While I am living in Manila I am not worried about the security here. I would rather live in the province to avoid the pollution here in Manila. Nobody can convince me that this has not a bad affect on year health on the long term. Now how you raise your kids while living here in the Philippines is something that you do have to consider. Some families here have a yaya for every child and the spoiled brats are even to lazy to tie their own shoe laces. You're still the one who has most influence on your kids and I do like the schools here in the Philippines. Without any doubt better equipped than those in the Netherlands with teachers that actually care about their students. By far they the students are more disciplined then in the Netherlands and there is much emphasis on how they should interact with the people around them. You do have to pay for them yourself but for me it is worth the money at all times.

My son just got a one year multiple-entry visa in the U.K. he can come as many times as he likes but is still restricted to a 59 days at a time, unless goes to to BofI for extension. This is a quote from the web site: LENGTH OF STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES The Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry determines the length of stay of a foreign visitor in the country. Normally, a visitor with a visa is given a 59-day stay in the Philippines. This is stated in the visa issued. Should a visitor desire to remain longer than their authorized initial stay of 59 days, he/she may request extension of stay from the Bureau of Immigration Office and pay the necessary extension fees. The traveller will also have to pay the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) and the corresponding Legal Research Fee (LRF) in the total amount of Philippine Pesos Seven Hundred Ten (P710.00) upon his/her departure. VALIDITY OF TEMPORARY VISITOR'S VISA A temporary visitor's visa may be valid for single or multiple entries. A single entry visa is valid for three (3) months from the date of issuance. A multiple entry visa is valid either for six (6) months or one (1) year depending on the fee paid. (Please refer to Schedule of Visa Fees). A validity of an entry visa should be differentiated from the length of stay in the Philippines. A three-month validity means a person may enter the Philippines within three (3) months from the date of issuance of visa. If a traveller is in possession of a six- month multiple visa, this means that he/she may enter the Philippines any number of times provided it is within the six-month period specified in the visa.

LENGTH OF STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES The Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry determines the length of stay of a foreign visitor in the country. Normally, a visitor with a visa is given a 59-day stay in the Philippines. This is stated in the visa issued. Should a visitor desire to remain longer than their authorized initial stay of 59 days, he/she may request extension of stay from the Bureau of Immigration Office and pay the necessary extension fees. The traveller will also have to pay the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) and the corresponding Legal Research Fee (LRF) in the total amount of Philippine Pesos Seven Hundred Ten (P710.00) upon his/her departure. VALIDITY OF TEMPORARY VISITOR'S VISA A temporary visitor's visa may be valid for single or multiple entries. A single entry visa is valid for three (3) months from the date of issuance. A multiple entry visa is valid either for six (6) months or one (1) year depending on the fee paid. (Please refer to Schedule of Visa Fees). A validity of an entry visa should be differentiated from the length of stay in the Philippines. A three-month validity means a person may enter the Philippines within three (3) months from the date of issuance of visa. If a traveller is in possession of a six- month multiple visa, this means that he/she may enter the Philippines any number of times provided it is within the six-month period specified in the visa.

Allas that link is not complete but here are section 13 and 14. As for the interpretation of section 14, I would say that when holding dual citizenship you would be regarded a Filipino citizen when you are in the Philippines and not when you are in the US. So now what if you apply for a spousal visa in the US or can we say that we apply at the embassy so we are at Philippine territory? As for the difference between 13a and 13g once obtained I would say that this does not exist but as said I am open for other interpretations. Sec. 13. Under the conditions set forth in this Act, there may be admitted into the Philippines immigrants, termed ""quota immigrants"" not in excess of fifty (50) of any one nationality or without nationality for any one calendar year, except that the following immigrants, termed ""non-quota immigrants,"" may be admitted without regard to such numerical limitations. The corresponding Philippine Consular representative abroad shall investigate and certify the eligibility of a quota immigrant previous to his admission into the Philippines. Qualified and desirable aliens who are in the Philippines under temporary stay may be admitted within the quota, subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9 of this Act. (a) The wife or the husband or the unmarried child under twenty-one. years of age of a Philippine citizen, if accompanying or following to join such citizen; (b) A child of alien parents born during the temporary visit abroad of the mother, the mother having been previously lawfully admitted into the Philippines for permanent residence, if the child is accompanying or coming to join a parent and applies for admission within five years from the date of its birth; (c) A child born subsequent to the issuance of the immigration visa of the accompanying parent, the visa not having expired; (d) A woman who was a citizen of the Philippines and who lost her citizenship because of her marriage to an alien or by reason of the loss of Philippine citizenship by her husband, and her unmarried child under twenty- one years of age, if accompanying or following to join her; (e) A person previously lawfully admitted into the Philippines for permanent residence, who is returning from a temporary visit abroad to an unrelinquished residence in the Philippines; (g) A natural-born citizen of the Philippines, who has been naturalized in a foreign country, and is returning to the Philippines for permanent residence, including his spouse and minor unmarried children, shall be considered a non-quota immigrant for purposes of entering the Philippines. Sec. 14. Persons with dual nationality - The nationality of an immigrant whose admission is subject to the numerical limitations imposed by Section Thirteen of this Act shall be that of the country of which the immigrant is a citizen or subject, self-governing dominions being treated as separate countries. The nationality of an immigrant possessing dual nationality may be that of either of the two countries regarding him as a citizen or subject if he applies for a visa in a third country, but if he applies for such visa within one of the two countries regarding him as a national, his nationality shall be that of the country in which he shall file his application.

