st deep well, the Man Cave/dirty Kitchen plus all fixtures for plumbing and electrical, Tinted aluminum sliding windows, and least we forget the required prison bars over the windows… And not one centavo for interest, as no mortgage was desired.
Man Cave/ Dirty Kitchen: 403 Square feet
House: 1,980 Square feet
Roof Patio: 1,100 Square Feet, The house is made up of 2 Master bedrooms w/full baths, 2 Bedroom that share a 3rd bath, Eat in kitchen, Living Room, Dining room, and a storeroom for treasured junk. (Paul k. I have no JOT storage area).
In the picture I called the dining room set “My 1st Generator” There is a reason for that. I left to pick up a Ship in Korea; and left behind a thousand dollars for the purchase of a generator. I’m in Perth Australia and my wife is telling me she had dining room set, handmade using the generator money. Then I joked and told her to plug the electric into the table during the next brownout. She didn’t find that as funny as I did. I bought a Honda Generator next time I was home.
As any guy who lives here will tell you, a woman will keep all boxes that any appliance came in. Sometimes they will be displayed and/or stored. I came into the new house and found the storeroom chocker-block with boxes that cockroaches happen to love the flavor of. I smiled and asked my bride if she had plans to divorce me or move? She shouted “NEVER!! And I replied, “Thank God, now we don’t need to keep those boxes, do we?”
Lovely House Paul. I assume your wife/builders had an architects plan to work from for this project. Clearly a place to enjoy.
Best wishes,
Jim
Hi Jim;
The architect/engineer drew up the plans, the way we wanted the house built. He was on site during the building of the house. I paid him every Friday, and the contract called for me to finial payment of P150.000.00 or the day of accepting the key. It’s always better that you owe them a large amount of money, so they come back.
That’s a very nice looking house. The kitchen looks very spacious.
Peter;
Being from an Irish family in Boston; I learned that the kitchen was the most used room in the house. So I had a large kitchen built, and the round table seats 7, eaters or drinkers. I know the Pinoy loves their kitchen as the Irish do, and I wondered my they made them so small?
Very nice house Paul, thanks for posting the pics.
You are very welcome, Sir.
Senior,
Nice looking house hopfully I’ll have one equally as nice. What”s the secret let your bribe make all the choices? If I let my wife design the the house there would be more nic-nak shelves with statues on them than Sam Miguel bottels in your man cave. But than again since I can’t own property in PI I guess she’s the boss and I’ll be the financier.
Oh speaking about boxes my wife had these four balibyan boxes in storage for about three years , so I got tired of looking at them and two months ago I gave them to the salvation army.
Guess who asked me to take them out of storage last week Correct 🙁
When I told her what I did BAM !!! Lost all my pogi points any more that I wished to earn for about a century. So I decided to go to the exchange here in J-ville and by the imported San Miguel (closest I can get to the real thing). I was indulging in them and thinking about you and the boys in LIP and how much I really want to be there. I kinda forgot I was in trouble and called for my wife to sit down with me. Bad Move:( with eyes of fire and the tone of death she said NO YOU GAVE AWAY THE STUFF I WAS SAVING!!! So then I realized that I was In deep Kimchee. So just like you Senior I was betting after 30 yrs 1. she was not going to divorce me. 2. she was not going to leave me 3. Even though I might be dead in about 10 mins that did not bother me. 4. Losing all my POGI POINTS I could not handle that. So convinced that she still loved me. All last week I cooked and cleaned my castle (I Mean her castle )and gave her shopping money to replace what I gave away 🙁
That worked.
I Just have one Question Senior , How Do They Remember All This Stuff?
Hi Bruce;
The man cave was deeded to me, although she retained certain rights. Of course I gave my sweet Mayang, full control over her house. We designed it together, and she changed the design 3 times while I was at sea which cause cost overruns. But when I came home and saw what she had done I knew it was the correct choice.
You gave away your wife’s stuff, and yet retained the dexterity to type a comment? You are indeed a fortunate man. Remember, if one foot is tapping, you’re in “it” deep, when two feet are tapping, get out of Dodge now, run my friend run!
How do they remember? That’s not in my power to understand!
They remember with a hard drive in their brain that holds more than any hard drive on a computor holds and it nevers gets deleted and never crashes and burns..its there for ever and ever..to be recalled at any give time that they deep Appropriate! And the built in hard drive in their braine never gets full..there is always more room..always!! Nice house Paul..thanks for the nice read.
Hi Dan;
You summed up that question of memory quite well, and I found they can call up any fact faster than the NSA’s main computer. They seldom use that power until your third beer. A little unfair I think.
Yes..its unfair and funny I do not remember in my days of all of this the woman every remembering any thing good about me…but they sure could remember all the rest. Maybe they both had defective hard drives!
