What you need to do is get a FPO BOX AT THE RAO. OFFICE IN CLART;or RAO.IN SUBIC. Open a saveing acct. and a checking. Have your money Deposit in your acct. Then move to the PI. open a dollar acct by writeing a check on your NFCU.and put it in your PI Bank IT will take about 25 day's for your check to clear. Make sure you have enouth money with you to last you until your check clear.

Although we're already home-based in Cebu, we like Davao very much, as well as General Santos where we have family to visit. Sometimes I get blown away on property value. We've got a half-acre lot, 2000+ SM, adjacent to the Talofofo Gulf Resort that I'd be pleased to get P400SM for. This is on Guam USA, with title insurance and all the niceties under the US flag.. I know we'll be visiting again, but not to look for land

you talked me in to it. Next month I will be travelling to the Philippines and will start at Davao. I only want to check out the South so will likely end up in Cebu, on this trip. The Philippines sounds like a country I want to retire in. Just had our first snow fall in Montreal. It wasn't much but I twisted something in my back. Hate these winters. Would love to check out Davao, up to CDO, Dipolog, maybe Butuan, see some seahorses in Bohol, Cebu, Moalboal, Dumaguete, and what ever else I can see. Where to retire? That is the question. What happened to Vern? Has he recovered? There must be stories he didn't tell. :) Thanks for the info Ray. I'll certainly look you up when I get there. And as many others that live in the Southern area that I can. That is if you all don't mind some Canadian company.

davao sounds almost to good to be true,but ill definatly visit there. I plan on taking my time and look around for at least a year before we decide on where to settle.the four golf courses caught my eye right away.can you give me a reasonable estimate on the monthly expenses including renting a 3 bedroom house? ballpark of course depending on the lifestyle one chooses...tnx.

Jim Boyd of the Retired Affairs Office (RAO) also known as the Jim Boyd Foundation, or vice versa, in Angeles City, set up this organization to help not only military retirees but all expats and former military. At one time he negotiated with the military for APO addresses for those who are retired military. Maybe that is no longer so. We really need to get Jim on here. Can someone invite him before I do? I am positive that was true at one time several years ago. Maybe the agreement expired and Jim could not get them to renew it. He had a hard time getting it, and it was for small parcels only, and letters, but he prevailed. Jim is another guy like John who I am mentioning below who has so much knowledge. And Jim works for free for others and has been doing so for a long time. I am sending Jim a copy of this and hope he joins us by going to www.livinginthephilippines.com. We have more than 500 members, quite a few awake, Jim. I just want to let you know what you are in for if you are kind enough to join and share your expertise with us.

I will be entitled to a FPO PO Box at the US Embassay in Manila. Is that because you are ""retired"" military or because you are a US citizen. Kevin? That, I am sure, is a more secure mail though the local is not so bad as long as you don't send cash and even then people get away without being robbed. The Philippine postal system is slow. But I don't think there is as much stealing as some say. I wonder if there are any there advantages to an FPO. I know some companies will ship to an APO or FPO and but not to a foreign address per se.

Would this alarm US banks as to my location and possibly cause a cancelation of my credit card? I notified my credit card companies and banks as I said and said to send my bills, etc. to my ""temporary"" address here. (In my last post I said ""permanent"" somewhere, a big mistake. Excuse me. I did say temporary in other places I believe.) My banks and credit card companies had no problem with that. And that was 12 years ago. I had one credit card taken away or inactivity. But that may have happened even if I were in the States. They don't like to send bills every month and you don't even use their card and the card is free. Thanks in advance for your advice.

If a US Citizen can get an FPO address at the US Embassy in Manila, can that citizen get a FPO address at the US Consulate here in Cebu? That is what I want to know. I have been here a long time and learn every day thanks to the good folks on the list. Unless someone knows, I can go to the consulate at 8:00am one morning and ask. I would like to get John Domingo, the US Counsel here to join the list. But he does this stuff all day, is terribly overworked and understaffed so hate to ask him to work on the list too for what we pay. Does anyone know John personally? I don't, though I think I he did my passport last time.

My new HSBC account. My account is a ""dollar"" account opened at the Cebu Branch of HSBC. I believe I could have opened a ""peso"" account, but I chose the dollar account based on the fluctuation of the peso. My main goal is to have an ATM card that will give me the local currency no matter where my Asian travels take me. The interest rate on the savings account is appalling (about 1%), but the rates are currently poor in the USA on regular savings accounts. Please contact me directly if you have specific questions.