Good point, if it helps I do not need any visa for my daughter holding both Dutch and Filipino passports. See section 14 of the immigration act in other mail. I must say that I did not care about cost in the Philippines but more in the Netherlands (about US$ 5000). On the downside technically you can not get a Balikbayan status when your wife is using here Filipino passport. So when on holiday you do need to pay for a visa or leave the Filipino passport in your pocket and travel on the US passport.

A 13A Visa needs just one visa for foreign spouse. A 13G Visa you need two Visas one for foreign spouse and one for Natural born Filipinos who were naturalized in a foreign country. So twice the cost!!

Under 13G you do not get the 100% duty free allowance for bringing in household goods and personal effects. For that you need a 13A or 9G, 9D, 47(a)2.

Well I was told that they were the same for bringing in household good, which is the main reason why I am so intereted in finding out. The San Francisco consulate told me that the were the same for 13A and 13G. So please tell me where you found this information, I have been doing searches on the internet and have found very little on this issue for 13G visa and household goods

I do not think you have a choice as to what visa to get, as 13A is for somebody who is married to a Philippine citizen, and 13G is a returning former Philippine citizen. I assumed my wife could have brought in the goods duty free, which is normal in most countries, but after research and discussion with the consulate in Hong Kong found out I needed to get the 13A visa to bring my goods in duty free and there was no way for her to bring them in, 100% duty free.

Does anyone know what style of architecture I should be looking at to build my home in the Philippines. Is everything made out of brick or what? Do you know of any web sites that might have floor plans and building plans. Or do I just find any style home I like and bring the plans with me??

OYour options are limited to what works in a given area (materials, labor) and your budget. Steel roofing with steel supports (prefab or welded on-site is the only way to go for the roof. Quality of wood is pretty poor over there and roof trusses such as we routinely get for home construction in any part of the US is not an option in the RP. Steel framing, rather than wood, is now preferred for better homes, but cinderblock or stucco (or combination of steel framing and stucco) are pretty standard, too. On the other hand, you might just lease something already built, older or newer, and be quite happy with it.

Its a Filipino tradition which starts as soon as the SImbang Gabi (Morning Masses) do, which is on December 16th. Most parols should be up by then to signify the Christmas Star and the start of the search for the child Jesus by the Magi. The ""carolers"" ask for coins from you and if you give a lot the first time, they will come back every night for the next 8 more days.... lol!!!! However, other church choirs will send letters requesting to sing some carols in your homes and asking for donations for fund raising activities. Those are real treats since they sing beautifully. Incidentally, the Philippines is the only country that the Pope allowed to continue with its Simbang Gabi tradition.

