I've been reading many posts concerning receiving mail in the PI. I've seen people mention using a ""mailboxes etc"" type of business to forward mail, and Don has talked about informing state-side businesses that my TEMPORARY address will be in the PI. This brings to mind Kevin that this is your temporary address if you are living here. Even if you are on a 13A visa you are on a visa, an invitation, a visitor who's invitation can be withdrawn at any time. So you are here temporarily and a resident only of your home country. But banks can do as they wish. Better not tell them you are a permanent resident here, because you are not. But if you tell them you are even here, they, as private businesses may be able to do anything they want. I understand that many US banks will cancel accounts if they know you are in the PI. What is the concensus on the ""best"" I am interested to hear what others say. I think what I am doing is the best for me. But from what you say below am not sure, Kevin. You are giving me food for thought. I may return some way to have mail forwarded? I will be retiring from the US Military within the next few years and will move to the PI. Through information I've received from the VFW post folks in Angeles City, Jim Boyd of the Retired Affairs Office (RAO) also known as the Jim Boyd Foundation, or vice versa, in Angeles City, set up this organization to help not only military retirees but all expats and former military. At one time he negotiated with the military for APO addresses for those who are retired military. Maybe that is no longer so. We really need to get Jim on here. Can someone invite him before I do? I am positive that was true at one time several years ago. Maybe the agreement expired and Jim could not get them to renew it. He had a hard time getting it, and it was for small parcels only, and letters, but he prevailed. Jim is another guy like John who I am mentioning below who has so much knowledge. And Jim works for free for others and has been doing so for a long time. I am sending Jim a copy of this and hope he joins us by going to www.livinginthephilippines.com. We have more than 500 members, quite a few awake, Jim. I just want to let you know what you are in for if you are kind enough to join and share your expertise with us. I will be entitled to a FPO PO Box at the US Embassay in Manila. Is that because you are ""retired"" military or because you are a US citizen. That, I am sure, is a more secure mail though the local is not so bad as long as you don't send cash and even then people get away without being robbed. The Philippine postal system is slow. But I don't think there is as much stealing as some say. I wonder if there are any there advantages to an FPO. I know some companies will ship to an APO or FPO and but not to a foreign address per se. Would this alarm US banks as to my location and possibly cause a cancelation of my credit card? I notified my credit card companies and banks as I said and said to send my bills, etc. to my ""temporary"" address here. (In my last post I said ""permanent"" somewhere, a big mistake. Excuse me. I did say temporary in other places I believe.) My banks and credit card companies had no problem with that. And that was 12 years ago. I had one credit card taken away or inactivity. But that may have happened even if I were in the States. They don't like to send bills every month and you don't even use their card and the card is free. Thanks in advance for your advice. Kevin If a US Citizen can get an FPO address at the US Embassy in Manila, can that citizen get a FPO address at the US Consulate here in Cebu? That is what I want to know. I have been here a long time and learn every day thanks to the good folks on the list. Unless someone knows, I can go to the consulate at 8:00am one morning and ask. I would like to get John Domingo, the US Counsel here to join the list. But he does this stuff all day, is terribly overworked and understaffed so hate to ask him to work on the list too for what we pay. Does anyone know John personally? I don't, though I think I he did my passport last time.

My new HSBC account. My account is a ""dollar"" account opened at the Cebu Branch of HSBC. I believe I could have opened a ""peso"" account, but I chose the dollar account based on the fluctuation of the peso. My main goal is to have an ATM card that will give me the local currency no matter where my Asian travels take me. The interest rate on the savings account is appalling (about 1%), but the rates are currently poor in the USA on regular savings accounts. I'm thinking of HSBC also and want to be sure I am following you. Are you saying that you were able to open a peso account in the Philippines through an HSBC branch in the US? Based on Ron's excellent advice, I recently opened a savings account at Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). They have a rather large minimum for opening an account ($2,500 US), but I believe, in the long-term, they're reputation and service will be well-worth the initial investment. Now, the bad news. I'm in the process of wire transferring funds from my USA banks to HSBC. The problem I'm facing is the rather large fees charged by my USA banks for wire transfers. One bank (Bank of America) is going to charge $45 per transfer. Another lesser-known bank, but one that's always in the top three for service, will charge $35. Does anyone else feel these fees are large considering the information revolution's positive impact on international financial transactions? Or, am I just a cheap guy wondering what this fee is going toward?