From what has been told to me by the folks at the Angeles City VFW, I would be entitled to a FPO address at the Manila Embassay because of my retired staus from the US Military. But I'm not entirely sure if all US citizens would be entitled to it or not. I consider my source at the VFW to be realiable, as he has been living there for about 20 years and is a well known member of the community. He mentioned that the post picks up mail for the ex-pats in the area three times per week and they can pick it up at the post as they please. A pretty good deal the way I see it. I should email him agian to make sure I get the facts straight I think?

I don't think there is a general answer to the bank situation as you are describing. You need to check with your bank to find out what their policies are regarding your moving to another country. Currently my bank (BECU) doesn't give a hoot where I am as long as there is enough activity in one of my accounts to let them know I'm still alive. Having my SS pension direct deposited is enough for that. I have heard of some banks and credit card companies getting nervous if you move abroad, but AmEx doesn't care and I think you just have to check with your card company or bank

I was planning to come this weekend to check it out, but had visitors Ani has tests next week. But you can bet I am going to check it out. You are not the only one who raves about is but are maybe the most eloquent and persuasive. As far as the best, Davao beat Cebu by only one questionable point. But a point is a point. With the margin of error, however, as they said in the US presidential race. . . I am concerned about outside the city in Davao. In Cebu on the island you can travel north and south, not east because you would drown, but west and not have any problems. I have been told by some sources who may or may not know, that outside of Davao City limits, very large indeed, it is not wise to travel in the country side because of NPA and other threats. I was also told by the Mayor was called ""Dirty Harry."" And I was told that Davao was known for executions and that the police force was too powerful for comfort. Just one wrong word to a policeman and you were out of there. But most people who keep their noses clean like this. The only problem is a change in Mayor could be very disruptive. Or if he got too powerful he and his police could be more of a threat than some of the criminals that are there now. The person who told me this, said there was a lot of drug users in town. But all of the drug dealers had been chased out. So who is supplying the drugs? He guessed the authorities, but did not name names. I did not want to hear them anyway. He lived there and left because of his involvement in drugs. He was caught three times, served three terms before 18 and decided to go quit before he ended up dead or with life in prison. There are drug dealers here in Cebu, shabu, methamphetamine, probably as much as anywhere he says. But here he is not ""connected,"" nor does he want to be. As far as I know, now he is very honest and does not use or sell drugs. He has pretty stern wife too, very religious also. They spend a lot of time in church activities, I know for a fact. Maybe he is selling drugs there. :) Please tell me there is not truth to this information about Davao and the abuses of the authorities, violations of human rights, reasonable though they may be to some, even me. At the least, it sounds like overstatement. Whatever, you have made a great case for Davao proper. I will indeed be there soon. I think it should be on every travelers itinerary. I love Cebu. But the Philippines is a big beautiful country. And I want to experience more of it, not just for visits but being in a place long enough to get to know its personality. I will never ""settle down."" I still have a lot to do and see. But I am in no rush to move. I could settle down here without ever settling down.

Yes, why not mail them just to be sure since you said in your post, ""expats,"" not just ""retirees."" I wonder if the privilege may include disabled veterans, though they are not often retirees though some are. Now military retirees and active duty personnel only can get Space Available flights. I was starting to with another who was interested in an effort to convince a member or two of congress, using the Disabled Veterans of America as a platform, to include Space A as a benefit for disabled veterans. But we never got as far even as researching it to see if any attempts are under way or have been tried in the past. The tragic event of 9/11 put that thought way in the background. In any event, Kevin, why not ask VFW if Jim Boyd's program of APOs or FPO's is the one they are implementing. (I really don't know the difference between an APO, FPO or others.) I do know that is the one that covered only retired veterans in the saturation Jim Boyd negotiated. The VFW is the best place to eat in Angeles I believe and he only US military club that has survived the exodus from Clark. I believe RUMPA is gone or almost non functional, the two American Legion Posts were going downhill long ago, and even Jim Boyd's RAO was not thriving though a Disabled Veterans Group had been established next door. That is why Jim turned it into the Jim Boyd foundation, I think. Only his money and time runs it. An aside thought: There is a very unusual group in Angeles that was doing very well, non military, but has had its military members. It is the only chapter in the world, I believe. It is called the A- - hole's Club. (I would have spelled it out, but I am a prude.) This is not a joke. I believe they have a web page. If you ever lived in Angeles you might understand why it originated and could thrive there. If you wan to join you don't have to pay your dues. If you do, you are disqualified. I am not a member though invited many times. In fact I it was often suggested to me, to ""Why don't you go join the club where you belong.