Well, in the Philippines, the pedestrians have the right of way. My suggestion is you should watch your speed in very crowded areas since there have been known to exist in our country some very ""enterprising"" parents who like using their kids as source of income from drivers. Its sick but it does happen. Avoid driving thru the slums and if you have to, go really slow. People on bikes are treated as pedestrians too. I'm beginning to think anyone unlucky enough to be involved in a traffic fatality while behind the wheel is going to be at fault no matter what the circumstances really are. Although unrelated, both fatality incidents in the article (posted below) suggest the drivers of the vehicles were not at fault. Yet, both drivers are being detained by the police. Can anyone shed some light on this? I remeber back when Subic was an American base, all the newby's were taught not to stop if they ran over someone on the highway. You were supposed to return to the base, then report it. Does anyone really know what the laws are concerning faults and liabilities when involved in an injury accident? Sun Star Thursday, December 19, 2002 Laborer, biker killed in 2 road accidents TWO people died in separate vehicular accidents in Mandaue City in the past two days. At least 10 plastic road barriers of the Mandaue City Government were also damaged when these were hit by a "drunk" driver. Jerry Inot, a laborer of Simon Enterprises at the reclamation area in Barangay Subangdaku, died before reaching the Mandaue City Hospital yesterday afternoon after he was ran over by a laundry service van. The Mandaue City Traffic Division reported that Inot and a fellow worker, a certain Dagul, were horsing around during their lunch break. Dagul reportedly chased Inot, who ran towards the road and was hit by a First Laundry van, driven by Alberto Maratas. Maratas was seen at the city hospital where he reportedly admitted that he hit Inot. He is currently detained at the Subangdaku Police Station where truck driver Alfredo Empuerto Jr. is also detained, pending the filing of charges against him after he ran over a motorcycle driver around 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday. Renato Casas, 31, married and a resident of Cebu City, was also declared dead on arrival by city hospital doctors after he was bumped by an Isuzu dump truck Empuerto was driving along Ouano Ave. A traffic police report stated that Casas, on board his motorcycle, was travelling toward Cebu City. He suddenly swerved to the right and hit the front portion of the truck that was travelling in the same direction. The impact caused Casas and his bike to fall. Unable to brake on time, Empuerto ran over Casas, lost control of his truck and hit the cemented island of Ouano Ave. The report said two minors, aged 12 and 13, were also injured in the incident. They were immediately brought to the hospital for treatment.

all need is a sketch of the home you want, a sketch that includes all the deminsons on the floor plan, if you spend $400 to $800 on house plans from the US, you will find when you arrive here they ARE no good to you at all, you can take your sketch to a philippine architect and he will draw with the local codes included, at a cost of P8000 to P12000, If you find the right one to do this for you and a good honest person, you will never have to visit city hall for permits etc, ours took care of all, including getting certificate of occupancy which we just got, for that we paid P6000 and it took care of all inspections etc. and so far to date we have paid the lady a total of about P12000, for all drawings etc. Best you don't spend any money for plans in the states. I ordered a prelim plan for $20.00 out of one of the house plan books, and came very close to buying $800 set of plans, if I had everything would have had to be changed anyway to the local codes, they do not put tons of steelo in a house in USA as they do here in Philippines, they don't fill hollow block with cement, a lot of big differences. The one thing I changed from the drawings was electrical as I don't believe that one outlet per room is sufficient. was the member's website detailing construction of his home in Ilocos.

Is there any place you can Purchase a Cell phone and have it sent to a location in the philippines. And be able to purchase it from the States on the internet. And if so what type would be the best to give the best coverage (reception). Maricel is in Southern Leyte and has broken her cell phone that she purchased in Manila and it cannot be repaired. But she said that the cell phones there are 6000 pesos but that seems to be a little high to me.

You can purchase the Siemens cell phone model#S40 which is a dual band, sim card cell phone. It will work here in the US and also in the Philippines with a simple sim card change. Might be worth the extra expense if your gal will be coming to the US anytime soon. As far as reception goes, I've been using the phone for about 8 mos now and reception is average here in the US. In the Phils, the reception is much better for reasons unkown to me.

Does anyone know if these things work as my wife who lives north of Cebu city is on a fringe area and the reception is poor.anybody have any ideas of what to use to improve reception and where to buy it from .many thanks try the other provider if you're using globe, try smart. For me I have both though I'm using Globe regular number. Works just like last weekend, I was in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte where Globe has no cellsite but Smart has and sometimes it's the other way around. Use a phone with an outer antenna like a Nokia 5110 if you don't mind bulk or any other brand. If youbuy from the US, make sure it's already tri-band (using 900 1800 and 1900 MHz) to be useful here and not SIM/Provider locked. GSM systems here use 900/1800 while in the US its 1900. Using a tri-band allows you also to roam if available. shop around for an outdoor antenna as suggested by Maria. there are reception boosters available but have no experience with them GSM networks, being digital, are sensitive to distance limitations not like older analog networks. Lots of echo AFAIK... if all else fails, use a satellite phone by Smart Aces, i've heard unit prices are dropping and also the airtime costs. Drawback use only within clear view of the sky or also an outdoor antenna. inquire availability with your provider or future plans if problem still persists, move to other places

