The rules regarding declaration of monetary instruments are based on international agreements. They were implemented to combat money laundering. That's why the penalties are so severe.

Going back to PI in March. Will probably enter through customs in Cebu. Currently have a friend over there requesting that I bring a bottle or two of scotch over. Are there any limitations on the amount liquor one may bring through customs?

at one time you were allowed 2 bottles of liquor, but i'm not sure if it has been changed... also you can buy liquor at the duty free area at the cebu airport....

After reading your first pharagraph,I realized you need to read more weather forecast of my country. *smile*. I can guarantee you there will be no need of a jacket.A raincoat might help. Although Filipinos prepare to wear umbrella rain or shine. A long sleeve shirt will be helpful to keep the dust off. But that will just make you sweat....So I think just bring yourself with some M and M or Hugs and Kisses, you'll be fine. But if you have specific place to go let me know I might be able to advice you in detail.

Welcome back. There were some recent posts on this topic which I guess you missed. Anyway, Blue Cross seems to be one of the better options in RP.

Chivas Regal is readily available at all of the larger supermarkets here in Cebu (SM, Ayala Metro), so I'm not sure why anyone would want you to bring it in from the States. Price would be approximately $18 for 750 ml.

It seems that the process changes almost every year! the first extension used to cost something like P60 when I first began making extensions many years ago, then it went up to P510 and now it's P1,620 (I think). and the expedite fee has risen from P20 to P500. I used to get as many 1 month extensions I needed in one visit and last year they made me come back once a month. Now you say that you can get 2 months at a time? That's much better! The Bureau of Immigration in Cebu has been moved to Mandaue and it seems to take a little longer, longer lines anyway. When they were in the Customs house it seemed that there were very few people, and even less when they moved to the 4th floor of the bank building behind the city hall. They know me by name now, but they are also isolated behind glass. I understand that you can get a travel agent to do it for you too, but I've only done it myself. I'm planning my next visit for March for 2 months minimum, as usual... I'm engaged in an expansion of the store and can't wait to see the results of my over-the-phone design. I know that I'm not going to recognize it! We desperately needed the storage room and I'm adding a room for living space and CR as well. We already have a dirty kitchen, but it will be incorporated into the expansion. Any list members are more than welcome to visit once I get there, but we have no phone service in Mohon and I'll need an advance warning (at least my neighbors will need warning!). :) As an aside, the store is serving our community in ways that I had never intended or thought of when I built it. It serves as a community center now and is the focal point for all of Mohon. From the beginning I've used it to channel funds into various programs I've enjoyed being involved with in the community, mostly scholarships. We sponsor community basketball and volleyball teams and tournaments to keep young people busy. One of the traditions we started when the store opened was to give a small Christmas gift to our regular customers. They amount to about 150 families this year. Since I wasn't going to be there, my manager suggested that we not do it this year because our business is down a little. We have packaged 1/2 kilo of unbroken rice, a can of corned beef, a can of Vienna sausages along with a few candies and soap. I gave her a budget to go ahead with it and as soon as the word was out our business jumped by 20% (Folks wanting to be counted among our ""favored"" customers)! Total budget for this project, P4,000 (about $78). One of the best investments one could ever make IMHO!

My name is Mar Medina, aka Tata Ayong in soc.culture.filipino and alt.psst.hoy newsgroups. I'm a Filipino living in San Francisco and a couple of years away from retirement. I plan to live my retirement years in the Philippines. Whenever i make balikbayan trip, i always wear a light sweater underneath a light summer type jacket from the house to SFO airport. I take the jacket off once in the plane and leave the sweater on if i find the cabin temperature cold. Once in Manila, sweater and jacket stays in the luggage until the return trip to San Francisco. The only place in the Philippines where you might need a jacket is up in the mountains above 5,000 feet elevation like Baguio city. Go to http://www.inq7.net/wea/2001/dec/14/weather.htm and click on the city of your choice. In December and January, you might encounter frosts in the early morning hours up there in Baguio.

One more time I have to thank you. All you've told in you last post is known by me. I think you've made a very good analysis of one part of the problems I will have to face to. I know perfectly them... and I keep my head on my shoulders (despite what I hear around) I don't go to RP just for some holidays or to spend the time. It is not so easy to let my children (even if they have their own life). If I do it, it's coz I think it's time for me to realize what I want since several years (even if I always kept a foot in charity work) Anyway, as I told in a previous post, and as you suggest, I give to myself several months to learn, ""to know the communtiy, step by step"" (as you said) it's essential. I don't go to RP to import or impose my culture. About your little story : it's this kind of thing that I always keep in my mind. Despite of best intentions we are able to precipitate deasasters. I've already had this sort of experience. I know I must be very carefull. But this could happen as well in our countries. As you said there are many possibilities for anayone who wants to help. I WANT to help. I know I am enough strong even if I am sometimes too trusty (that's my weakness, but I try to heal me : I like the challenges !!) Don't worry Ron, you've not discouraged me. In fact I am more and more impatient to be in RP !

