Due to the worsening situation in the middle east BAE Systems, the company I work for are now offering company paid ""Voluntary Repatriation"" air ticket for dependants to their country of domicile. BAE Systems recommend that families make use of this offer and leave Saudi Arabia. Neng and I have decided that it is time for families to leave. Neng and my two daughters, Kimberly and Savannah are returning to the UK on the 14th March 2003.

Thanks to Tom Nowelsky for expressing exactly what I've been feeling today. We pray for the dead and the injured, our sympathies are with their families, but, we can't let these fanatics succeed by making us afraid to live our lives. It doesn't matter what their cause is; if they kill innocent men, women, and children, they are just murdererous cowards. And, as long as we don't let them make us live in fear, then, they can never win. I'll be in the Philippines in July.

I just happened on this web site last night when I was looking at information for planning a trip to the Philippines in December. After finding this site I may move it to October.

I would suggest that you visit the LRA Land Registration Authority) office and verify the title of the lot you want to purchase. Have it photocopied and bring it with you. Im based in MAnila and I dont know what LRA office has the jurisdiction for Talisay.. Heres the link for the LRA offices in Cebu:

If I live in New York City..I could get killed by somebody flying a jet into a building. Where I live, their is a leukemia cluster and people say I'm crazy to raise my children here. If I live wherever..there are typhoons perhaps, or earthquakes that might kill me? Maybe I could get runover at an intersection? How about a drive by shooting if I lived in L.A.? Or I could have cancer when I go to the doctor? Heck, I think I'm still going to live my life in Davao..and when its my time to go..I go!

Can anyone give me a rundown on which major daily newspapers in print or online here in the Philippines are considered liberal, which are moderate and which are considered conservative in content?

After further inquiries about the high prices for shipping to Cebu compared to Manila I was given this answer. The companies here use different freight companies for handling the shipments from Manila to Cebu and they say that the Manila to Cebu leg is all air freight (which I find difficult to believe). Further investigation required! A 20 foot container is 1200 USD from Dammam port to Manila and you will need to clear customs for the contents at Manila. It would seem that none of the shipping agents here can ship a container all the way to Cebu which is a pain. I have visions of trying to empty a container in Manila and then repacking another container to be shipped to Cebu. Anyone got an easier solution I would greatly appreciate it. As I am a balikbayan to the PI twice a year for only three weeks or four weeks at a time I really cannot see how to process a 13A VISA sort all the relevant documents for duty free import and then apply to exit the country in such a short space of time. My holidays are fixed and not flexible enough to move around the ETA of the shipment. Perhaps I just need to pay the duty and be done with it. Again anyone who has any ideas I would like to here from them.

I'll see if I can find the name of a very reasonable freight company that I used there in Manila and place the name here on the site. I shipped back to Australia 11 boxes of goods. Boxes about 44 X 44 sg inches most of them. Two others much larger. Door pick up as well. Cost was $A150 approx. The price was a third of what most were quoting. Delivered on time in Australia as well in perfect condition. This crowd also did internal freight. Will advise as soon as I find the paperwork.

This weekend I will go through our Photo Album Folder deleting photos. We are at the maximum space allowed. In order to allow everyone to add their photos, I am deleting landscape photos 1st. Then I will go through cutting each Album down to 3 photos. I will try to keep the best ones, but it will be better if you beat me to this and edit your own Album 1st. Try to keep your photos there for a maximum of 30 days for the other Members' viewing pleasure.

As storage space is at a premium, how about setting up another yahoo group ""LivingInThePhilippines2"" with message posting switched off. This will give us another 30mb of space for photos and 20mb of space for files.

A few relatives are past 40 and require reading glasses, and one of whom requires regular eye glasses. Could someone tell me how much an eye exam and a pair of eye glasses would cost? I am talking about several such exams and several pairs of eye glasses.

there are three major places to stay in Bogo itself. The Nailon Beach Resort at P1450 a night with aircon, cable, bathroom, pool and so on is nice and the new manager has improved the kitchen. The 4D Pension House near the Petron Station at P750 for aircon and bath, tv etc but no meals is clean and modern. Also the Bogo Pension House for the same money but with a pool however it is a little out of the way but does offer breakfast. Bogo has a public wharf, a market, Gaisano dept store, Jollibee, a shrine and me. Other than that the surrounding countryside is nice to tour and it is a slice of provincial life. 3 days should do it.