I am interested in your product RoofKote. I have a brochure but am having some problems understanding it. It says to use two coats of ""Acrylic Roof Paint."" But the salesman at the store tells me to use a grey metaprimer and shows me the can. He says use a coat of that and a coat of the regular. Both say ""Latex,"" not acrylic. So there are two areas of confusion. I note the brochure he was kind enough to give me is dated July 15, 2002, very recent and very impressively designed and executed. Can you put me in touch with someone in the technical areas to help me with this? I would like to use your product and use it properly?

I believe he is considerably higher than will cost you if you do all the buying and are your on foreman, I just completed very nice all concrete and steel(roof) I haven't seen the same quality here in Philippines, I am sure there is, if I looked, the house is actually better than US Quality--at least in Florida-- the codes people could not understand why I wanted Electrical outlets every six feet as in most area of USA, they only require one per room which you and I know is taboo. When I say you be the foreman-- you have a lead man for each trade that answers only to you one Electrican, one cement mason, one carpenter, one iron worker etc, but each one may have three or four people helping but he is responsible for what actually happens. the lead men you will pay around P230 to 240 per day their workers will be paid around P200 per day and most ubskilled laborers will be paid about P150 to P175 per day, I had as many as 42 persons working at one time am now down to 6 and almost complete. Your question's much too broad for an accurate answer. But if you're past the ""just thinking"" stage, here's an offer you can't refuse. I put an architect on retainer a while back, but decided renting was best for me, so he owes me work. I won't be able to get a refund (shame on me), so if you have even rudimentary building plans I can put him to work, get refined drawings and cost estimates at no cost to you. I can't accurately advise on the cost of a plot, but plan on a minimum USD40,000 for 500 square meters in ""nice"" subdivisions in urban areas down south....more for urban areas north of the Visayas. I haven't seen ""nice"" subdivisions in rural areas. Cheap is relative. Real quality in the Philippines will be no less than $100,000. The same property in the U.S. will give you a bigger back yard (RP land is expensive), but will cost $300,000. You can build at three or four levels of quality. U.S. quality for a 2,000 square ft, three bedroom place will come to $80,000. You can drop down two levels and pay $45,000 for a place of the same size, but that will require never-ending maintenance. (All prices exclude land.) Strange anomaly: Build a place for USD200,000, or rent the equivalent ( 3000 sq ft, five bedrooms) for $475 - $600 per month. (Requires a lot of head-knocking with alternate phases of kow-towing to negotiate the lease, but cost that out based on what you can earn on $200K, or the price of in-country financing at 18-21% for a five-year loan). My next trip to the Philippines will begin on January 20th, I can get you a free estimate if have your plans before I leave.

A good high gain directional antennae (Yagi Beam) on a pole to give you some elevation over local buildings will help alot. These look very similar to the UHF TV antennae's in the UK. The antennae is then pointed in the direction of the nearest cell site. Cell phones work on something called ""Line of Sight "" communication (except under special conditions). After all ""Cell Phones"" are only low power mobile radios at the end of the day that rely on the signal being relayed by your nearest cell site. Radio Amateurs have been using a network of repeater (relay) stations for mobile radios in the 145MHz and 440MHz band for over 30 years! As the frequencies used on the cell phones are in the UHF/SHF good quality coaxial feed cable and connectors are important. These types of antennae are available (locally made but not very good quality) in some of the cell phone shops in the shopping malls. I have seen this type of antennae in Audio Net in the Ayala Centre, Cebu. If you can not get any joy try having a look around for specialist Amateur Radio, Marine/Aircraft Radio suppliers the may be able to help. An alternative is to try and get an Amateur Radio magazine which may well be useful. I used to use SMC (South Midland Communications) in Southampton UK for my Amateur Radio gear when I was licensed. They may well have a web site now. The antennae is what will make a big difference but it means that your mobile phone will cease to be mobile when you are hooked up to your base antennae. Of course you must have a type of phone where you can use an external antennae. Motorola's ""L series"" has an antennae which can be unscrewed from the cell phone body. The cable from your base antennae can be connected to this phone using the correct RF (Radio Frequency) Connector. I do have the information available here so that you can manufacture your own antennae if you are interested (a bit of maths involved ugh!). You can stick a car cell phone antennae on a pole but you will need to make some modifications (something called a ground plane) to make it work properly. This is worth a try first of all. You can see how well you are picking (signal strength) up the cell site by the signal strength indicator on the display of most phones. My reference is the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) VHF/UHF handbook.