These are all good pointers and some excellent advice. There are a variety of ways to share with others. One of the simplest is to support an agency who does the kind of work that you like. I recommend Childreach because that is the agency I started with many years ago, but there are other good ones like Children's Christian Fund for instance. This is a very sanitary and effective way to be involved. If you enjoy living in the 3rd world as an active member of a ""native"" community, there are still sanitary ways to be involved by contributing time or money to community projects. This can be a very safe and effective way to become involved. By sanitary I mean to be involved, but to keep yourself isolated. Agencies who are involved have had plenty of experience to know how to be involved and interact with the people they are helping. Step out on your own, and the ground may be uneven and scattered with landmines! Here is where you really need to do your homework and become intimate with your community and the culture you have adopted. This is the kind of homework you need to do if you wish to go into a business too. If you find yourself uncomfortable getting your hands soiled or becoming too familiar with life as it is there, there are the other ways to help and you can even find yourself a gated community that can totally isolate you. The seeming neighborly thing to do by providing free water can have unpredictable results as RonW discovered. Not that he did anything wrong...I think I would have done the same thing without giving it a second thought, but there are unbalanced people in every culture who may react in unpredictable ways. You would be wise to keep that in mind as you go about your business. Our water district does charge for water. It isn't much, but even it's price can be too much for some people, so we've installed a community pump beside the store where folks can get their water for free, just as they did before the water district. It has to be boiled for drinking, but most folks use it for washing and bathing. It's free and they have to do their own pumping! While RonW is absolutely correct about the corruption that permeates all levels of government bureaucracy, I do what I can to avoid contact and when I can't avoid them I'll participate. That's from an old Irish political practice from Irish-Bostonian days, ""If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"" The store in Mohon hosts council meetings of a nearby town on occasion by providing them rum, beer, snacks and a shady place to sit (and yes, they pay!). We've had no trouble from them at all and they have given us some excellent advice and help on occasion. Another name for this behavior that permeates Philippine politics is ""back scratching"". ""You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.""

I thought I'd post to the Group my reply to your email because there may be some positive feedback which could be useful and I hope there will be some interest from others. I don't know your background so I hope I'm not just telling you things you already know. There must be a reason why you chose to come to the Philippines specifically and to Palawan. In any case I'm sure you'll be most welcome. Do you have contacts/friends here? You will have to be very strong and be very careful. One of the problems is the massive corruption in RP (Republic of the Philippines). Many government agencies will not move on anything unless the people involved can get money ""under the table"" Helping others can be perceived as a sign of weakness (which does not apply so much in our ""Western"" cultures, but don't forget RP culture is different). People will try to get things from you they don't deserve by making up stories if they see you as weak. Things don't very often run all that smoothly, you will need lots of patience. When trying to get the help of any Filipinos you must *first* spend a little time getting to know them. Ask about their family, use any kind of small talk you can think of to show some interest in the person, and try to remember what they tell you (e.g. if they talk about a relative by you remember it, then next meeting you can start by asking ""How is ?""). This kind of interaction will help you a lot and is very important if you want to be successful. *never* go straight in and talk business, especially at the first meeting. You should try to get hold of a book called ""Culture Shock"" which will give you some good information about RP culture. Anyway, I'll just tell you a little story about myself. I used to live in a very crowded area with a lot of poor people as neighbours, a kind of place where most foreigners would feel very uncomfortable or even afraid to enter. Most homes had no piped water and the town supply was very low pressure. After I installed an electric pump and storage tank in my house I decided to run a pipe outside the gate and placed a tap where my neighbours could fill their buckets and containers with free water. One day while I was outside a neighbour tried to stab me with a knife, but I was lucky because I had a very alert worker who, just in time, was able to wrestle the knife away from the guy who came from behind me. I was really surprised, thinking I had no enemies in that place. Then I discovered that this guy had been selling water (a few centavos per bucket) but lost his little business because of me. And for those few centavos it seemed he wanted to kill me, even though he had a regular job and was better off than most of the other neighbours. This kind of thing is very hard for us to work out. Maybe if I was a Filipino he would have talked to me about it but he felt unable to approach the ""rich"" foreigner, and he resented me because of his own feelings of inferiority. So, after getting drunk he tried to kill me. It's not just about the little money he lost but a combination of that and these other emotions. I think my analysis is correct but, who can be really sure? We (my Wife and I) brought a case against him, there were a couple of pre-trial hearings and then a third one at which he was supposed to have been indicted and locked up, but my Wife forgave him and we continued to live as neighbours for several more years without any further incident. BTW: My Wife mentioned here has since passed away (RIP), I'm not referring to Arlene. Vivian, I'm not trying to scare or discourage you. Just advising you to really know what you are doing and to do the right job. Get to know the community first, take it very slowly, step by step . . . I have personally been involved helping to give support to a government orphanage (which are all terribly under funded). Simple things like providing slippers for the kids who were all barefoot, some mosquito netting, an occasional sack of rice so they could eat a little better, some cheap foam rubber mattresses. Once I also aided a programme to help female inmates in one of the prisons so they could be given sewing classes to help them earn a little money. There are so very many possibilities for anyone who really wants to help. You can buy really cheap 2nd hand clothing in the markets - I doubt if it's really economical to ship clothes over here. Books are good if they know how to read, but you'll probably have to teach them first (assuming you're dealing with the very poor). This post was intended just as a little food for thought, I hope something useful comes out of it.

