Everything I write now have to be checked again as things are not always clear cut. Let me first put that the law is for the poor people, rich people can always find a back door... Owning property in the Philippines: How can you proceed: 1. You can own a condo (as a foreigner) as long as 60 % of the building is owned by Filipinos. So if a tower has 100 condo's , 60 should be owned by Filipinos and 40 can be purchased by foreigners. 2. You buy the land & house under the name of your wife. Than you make a lease contract for 30 (50 years) between your wife and yourself. So basically the house and lot is yours for the next 50 years. 3. You start a Filipino corporation. You can own 40% of the shares (60% need to be owned by Filipino's). You can ask your wife to sign at the back of the shares which means that those shares are yours. (she signs a weaver) Or you can use a lawyer as front man. Same as above. It will appear that the shares are yours but he will sign a weaver in your favor. Of course this is not a cheap solution. (Cost of maintaining the company, costs of lawyers, etc. ) But you might consider it if you want to do business and/or buy a lot of properties. Once you have set up a corporation you have a very flexible construction (you can avoid taxes, etc.) 4. One last thing. If you are buying your property in your wife's name be sure that it is mentioned that you are the husband. If your wife dies, you can own the land & house. (even if your a foreigner). So foreigners can own land if they get it from a inheritance. Again you should check all this, as I am not a lawyer. I know some people who bought real-estate under the name of their wife. They lost everything because they divorced.

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

I am Australian and my wife is Vietnamese/Filipino. She was born in Siagon and moved to Phils when she was 3 years old. Her Mother is Viet and her Father is Filipino. We married in Manila Sept 2001 and she arrived here March 2002. We would like to return to Phils and start a bakery business and would like advice in the road ahead of us! She had a tempory spouse visa here and can get permanent status either in Sept 2003 or when the baby is born in June this year. ( oh yeah, forgot to mention the wife is expecting!) We would both appreciate any feedback.

Though it's been many years, I have vivid memories of Christmas season in the RP. Energetic carolers appeared at my mother-in-law's house several times. (I can't recall whether the appearances were scheduled or spontaneous.) And there were colorful religious processions. Check the Web page folder in the photo section for my picture of a neighborhood procession in Guagua, Pampanga, and note the colorful paper streamers outside my mother-in-law's house. It is, indeed, a magical time. Good fortune to all,.

Sound very familiar to me. As I told in a previous email I had the first bookstore in town. After one year we got already 5 bookstores in town. It is really stupid as those people don't know anything about the trade, the town is not big enough to support 5 bookstores and as a result everybody is loosing money. I managed to stay ahead but I need to invest much more than I wanted and expected. I am doing retail and wholesale. retail is no problem but wholesale is very difficult as you have to grease (Lagay) everybody if you want to sell to schools & governmental offices. It seems that 10 % ""lagay"" is a standard procedure. A publisher once told me that to produce a book 60% are for production costs and the other 40 % is used to grease the purchasers. Of course this make the books more expensive and in fact the students are paying 40% too much.

Good point, Sidney. The law is rarely clear cut and changes all to often. And what the judge happens to be thinking on a particular day, or feeling can color the his or her decisions vividly. Let me first put that the law is for the poor people, rich people can always find a back door... Yes, I agree. But lets keep in mind that every foreigner here is on a visa, an invitation, even if you are married. If you are a rich foreigner in a dispute with a poor Filipino you may find the back door closed tight. If you don't come up with enough money, and even if you do, the authorities and advisors may convince the poor person they are going to help him or her against the foreigner, get the foreigner's visa revoked or a judgment against him or her, take all the money, not just that in dispute and the bribes. And they may even forget the poor Filipino or just drop a small token on them. A foreigner may be rich and may even be right. But they are not citizens. They may be deported and loose all their possessions. The law says foreigners cannot own property here. That is the way I see it. Owning property in common as a condo is not true ownership, but marketing nonsense. There is a guy in Cebu now who, a couple of month ago, owned a large number of taxi cabs and a popular big new bar. He is walking around with almost nothing now, after telling his wife he was going to the States and get a divorce. The taxis are somewhere off in the province. He still has some money in his pocket so the authorities, his ""friends"" and others are ""helping"" him. When his last bit of money runs out, they will too, I believe. Personally, I don't feel a great deal of pity for him. He was well aware of his situation here, asked for my counsel and that of others which we gave freely, and ignored us all. And he engaged in behavior that may warrant the ill fate that has befallen him. When you start playing games with the law, they often play back. And maybe because of the simple fact this is their country, I have never seen them lose. Filipinos are not generally combative people. But don't think you can push them around because of it. When you are not a citizen here, in a country not know for its judicial integrity, on an invitation only, how can you feel like you own anything, even personal property, if you can be parted from it without reason or notice. I would like to believe I am all wet on this. But my experience and observations tell me otherwise.