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the info my wife can remember things that happen over thirty years ago which has long been deleted fron my brain. Your right they don’t play fair they pull that sneak attack on you when your chilled or very busy.
With the saying Do you remember when, You remember so and so, or I have this thing of a bob where did you put it. Knowing darn well I don’t have a clue.
They then twist it to their advantage an all you can do is say Yea I Remember or Take the broad side hit and sink. Either way they win because they already know your clueless.
Senior,
Was all your furniture handmade? Showed my wife your house pics and told her that. Man she almost had a rush of shopping adrenaline Not only did she love your house she but the way your wife decorated it to with all that firniture and nic-nacs. Boy are we in trouble when I get there with her.
I here the sucking sound of a draining bank account. LOL
Yes Bruce;
Over 90% is made to order. I was at the shop yesterday getting a Ship’s wheel made for my BBQ grill.
Wow! Paul beautiful house you’ve got there. Much more spacious than anything I’m used to! I’m envious your’s is about double the size of my house in Ohio, lol. In Samar we’ll live a little more understated than you, hehe. A really wonderful abode my friend. You and the Missus should be very proud. Off topic I’m from the Lowell aea originally if you recall your Massachusetts upbringing. Ever venture up that way? The area was all apple orchards but now it’s one strip mall after another…
Mark;
Lowell, yes I’ve been to your town, albeit they might have asked me to leave, something about underage drinking of Applejack.
I knew that this was where I was going to spend the rest of my life and went a little crazy building the house. But I was making a great salary as a Merchant Seaman, and had very little time to spend it at sea. Gambling is the one vice, I gave a pass to, my father taught me to never play another man’s game.
Lovely property!
Thank you very much!
Paul
I am impressed, you have some fancy diggs there.
Hopefully you can give me the grand tour this coming Jan/Feb.
That type of area would be something that me and the Mrs probably would consider.
How far from the freeport/old base are you.
Neal;
I’m a 10 minute drive from the back gate in Battaan to Subic, it was built a few years ago, as part of the new expressway here on Luzon. A tour and cold beer is what I do well, and you’re on the list!
Paul
So If I have this right you are 10 min from the Kalaklan bridge.
We have a friend that lives in Gordon Heights that told us they were supposed to build a new bridge at that location.
Now you really did it My Wife saw the Pics of your house, and the wheels in her head are already turning.
Neal;
It’s true about the new bridge at Kalaklan, but that’s not it. There is a new toll road built by Dick Gordon (of course not his money) that now takes you to the new expressway to Clark. There is an exit that’s puts you back on the old Nation Highway past the top of the Zigzag on the old road to Clark, and that’s where I live, in the bundoc.
The ladies can get together and eat, while we have a cold one, and they will plan your future for you.
OK I think I got it now.
Im not real familiar with the area as most of the time I was never officially stationed in RP, I would just fly back and forth to NAS Cubi Pt and Clark from Kadena or Futenma on Okinawa.
My original plans 25 years ago was to pretty much drink, raise hell and sleep in the gutter. Rememer the Bar “Stoned Crow” on Magsaysay st, well one night I got so friggin tuned up on PI over the counter codene cough syrup and Mojo I spent the night on the floor of that bar.
The Stoned Crow, you are using Mr. Peabody’s “Way-Back-Machine”, when you bring that place up.
Olongapo has changed so much just in the last ten years, you’d be hard pressed to find your way around. I’ll give you the tour when you get here.
SSWWWEEEETTTT !
Thank you Brian.
Is it 10 degrees cooler in the shade after you built your house?
Alex;
I have a mango tree in front of the house facing west, and the house is in the shade all afternoon. But here on the mountain it’s always 10 degrees cooler than down in Olongapo City.
So the answer to the question is; Yup!
Hi Paul, Very nice house–looks very pretty and comfortable too! My question is about the kitchen, where is the giant wooden fork and spoon set? It’s funny–when Filipinas’ decorate, they always seem to do it with a western flair. In my house, I’m always trying to make it more old-fashioned, native Filipino style. I guess we women are always looking for something different! Tell Mayang she did a great job! I’m sure you’re both very happy there.
Oh –Go Celtics! Beat LA!
Queenibee;
Very funny about the Knife & Folk set, I guess I’m lucky and she never found them or they’d be there I’m sure. She in fact did a most wonderful job with the house; I’d just wish she’d stop. And I will pass your complement to her. Ahh, my boyhood hero’s the Celtics, two years in a row? Why not! But, I’m more worried about my Red Sox’s.
Oh no–I love them! I have a great set that I bought on Ebay because I don’t see them for sale in the Philippines anymore. Everyone who comes over gets a chuckle when they see them on the wall and I think they wonder where I got them… I also have the native dancer figures up too! So old school…
Yes , the Red Sox are an ongoing challenge, but ya just gotta luv em!