I understand the power of a bag of rice. My husband and I have chosen to offer support to an orphanage and when we asked what the really wanted money or food. They said food items, Powdered Milk and Basic Medicine Cabinet items, items that can be difficult to get where they are. So we send boxes of items rather than money. I also have asked a women's club in the US to send donated items. We are still waiting to see if they come through. I suspect that actual money is a double sided gift, presenting more hassle than its value.

I will be making my 3rd trip to the philippines visiting family and investigatiing sites for future retirement and just having fun in general. My wife wants to be close to the family when we retire so we are considering The La Union area. Is there anyone in the group who lives there that I can tap for their knowledge on the area just north and south of San Fernando. Don thanks for your overview. I have been to Cebu twice and would love to settle outside Cebu City, in either the north or south part a of the island, but because of the above mentioned family issues it just doesn't seem practical, but your insights are really appreciated and any more you have will be considered with great attention. I must say to this site will make the transition from living in the States to the Philippines a much easier one. I have got answers to a lot of nagging questions that have gone unanswered until now. Thanks again for all your guys efforts.

A very interesting synopsis, thanks! I haven't been nearly that well traveled in the RP. In the beginning I didn't think it made much difference where I was. My purpose wasn't to find a living place or enjoy the weather. It just so happened by chance that I spent most of the time in Abra and Cebu where I was sponsoring families. Both locations are terrific as far as I'm concerned. The people are very different, but they are the reasons for my visits and I like them all. I lived in Cebu City for a short time a few years ago and have spent only a few days at a time in Manila when I've had business there, but most of the time I've been in the provinces. I'm not a shopper or a mall kind of person. I think that after all of this time I happen to be partial to the west coast of Cebu, but I don't think it would make any difference to me where I first decide to settle. What makes a ""place"" are the people who live there. I know some of you who live here or plan to live here are tied into families or some area for a good reason. But if you had your choice, like many do, where do you feel you would like to live? My favorite place at the moment is Cebu City. I like it here because it is big enough but not too big, yet. And it is close to the water, not far from resorts on Mctaan and to the north. I like thepeople better here than in the north, but not really too much. The ones in the north are good too, but they are more friendly here. I don't like the storms in the north and we don't have many here. Since I have been here, the past 12 years they have been mild. I also like the very mild rainy season, not as mild as Davao, but mild compared to the north. I don't like the pollution that is getting worse and starting to get into all parts of the Cebu City, except the hills, rather far out. Odd there is so much pollution on an island. But except forthe months of April, May and June, summer, dry season, there is little wind here, not enough to fly a light kite much less blow away the diesel fumes. And I am concerned about the water situation, very bad in Cebu and probably going to get worse. I think of moving south to maybe Davao City or Dumaguete City. Davao is still a city so I can still be a mall rat. And is much cheaper to live there than here, which makes it very cheap indeed. Dumaguete is pretty small but growing. And I do like a university town, though there is only one very big one there unlike the many here. It is too cheap there to talk about. Sometimes I think about moving to the north part of the island or Cebu, and living near the beach. But Ani is in college here, so that is out even if I wanted, at least for a while. Baguio in the north has it hands down for the summer. There is no more beautiful place in the Philippines, unless it is the rice terraces above Baguio and they don't have malls. I would not even visit again in the winter time. I feel uncomfortable in Baguio in the wet winter, not just the climate but the mud slides. I have not been to Bacalod, close to here, but from what I know and read about it, it sounds like a great place, especially if you are interested in small sail boats. I understand there is some New People's Army activity south of there, but have heard of no incidents. Ilio Ilio across the channel is very good too, I understand. I have a standing invitation to visit friends there, but just have not been able to as yet. And then there is Angeles City, the nightlife center of the Philippines. If I were younger, I might go back for another taste of that. But it is not really the Philippines, just a play land, not reflective of the country at all. The former Air Force base, Clark, is still probably the best place to do serious bike riding in the Philippines. The ultra lites are fun and the international community, if you can and like to deal with fellow expats, is more compact than even Manila. I also like the way the Subic area has developed. But it is still in the storm area. The pollution is almost nil by the beach, and the beaches are accessible and nice. Up north below Baguio is San Fernando La Union. Living in Baguio in the Summer and La Union in the rainy season is an option I have considered in the past. But now that I have been in the Visayas, I don't think I will ever live in the north again. Despite the excitement, the loads of everything in Manila, I don't think I would live in that extreme pollution and crowding again. But it does have its attraction. I know I have missed some interesting spots like Puerto Gallera and some exotic ones like Palawan. And I know many of you have different opinions than mine. I have not even mentioned the option of living in a very rural area, attractive even to me. If you have time and interest, please let us know where would you like to live or do live and why?