As far as I have found for foreigners it is possible to own a firearm, however the licensing is a lengthy process and only for permanent resident type visa holders, tourists need not apply. Join a gun club and they will help you obtain the right permits. Bladed weapons are ok providing you can show a reason to have one and given the proliferation of firearms here, the police don't worry about a foreigner with a pocket knife. I carry a folding lockknife with a three inch blade mainly for cleaning my fingernails and have never been stopped going into a mall or anywhere. Wandering the streets of Cebu toting a bolo and without a carabao tagging along behind you might bring you undone, although in the province it is de-riggeur. I have seen people on motor bikes with silenced .22 rifles riding around in broad daylight out here, but most likely they were air powered.

what a lovely story and so Filipino. What Tom said in his post is so true and hopefully I have covered that point. If not here it is again. The saving grace of anything that happens to a Foreigner here is that it is rarely, if ever, done with any intention to offend. Be that (to us) erratic driving, poor service in a retail store or simply being excluded from the conversation, you can almost always guarantee it is done with no malice whatsoever. Cheers,

Good for you! Personally, while I love to visit the USA, I would never live there. In the last ten years alone they have been hit by aliens twice, asteroids twice, a giant iguana lizard trashed New York, as did a huge alligator and an even bigger anaconda, the place is full of aliens, Baltimore was hit by a nuke, Erbola virus has run rampant, volcanoes erupted, earthquakes ripped the place apart and these are just the incidents Hollywood has told us about! :) The worst thing that has happened here in Bogo is someone stole my slippers off the front step! Oh, and the porch light bulb! Must be the start of a crime wave! If I live in New York City..I could get killed by somebody flying a jet into a building. Where I live, their is a leukemia cluster and people say I'm crazy to raise my children here. If I live wherever..there are typhoons perhaps, or earthquakes that might kill me? Maybe I could get runover at an intersection? How about a drive by shooting if I lived in L.A.? Or I could have cancer when I go to the doctor? Heck, I think I'm still going to live my life in Davao..and when its my time to go..I go!

Dear and gentle readers, and those who desire to reside in this wonderful country; take note. I have just been released from hospital after two days of absolute agony caused by kidney stones. I have been hurt before and this last lot of pain really took the cake in the AGOY! stakes (or ARAY! if Tagalog is your tongue). Monday I went to Bogo Public Hospital in pain. I had to go across the road to the local lab for a urine and blood test, all done in the less than antiseptic room under the house. While the lab tech was competent, the conditions resembled a Battalion Aid Station up the front line. In fact in have been in cleaner BAS's, but I digress. Results in paw I stagger back to the hospital where I am given an analgesic injection to ease the pain and induce vomiting. The latter was merely a side effect I think. My wife was called and I was advised to go to Cebu for treatment as they have no facilities. Hmmm, methinks, what facilities do you need. Well, they have beds but no medicines except the ones listed on the wall next to the cashier as a sort of inventory thingie. Or is it to warn you not to require more than aspirin and lomotil? The ambulance is called for but as the driver is currently off with his wife doing the shopping in it, I will have to writhe around for half an hour until he gets back. Luckily he returns promptly in 30 minutes and the deal is struck, P600 for a quick dash to Cebu, 99km away. With lights and sirens screaming it took only 1 hour and 45 minutes. However, if I had a wound in which the word crepitis was included I would have died of shock enroute. I have had some wild rides in my time but this took the cake. Lying on the stretcher only gave me nausea and an almost crushed thumb when the raised section folded under my weight. Slung from side to side and bounced up and down, I felt like my urine sample did when they spun it in the centrifuge. Trying to sit up to avoid vomiting was difficult as the G-forces kept hurling me back to the center of the van's gravity. I was amazed at how people totally ignored the siren or lights and ambled across in front of the van, seemingly at lesiure. At one point we swerved to miss a schoolgirl and I heard and felt the dog we hit instead. I won't try and describe it as I wish to forget it. Arriving at the hospital I was rushed into ER where I lay for another hour until finally attended to. So why did they rush? Once there I visited the facilities to find they weren't much to tell about. No seat on the loo and no paper. In fact the loo in my private room was seatless and I was charged P36.50 for two rolls of ACE. (My preferred brand is WIPE) Once the Asawa had paid a deposit I was allowed to my room where I was given a pain reliever. I had also had a P540 ECG and a chest x-ray for a few peso's more. Given I had a urinary tract infection, I wonder why? The room was quite nice, had aircon, cable tv and a bed and a couch for my ""Watchers"". You see, without Watchers, you are buggered! They are the ones who do the practical nursing, go out of the hospital to buy your medication and basically keep you alive. Nurses merely check blood pressure and stuff like that. Visitors are temporary watchers who go home at night. My wife and her friend and sister (she was worried I would have no company if she had to go out for medication) were rapt they each had a place to sleep. Last time they were watchers there were seven of them in a shared ward sharing one chair! I assured my wife I needed no company to watch me writhe around and clutch at my innards, however she insisted. I was probed 12 times for blood due to having deep set veins. I could never have been a heroin addict, I would have gone into a coma tryng to find a vein. I had to starve myself of food and water for 12 hours so I could have a radioactive agent injected, then spend three hours waiting between x-rays, all the time in intense pain. Finally I was given relief only to be told the stones were not reactive to the agent so that was good and they could ultrasound me! The next day, after more watching and ignoring the whole fish given for breakfast with rice and some goop, I was close to passing the offending stone and felt well enough to escape. Before I could leave I had to leave my bags and sister in law in the room as a hostage while I went to the cashier to pay. They charged me for the toilet paper, the thermometer to take my temperature, everything! In true Filipino spirit I asked for a discount and got P400 wiped off the bill! The moral of the story? If you get sick in the Philippines make sure you have plenty of money, cash in hand that is; and watchers! Without them you are truly on your own!