Queenibee;
So retro, my grandmother had a set and she loved them, so they must be good, as Molly did walk on water. If my wife finds a set, I know she’ll buy them, and I’ll like them. Because I must!
My wife has ceramic fish on her walls. She likes fish!
Our Red Sox will keep us on the edge of the chair as they do every year, and I do luv them!!!
Hi Paul,
It’s a nice house. I expected the man cave / dirty kitchen to be more open, kind of like a covered patio here in California. So, Is it more like a den/family room?
Me and the wife have plans to build a house in Bukidnon. We already have 2ea. 100 sq meter lots. thats about 30 ft X 60 ft. Everytime I think about the size I have to laugh.
Hudson;
The entire front of the Man-Cave is screened. The first year it was open, but the bugs talked me pot of that. 30×60 feet, you’d better build tall!
Very nice – and probably a bit fresher air up in the hills too. It can get a bit warm here in Gensan – but the San Mig chills down just the same 8-D
It can also get warm up here, but it’s still cooler than down in the flatlands. But up here or down the, that cold SMB is good!
Paul, it is verry nice home with alot of detail in character, whats your plan for the helo pad,
it would make a nice outdoor dining area
We sit out there at night, as during the day it’s a little warm. We’ve been toying with the idea of a screened-in room with patio furniture in it. When House Commander tells me, I’ll let you know.
We have a nice little balcony that overlooks the yard – I wanted to screen it, but like most of my suggestions, got the bit VETO 🙂
Gary;
I get a lot of pocket vetoes, House Commander will nod in agreement, and that’s the last you’ll hear of it! Although, I did get the bill pasted, on building, the “Mindanao Bob Deluxe BBQ Grill”, just this week. It won’t happen again!
Paul, I was wondering about your generator—is it quite noisy or smoky? Is that a special stand that was built to hold it? You’ve described it before and it seems like it must be quite useful. Why do some have to be placed far from the house or in a special box? I like the idea of having a generator if we ever needed it quite often, for but wondered if it would be too noisy and bothersome to us and the neighbors.
Also, maybe you or Bob or others who have experienced this: during dry season, if an area has a lot of rolling brownouts, what do people generally keep in their refridgerator if they have one, but no backup generator? If they have them sporadically or quite often, is it hard to keep much in the fridge? I can imagine it could be a pain. Of course ingredients for meals are generally purchased daily, but what about milk,leftovers, ice cream drinks etc. ? One could tolerate going without aircon or lights for a time, but spoilage or constantly moving things in and out could be a drag I would think. I was just wondering about that.
Queeniebee;
My Honda Generator is on the stand for a rather simple reason, it’s hardwired into the house and the location is close to the main breaker. But the main reason is I’m too lazy to bend down to pull the cord to start it. There is no smoke as it is a 4 stroke engine; the noise level is quite low, albeit you can hear it from the street. Never had a complaint from anyone, but then I’ve never complained to them about their “Damnable Singing Machines”. Fair trade I’d say… And during 6 day blackouts after a typhoon, I charge all their cell phones.
I have 2 refs and a stand up freezer, which would be costly to me if the food was allowed to spoil. What people do without generators, it’s beyond my power to explain, I’ll assume they bitch a lot, then go shopping again. (lol)
Queeniebee;
It’s the American League Playoffs; Boston vice New York, bottom of the ninth, tie score, and the power goes out? I rest my case for generators with that, as it happened to me in the past. (Now someone will say that the cable company would be off too, Ahh, but not satellite TV.) Or Lakers verses Celtics this week???
Queeniebee;
Last week we had 8 hour brownouts on each day; Tue, Wed, Thur., and Fri. This is 7:03 am, as I write this and my wife just informed me that today Thur.) and tomorrow, we will be without power 8 hours both days. I’ll be burning gas again this week, as I refuse to live in the 1800’s.
Hahahaha since I live in Manila I get all of your electricity — wouldn’t do for the rustics to have it and the Manilenos to go without 🙂
My generator is on right now, as another 8 hour brownout, on my birthday, I’m going to town.
I was teasing but that really sucks. It used to be like that in the 1980s but I was thought the problem was fixed. I have never had a brownout here so I guess they really favor Manila
I concur Paul–life wouldn’t be the same after that! How about all that whipped cream for your strawberry shortcake going south during a brownout? It does seem like a nice model and pretty clean and quiet. I know we’ll probably get one sooner or later…
When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in years past in my town, I spent two years living in this town with no electricity at all. It wasn’t till several years later that they did get electricity. I chose this town among others in Cebu though, because it had clean spring water from the hills, and that was my first priority. If you were lucky at night, you had a petromax lantern, but most of us relied on kerosene torches, which were smoky and not very luminous. I had an old cassette player that ran out quickly with batteries and that was about it. I knew a family that had a kerosene driven ref, but it was almost like room temperature inside it. The ants would find a crack in the rubber sealing on the door and march in and out at will.