My Filipina wife and I want to live in the Philippines at least part- time when I retire in a few years. My hope is that we will be well- off enough to split time between the RP and Southern California, which we live in now and adore. The big catch: we haven't been back to the Phils since being married there in 1982. My wife grew up in the towns of Floridablanca and Guagua in Pampanga province, then went to Manila for college and, later, a government job. When we talk about where we would live, the only consensus we have reached is that we need to explore the country again before deciding. Not only because the country has changed, but because we have changed. Manila's drawbacks have been well-chronicled here and elsewhere, but we are used to an urban environment so we haven't scratched it off our list. Maybe a dose of reality on a revisit would do the trick :) Joy is lukewarm about returning to her hometowns; she thinks they would be too small for her. A personal goal for living there is to absorb some Filipino culture and attitudes, and socialize with some of the world's most sociable and hospitable people. I will echo what others said: people make a place. Proximity to relatives is a huge factor, of course. But I am mindful of others' comments that you can be TOO close to relatives. I consider myself a charitable person, but I wouldn't want to be a constant target for handouts, and I don't think my wife would, either. I don't think I want to give up some western comforts and the choices you have in a city. And I think I would cultivate and cherish friendships with like-minded expats (not the whiners). Given all this, I think we could wind up in a Manila suburb or the Subic area. Baguio is an option too, especially if we live there only in dry season. (That's the dream: Southern California in the summer, RP in the winter). Don's portrait of Cebu is wonderful, and parts of Mindanao are the stuff of picture postcards. But realistically, I don't think my wife would accept anything outside of central or northern Luzon. But that's a wild guess necessitated by a 19-year absence. Joy and I need to do lots of homework before deciding.

I don't know if I can give an answer to that question that makes any sense Don. My choice of the west coast of Cebu was quite by chance and over the years I've become a fixture in the community. Maybe my answer is ""habit""! I think that a few of us have the same feeling and draw to the RP. As you have so eloquently said, we haven't been drawn by the weather or geography or personal comfort. For those who have yet to visit, let it be known that Filipinos are like any other group of folks. There are good and bad and all between. If you earn their respect you can't find more sincere friends and compatriots.

you forgot to mention tagaytay wich is about 45 min. from manila and at about 4,000 ft is much cooler year round with fresh meat and vegatables...mike Yes, Mike. It is very popular. I have corresponded with a guy that lives there and flies stunt kites. But I don't know much about it. Can you describe it, hotels, residences, in the mountains I assume. Is it hard to get to in the rainy season, mud slides or good safe roads. I understand it is more expensive but nicer than Baguio, more residential.

Based on Ron's excellent advice, I recently opened a savings account at Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). They have a rather large minimum for opening an account ($2,500 US), but I believe, in the long-term, they're reputation and service will be well-worth the initial investment. Now, the bad news. I'm in the process of wire transferring funds from my USA banks to HSBC. The problem I'm facing is the rather large fees charged by my USA banks for wire transfers. One bank (Bank of America) is going to charge $45 per transfer. Another lesser-known bank, but one that's always in the top three for service, will charge $35. Does anyone else feel these fees are large considering the information revolution's positive impact on international financial transactions? Or, am I just a cheap guy wondering what this fee is going toward?