For a period of time I was buying Philippine to U.S. tickets in the Philippines. It was cheaper for my clients. I found that when the agency I was working with in Cebu had a BPI account that I could send a bankers check to their New York office, using the U.S. mail with a confirmation of delivery and depending on whether it was going to a dollar account or a peso account the total cost was fairly reasonable, and the whole process took about 4 days from my house to the account in Cebu. Costs to a dollar account were about $27.50 and I could control the entire process. There were less screw-up. I think Hong Kong and Shanghai has a branch in New York, and probably in other parts of North America and you might be able to use a similar process.

For a period of time I was buying Philippine to U.S. tickets in the Philippines. It was cheaper for my clients. I found that when the agency I was working with in Cebu had a BPI account that I could send a bankers check to their New York office, using the U.S. mail with a confirmation of delivery and depending on whether it was going to a dollar account or a peso account the total cost was fairly reasonable, and the whole process took about 4 days from my house to the account in Cebu. Costs to a dollar account were about $27.50 and I could control the entire process. There were less screw-up. I think Hong Kong and Shanghai has a branch in New York, and probably in other parts of North America and you might be able to use a similar process.

I have been researching on how to go about changing the visa status of my husband from a tourist to a semi-permanent status. I thought the ""balik-bayan"" visa was the answer but the replies to my ""balik-bayan visa"" query posted recently made it clear that it wasn't the fitting solution since we both live in the PI. Having read about the 13A visa procedures of the immigration department, it seems like this is a more suitable solution to our problem. We do plan to get things rolling by January 2002. I understand you have gone through the process of applying for 13A visa, is it alright with you if I send some questions about this thru your email address?

I would like to second Ray's suggestion of considering Davao City. I lived about 40 miles away for 2 1/2 years and have been back, primarily to the city many times over the past 39 years. Other reasons - much less price differential for foreigners. Lots of great hotels, nearby beaches, nicely laid out city, reasonable prices for things. Active service clubs - Kiwanis, Lions etc. Lot's of land - its a spread out city (the largest in land area in the world) and it doesn't seem to be as crowded as Cebu and Manila. The new international airport will be completed within the next year, and should allow for flights south hopefully to Australia. They now have flights to Indonesia, via Manado and to Singapore. There are 2 or 3 major high quality hospitals in the city. From the city you can see a perfect cone volcano, Mt. Apo. You can visit the shrine, orchid farms, the monkey eating eagle station. There is land so you can grow crops or raise cattle

Hello Everyone I wanted to introduce myself to the group and tell you all about a journey I will be undertaking in The Philippines over the coming 4 weeks. My name's Rob Hawkins from England, I've been with the group for the last 12 months or so, during which time I've been a listener rather than a talker. I just want to let you all know what a facinating resource you have. The courtesy and camaraderie within the group is truly unique. I want to express my thanks to Don also who entered me on the list after I contacted him many months ago. His efforts in the smooth running of the group deserve the upmost praise. Now the group has grown in size I can imagine there must be alot of behind the scenes work that we're not aware of to be taken care of and it all takes time. I drop in when ever I can and am inspired by the topics covered, I hope to relocate in The Philippines one day. Well back to the present, next Sunday I arrive in Manila. This will be my tenth visit to The Philippines. My plan is to ride my bicycle from Manila to Cebu City. Over the last 7 years or so I've explored many parts of the archipelago on my bike. From North Luzon, Ifugao, Mountain Province to Mindanao and also many parts of the Vizayas I've had some truly amazing adventures aboard my bike. I'm convinced it's the ideal way to explore, the connection you have with the people you meet along the way is closer than any other form of transport. I know it wouldn't be for everyone though, it's hard physcially and sometimes mentally also. But for me the hardships are well worth enduring as I've discovered over the years. When I arrive in Cebu City I'm looking forward to meeting Don in person. I've already contacted him personally and told him about my plan. My coming trip will be similar to one I completed about 4 years ago now. It took me about 3 weeks to make it to Cebu City. This time I want to venture more off the beaten track and explore some new areas for me. >From Manila I head south to Batangas and take the ferry to Calapan, Mindoro. Over land to Roxas and then ferry to Tablas, hopefully I can complete a circular tour of the island. Ferry to Caticlan, Panay and then overland hopefully taking the lesser routes to the west of the main road across the island. Taking in places like Jamindan, Calinog and Santa Barbara before arriving in Iloilo City. Ferry to Negros (maybe stopping off at Guimaras on the way). Overland on Negros down the west coast (heavy traffic last time I was there). The next part I'm really looking forward to, taking in the coastal road round the Southern coast of Negros before arriving in Dumaguete City. Hope to call in on Michael and Lynn from the list in Bayawan City, they're travelling out from the U.K. about now. Next it's onto Cebu island, maybe down the west coast this time via Moalboal and Carcar and finally Cebu City. If there's time might take the bike to Bohol for a circuit of the island. Well that's the basic plan but as you can imagine travelling by bike is unpredictable affair, I guess that's one to the attractions for me the flexibility that has to be built in to trip of this kind. If I'm passing close to anyone on the group I would love to drop in and say hello. Or if anyone has any breaking news of my intended route I would be grateful to learn about it, thanks.