Having read about the 13A visa procedures of the immigration department, it seems like this is a more suitable solution to our problem. We do plan to get things rolling by January 2002. I understand you have gone through the process of applying for 13A visa, is it alright with you if I send some questions about this thru your email address? "" I'll help as much as I can. Keep in mind I started the process in the States, so your experience may differ.

ooking for a GOOD travel agent in Cebu. I need to travel to the States in January, but the travel agents I have talked to don't seem to know what they are doing. I guess computer access to airlines schedules and booking is only a dream here. Would appreciate any input.

I totally agree with you. Doing business , owning things is very tricky in the Philippines. It can be done but you need to be very very careful. As a foreigner your odds are not always good. Just as a sideline. When you do business in the Philippines your competitors are from Chinese descent. Those guys are not loved. Sometimes I got a deal because I am a Belgian and because they don't like my Chinese competitors. There is a part of ""courting"" your customers, befriend people, pay ""lagay"". One of my salesladies is from a town outside Sorsogon. She got all the ""deals"" there because she is from that town. They even arrange false bidding. Last time I was astonished to see a bidding form from a governmental office. My saleslady filled in the prices for my bookstore but also filled in the bidding form on behalf of two other bookstores (= my competitors) .Of course she filled in prices which were higher than ours. Of course at that game I mostly loose. I am still an outsider and a foreigner and I have a very hard time to win governmental bidding. Almost all purchasers are corrupt. The only thing I disagree with you is on the condo story. It is NOT a marketing nonsense. I don't understand why you think this. It is perfectly legal. I really don't know what they can do against it. In fact you can own your own condo where you want. 60% of the buildings is always owned by Filipino's. I opted for the ""corporation way"" and this corporation own a condo. But I could have bought the condo under my own name. I opted for a different path because of tax reasons, VAT questions and safety (it is not so obvious I own the condo). With a corporation I can write -off the building , make costs and avoid paying income taxes on the rentals. (= corporation is making losses). In any case I wouldn't start something against the law. You are right. Filipino's might try it but as a foreigner they will always get you. But as in every country you need to find ways to find the hole in the law the legal way. The first year I paid my real-estate taxes too late. I got a fine. This year I paid in advance and I got a discount for early payment. The problem is nobody will tell you. You need to find it out. That is why I think your group is a ""gold mine"" of advises. Maybe this group could add different topics in the library (files) . (Real-estate, doing business, retirement, health questions, immigration/visa , money & banking, marriage, lawyers, vacation, Embassies, governmental offices, etc.) In fact start a database which useful information. It is not so practical to go through all past emails and some questions will pop up over and over again.

My friend are moving to Lapu Lapu , now he face the problem of finding a brooker who can do the paperwork in the costum for his Container with his furniture, does anyone know where to find a brooker who can be trusted?? the ship is arriving at dec. 28

Alas I am still in the process of getting one. I spend most of my time in Belgium and I did a silly move by thinking I could do it from a distance. I was very near to get this 13A visa but the whole process seems to be time related. I will need to start everything again when I move permanently to the Philippines. Who can get a 13A Visa? 1. He /she contracted a valid marriage with a Philippine citizen. 2.Marriage is recognized under existing Philippine Laws 3.There is no record of any derogatory information against him in any local of foreign law 4.He is not afflicted with any dangerous, contagious or loathsome disease 5.He has sufficient financial capacity to support a family and will not become a public charge 6. Had been previously allowed lawful entry in the Philippines Following documents are necessary 1. Application form duly accomplished and notarized 2. True copy of applicant's passport showing Bureau of Immigration stamp of admission and validity of stay. 3. Affidavit of financial capacity with supporting documents 4.True copy of marriage contract certified by the local civil registrar 5.Birth certificate of Filipino Spouse 6.Certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage issued by the Embassy or consulate of which the alien spouse is a citizen 7.Affidavit to be executed by the applicant and the alien spouse with regard to their legal capacity to contract marriage.Stating any previous marriage and manner by which the marriage was dissolved. 8. Copy of the divorce decree, dissolution of marriage or death certificate 9.Birth certificate of unmarried children 10Medical clearance from Bureau of Quarantine 11.AIDS clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation BEWARE it is your wife who must apply on your behalf .