Banks and insurance companies maybe some of the worst corporate thieves when they can get away with it. Yes, these transfer fees in my opinion are indefensible but what can we do about it? There are some banks that even charge a fee for making a deposit. Ridiculous! Perhaps you can find a cheaper way to move money around. Are the transfers you mentioned between the US branches of different banks or US to overseas? I know you said ""to RP Bank"" but if that means to HSBC then would it be cheaper to first get the money to a US branch of HSBC? Are you near enough to the two banks to get the cash from one and physically bring it over to the other? When most people request a ""wire"" transfer they don't know or say anything about the means of making the ""wire"" transfer. For example your local BA may make the first transfer to BA New York (for a charge) then it will go HSBC possibly via another ""correspondent"" bank (more charges). The longer BA can keep the money in a loop which they control the more they will squeeze out of you in ""wire fees"", each step of the way. If you are paying for a service then you have every right to know what that service consists of and to negotiate. You need to talk to the transfer or ""wire"" departments of the banks to get the details. Find out the names of the ""correspondent"" banks used by both BA and HSBC in the US. If they both have arrangements with a ""correspondent"" bank that has a branch in your area then you may get a better deal by bringing or sending the money there first. Once you find out the cheapest or most efficient way for the transfer to be made you can tell BA to do it that way, ask them how much it will cost and tell them to justify the charges.

I'm no authority on web submission but I hope this helps. I would suggest that before you submit your website to a search engine, make sure it is in it's final form...with the meta tags and all. I don't do doorway pages when I submit a site so I won't comment on that other than you have to read thru each search engine's way of listing your site so as to maximize your doorway pages. Usually too, you will have to make a differentdoorway page for every search engine you submit your site to. For some search engines, the use

Since there are so many new members (and hopefully Don won't bash/censor me for a small self-plug, although I make no centavo therefrom), here's a fresh link to the index page of ""Pearl of the Orient Seas: Random Thoughts on Life and Business in Manila"": www.apmforum.com/columns/orientseas.htm A great series, Clarence and a good site for business people too. I hope you get a link for to me there soon as I have one for you. And I hope you mention www.livinginthephiliippines.com as ""the"" non resource for relocating, retiring and cultural information about the Philippines. I did not know the list would be successful. But I did know there was interest from an article I wrote on someone else's site. A staff journalist from Kiplinger's told me she was going to do a piece on living, retiring and traveling in the Philippines due for publication is about five months. If that comes to past there will be a spurt in membership. I hope your book is out by that time. It would be really good if your launch was around March 15th when the franchise show comes to Cebu. A number of members have indicated to me they plan to attend. That way, you could maybe have a bunch more at your launch.And maybe amforum should have a booth there at the show too. A few of your books on the table would be valuable for the foreigners and maybe even locals too. A good franchise, good business sense, proper capitalization will get you nowhere, if you can bend and flow with the culture, except the nut house. Thank all of you for helping me with my Outlook Express problem. I still have a couple of people coaching me to help me get it more stable. Now, who is the authority on web submission. Since I finally have a design, mostly made from fabric I found in a local store, I am happy with and a domain name, I am ready to submit and have read a lot about it. But I have a few questions concerning door pages and crawler pages, neither of which are necessary I know. I also want to submit more than one page and need to know some more things about meta tags. Any suggestions for pictures I hastily put up, I still have some blanks too, will be appreciated. If you have the JPG's please tell me what you have and I will see it they fit. If you or a friend has a page and can link, please do. Or if you have any other marketing ideas you can share with me, please let me know. There are now 36 columns up, written over the last 2 1/2 years as a sideline and visibility-builder to support my consulting business in Manila, dealing with diverse topics (from cockfighting a la Ted Lerner to globalization to cultural issues to history to corruption). They will be a book published by Anvil Publishing if I can find time to do some repackaging to create an appropriate manuscript. Will invite those of you in MM to attend the launch!