Anyway, if there is anyone else on the list who uses two meters there, please let me know. I'll see about taking a 2meter rig over as well. If you happen to need any catalogs, like AES, let me know as well. I'll hook ya up. Hey Steve, I don't suppose you could get me a copy of that list can ya?

The most important question pertaining to this inquiry is ""Where are you going to build this house?"" The design of the house should should fit it's location. When I bought my lot I had an idea of the house I wanted. It then took me a few years of studying the lot and weather before I started building-I was in no hurry. I tried to maximise my ""comfort zone"" by designing it around the weather, mosquitos, privacy, views, and how it should feel. Strength and security were a big psychological part of the ""comfort zone"" for me also. My house's sheltered terraces are most of my living space so therefore are the biggest part of my house. If one terrace is getting hit by the NE monsoon, I retreat to the opposite terrace, yet I am still outside and comfortable. Alot of expats come to Phil. and bring a design with them that is great if you have cool weather 4 months, snow 2 months and like to sit next to a fireplace- we live in the tropics-design your house for it. Alot of the local architect's education have been centered around American plans, so they think these are good designs for Philippine homes which many of them are a world away

With just a quick glance at dreamhomessource.com these homes, the ones I glanced at, are typically for temperate weather regions. Like a Swiss chalet as an extreme example with their super long slopeing roofs(I think so the snow will slide off) in Phil. would generate the last thing you want and that is excessive heat. I picture those roofs with all those gables full of hot air and no where for the air to go. The long slopeing roofs are perfect for nipa-you need the rain water to move quickly but for a GI roof or any heat absorbing roof in Phil. this long slope allows for a bigger square footage of roof space and maximizes your house heat. With a GI roof you need the least amount of pitch as possible(smallest square footage) with wide eaves over hanging to shade and keep the rain off the house. I've seen many guys build a house for nipa with a steep pitch, later change it to GI and find there house uncomfortably hot. Just one small point, but there are many

As for hotels, I stayed at the Metro Centre Hotel (tel 38 - 411-2599) and although the rooms were a little run down at this point, it was adequate at a reasonable price. The rooftop pool was good and they had an exercise room up there. They also own Panglao Island Beach Resort and the Metrocentre can arrange a day trip over there to spend some time at the nice white sand beach. You mighthave the beach to yourself like I did. Also, there is a small cave on the property that the staff can show you (plenty of bats there), and the hotel is close to Hinagdanin Cave. You can stay at Panglao Island for the night, but it's expensive. The MetroCentre had a great restaurant on the second floor called ""Asiaitica."" Believe me when I tell you that it was the second best tasting food I had in the Philippines during my two month stay in 2001. The best was the McDonald's in the Ayala Center in Cebu. As for night life the MetroCentre had regular disco type nights most of the week. Attending is recommended. The staff were very helpful, too. A big disappointment in 2001 was the Bohol Tropics Resort which seemed to be undergoing some sort of renovation during my visit. Every attempt to get a break on the room prices because of this was met with arrogant disdain by the flaky hotel manager. I stayed here in 1999 and had a great time. Too bad things degenerated so much in two years. It is not recommended. Don't forget to visit the Plaza Marcella Mall which is a good shop. Also be forwarned that if you go to Panglao Island, the taxi drivers will expect you to pay twice the meter for their trip back into Tagbilarin. The best bit of advice I can give you is to go to the car rental location a block down from the MetroCentre Hotel on the same side as the hotel (I forgot the name of the place), on the right side of the block just in from the main street where you will find a driver named Nello, who was the best driver I ever had in the Phils. He was also a tour guide and took me all over Bohol and was the best at showing me around Bohol. The MetroCentre once set up a tour where Nello was my driver. He apparently works for the car service they use. You won't be disappointed!

Lets say I give you a hypothetical situation. If your married to a filippino lady for 3 years, and in that time you purchase property together, then you divorce, who gets the property? You would no longer be married to a native so to speak. Would the government let you keep some of the property? (The person who married the filippino is american). I don't know why I wonder these things.