I have a bad experience sending a container to the Philippines.(Manila) The Filipino customs are corrupt to the bone. (Some Chinese importers have custom officials on their payrol !!!) I worked with Danzas. They did their job (Danzas) (no complaints) but I end paying a lot of import taxes, a ""lagay"" to speed up things. The shipping of the container was quite ""cheap"". But I paid a lot of money to bring the container in the ship, and get it out of the custom to it's final destination. Now I am working with Filipino's living in Europe (Holland). They have ""Balikbayan"" boxes. You pay a fix amount for the box (it is not related with weight). I never got any ""custom problem"" with those guys. I suppose they have their own connections within the customs.(or friends / relatives working with the customs). They told me they could care for containers too. You can use the big European/ American companies but those guys are following the rules. So expect to pay quite a lot. I think it is better to use a Filipino shipping company/broker with connections. (Of course you need to be sure they are serious and reliable). Here too, first try with some small boxes before you send a container to the Philippines. It would be a pity if your container disappear or that you pay more than the content of the container. I also heard that you can take your own belongings (TAX FREE) to the Philippines if you are going to live there. Sorry but I don't know how to apply for that. Please note I don't have much experience in this topic. Hope someone else from this group can give you more useful information.

I must agree that ""marketing nonsense"" is on overstatement. And I know it is completely legal. But my point is that communal ownership is not ownership. You do not own it as you would your own house in the States, even as a citizen does in the Philippines. You must pay condo fees set by someone else, though you may participate. If the condo association wants to paint it, they paint it. They pait yours whether you want it or not. And if they agree they can paint it pink with purple pokadots. And you have to pay your part of the fee they pass on to you as they do. If you own your property and house, you and you alone decide if it is to be painted or not. If you want to dig a hole on the property and plant a tree or dig one up, you don't have to check with anybody. That to me, is ownership. My land lady owns a shopping mall and a travel agency in it. She is very bright and has also been very honest with me as a land lady though I have never used her for travel work. She is a woman of integrity, I feel. She does what she promises ever when she does not have to, which after my former land lord surprised me. I will get her e-mail address tomorrow and send it to you. If I forget, please remind me. Her name is Beth, but I can't think of her last name just now. Her husband works for his brother who owns the Toyota dealership here in Cebu.

I envy you. As much as I love books (I moved here with a 40-foot container containing about 7,000 of 'em, plus journals, 18 file cabinets, etc. - it's still in service as my storage shed/library), I never even considered going into that trade here. Stock ultimately comes from abroad, and having tangled early with Customs (the most corrupt agency of government here - and that says a lot!) I have no desire to ever deal with them again. I sell only photocopies of masters in my collection, and only to clients outside the Philippines, but it would be great to be in touch with local bibliophiles

I am sending this to Beth Reyes, owner of a travel agency here and the kind landlady I told you about. I sure she will contact you soon and treat your needs with her special attention. Her place of business is in the Rivegate Shopping Complex on Mango. I guess it is called LandSky. I got the e-mail address from her daughter. She is not in tonight at 9:00.

Yes Davao sounds great Mike I have only been to Cebu and Bohol But i would be tempted to visit Davao now after you said all that:-)Is there alot of Internet cafes now in Davao I thought of opening one in Cebu City but the competition now is too much I think although still considering opening one near san carlos university Cebu

I've used Wings Travel located at the parking garage level in the rotunda of the Ayala Mall. I've also used AmEx Travel on the 2nd floor of the same mall. Hope you find what you need. Happy trip!

Looking for a GOOD travel agent in Cebu. I need to travel to the States in January, but the travel agents I have talked to don't seem to know what they are doing. I guess computer access to airlines schedules and booking is only a dream here. Would appreciate any input.