It sounds like you have a fascinating trip ahead of you and wish you luck on it I understand when you say it will be hard physcially and sometimes mentally also. I have been to Cebu 2 times in the last 2 years and intend going again soon and one day to relocate their also Im also a keen Cyclist i have a mountain bike (marin)and cycle to work everyday in London! you have to be brave to do that also haha. But to do what you are doing must be very hard maybe i would like to try it one day, I dont know how you get over the heat what sort of bike will you take and what sort of backup if any? and do you do it alone? really like to hear how you get on, hope you keep posting here now. good luck

I'm not sure what the ""other authorized members"" part means, as I haven't received an email back from my friend in Angeles city yet. After reveiwing this other portion listed below, it does look like the FPO service is only available to Military retirees. There are some restrictions, but it looks workable to me as I only anticipate using the service for letter mail and checks anyway. I hope this answers some of your questions.

FPO: WORKING GREAT, ABOUT 6 DAY SERVICE FROM THE CONUS..ENJOY THE PRIVILEGES & DON'T FORGET THE RESTRICTIONS........ MAIL IS LIMITED TO FIRST-CLASS CORRESPONDENCE (INCLUDING VOICE, VIDEO CASSETTES (HOME MADE), BLANK CHECKS), NEWSPAPERS, MAGA ZINES AND PHOTOGRAPHS NOT EXCEEDING 16 OUNCES OF THE ABOVE CATEGORY OF ITEMS... MERCHANDISE CATALOGS, AND BOOKS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. UNAUTHORIZED/PROHIBITED ITEMS PLUS THOSE WEIGHING OVER 16 OUNCES MAY BE RETURNED TO SENDER...... A FEW PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ABUSE THE APO SYSTEM, JUST REMEMBER, WHEN YOU ORDER MERCHANDISE, THE EMBASSY IS GOING TO RETURN THE PACKAGE..... THIS IS EXPENSIVE TO THE EMBASSY WHO MUST PAY THE RETURN POSTAGE....... PLEASE USE THE LOCAL MAIL SYSTEM WE HAVE ESTABLISHED TO RECEIVE MERCHANDISE AND SAVE US ALL A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND EXPENSE...... AS MOST ARE AWARE OUR APO IS NEW AND SOME OF THE SMALL POST OFFICES BACK IN THE STATES MAY NOT HAVE POSTED THE U.S. POSTAL BULLETIN TO THE LIST OF ACTIVE APO'.. JUST IN CASE YOU RECEIVE NOTIFICATION THAT THE RAO DOES NOT EXIST, PLEASE WRITE BACK AND MAKE REFERENCE TO U.S. POSTAL BULLETIN 21903, 9-28-95 PAGE 31...... THIS SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM....... IF NOT, SEE ME...... I THINK OUR POSTAL CLERKS ARE EFFICIENT, HONEST AND ARE DOING GREAT JOB AND IF YOU THINK SO, PLEASE TELL THEM........ IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED, OR YOU HAVE IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE SEE ME.. THIS APO IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR RETIREES, ACCOMPANIED DEPENDENTS AND WIDOWS(ER); DOES NOT INCLUDE ACTIVE DUTY & OTHERS WHICH NORMALLY RECEIVE APO PRIVILEGES ON MILITARY BASES... NON-NARCOTIC PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION MAY BE RECEIVED VIA THE FPO... THE U.S. POSTAL SYSTEM ALLOWS US TO HOLD MAIL UP TO 15 DAYS, RELEASE TO YOUR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OR FORWARD TO YOUR NEW ADDRESS/SENDER... AN EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS FOR YOU TO PROVIDE US WRITTEN AUTHORITY TO HOLD YOUR MAIL UP TO A SPECIFIC DATE NOT TO EXCEED 30 DAYS... THIS ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN YOU PLAN TO BE OUT OF TOWN FOR MORE THAN 15 DAYS... HOPE ALL WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY BECAUSE ANY RETURNED MAIL CAN EFFECT YOUR PAY/BENEFITS....""