On your question if FILIPINA lie a lot? definitely not it depends to a person we are not talking only to PILIPINOS but of all races. Lie is a lie no matter your motivations are good or bad when i was a kid my mother told me that liar will go to hell and i keep that in mind. Every individual has their dark past ( if someone not he is lucky ) being a woman who was raise by poor family and lacking many things in life the only thing we have is the dignity and and principles to live with. I myself was a victim of difficult circumstances in life no higher education and poor. But i am proud of being me because i never cheated anyone to make a living for me honesty is the best policy. My biggest fear is to look at the mirror and see my reflection as a different person. I am married to my husband but before decided to continue to correspond with him i struggle myself to tell him everything that he has to know because i wanted him to accept me as who i am. Telling him my childhood everything. And now we are living together happily. This issue couldn't base in historical perspective but it is base to a person's individuality. The more you lie the more you become a different person. You created a ghost that haunted you and only truth could set a person free that is based on the bible and that's true. Every one could play their own game but in the end they will be the loser. It's up to you if you could live with her lies, for me it is better to tell the truth and lose him rather than to lie and to keep him for i was just deceive myself. Ask yourself if you could still trust her and love her in spite of her traits. Somebody could have a multiple personality just to be somebody who she wants to be. Only yourself could find an answer to your question. A good relationship is being true to each other sharing with each other fears,weaknesses and support.

I was wondering about starting an American type of restaurant in Cebu. I'd like to know if anyone would like to see this? I'm talking about strictly American, down home cooking. Like Fried Chicken, Pork Chops, real mashed potatoes, sliced ham, BBQ-ribs, home-made breads, corn, peas, scalloped potatoes, Southern fried catfish, gumbo, soups, salad, apple pie, etc, etc, etc. I picture it as a buffet. No menu. Different themes on different nights. For example: Monday-Traditional western cooking Tuesday-Italian(Alfredo,pastas,lasagna,etc.) Wednesday-Mexican(Tacos,Fajitas,etc.) Thursday-BBQ(Ribs,BBQ Chicken,etc.) Friday-Seafood Buffet(Fried fish,shrimp,crab,clam chowder,etc.) Does anyone see where I'm going with this? I picture a full salad bar as well as a nicely stocked dessert bar with cookies, cake, pie, ice cream. What to charge is a big problem. It would need to be profitable, and I wonder if many Filippino's would like it as well. I figure on a price per person of around $8 U.S. That would include the drink. (Around 430 Php). I realize my market would be limited, but if I place the restaurant near a large college or american community, I might be able to make it work. Any comments would be appreciated. My question is would you eat there? If so, and assuming you enjoy the food, how often would you eat there on a monthly basis? I'm really considering this business. Of course Expat annual get togethers at my restaurant would get a nice discount.