Your outlook and perspective on this is well put! I agree with you 100%. Having been in Manila during coup attempts, and in countries where the sensless taking of life to 'make that statement',were made has been reality for me, I can also say that the Philippines may be considered to some as unstable, however they just as the USA have their periods of trial and tribulation, perhaps longer, perhaps shorter. I cannot see where the Philippines is any more unstable than the USA. Yes the loss of life is never good to hear, whether we hear it on the news, or witness it, however the Philippines, as the USA has moved forward, not dwelling on the incident. Forgetting the past, but not those who were lost is what I believe in. Yes terrorist prey on the weak, or to make that 'statement', but it never fully makes the statement they want, because in the planning and the actual event, something was forgotten. I do not like to see men or women dead, but to 'murder' a child who has done nothing to anyone in the world is what trips my trigger. Yes, don't go and purposely put yourself in harms way, but live your life as normal, simply just be aware of your surroundings, but life has to go on..and for those who were taken from us, would have wanted ....'life to go on'. My prayers to the families who have lost a loved one now or in the past from such aggression, and hopefully in time, man can learn to live together in peace. Being in the military 24 years now, its not common to hear one say those words, I don't look for combat, done my time in that arena, if I have to go, I go no questions asked, but I don't volunteer myself to needlessly go into harms way.

I just got back from manila a couple of days ago. There is a small booth near the duty free shop that payed a good rate for dollars. Once you exit through customs, the rate was lower. If you are considering buying anything at the duty free shop for a pasalubong, exchange your currency first and pay in pesos. Their of exchange is lower if you pay in dollars. Hope this tidbit of info helped you out.

The British system do not mind you carrying more than one passport or a holder of a another passport other than British. But, I believe the Philippine do not allow this(I hope they will soon)...Although, some Filipinos do keep their passport even if it is not legal. I think James Bond does most things illegal!:)But, having said that the real person who plays or use to play Bond, he is indeed a pleasant character.