Thank you for your email. I will investigate this ""multiple re-entry permit"" . Well actually I started a little business in the province some years ago. My wife is from the Sorsogon area and I had to go there every year. After some time I get quite bored. When I am bored I always go back to books. So I was very surprised that Sorsogon had no bookstore at all (the previous one was robbed and everybody got killed in the attack). To find books I had to do a 2 hour trip to Legazpi where I found a bookstore with only college books (mathematics, law, etc.) So out of a hobby I started a little bookstore (+ school supplies) in Sorsogon . (It is managed by my family in law when I am in Belgium) I wanted to keep it small but soon I got a lot of customers and alas also a lot of competitors. I suppose they saw the crowds in my store , see a foreigner and probably thought I was making lot of money. Sorsogon has now 5 bookstores !!! I am sure many of them will have to disappear because there is no market for 5 bookstores. Anyway I learned a lot and although the competition is fierce we are able to survive. Well I am intended to continue this bookstore business. As I don't want to live in Sorsogon (it is much too quiet) I will have to find something in Manila. I would like to publish some magazines (for instance an art magazine) or open a bookstore for expatriates (with German, French, Japanese, Dutch books), or an art gallery. I have so many ideas but I first need to investigate the market and see if I can materialize those ideas and see if I can be successful in one of those things. What are you doing in the Philippines?