As to the business aspect, I have no interest, as I have my hands full with my own business. However I must set Pete the moderator straight. It is not illegal to partner with a native citizen, as long as the citizen agrees to be responsible for the business, which they would be under the law. This includes being responsible for taxes and liability, for lawsuits against the business. Of course any american that profits from running a business, be it a partnership or not, is responsible for paying taxes to the government of the Philippines. There are loopholes in the law here, just like in America. I suppose many Fillipino's would be interested in letting you use their name, as the country has a high rate of poverty, and for most people here, the chance for more monthly income is hard to resist. Not only are you going to have to trust them, , but they must also trust you, to run the business responsibly. Yes, I would suggest there should be mutual trust with any person you are in business, regardless of their nationality. I would strongly recommend a partnership agreement to be signed by both people involved. Any lawyer can draw up a simple agreement for a small fee. Or a large fee, depending on your negotiating skills. And do remember a contract is only as good as those who make it. If you have to enforce it, may not be worth the paper it is written on. I feel a contract is good so there will be a meeting of mind, one the elements of a valid contract. But the power of the contract is limited to the integrity of the individuals. Pete is right in one aspect. I feel if you consider the context, as below he was right in all aspects. If you have no legal binding agreement on paper, there is nothing stopping your partner from walking away with the business, and pretending he doesn't know you. And if there is a contract you may not be able to enforce it. You may not be able to find him or your money, goods, etc. Pete seemed to me to be addressing the posters concern with real property, setting up documents so he had actual control i.e. virtual ownership over the real property, the dummy system, illegal here as spelled out by Attorney Tess in a post months ago. There is an ""Anti Dummy law, but I am not sure that is the name of it. Foreigners cannot own real property here though many set up undated bills of sale, illegal contracts and not enforceable, if it can be proven they were undated and to be used for such deception. There are other illegal devices to give foreigners control over property, ownership they like to call it. Foreigners who delve in these practices usually get bitten in the end. I believe Pete's advice was on target, in context and in way the letter was written by the poster. There are ways that people, ""circumvent,"" the law. From our past discussion, we pretty much agreed circumventing it and breaking it were pretty much the same and not smart, especially for a foreigner with no real legal status here or very little. This is not a new subject on this list and has been explored at length many times. Successful business foreign business men here, from what I have learned in practice and from what I hear on this list, play by the rules. *There is no beating the Filipino at his own game in his own country.* This is not our (we foreigner's) country. Ownership or no we can be deported and ""own"" something we cannot even visit. It is important to remember we, unless you are a Filipino Citizen, are on a visa, a visitor here. Of course you can own *personal* property. But that too can be virtually lost by deportation. I have seen it happen several times on the last 12 years. More often than not, the foreigners who are violating the laws, leave before deportation, and sometimes go through the back door and expect to come back in that way. Even foreigners who have nothing good to say about the place have a hard time leaving it. And when they do, they can't wait to get back, it seems to me. Afterthought: We have also had a lot of discussion on Internet Cafes, even recently. The archives are full of them. One member who owns one, says don't do it. He is and is just making expenses. Others echo his assertion. It seems they are overdone, played out, except maybe in the province where there are none. The only things that keep most of them alive now are the illegal games they provide to school children. Many have gone out of business here in Cebu. You might get one virtually free, here, but with old equipment and still not turn a profit. Texting has taken over personal communication. It is cheaper in the long run and Filipinos seem to love it. To do a game business by a school, the only way they prosper, there has to be payoffs. Only the payees end up making the money and the owner runs the risk of jail or even death if he complains. Still only one percent of the population, I believe, is connected to the Internet. Cell phones are everywhere.

Personally, I seldom spend more than $8 for a meal in the states. When I am in the PI I usually eat on less than P200 a day. A person can get a very good meal in cebu for P200 and less. There are an increasing number of 'eat all' places springing up for P99, and at least one of these puts on a good feast, including pork, chicken, and beef. The filipinos will love the food. However, at $8 a meal you are talking about three or more days wages for most of them, so I wouldn't count on the place being packed with filipinos on a regular basis. Forget about the college proximity idea. Probably less than 5% of the college populace could afford an $8 meal, and fewer of those probably ever would. Your best chance at survival would be to come up with a loyal following of 'rich' customers. This would probably not be an easy task, taking years to accomplish. Most americans living in the PI are price concious to an extent, and while some might go for an $8 meal once in a while, there are just too many good cheaper options avaiable to them to count on them eating often in your establishment. An american style restaurant would probably go good, IF you threw the $8 a meal equation into the firepit.

I am informed that the quality of doctors in the Philippines is very high, with respect to training. What, however, is the level of ""service ethic"" of the doctors as well as the hospital staff, compared to other countries? Here are a couple of cases in other countries which illustrate what I am asking about.... A Costa Rican friend's mother had an emergency condition, and was rushed to the hospital. My friend says he literally had to grab a doctor by the shoulders and yell at him to get him to attend to his mom. The doc was on the phone chatting it up with someone about his girlfriend or something. My wife is from India. India has some of the best-trained doctors in the world. Her grandmother was in the hospital and was treated by very competent doctors. But the hospital staff were careless and apathetic and disorganized. My wife's grandmother died due to some stupid neglect of care by the staff. Is it the same, the opposite, or in between in the Philippines?

I mention adobe style as a design only, I have every intention of usisng concrete in the construction. One of the nice things about cement is you can make it look like any material you wish. I have a friend here in california who poured his bsement and after removing the wood retainers realized that the pattern from the plywood was etched into the cement. he stained the cement a light carmel coloring which is very warm to look at and uses his basement as a game room now. I think it will be easy to give cement an adobe style look. Especially since adobe by it's very nature is of a rough texture. Add a little light tan paint and your good to go. Here's a ?. What are fthe chances of getting colored cement in the phils? Anyone know? Retiz and I are coming over in April to visit the family and do some work on our current home in Dumaguete. Maybe I will find out more info on what is available locally at that time.