I'm no authority on web submission but I hope this helps. I would suggest that before you submit your website to a search engine, make sure it is in it's final form...with the meta tags and all. I don't do doorway pages when I submit a site so I won't comment on that other than you have to read thru each search engine's way of listing your site so as to maximize your doorway pages. Usually too, you will have to make a different doorway page for every search engine you submit your site to. For some search engines,

Tags in coordination with your key words and description (in the META tag) help you get a higher ranking. I am sorry I never had a chance to get thank you properly for this information. The things you say above make sense. I have been having such success with alternate ways of marketing, that I have not really been able to do the site submission as I want. But I will soon, I hope. Looksmart is one site that you will have to pay for to get listed. They provide the websites for MSN I understand that is the way they are going except for open directory. I am working with them. I will not pay for a listing unless I have a site that makes money. Needless to say Living in the Philippines does not. (http://submit.looksmart.com/info.jhtml?synd=zdd&chan=zddsearch check nonprofit submissions), Altavista I called myself The Expat Association of the Philippines for that a very long time ago. But I never got listed. It has been six months at least. Maybe I should try again. (http://addurl.altavista.com/sites/addurl/newurl) and Excite (http://www.excite.com/info/add_url_form/). If you submit them individuall though, they have free options, but it takes about 4-8 weeks before your submission will get listed. I have problems getting listed at all, here. But then my page is far from optimized. One thing I am lacking is a lot of pictures

The problem I'm facing is the rather large fees charged by my USA banks for wire transfers. One bank (Bank of America) is going to charge $45 per transfer. Another lesser-known bank, but one that's always in the top three for service, will charge $35. Does anyone else feel these fees are large considering the information revolution's positive impact on international financial transactions? Or, am I just a cheap guy wondering what this fee is going toward? My regional Bank (M&T) charges $15 for a wire transfer of any amount over $100. The transfers are made to a Philippines National Bank (PNB) account in an outlying branch. M&T claims the wire takes place 2:00 PM the same day the request is made. Previously the money actually ""appeared"" in the Philippines 3 to 5 days later. Presently the delay is 5 to 7 days ... the claim being global disruptions and money tracing investigations in the aftermath of 911. Since I do not transfer money often I do not find $15 unacceptable ... but I certainly do find $35 to $45 outrageous. My personal objection is the 5 to 7 day delay for a transaction that happens at the speed of electricity. I believe the banks conspire to sit of the funds and take advantage of the ""float."" If they can sit on 100,000 global wire transfers for days and days they make money. Wish I could do it. My opinion (no proof) is that most of the delay is PNB ... and I have heard others say that Philippine and other third world banks are very frugal and try any strategy to earn revenue ... even float on wire transfers.

I am trying to get a 13A Visa and was very surprised (frighten) to read Marc de Piolenc's email. I am intended to travel a bid in Asia and go back home (Belgium) once in a while. Do I realy need to get a re-entry permit every time I want to travel outside the Philippines? (surrender the permit & get him back when I return?) Supposedly it is possible to obtain a ""multiple re-entry permit"" that does not have to be constantly exchanged. I don't know how to do this - it certainly was not an option offered to me at Immigration when I visited Europe in '99. >By the way what is a ACR & ICR ? Two documents you are required to have in order to remain in the Philippines permanently. I have no idea why, or why there are two of them. As I want to work in the Philippines I thought the 13A Visa was my best option.

Do any of you expats use US-based remailing services such as Mailboxes Etc. as a permanent US mailing address and to make sure that your important mail (bank, credit card, mutual fund, insurance statements etc.) make it to the Philippines or do you have another solution? I just have a post office box her in Cebu I have had ever since I have been here. My permanent residence is with friends in Reno but I get little mail there. My US bank statements come here, my credit card statements, my income tax stuff and almost everything else. I have never had a problem as far as I know. But there could be something that was sent to me that I never got and don't know about it. DHL world mail that Amazon.com used to send me took three months. I stopped using that. During the Christmas season mail is particularly slow, coming from he US as Filipinos are sending gifts. Most are not sending gifts from here to the US, just cards. So the mail to the US is not so slow, even at Christmas time. A lot of Filipinos who send things in the States send in November or December for Christmas. They send surface because it is much cheaper. But during the Christmas season it takes four or five months: Christmas gifts get here in April but are still welcome. I know I did not answer your question. But I am sure there are some who do. I did when I first visited in 1980. I had a post office box at a service in San Francisco. It did not work out well since I was having to have things forwarded anyway. Mail is generally slow here, very slow. When I charge something on a credit card I try to pay it the same day. It may take a month to get to the States. I can do online payment now. But I am in the habit of sending mail and my helper goes to the post office, so I have never gone high tech.