I have just been released from hospital after two days of absolute agony caused by kidney stones. I have been hurt before and this last lot of pain really took the cake in the AGOY! stakes (or ARAY! if Tagalog is your tongue). Monday I went to Bogo Public Hospital in pain. I had to go across the road to the local lab for a urine and blood test, all done in the less than antiseptic room under the house. While the lab tech was competent, the conditions resembled a Battalion Aid Station up the front line. In fact in have been in cleaner BAS's, but I digress. Results in paw I stagger back to the hospital where I am given an analgesic injection to ease the pain and induce vomiting. The latter was merely a side effect I think. My wife was called and I was advised to go to Cebu for treatment as they have no facilities. Hmmm, methinks, what facilities do you need. Well, they have beds but no medicines except the ones listed on the wall next to the cashier as a sort of inventory thingie. Or is it to warn you not to require more than aspirin and lomotil? The ambulance is called for but as the driver is currently off with his wife doing the shopping in it, I will have to writhe around for half an hour until he gets back. Luckily he returns promptly in 30 minutes and the deal is struck, P600 for a quick dash to Cebu, 99km away. With lights and sirens screaming it took only 1 hour and 45 minutes. However, if I had a wound in which the word crepitis was included I would have died of shock enroute. I have had some wild rides in my time but this took the cake. Lying on the stretcher only gave me nausea and an almost crushed thumb when the raised section folded under my weight. Slung from side to side and bounced up and down, I felt like my urine sample did when they spun it in the centrifuge. Trying to sit up to avoid vomiting was difficult as the G-forces kept hurling me back to the center of the van's gravity. I was amazed at how people totally ignored the siren or lights and ambled across in front of the van, seemingly at lesiure. At one point we swerved to miss a schoolgirl and I heard and felt the dog we hit instead. I won't try and describe it as I wish to forget it. Arriving at the hospital I was rushed into ER where I lay for another hour until finally attended to. So why did they rush? Once there I visited the facilities to find they weren't much to tell about. No seat on the loo and no paper. In fact the loo in my private room was seatless and I was charged P36.50 for two rolls of ACE. (My preferred brand is WIPE) Once the Asawa had paid a deposit I was allowed to my room where I was given a pain reliever. I had also had a P540 ECG and a chest x-ray for a few peso's more. Given I had a urinary tract infection, I wonder why? The room was quite nice, had aircon, cable tv and a bed and a couch for my ""Watchers"". You see, without Watchers, you are buggered! They are the ones who do the practical nursing, go out of the hospital to buy your medication and basically keep you alive. Nurses merely check blood pressure and stuff like that. Visitors are temporary watchers who go home at night. My wife and her friend and sister (she was worried I would have no company if she had to go out for medication) were rapt they each had a place to sleep. Last time they were watchers there were seven of them in a shared ward sharing one chair! I assured my wife I needed no company to watch me writhe around and clutch at my innards, however she insisted. I was probed 12 times for blood due to having deep set veins. I could never have been a heroin addict, I would have gone into a coma tryng to find a vein. I had to starve myself of food and water for 12 hours so I could have a radioactive agent injected, then spend three hours waiting between x-rays, all the time in intense pain. Finally I was given relief only to be told the stones were not reactive to the agent so that was good and they could ultrasound me! The next day, after more watching and ignoring the whole fish given for breakfast with rice and some goop, I was close to passing the offending stone and felt well enough to escape. Before I could leave I had to leave my bags and sister in law in the room as a hostage while I went to the cashier to pay. They charged me for the toilet paper, the thermometer to take my temperature, everything! In true Filipino spirit I asked for a discount and got P400 wiped off the bill! The moral of the story? If you get sick in the Philippines make sure you have plenty of money, cash in hand that is; and watchers! Without them you are truly on your own!

The bombing in Davao will bound to have some effect for the locals and for the tourist industry I wonder how long will the lasting effect be. Years? Momths? How much effect did the Bali Bomb have on the locals there. It was disasterous for the local hotels etc. from what I heard. Anyone in the group like to comment. As what was said before my thoughts are for the families there who lost loved ones and for what!? Its hard to answer that question. Because there is no logical answer to such a meaningless loss of life. Who wins from such an act! Only hope there is a Hell.

We are highly interested in buying some property in Lawa-an and building a house. We too are looking for recomindations on a architect and builders for a home. If you could help us find out any good people, pleasev write us.

As someone with a desire........I read your tale of woe. Just what I needed to make me laugh and really look forward to our two week visit in July, my friend Derek and I. I just paid the flight costs today just under 1100 USD each Glasgow, Manchester (Hi Corinne), Dubai, Manila.