Talking of cement...... My Christmas present for my asawa's family is 50 bags of cement ................ what can I say? Anyone know the cost or range of costs I should anticipate. Is delivery generally included or do I need to arrange for pick-up (or at least expect to be billed for pick-up cost)? Thanks for your help in advance, and certainly a Merry Christmas and Happy & Healthy New Year to all. Finding this site, and meeting several of its active contributors has been one of the highlights of my year. I mention adobe style as a design only, I have every intention of usisng concrete in the construction. One of the nice things about cement is you can make it look like any material you wish. I have a friend here in california who poured his bsement and after removing the wood retainers realized that the pattern from the plywood was etched into the cement. he stained the cement a light carmel coloring which is very warm to look at and uses his basement as a game room now. I think it will be easy to give cement an adobe style look. Especially since adobe by it's very nature is of a rough texture. Add a little light tan paint and your good to go. Here's a ?. What are fthe chances of getting colored cement in the phils? Anyone know? Retiz and I are coming over in April to visit the family and do some work on our current home in Dumaguete. Maybe I will find out more info on what is available locally at that time.

For Manila you can get DSL from Globe or PLDT fro about p2500 a month or cable from Destiny or SkyCable for about the same price. I know that DSL lines and Destiny do not have limitation on the amount of data transferred. b) So for cable and DSL you leave it open and that will only cost you the electricity bill. Most people use prepaid card (mine says p100 for 20 hours) and those are time billed. A flat monthly rate is possible but I would not know the rate. c) The flat monthly rate for a phone line is about p670 and local calls are free. I do not know anything about Mexico but aside from this you can have prepaid fixed lines. No monthly cost at all but if you do not make that many calls you might as well buy a cell phone.

For what I have seen it is much better as you described, but grabbing a doctor by the shoulders and yelling at him/her is by far the worst thing you could ever do. You will loose face and add to the prejudice that the hospital staff already has about foreigners. The only thing you should take care of that you have a) money or b) a good insurance that is accepted by the hospital. It's the first thing they ask and to my taste even when you come in leaving a bloody trail from the door to the desk they would still ask about the money and then see if they could help you. As for hospital you are allowed to stay with the patient and if you like extra care you can get yourself a private nurse. Not only will she look after the patient but knowing the hospital staff and procedures she can act as an intermediary between you and the hospital. Unfortunately the best staff is leaving for the US or Canada to make more money so that seems to drain the quality of the staff here in the Philippines.

I recieved mixed responses on my buffet/restaurant idea. I have people saying they'd eat there, while others say I'd have a tough time with all the competition. I guess I agree $8 american is a lot for a meal in the Philippines. I'm in Chicago, so $25 bucks a meal seems good to me. I personally eat out 4 or 5 times a week. However, you are all right in the fact that people who move to the Philippines are doing so because they want to pay less. Everyone seems to agree that the restaurant sounds good, but the price is high. What I'm going to do over the next couple of months is research the price of beef, chicken, and pork, in Cebu. I figure in any restaurant, the main expenses are meat, cheese, and employees. With labor so inexpensive in the Phillipines, labor won't be my biggest concern. I will have to train my employees to cook western style. Although there are some who already know how, I understand they may be in greater demand. I would rather buy my meats already processed. If anyone shops frequently in Cebu, I'd like to know the going average rate of beef, poultry, and pork. As far as fish goes, I understand it is relatively cheap. If anyone has contacts in the seafood business there, or within 70 miles of Cebu, I'd be interested. I'd like to invest in a walk in freezer. Or 4 large floor/deep freezers. That way I might be able to get better deals on meat if I buy in bulk. If anyone has an opinion on any of this, I'd like to hear. If I can cut the cost of the buffet down to php 200 to 250, and still make a profit, I'll do it. My main two concerns are the cost of meat in Cebu, and if anyone rents, or leases business space in Cebu, I'd be interested in the going rate. I'd like to lease something in a high traffic area. If you know someone, or if you have space to lease coming up in a few months, please contact me. Thanks everyone, for all your opinions. Also thank you Don. You are always a wealth of knowledge.

I believe the best place for what you propose is a large shopping mall. That is where the money goes. And this year, shopping is way down even for the rich. Most people are shopping in the downtown less expensive stores. Let's hope that is short lived. > Take into account if you are in one of the large shopping malls, the rental is based on sq meterage, plus a percentage of turnover. The Ayala Malls in Manila charge additional rental of 5% of turnover for food outlets. Given the queues at KFC in Glorrietta they must be doing something right.