Big 3, new players cut oil prices anew BEGINNING at midnight Monday, the three major oil firms Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Caltex Phil., and Petron Corp. as well as two new petroleum firms slashed the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene by 30 centavos per liter and of liquefied petroleum gas by one peso per kilogram, following the lead of two new players late last week. The price cuts were the 11th this year and the sixth since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States

All, I have been reading your notes about VISA's. I hold a permanent residence Multiple Entry Visa, but be advised this DOES take a long time and quite a bit of spare cash, and a lot of time. 13 A Visa. This usually is only VALID for 1 Year. Once after you have that you can then apply for a Permanent Visa. Aain be advised, this is ONLY VALID for ONE YEAR. On expiry of this you have to lodge a further application for transfer over to a permanent Visa. All of this takes many visits to the Immigration and medicals ect and soon adds up. You do need a "" ATTORNEY "" in theory who will represent you during the hearings in support of your claims. Or you can attend yourself in Manila. For myself I just left it all up to the Immigration people, paid that what they wanted ( a bit extra on the side I'm sure was included for their own pockets ). But I did not have the time or inclination to go back and forth to Manila. This would have cost a lot more than attorneys. I cannot recall the total costs, but starting from scratch, on a Tourist Visa to now a full Visa which I now have I most likely out laid around Peso 80,000 Which to me was over about a 3 - 4 year period and was worth it. Don't forget that every January you must go to the Immigartion and register. This costs about P 300 last year. Also once a year, I still must "" renew "" my visa, and get a new Blue entry card and extension. This is straight forward, but does take a couple of hours. I travel out of the country a lot,and the convenience of noT having to haggle at the Immigation in itself is a relief. Because normally I do not have any return ticket out of the Philippines as that is my point of departure, (They were starting to get a bit difficult about this at times). I know a lot of guys who just go down to the Immigration and keep renewing their visa's until they have to leave the country after 6 months as it cannot be renewed again without leaving even for a few short days. Is this really worth it though. The time and cost of doing this is more in the long run than what I may have paid out over the 3 years. PHIL.

I will be arriving in Davao on Friday 21st. I'll be there until the 28th and then back there on the 7th January. I've never seen a volcano in near proximity to a city before and I'm looking forward to seeing that. You make Davao sound great I'm looking forward to seeing as much as I can. My filipina and I have the long term aim of settling there and rasing a family.

Dengue fever is considered a threat in some areas, especially squatter areas, here in the Philippines and other countries too. This computer program may help. I download it, from thaiware.com, no www, but it does not work on Windows 2000 so I have not tested it yet. I do have a few mosquitoes here. It is a free program that works on 95,98 and ME. From the way I read it if it can give your dogs concern and some people headaches, it may chase away other critters too, like mice and roaches. I have 98 on my other computer but ""borrowed"" the speaker system for a sound system. I guess I will put them back and try it. I would like to hear of experiences with it. Dengue fever is not as serious here as some think. But it is a problem. This could be a help. And the price is right. Thai launches anti-mosquito computer program

BANGKOK - A Thai software site has launched a downloadable program that it says will keep mosquitoes at bay by emitting a low-frequency sound from computer speakers. Thaiware.com programmer Saranyou Punyaratabunbhu said his Anti-Mosquitoes Program, which has been downloaded 15,000 times, produces a sound which is inaudible to humans but which hampers the irritating insects' ability to fly. ""Instead of having to plug in extra mosquito-killers, you could just use your computer to drive them away,"" Saranyou told The Nation newspaper, adding that he was inspired by existing devices that used the same concept. ""You'd just be using your computer for more purposes than normal,"" he added. When a mosquito flies into a zone where low-frequency sounds in the 15-20 kilohertz range are being emitted, a sort of ""turbulence"" is created that makes it difficult for them to fly, the report said. Messages posted on a thaiware.com bulletin board generally gave good reviews of the program, but some users said it caused headaches, particularly at the lower 15 kilohertz level. ""I can tell that there are fewer mosquitoes around, but the program should be developed so that it has fewer side-effects on human beings and the environment,"" one said. ""My dog was lying by the computer and it suddenly began staring at the speakers when I launched the program."" Mosquitoes are more than a headache in Thailand, which suffers high rates of potentially lethal mosquito-borne diseases including malaria and dengue fever.