Thanks to Tom Nowelsky for expressing exactly what I've been feeling today. We pray for the dead and the injured, our sympathies are with their families, but, we can't let these fanatics succeed by making us afraid to live our lives. It doesn't matter what their cause is; if they kill innocent men, women, and children, they are just murdererous cowards. And, as long as we don't let them make us live in fear, then, they can never win.

I remember seeing your post to our group. For me I seldom respond to messages unless i have something constructive to offer. But, I noticed that your email is lvman702 and figured it meant Las Vegas and 702 for our area code here. I too live in Las Vegas and have a business in Philippines. I erased your message as to where you are intending to visit..... so cannot give any advice. If you like, though and before you leave, you can come to my office here in Las Vegas, that is if in fact I surmised correct and you are in Las Vegas, please reply to this post or send an offline message to me and I will contact you. Perhaps you can speak to some Filipinos here in the office....... it is pretty laid back!

I just rea and the headlines of an article in at www.inq7.net, Philippine Daily Inquires that said the total world net population was 500 million, I believe. Then I pulled this out of Google to see how may that was. Have not figured that out yet. There are 78 millin people here, more less and growing rapidly. Connections to the Outside World Because of the rather low PC penetration rate, internet usage is also minimal compared to our neighbors in the region. Internet penetration in the country was recorded at only 3.7 percent, a figure that was greatly surpassed by neighboring countries Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Citing figures from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), only 2 percent of the total Philippines' population is connected to the Internet. The country trails behind ASEAN neighbors Singapore with its 24.9; Malaysia has 15.8 and Thailand has 3.8 Internet penetration rates. However, the Philippines fared better than Indonesia at 0.9; Vietnam at 0.3 and Laos and Cambodia at 0.1 penetration rates. Meanwhile, figures released by the National Telecommunications Commission cited that a total of 204 registered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in the country as of year 2001. It has an estimated 900,000 subscribers equivalent to around 4 million users. The figure is twice as large to that of the data results of a survey conducted in the year 2000 by AC Nielsen, a market research firm. It found out that the Philippine Internet population (those with internet access) numbered around 400,000 subscribers and are mostly found in the urban areas of the country. Records from the NTC also cited that only around 50 percent of the total municipalities in the country have Internet access. Internet cafes was also placed at more than 3,000 but are mostly situated in highly urbanized areas of the country. Reasons cited for the seeming low Internet access include high cost of PCs, high Internet access rates, lack of telephone lines and unstable or at times dearth of electric power supply.

I did my Colon street department store deal the day after a friend bought a P12,000 pair of glasses at Ayala. Mine cost about P800. Both of us had the option of plastic and glass. We both chose plastic and both got bifocals. My gold plate outlasted his, and he felt mine were better looking. I did too. You can pay as high and as low as you want, kind of like NYC, where I learned how to shop. I am sorry if this sounds like I know it all. I don't as you well know. But as I said if you are thrifty or have a large family or just don't want to pay the high rent prices, this may be the way for you to go. The girls attendants at Ayala and Robinsons are prettier, the aircon better, and the places are cleaner, easier to access, without a doubt. Where I go the attndants are just as sweet, though not knockouts attractive enough and kind, but no uniforms. I consider that a plus. They have excellent equipment, maybe not with the latest frills, but for simple problems like weak vision, they are excellent. And they can refer you to an optomologist around the corner who cured an infection I got from a contact lense for free. I just paid her for the medicine. She did not have aircon. But she was cool.

Another thankless job! - editing the photo album. I have not put any photos because the album has always been maxed out. Just wish to add my 2 cents worth. 1. On the main album page are many photos with minimal identification - have no idea who any of these people are? 2. In many of the albums are photos that are too dark to decipher. I guess people don't realize that scanning always darkens photos and some editing must be done to brighten them before posting. 3. I personally think a limit of 3 or 4 per album should be sufficient for anybody and leave room for others. 4. It would be nice if people could be asked to identify their photos fully - full name & location of domicile.

