Matt Wilkie
@Tropicalpenpals
English expat in the Philippines
Forum posts
20
Contacts
12
About me
English
Lives in Cebu
Speaks English,German,French, some Cebuano and Tagalog
Registration: 01 December 2008
Activity
The Philippines- Views from a woman's standpoint? by Kimimela
So, I've been reading this forum for some time, and had gotten quite excited about possibly settling there. Until, I spoke to another woman on the forum. Now, the forum is absolutely dripping with glowing testimonials from males about how perfect ...
To be honest I know of 5 women who reside in the Philippines and non are complaining in fact they love the place. Now they are normally married and part of the "love of the place" is that the household chores aren't done by them when here. But the ... Read More
How to make friends in the Philippines by expat.com
We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in the Philippines :top: Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in the ...
I have lived here for over 18 months and have loads of friends and been in all of their homes. I love it and I wish I came here long ago. I have recently had some so called recent friends who after a while when my Asawa said to stop giving NON ... Read More
How to make friends in the Philippines by expat.com
We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in the Philippines :top: Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in the ...
Hi, we have moved to Cebu, one month ago from Australia, we have two girls aged 1 and 3. We would love to meet other expats for coffee and playdates, someone mentioned it's easy to meet people because you go to the expat bars, restaurants, we ... Read More
A special request to British nationals by Rayonel
Hi Sir/Madam! Good day! I am a business administration student from Mapua Institute of Technology in Makati and together with my group members, we would like to seek for some help for our feasibility study on a beachfront retirement community to be ...
Your welcome to contact me although I am already here full-time and not even 40 yet.. Read More
Wanting to move from Ireland to Cebu by bgq
Hello and Happy New Year to all! I am considering moving from Dublin to Cebu. I would truly appreciate all and any advice, comments and help in finalising my decision. I am not a retiree nor am I married to a Filippino. I am 47 single and have a ...
Hi, i own and operate several businesses in Cebu,Philippines and in contact with many foreigners that do the same. First thing I would say is take a look at your budget and how much you think you need then look at how long your venture will take ... Read More
CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS IN CEBU by California Kid
I am having difficulty finding information on the web with regard to custom home builders in Cebu. We would like to find beach front property and have a home built. Who would you all consider 2 to 3 respected builders in this area?
The issue in Cebu is often the contractors can't be trusted there are "some" but i find most people won't put their name to a contractor as trust is difficult especially when offering a reference. I live in Minglanilla and have had several buildings ... Read More
$1200 budget by Kimimela
The top end of my budget with bills, food, rent and all should be at 1,200. But, even though I like the city, I think I would like the beaches of Cebu better. But, is Makati even possible with that sort of budget?
its very possible although would say Cebu is probably cheaper to live than Makati. How often would you like to go to the beach is the big question as it may pay to live nearer the city but slightly provincial then travel to the beaches when you ... Read More
Poor Brit needs accommodation in Manila by jgrant8165
Davao bases Brit here, needs to move into Manila, and having some of those fashionable severe finance problems, so looking for a miracle. Accommodation cheap and nice, anyone have a magic wand. JGRANT8165@YAHOO.CO.UK
A bit of advice I got from a friend as regards accommodation in the capital. Arrive store your luggage in somewhere safe (E.g. go to the mall and put it with their booth). Then walk around looking for the signs with places to rent, might take you ... Read More
overstaying my visa by a couple days? by sperry81
I will be in the philippines with the wife and family for about 64 days and my visa is good for 59 as you already know, what will happen if i overstay for those few days? i have heard a few diffrent situations but am still confused!! any answers are ...
You can extend your visa easily while in the Philippines at immigration just avoid the Crocodiles (officials in Le-coste polo shirts) its an easy process that will take 30mins to a couple of hours most of it waiting.. best to go early on the day of ... Read More
How to make friends in the Philippines by expat.com
We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in the Philippines :top: Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in the ...
Generally there are foreigners everywhere many are just here a few weeks waiting for papers to be processed for their partners visas etc. Others are here long-term. Socially there are places different types of º£½ÇÂÒÂ×s hangout for example in Cebu ... Read More
Work in Cebu by hobbit
Hi, try to keep this short an to the point. I have a fiance and 2 beautiful daughters licing in Cebu. My intention was to bring themback to UK, however after visiting Cebu(and i stayed at my fiance home in Consolacion so wasnt looking for the high ...
Ill answer both questions at the same time.. Cebu salaries generally fall into around P300 per day bracket or just above. A bank manager earns around P15,000 a month so its all relative to what you want to earn. I have invested P3million in the ... Read More
Moving to the Philippines and leasing a coffeeshop/resort? by Karla
Hello everybody :) My husband and I would love to move to the Philippines next year for a year or two. It is just to get away from the western lifestyle, so we are aiming for a simple living. However, spending a whole year in a hammock is not our ...
The system is biast towards "protecting" the local population but dont get me on that one when we allow anyone to open shop in our home countries lol.. You can own 40% of the business but getting back on track if your stopping short term I simply ... Read More
Investment in the Philippines by RegattaWharf
Do any expats here invest in the Philippines (i.e real estate, philippine stock exchange)? If you do, where can I get reliable and informative information? Are they any good books around? Groups? Forums? Appreciate any help. Salamat
There is still a lot of real estate opportunity in the Philippines and likely to be for the next decade. The OFWs are artificially inflating the market buying for retirement. The stock market isnt something I would venture near personally and if ... Read More
Do and don't in the Philippines by expat.com
Are you living in the Philippines? We need you to share your experience of the local customs :) Is it difficult to adjust to the local customs in the Philippines? Could you please share with us a list of the do's and don't's in the ...
The do`s and dont`s are primarily common sense issues. In my experience getting someone local to deal with repairs etc. works out financially beneficial as nobody rips you off. But be aware of the fact if the person you send doesnt know what they ... Read More