Here's a story from the Dec. 16 Los Angeles Times updating the hunt for the Abu Sayyaf and highlighting U.S. involvement and the Bin Laden connection. Dave Harrison (Story follows) KAPAYAWAN, Philippines -- Somewhere in the dense jungle a few miles from here, American missionaries Gracia and Martin Burnham are spending their seventh month as captives of the rebel group Abu Sayyaf. Martin Burnham is handcuffed and kept on a leash whenever his captors are forced to move. Elite Philippine troops trained by U.S. Special Forces stalk the group, hoping for a chance to rescue the couple. The battle on Basilan island started long before Sept. 11, but in recent weeks the hunt for Abu Sayyaf has become a new front in America's war on terrorism. The Philippine government used to call the Abu Sayyaf rebels a bunch of bandits. Today, it says the Islamic kidnappers are terrorists linked to Osama bin Laden. By mid-January, U.S. military advisors will be on the ground on Basilan training Philippine forces in special operations, Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, head of the Philippine Southern Command, said during a visit to front-line troops Saturday. Some of the Americans will stay on Basilan for months and will carry weapons to defend themselves, he said. An advance group of American officers stopped on Basilan two weeks ago. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited President Bush last month in Washington and received a commitment of $100 million worth of military equipment to fight the rebels. ""We should neutralize the Abu Sayyaf once and for all,"" said Col. Hermogenes Esperon, the Philippine army chief on Basilan. ""They should not be in this world."" Abu Sayyaf, which began as an Islamic fundamentalist group in the early 1990s, has tenuous links to Bin Laden. The group's founder, Abdujarak Abubakar Janjalani, was a devout Muslim who reportedly trained in Afghanistan and fought there against the Soviets. After he was killed by Philippine police three years ago, Abu Sayyaf turned to kidnapping for ransom. Bin Laden's brother-in-law Mohammed Khalifa allegedly was active in establishing terror cells in the Philippines during the mid-1990s. Authorities say he had contacts with Abu Sayyaf, but it is unclear whether he provided money to the group. Ghalib Andang, a top Abu Sayyaf leader who calls himself Commander Robot, told the Philippine Inquirer newspaper in June 2000 that Bin Laden was the group's only outside source of funding at that point. More recently, two Arabs believed to be from Yemen visited the rebels' camp on Basilan in September and provided training in explosives, according to a former hostage. Although Abu Sayyaf says it wants to establish an Islamic state in the southern Philippines, taking hostages appears to be its main activity. Last year, the group raided a diving resort in Malaysia and kidnapped 21 people, 10 of them foreign tourists. Eventually, the rebels released many of those hostages in exchange for $25 million paid by the government of Libya. The group invested some of the money in high-speed motorboats and powerful weaponry used to raid another tourist resort on the Philippine island of Palawan in May. Among the 20 hostages seized there were three vacationing Americans: the Burnhams, of Wichita, Kan., and Guillermo Sobero of Corona, Calif. All were taken 300 miles by boat to Basilan, a mixed Muslim- Christian island in the southern Philippines. In mid-June, the rebels announced that they had beheaded Sobero. DNA testing confirmed that a body found months later was his. Although details have not been made public, authorities believe that Sobero was slain because he was too vigorous in protesting the treatment of his Philippine girlfriend, who was kidnapped with him. Couple Was Snatched on Anniversary Trip As the Philippine army gave chase, the rebels crisscrossed Basilan, taking new hostages, raping some and beheading others, authorities said. Throughout, they held on to the Burnhams. The Burnhams, both 42, were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary when they were kidnapped. They had met at a Christian college in Kansas City, Mo., and moved to the Philippines, where Martin Burnham's parents worked as missionaries, in 1986. The Burnhams have two sons, 14 and 10, and a daughter, 12. The children have been staying at their paternal grandparents' home near Wichita. In September, Arroyo put Cimatu, one of her top generals, in charge of the operation to rescue the hostages. At the time, the rebels numbered more than 500 and had 18 hostages, Cimatu said. Now, the rebels are said to number about 80 and to have three hostages--the Burnhams and a Philippine nurse named Deborah Yap. Dense Jungle Makes for a Difficult Mission The hunt for the Abu Sayyaf parallels the search underway for Bin Laden in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, but Cimatu said trying to find rebels in the jungle is more difficult. On Basilan, the vegetation is so dense that it is sometimes impossible to see a person 10 yards away. Countless winding creeks and steep ravines make traversing the island extremely difficult. ""It's easier in Afghanistan because you are only concerned about looking for caves,"" Cimatu said. ""Here we have to go searching from tree to tree looking for hostages."" A force of about 6,000 troops has been slowly encircling the rebels on Basilan and has restricted their movements to the western half of the island. Esperon, the army chief, said Saturday that the rebels holding the hostages are in an area of dense jungle about 3 miles square. The army's strategy is to try to locate the rebels without being seen and then ambush them without harming the hostages. ""The game here is one of hunting more than fighting,"" Cimatu said. Early this month, the army received a tip about the rebels' movements. About 50 soldiers waited for five days, hiding behind coconut trees and under bushes. At one point, the rebels passed within four yards of the soldiers. In the ensuing battle, 11 rebels were killed and as many as 10 were wounded, Esperon said. The soldiers seized numerous weapons, including a recoilless rifle featured just a week earlier in video footage of the rebels taken by a journalist who sneaked into their camp. As a result of the attack, the rebels are now believed to be divided into two groups--about 45 with the hostages near the center of the island and 35, including the wounded, to the north. Cimatu had set a deadline of today for securing the release of the hostages, but he conceded that his troops might not meet it. On Saturday, the general took journalists by helicopter to a former rebel base in the abandoned village of Kapayawan. The village, near the center of the island and once home to 200 people, has been the scene of three clashes between troops and rebels. Now under the military's control, it is used as a forward base for 300 heavily armed soldiers pursuing the rebels. Cimatu said his men found evidence that the hostages had been in the area recently. ""We are walking in the footsteps of the hostages,"" he said as he and his entourage headed up a path recently seized from the rebels. The general said recent gains, including the weapons seizure and the rebels' breakup into two groups, had made him optimistic that Yap and the Burnhams will soon be freed. ""The Abu Sayyaf is almost finished in Basilan,"" he said. ""I think the key is patience.""

hello I come from the U.K. I am Scottish from Edinburgh but now live in Cagayan de Oro City quite near Cebu. At our local Foreigner Club here we have a very keen European cylist who belongs to a cycling group. He planned a cycling trip over the mountains in Camiguan Island. I think he will be a very useful contact for u. I have printed a copy of your message and will give it to him at our next club meeting this Wednesday.