I sympathize with you. I have a friend who just recently had the same problem. He is retired Air Force and had been in a plane crash, so he knew what pain is. He told me that he never had anything to compare to the pain of a kidneystone. Glad to hear that, in spite of everything, you are ok now. You are exactly right on the hospitals and ""watchers"". While I haven't been a patient, I have close relatives who have been there and things are just as you say.

can relate, and sympatize with your situation as we have had a close family member in i.c.u. at local hospital for a period of 10 days the the recent past. and i was watcher, no easy task, go get this go get that,go to pharmacy at each change of shift pick this up, pick that up. sometimes the pharmacy is out of supply. don't know how we would have dealt with it if we were from out of town and without a car to run all the errands. if your poor, and have no funds as many filipino's are,and cannot buy the medicines prescribed, and the illness or injury is critical, chances are your loved one will die. and if your loved one dies and there is no money to pay the hospital, the death certificate will not be issued. no death certificate, no funeral. you should be back on that floating bar in no time. regards bob boisvert living in cebu.

I was wondering if you kind folks might be able to help guide me in the right direction. Here's my situation: I live in San Rafael, near San Francisco. It's really expensive to live here. I was going to school but was trying to manage on school loans and VA benifits alone. I'm sad to say, it can't be done here. So now I'm looking for work. I don't like the idea of working and going to school, but I'll do what it takes. I've started my search and I'm not finding a whole lot of options. The economy seems really bad now. And I still don't have a degree to boot. So to sum up my tale of woe, no cash, no job, can't finish school, too expensive to live. My fiancee still live in PI. I was planning on bring her here on a K- 1 visa and live here. However, here's what I was thinking. My GI Bill should work with some schools in PI. If I were to go over there and attend school full time (12 semester hours) then I might might be able to make it. Benifits for full time are up to $900 a month. That should be almost P50,000, if I'm correct. Can two people live on that in PI? From what I've seen on the internet, it seems possible. Being a 30 year old American with very little education and not speaking Tagalog (I'm trying to learn), am I going to be able to go to school there? Is the a plan in the making or am I just being a romantic fool again coming up with unrealistic ideas? :) You guys might not have all the answers, of course, but I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction. I'm starting to run out of time and need to make some kind of decision. Thank you all so much for and advice or suggestions you might have. I reallt appreciate it.

Since moving to my new subdivision house I have become involved in setting up a Homeowners Association (HMA) as the developer wants to relinquish control. Ah politics, Philippine style, it's getting messy. Anyway, can anyone: A. Tell me why it seems all HMA's are corporations (xx HMA, Inc.) I guess it's got something to do with providing services for a fee, but is there a legal requirement to become Incorporated? If not then what is the benefit in doing so? B. Provide a sample set of Incorporation Articles, and/or HMA bylaws?

I believe the internet usage figures may be skewed for the Philippines because of the low cost of internet cafes. As you say, the low take up rates for individual connections could be because of lack of telephone lines, cost of PC's and connection costs but the actual numbers of internet users may be much higher than other countries but we can't be sure because no one is measuring how many people use internet cafes. I have used internet cafes in many places in the Philippines and no matter what time of the night or day there is always a crowd and not only that it is common to see three and four people using the one computer. I have seen many internet cafes in Australia where the only person in attendance is the cafe owner.

I was wondering if you kind folks might be able to help guide me in the right direction. Here's my situation: I live in San Rafael, near San Francisco. It's really expensive to live here. I was going to school but was trying to manage on school loans and VA benifits alone. I'm sad to say, it can't be done here. So now I'm looking for work. I don't like the idea of working and going to school, but I'll do what it takes. I've started my search and I'm not finding a whole lot of options. The economy seems really bad now. And I still don't have a degree to boot. So to sum up my tale of woe, no cash, no job, can't finish school, too expensive to live. My fiancee still live in PI. I was planning on bring her here on a K- 1 visa and live here. However, here's what I was thinking. My GI Bill should work with some schools in PI. If I were to go over there and attend school full time (12 semester hours) then I might might be able to make it. Benifits for full time are up to $900 a month. That should be almost P50,000, if I'm correct. Can two people live on that in PI? From what I've seen on the internet, it seems possible. Being a 30 year old American with very little education and not speaking Tagalog (I'm trying to learn), am I going to be able to go to school there? Is the a plan in the making or am I just being a romantic fool again coming up with unrealistic ideas? :) You guys might not have all the answers, of course, but I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction. I'm starting to run out of time and need to make some kind of decision. Thank you all so much for and advice or suggestions you might have. I reallt appreciate it.