A funny thing though, the most infamous town prostitute that had left town to parts unknown and made good and later returned in her forties with quite a lot of money, was at that time the proud owner of the only battery powered television! Her house was always popular, but then for different reasons!
Alas, I’ve gotten soft and spoiled, and would now have a hard time “roughing it” as I had at that time… There are different degrees of “going native” I guess…
I forgot to mention–her television was hooked up to a car battery!
Queeniebee;
Very interesting and amusing, that is what I would call roughing it, two years without a cold beer would have caused me to run screaming down the main road out of town. Roughing it for me, is a Hotel without room service.
Hold on for just a minute, Paul… you mean to tell me that there are hotels without room service? 😯
Paul–you’d be surprised what you could get used to!
There were nice things about a town without electricity though. People would spend much more time outside in their yards at night socializing and playing guitar and singing together( often with the aid of liquor) During a full moon people would stroll around the barangays and talk with their neighbors. Children were allowed to stay out late and run around and play in the moonlight.
I rented a house for a small amount from a family that was living abroad at that time in the US. At times there used to be young guys at night who with the “dutch courage” of drink, would serenade me below my bedroom window from the street after midnight… It was a different world from most busy Philippine towns today.
Tommo i just do not know what it is with Filipinas and hording things like boxes as you mention.It drives me mad as at times i think i am living in a store room boxes ,bottles,fast food trays everything comes in the house but on rubbish collection day the bin is empty. But it dose have its positive side as it drives one to drink.
Hi Frank;
Hording seems to be a natural instinct, I’ll go through my cloths every 6 months and if I’m not using it I pull it. She’ll move them to a box in the storeroom and there they’ll sit until I find the box and give it away. No reason, just the way it is.
Hello Paul; I was formally stationed at FSD Subic from Feb. 87 to March 90. I married a filipina and now live in Saint Marys Georgia. About 3.5 miles from Kings Bay Sub base. Me and the wife have 5 kid ages 5-20. Currently I work in Jacksonville Fl. for Coca-Cola Enterprises. I’ve been there 10 plus years. I’m retired Military and want to be retired period and move to the land of PANGOS.
I have been dreaming about this for years (moving to PI) I first discovered RAO Subic and Mango’s. I’ve seen a lot of info on those two web sites. And of course I always enjoy your articles on the RAO Subic web site.
Currently I have Tri-Care Prime and Coke’s dental insurance and I understand that would go away with a move to P.I. I believe I would only have Tri-Care Standard and maybe the retirement dental from the military? Could you elaborate please about cost and any other details.
Paul I understand that a foreigner must be married to a filipina before he can purchase land or property and must put it in her name. A divorce could be painful. Any way my wife is a Naturalized U.S. citizen with her old expired Philippino Passport. Would that work? Or would we have to use one of the in-laws?
I would like to stay in touch with you because I have other questions.
Take care and thank-you
Richard H. Ezzard MS1(SS) USN Retired
Hi Richard;
Sorry about the delay my computer crashed and I’ve been off line. Tri-care standard is all we get, yet the cost here is so cheap that it’s all I need for my wife and me. The Doctors do all the paperwork, and ask nothing from me. Forget dental, but again a root canal cost p 3000.00, and a gold cap was p 2,500.00.
Your name may also be on the land to protect yourself, but are you really worried after being married that long. Your wife was born a Philippine citizen and will always be one. You were a Sew Burner, I was an Shipy serviceman SHCS I don’t know how that ever happened shipmate. Drop a line any time my e-mail is [email protected].
You have to pay first which is the only thing that bugs me. And the reimbursement is never enough from Tricare. I miss the military style of just walking in and walking out
The place I go, I pay nothing! Shop around they are out there.
Paul,
I really liked your kitchen. I was wondering if you might could give me the deminsions on it. I am trying to get an idea on how big to build one right now and your looks to be about the right size.
Steve;
16Ftx16ft The Irish in me demands a big kitchen(lol) If I were building one now it would be bigger!
Hi Paul, just read about your home in Roosevelt Park. I’m a retired CW3 from the Army, and me & my wife of 34 years just purchased a beautiful home in Pita, Dinalupihan, so Howdy neighbor!!!
We still live in San Antonio, Texas, but will be visiting this September. My plan is to find a SUV while there and get furniture for our home.
Our goal is to retire there within the next year or so.
Any suggestions you may have for me?
Mike Friedberg
Hi Mike;
I have a son inthe Army that’s a CW/? and his big brother is Army also. my e-mail is [email protected] drop me a line.