Thanks for the reply. So US banks, mutual funds, credit cards, IRS really will really pay overseas postage and not hassle you. That's great news. I had recalled earlier posts that credit card companies would immediately cancel your card when they found out that you were residing overseas so I thought one way around that would be a mail forwarding service. Back when I was living a more nomadic lifestyle I used the ""Wanderer's Mail Service"" in Seattle. That service was started in the 19th century to serve Gold Rush prospectors in the Klondike and is still in operation. Increasingly this stuff can be done online. I have a NetBank account. I get my statements in PDF form from their website. No use of the mails is needed. Perhaps the same can be done with mutual funds. I don't know if there are credit cards which are totally mail-free. Any additional advice would be appreciated. I just have a post office box her in Cebu I have had ever since I have been here. My permanent residence is with friends in Reno but I get little mail there. My US bank statements come here, my credit card statements, my income tax stuff and almost everything else. I have never had a problem as far as I know. But there could be something that was sent to me that I never got and don't know about it.

Based on Ron's excellent advice, I recently opened a savings account at Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). They have a rather large minimum for opening an account ($2,500 US), but I believe, in the long-term, they're reputation and service will be well-worth the initial investment. Now, the bad news. I'm in the process of wire transferring funds from my USA banks to HSBC. The problem I'm facing is the rather large fees charged by my USA banks for wire transfers. One bank (Bank of America) is going to charge $45 per transfer. Another lesser-known bank, but one that's always in the top three for service, will charge $35. Does anyone else feel these fees are large considering the information revolution's positive impact on international financial transactions? Or, am I just a cheap guy wondering what this fee is going toward?

Wire transfer is nice if you want to withdraw within a week. My wife an I have a US dollar account in PCI bank in Mandaue City. When my wife was there in 2000, she signed checks from our account at BankOne. The checks are for deposit only. When we need to transfer money,which is often, (smile) My wife call or email her sister and tell her how much to deposit. However, it takes 27 banking days to clear. We;ve found this method to be easier and much,much cheaper. Of course, need someone there to handle this. wehave made many transfers this way and haven't lost a cent.

They do. Some companies work with companies that re-mail in bulk overseas reducing their costs. I recall some magazines I subscribed to did this. I am sorry I don't remember the details, though I still get a couple of magazines. That's great news. I had recalled earlier posts that credit card companies would immediately cancel your card when they found out that you were residing overseas so I thought one way around that would be a mail forwarding service. The Philippines is my temporary mailing address. I am still a US resident as I mentioned. I live in the US, but do have permanent resident status here. When I moved here I just wrote everyone a letter and told them I would be over here and my temporary mailing address would be . . . My bank honors that, the US Government, and I feel it is correct. I am a US Citizen, and will remain so. I own no real estate here, but do in the States, not that means anything. If you change your ""permanent"" address to the Philippines, I bet you lose your credit cards, but can't be sure. I assume you will want to keep a US address anyway, just in case you need it. Some companies won't mail to the Philippines. Some won't mail anywhere abroad. Back when I was living a more nomadic lifestyle I used the ""Wanderer's Mail Service"" in Seattle. That service was started in the 19th century to serve Gold Rush prospectors in the Klondike and is still in operation. Increasingly this stuff can be done online. I have a NetBank account. I get my statements in PDF form from their website. No use of the mails is needed. Perhaps the same can be done with mutual funds. I don't know if there are credit cards which are totally mail-free. I have two Master Charges, that are in the US. One was formerly BA and changed. It is hard for me to get additional credit cards since I am judgment proof from consumer debt. One of my cards is Lafayette Federal Credit Union I got through the US Peace Corps, low interest rate and the other Is MBNA. I keep a low credit line on one and use it for Net purchases. So in case some thief gets my cc number and tries to go wild, they are not going wilder than a $1,000. They both and AMEX too, send my statements to my permanent address here. I can get my balance and pay on line with MBNA. Lafayette has problems with overseas people accessing their data base and they are working one it. My bank accounts are easy to access by the web, but slow. I am sure others know more about this than I do. I am sure someone will tell you more. Robert Warren dabbles in the market here and has told me a lot about online banking. But most of it did not really interest me. As a former stock broker, I stay as far away from the market as I can. The market is for folks who really understand finance on a professional level and are Robert knows the good banks too. He is in Texas now and has not been posting. I will try to wake him up. 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. When you open a dollar account here it may be the law or bank policy, but you have to have some dollar cash, at least $100 to open one, maybe $200. You can't just deposit a dollar check. That may be a good thing to keep in mind. If you deposit travelers checks you have to wait for them to clear. Better take them to AMEX and turn them into pesos, they won't give you US dollars now. You will get a low rate of exchange, but if you need money now, it is way. Money changers will give you better rates on travelers checks. Since I have been here a while there are changers around the main post office who will cash personal dollar checks for me and give me a better rate than American Express. but not much.