I have heard of groups like this in areas of PI anyone know of any in southern luzon area or any other areas for that matter I know of a lot of foreigner who visit my area but now whom reside there onthe long term

Like you, we are still trying to figure out which bracket the hubby would fall under immigration law. We are carefully taking note of all the requirements needed and hopefully the 13a visa would be the workable solution. Here's hoping that you would get things done smoothly when you decide to move here in the PI next year.

If a bank ops to cancel accounts because your overseas, leave the bank. the best way to have an account is a credit union. Unfortunately, there are no branches of credit unions overseas for most such facilities. The best solution to the banking problem that I have come up with is; A. Obtain an account with a bank such as PNB. B. Have your pay checks deposited with the stateside branch (they will inturn supposedly transfer this amount to your nearest PI account branch which you have to have set up) C. You can withdraw your money locally in the PI in dollars.

anyone know much about this one?? it says it is good for one year then can renewded every two years after that what are the pit falls of this I can only see that one would pay the fees every other year but I wondered if one appys for perm status wont he then have to travel under a PI passport

I dunno much about visas but one thing for sure, a permanent resident visa is just a visa. You will retain your citizenship and not acquire Filipino citizenship hence you will continue using your own passport and not a Filipino one. Hope that helps.

anyone know much about this one?? it says it is good for one year then can renewded every two years after that what are the pit falls of this I can only see that one would pay the fees every other year but I wondered if one appys for perm status wont he then have to travel under a PI passport

I read your article with interest and as I intend to retire to Subic next year, I thought that I would ask for some information if you can provide the same. My Filipina wife an I have conjugal property in the Philippines and we expect to build another house in a new development at Subic Bay. This means that I will have to take in the money to pay for same. Now the worry that I have is my rights under Filipino law. I believe the following may be true. Can you advise? 1: As a foreigner, I can not own real property in RP, therefore the houses are in the wife's name. 2: If my wife pre-decease's me, what happens to the real properties? Her will can bequeath me 50% of her share and the other 50% to her siblings. But, I have no title over the property. 3: What is there to stop relatives to claim the real properties as their rightful heretance and evict yours truly with nothing? 4: As a foreigner, just what rights and protection do you have in the situation as described above. Any ideas? I can see that If we only rent, and have the money in the bank, there is no problem hopefully, and if I die first, then there is no problem. Thanks for your help.

I am forwarding this to the list ""Living in the Philippines"" that you can join from www.livinginthephilippines.com . I am sure there will be comments on your questions. And their is a lot of information in the aforementioned Yahoo Groups list I hope you take the time to read after you join. I am sure you will get the information you need. I too am not clear on the inheritance issue. A friend and professional financial advisor called me from Denver and we discussed this yesterday. He has a minor son. He was speculating as to what would happen to a person who has a minor child and the Filipino spouse died first. I am not sure, and I am not sure he is either. His wife is on the list, but he is not. Maybe she will pass this along to him. Or maybe someone else has definitive answers. I look forward to seeing you on the list.