I made a post a few months ago about Internet Cafes in that very area. My computer was broken and that is where I go. The place I went had a slow DSL connection, but okay. They were still in business, but just barely the attendant told me. There were 20 cafes in that area six months ago, and now only four, I believe. Upstairs, out of sight was a bunch of school children, maybe 20 from 10 to 20 years old I guess playing games. It is illegal I believe because it is near a high school too, near USC. The attendant told me without the game machines they would be out of business. They were selling candy and soft drinks too. Too many people jumped into business in that area in the last couple of years. I would survey it carefully before I went in. Again, Bob Martin who has several of those businesses, one I know for sure, recommends putting them in rural areas where they have a better chance of success. But from recent post, anything that is easy to copy may not be a good idea. Ray Bacon from Mag-Anak who often posts, I hope I am quoting him correctly, says be sure to bring new technology into the Philippines if you do business. I guess he means something hard to copy. I totally agree with him. I would not want to compete with local business men. They can do business cheaper than you will want to, probably. I know a guy who owns a computer store. He works his technicians until 10 pm and pays no overtime and does not even pay minimum wage. How can you compete with a guy like that unless you do it yourself. And who wants to have that kind of business? He is not a bad person. If he does not operate like that, he will not survive. Computer stores are having a hard time of it everywhere, but especially in marginal countries.

Dear friends, Those of you interested in the population and other projections growth may be interested in this. The projections show the birth rate going down to 2025 and the death rate reaming constant. Maybe some relief is in sight. The sex distribution is interesting, more boys than girls and the younger ages, now and in the future. Since we lost AsiaWeek Magazine sources for good data like this will be rare.

You might want to try searching the archives for container. Bob Martin had some interesting information he posted on his experience with shipping in containers, and recommended as shipper. If you just put in ""container"" or ""containers"" you may get it. It may have had something to do with Johnny's Cargo. I have never used a container. Johnny's has something to do with the very cheap courier flights over here too. So I may be mistaken. There is also a downloadable file, 2.5 megabytes that can be downloaded and searched, the Listbot file of post when the list was first started. Some of those post were the best ones we ever had, even though there were only a few on the list. Bob Martin who as most of you know who made a lot of the good posts on business in beginning of the list and on containers, had a stroke recently. I hope someone updates us on his health. I know many of us who know him from the list think of him often and his family especially this time of year. Bob lives in General Santos city, one the two very successful ""American"" business men there. Last we hear he was doing well.

About business for expats and the RP, there are many who are succeeding in a number of different kinds of business, but it's not hard to find as many or more failures warming bar stools. Sorry, not to disparage other expats! Many of the thoughts I've seen expressed here are good ones. For instance Ray has a good thought by bringing in technology that would be hard to copy. I know an expat who ran a bakery for several years before he got into the motorcycle business and has been very successful with both over the years. I think Bob Martin is also a good example of a successful entrepreneur and has offered some excellent advice. He's unique in the fact that he's more than willing to meet and help other expats! I'd like to meet him one day myself, sounds like a standup fellow. I'm certainly no expert at the game, but in my opinion any business requires a good market study before you begin or you place your capital at greater risk. I don't think there is any one answer. Nor do I think it matters so much what kind of business you engage in if you've done your homework. We've discussed many of the facets of business here, but there still is no substitute for hard work and a reasonable business sense. I've also seen a few references to business and schemes here that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole! But then, what do I really know?!

I made a post a few months ago about Internet Cafes in that very area. My computer was broken and that is where I go. The place I went had a slow DSL connection, but okay. They were still in business, but just barely the attendant told me. There were 20 cafes in that area six months ago, and now only four, I believe. Upstairs, out of sight was a bunch of school children, maybe 20 from 10 to 20 years old I guess playing games. It is illegal I believe because it is near a high school too, near USC. The attendant told me without the game machines they would be out of business. They were selling candy and soft drinks too. Too many people jumped into business in that area in the last couple of years. I would survey it carefully before I went in. Again, Bob Martin who has several of those businesses, one I know for sure, recommends putting them in rural areas where they have a better chance of success. But from recent post, anything that is easy to copy may not be a good idea. Ray Bacon from Mag-Anak who often posts, I hope I am quoting him correctly, says be sure to bring new technology into the Philippines if you do business. I guess he means something hard to copy. I totally agree with him. I would not want to compete with local business men. They can do business cheaper than you will want to, probably. I know a guy who owns a computer store. He works his technicians until 10 pm and pays no overtime and does not even pay minimum wage. How can you compete with a guy like that unless you do it yourself. And who wants to have that kind of business? He is not a bad person. If he does not operate like that, he will not survive. Computer stores are having a hard time of it everywhere, but especially in marginal countries.