I live in the CNMI, which is a US COmmonwealth east of the RP. If I do money transfers to the US, I look at the same figures as you do, $35 to $45. My own bank is the cheapest. The explanation I get is that we are considered a foreign country when it comes to money transfers (even if are supposed to be part of the US), and those are the international rates. Another way for the banking community to make money off us, I guess...

I've been reading many posts concerning receiving mail in the PI. I've seen people mention using a ""mailboxes etc"" type of business to forward mail, and Don has talked about informing state-side businesses that my TEMPORARY address will be in the PI. I understand that many US banks will cancel accounts if they know you are in the PI. What is the concensus on the ""best"" way to have mail forwarded? I will be retiring from the US Military within the next few years and will move to the PI. Through information I've received from the VFW post folks in Angeles City, I will be entitled to a FPO PO Box at the US Embassay in Manila. Would this alarm US banks as to my location and possibly cause a cancelation of my credit card?

For those people out there who are planning or thinking of living in the Philippines, and have yet to decide where, or those of you already living in a place you are not satisfied with - why not try Davao. Come visit us and see the difference, the same Philippine charm, but a very clean and well-ordered city. I have been here for over eight years and have found Davao to be an ideal place to live. No power problems, city wide water from the tap which is drinkable and with good pressure, clean well kept streets, an excellent peace and order record, and plenty of cheap good quality vegetables, fruits, meat and fish. On top of this we have many new and first class shopping malls, including SM, great hotels including Marco Polo, probably one of the best day beach resorts in the country within fifteen minutes of the city, (Paradise Beach), plus miles of open space. Within the city are four golf clubs, with very reasonable green fees. We are just off the Pacific coast line so our air is clean, we are outside of the typhoon belt so no high winds, and believe it or not most of our rain falls during the night. We are also the greenest and cleanest city in the Philippines. Too good to be true! Don't take my word for it Davao City has been voted by Asia Week magazine, out of Hong Kong, as the most livable city in the Philippines. It is also at the top end of the ranking as one of the most livable cities in the whole of Asia. Davao has a lot going for it, Consider it as the 'California' of the Philippines, as we have mostly immigrants from the Visayas and Luzon who have come here for a better life. The city has a population of approximately 1.2 million, and has one of the largest land areas for a city in the world. Vast areas of green surround us, including the highest mountain in the country Mount Apo, and just off the coast is one of the deepest parts of the Pacific ocean, the Mindanao Trench. Davao Oriental has some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, where the mountains really do meet the sea, with miles of beaches with high surf. One hour into the mountains at three to four thousand feet the coconuts disappear to be replace by pine trees, temperatures there vary between twelve and twenty eight degrees Celsius. On the fresh food side of things fruits are plentiful such as pineapples, banana's (even the type you get in the west which is the Cavandish variety), Durian, Lanzonies, Rumbatang, Pomelo, and of course Mangos. In the highlands strawberries grow wild, together with the cultivated varieties. The selection of vegetables is better than any I have seen elsewhere in the country, and include celery, leeks, lettuce, the very large tomato's, broccoli, and of course the normal stuff like potato's, carrots, cauliflower, egg plants etc. All meats are readily available with the exception of lamb, which is seldom seen. Beef (P145 Kg) is Australian raised and fattened in Mindanao. Fish are plentiful especially Tuna (P130) and Blue Marlin (P140). Davao is one of the best-kept secrets in the Philippines. We are miles away from the problems in the west of the island. The Mayor's number one priority is peace and order, and the streets are safe to walk at night. Land prices vary from P6,000 a meter in Insular Village to P1,000 in more outlying area's, in a good village with twenty four-hour security land prices are around P2,500. Price to build around P7,500 a meter depending on finish. Processing time for a city hall building permit about four weeks. The foreign community in Davao is small compared to Manila and Cebu, I would guess there are somewhere around one thousand of us here. Meeting places are Hagar's Bar, Red Knight Gardens, and a few of the major hotels + the coffee shop in Victoria Plaza. The local Immigration office can do everything you can do in Manila, but quicker, average time to extend a visa about thirty minutes. The new International Airport opens in the spring of 2002; there are currently international flights to Singapore with Silk Air, and to Indonesia with Bali Air. Domestically there are approximately fifteen flights daily to Manila, and six daily to Cebu, plus other flights to additional destinations.

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

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.