i Guys. I'm in Texas now, but will be returning to Cebu in early January. It looks to me that you have the fundamentals well covered. For me, I try to do as much of my USA banking over the internet as possible. An internet bank, and if you are interested an on-line stock brokerage account are all very useful. If you can get credit card statements and make payments over the internet -- so much the better. Try to keep less than 100000 Pesos in any one Philippine bank account, which is upper limit on the governmental insurance. I did have a local Rural bank refuse to honor my (and any other depositors) withdrawal request from one of my savings accounts. I believe it was cleared up after several months, but it was annoying. I try to keep most of my family's money in the USA, not in the Philippines. I will also occasionally instruct my USA bank to issue checks or otherwise make payments to USA businesses. The bank issues the check, and mails it for me. The only problem is that they won't allow much more information than a memo notation to be placed onto the check. So if the USA recipient needs additional information along with the check, it is not useful. In the past I have used an other Internet service to issue payments, along with a one page note, but generally those services are more expensive than I like. Generally, if I need to send a check, Tax Form, or a Signed instructions to my stock broker -- I will use a fast mail forwarding service from the Philippines. I usually go to LBC branch (private mail service firm) in the Philippines, pay them 100 Pesos and use them to mail the letter. LBC will fairly quickly get my letter to the USA, and then just drop it in the USA postal system. The price is reasonable, and it seems faster than turning such an important letter over to the Philippine governmental postal service.My bank transactions are so small, they don't mean too much to me. When I need money here, I just write a check on my US bank, deposit it in PNB and in 22 days it clears. Once that flow is started, there is no problem. Don pointed out to me that this was possible. That is generally the way that my family gets our dollars into the Philippines. We have one USA dollar denominated account, and several Peso accounts. The dollar account is in Cebu City, and it takes us an hour or more to get to the bank. Our Peso accounts generally are closer. When I was first started living in the Philippines, I would periodically request my USA bank to wire USA dollars to my Philippine dollar bank account. I would use my scanner, and internet connection to send a Fax to my USA bank with my instructions. Although it is fairly fast, there were lots of fees involved. So now my family does it the way Don does it, by just depositing a check and waiting. I have told the USA Internal Revenue Service (IRS) my Philippine address. But as far as my banks, credit card companies, magazine subscriptions are concerned -- my family and I have a USA address. I have given most of these companies my parents USA address. As mail or packages are received -- my parents are good enough to toss it into our box. Periodically they have this box sent to us. It goes by private freight company by surface, and ocean going vessel. It takes a couple of months, so it is fairly slow, but the price is lots cheaper than trying to use the regular mail services. If you have Philippine friends in your area, they can probably tell you -- if there is such a service in your area. If not -- find some companies doing delivery into the Philippines, and see if they can tell you their local representative in your area.

Someone was asking about an ACR and an ICR. iF U BECOME A PERMANENT RESIDENT U NEED BOTH. WITH AN aliens registration certificate which I have, I have to register every year with the local IMMIGRATION OFFICE and pay a very small fee. I also need an ICR which is a certificate of residence. I paid for it when I first arrived here nearly 8 years ago but the office was about to close and they said no problem. They would send me the form later. IT DID NOT ARRIVE and I kept enquiring about it. ABOUT 3 years later I reapplied again and sent all my documents to IMMIGRATION OFFICE, MANILA. but no reply and they ignored all my future requests to ask what was happening. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO I WENT TO THE MANILA IMMIGRATION OFFICE and they admitted all my documents had been lost. I said I wanted to make a complaint and they told me to leave the building, contact a lawyer and get him to send in a complaint. I am DIABETIC and said I was about to collapse on the floor with stress which might be embarressing to them. That got them worried and I was quickly rushed into the office of the BIG CHIEF. About 3 hrs later they completed a new set of documents and I left exhausted but triumphant clutching my ICR. IT HAD TAKEN ME OVER SEVEN YEARS to get it. EVERY FEW MONTHS AT THE LOCAL FOREIGNERS CLUB a new lawyer arrives and tells us he feels so sorry that we are having problems with IMMIGRATION. For a payment of several thousand pesos each he will get us the required ACR and ICR. Do not be taken in by that trick. Some of my friends tried it and their documents disappeared.

IN CAGAYAN DE ORO a group of foreigners meet every Wed morning at a cafe called OVER THE TOP in BURGOS STREET. ABOUT 20 OF US ATTEND and most of us bring our wives or girlfriends. WE Swap experiences and nearly all of us have had problems with IMMIGRATION. A small number live here but for a few months of the year they return to work abroad to earn enough to live here for most of the year. So they keep everyone else informed of all the latest change in regulations. Most of us have tried running businesses here but nearly all had the same problem eg. I HAD THE FIRST restaurant and Sing-a Long in this area. While the only one, quite successful but everyone copies and I closed when I became one of SIX.THEN FOUR others had to close as well.

I am liking Christmas in the Philippines very much. In fact, last night we were visited by "very serious adults" caroling for a fund raiser. They were fantastic. They called on Friday to confirm the caroling on Sunday evening and sent us a text message when they were outside our front door. They were well rehersed and accompanied by a guitar player. I kept their card to make arrangement for them to carol at our Christmas open house. It was a nice start for the week before Christmas. The Holiday treats are a bit sticky for my taste. I am sticking with hard as rock sugar cookies. Happy Holidays.