Thanks to those who offered leads on a good travel agent. I plan on starting with Don's suggestion of Beth Reyes and go from there. This group is a great resource!

In answer to some of the questions raised regarding living in Davao ... Golf - Four courses, Lanang Country Club, Apo, Matina, and Rancho P Verde. Lanang (18 holes) and Matina (9 holes) are in the city proper, with the other two being about 15 minutes away. Cost at Lanang is 12,000 a year which can be suspended if your away, plus caddy fees (150-200). Matina is a little less, and the other two a bit more. I have not played at Rancho but those that have say its one of the best in the country. Peace and Order - Yes the Mayor is very strict on making sure Davao is a safe place to live. Drugs are definately a no go area. This year all fireworks are banned from sale within the city, this will save a few fingers over the holiday period I am sure. I and my friends travel extensively over the eastern part of Mindanao, GenSan up throught Davao, Mati, C de Oro, Surigao, never seen or heard of any problems relating to foreigners. House Rentals - Range from 7,000 up to 50,000 depending on the subdivision, average price for one in a village with security (to keep out hawkers, carol singers etc) would be around 15,000. Internet Cafe's - Yes we have lots of them, hard to make money unless you couple it with games, hardware sales, software development, consumable sales etc. and now of course with some sort of video conferencing. Davao vs GenSan - I prefer Davao as its cleaner, and the services are better, but GenSan is a nice city. Any more questions or queries regarding this part of Mindanao or Davao please feel free to ask. I will do my best to advice from my eight years of experience living and running a business here. Happy Christmas to all

Thanks a lot for the insight information. Decided to use a lawyer to help me in the process. Alas he didn't told me that it was only valid for 1 Year and all the rest you are telling us. I am warned now. Again thank you !

Yes Davao sounds great Mike I have only been to Cebu and Bohol But i would be tempted to visit Davao now after you said all that:-)Is there alot of Internet cafes now in Davao I thought of opening one in Cebu City but the competition now is too much I think although still considering opening one near san carlos university Cebu

It would seem to me that not only must you do a good marketing study, but you must also input Philippine psychology. You must put into the mix the crab mentality, pulling people down, or leveling the playing field. When you end up with a good marketing plan and implement it, your success will draw in others, who may be willing to play the game, without making a profit. They first level the playing field, and then sometimes tip it over.

I have been reading your notes about VISA's. You do need a "" ATTORNEY "" in theory who will represent you during the hearings in support of your claims. Or you can attend yourself in Manila. For myself I just left it all up to the Immigration people, paid that what they wanted ( a bit extra on the side I'm sure was included for their own pockets). But I did not have the time or inclination to go back and forth to Manila. This would have cost a lot more than attorneys

About business for expats and the RP, there are many who are succeeding in a number of different kinds of business, but it's not hard to find as many or more failures warming bar stools. Sorry, not to disparage other expats! Many of the thoughts I've seen expressed here are good ones. For instance Ray has a good thought by bringing in technology that would be hard to copy. I know an expat who ran a bakery for several years before he got into the motorcycle business and has been very successful with both over the years. I think Bob Martin is also a good example of a successful entrepreneur and has offered some excellent advice. He's unique in the fact that he's more than willing to meet and help other expats! I'd like to meet him one day myself, sounds like a standup fellow. I'm certainly no expert at the game, but in my opinion any business requires a good market study before you begin or you place your capital at greater risk. I don't think there is any one answer. Nor do I think it matters so much what kind of business you engage in if you've done your homework. We've discussed many of the facets of business here, but there still is no substitute for hard work and a reasonable business sense. I've also seen a few references to business and schemes here that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole! But then, what do I really know?! I suggest you also check out Maris Travel and Tours. The owner has traveled to the United States and Canada and they have been very helpful to me. I've purchased maybe 20 tickets through them, all for trips to the Unites States, from Cebu They can find the best prices on all airlines. Low fares to the Philippines, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, Central & South America. For reservations & a quote E-mail me travelers passport names, ages, dates of travel, city begin in, city going to, & a home phone number. Follow it up with a phone call. Call & visit our website for cruise & tour specials.