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

why not mail them just to be sure since you said in your post, ""expats,"" not just ""retirees."" I wonder if the privilege may include disabled veterans, though they are not often retirees though some are. Now military retirees and active duty personnel only can get Space Available flights. I was starting to with another who was interested in an effort to convince a member or two of congress, using the Disabled Veterans of America as a platform, to include Space A as a benefit for disabled veterans. But we never got as far even as researching it to see if any attempts are under way or have been tried in the past. The tragic event of 9/11 put that thought way in the background. In any event, Kevin, why not ask VFW if Jim Boyd's program of APOs or FPO's is the one they are implementing. (I really don't know the difference between an APO, FPO or others.) I do know that is the one that covered only retired veterans in the saturation Jim Boyd negotiated. The VFW is the best place to eat in Angeles I believe and he only US military club that has survived the exodus from Clark. I believe RUMPA is gone or almost non functional, the two American Legion Posts were going downhill long ago, and even Jim Boyd's RAO was not thriving though a Disabled Veterans Group had been established next door. That is why Jim turned it into the Jim Boyd foundation, I think. Only his money and time runs it. An aside thought: There is a very unusual group in Angeles that was doing very well, non military, but has had its military members. It is the only chapter in the world, I believe. It is called the A- - hole's Club. (I would have spelled it out, but I am a prude.) This is not a joke. I believe they have a web page. If you ever lived in Angeles you might understand why it originated and could thrive there. If you wan to join you don't have to pay your dues. If you do, you are disqualified. I am not a member though invited many times. In fact I it was often suggested to me, to ""Why don't you go join the club where you belong."" harrythehorse ... of people in Angeles City that have heard people call them ""assholes"". With this in mind, Jimmy D has declared that he will form the ""Asshole's Club"" and will ... www.gotophil.com/hth/june2000/ - 19k - Cached - Similar pages harrythehorse ... of people in Angeles City that have heard people call them ""assholes"". With this in mind, Jimmy D has declared that he will form the ""Asshole's Club"" and will ... www.gotophil.com/hth/june2000/ - 19k - Cached - Similar pages When I was there they were having organizational meetings. I was told it I attended I might have an excellent shot becomming preside

For a period of time I was buying Philippine to U.S. tickets in the Philippines. It was cheaper for my clients. I found that when the agency I was working with in Cebu had a BPI account that I could send a bankers check to their New York office, using the U.S. mail with a confirmation of delivery and depending on whether it was going to a dollar account or a peso account the total cost was fairly reasonable, and the whole process took about 4 days from my house to the account in Cebu. Costs to a dollar account were about $27.50 and I could control the entire process. There were less screw-up. I think Hong Kong and Shanghai has a branch in New York, and probably in other parts of North America and you might be able to use a similar process. Jeff Jenks, C.T.C. - Owner - TRAVEL IS FUN E-mail: travelisfun@mich.com Call: 800 941-0049 Fax: 248 398-7859 Website: http://www.mich.com/~travelisfun 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 & to

have been researching on how to go about changing the visa status of my husband from a tourist to a semi-permanent status. I thought the ""balik-bayan"" visa was the answer but the replies to my ""balik-bayan visa"" query posted recently made it clear that it wasn't the fitting solution since we both live in the PI. 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?

It sounds like you have a fascinating trip ahead of you and wish you luck on it I understand when you say it will be hard physcially and sometimes mentally also. I have been to Cebu 2 times in the last 2 years and intend going again soon and one day to relocate their also Im also a keen Cyclist i have a mountain bike (marin)and cycle to work everyday in London! you have to be brave to do that also haha. But to do what you are doing must be very hard maybe i would like to try it one day, I dont know how you get over the heat what sort of bike will you take and what sort of backup if any? and do you do it alone? really like to hear how you get on, hope you keep posting here now.

The difference between ""APO"" and ""FPO"" are: APO = Army Post Office. FPO = Fleet Post Office. I checked out the RAO Angeles website and here are a few notes: ""FPO SERVICES: WE HAVE FPO SEFVICES FOR ALL U.S. MILITARY RETIREE/DEPENDENTS/ WIDOWS/OTHER AUTHORIZED MEMBERS..."" I'm not sure what the ""other authorized members"" part means, as I haven't received an email back from my friend in Angeles city yet. After reveiwing this other portion listed below, it does look like the FPO service is only available to Military retirees. There are some restrictions, but it looks workable to me as I only anticipate using the service for letter mail and checks anyway. I hope this answers some of your questions. Kevin ""FPO: WORKING GREAT, ABOUT 6 DAY SERVICE FROM THE CONUS..ENJOY THE PRIVILEGES & DON'T FORGET THE RESTRICTIONS........ MAIL IS LIMITED TO FIRST-CLASS CORRESPONDENCE (INCLUDING VOICE, VIDEO CASSETTES (HOME MADE), BLANK CHECKS), NEWSPAPERS, MAGA ZINES AND PHOTOGRAPHS NOT EXCEEDING 16 OUNCES OF THE ABOVE CATEGORY OF ITEMS... MERCHANDISE CATALOGS, AND BOOKS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. UNAUTHORIZED/PROHIBITED ITEMS PLUS THOSE WEIGHING OVER 16 OUNCES MAY BE RETURNED TO SENDER...... A FEW PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ABUSE THE APO SYSTEM, JUST REMEMBER, WHEN YOU ORDER MERCHANDISE, THE EMBASSY IS GOING TO RETURN THE PACKAGE..... THIS IS EXPENSIVE TO THE EMBASSY WHO MUST PAY THE RETURN POSTAGE....... PLEASE USE THE LOCAL MAIL SYSTEM WE HAVE ESTABLISHED TO RECEIVE MERCHANDISE AND SAVE US ALL A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND EXPENSE...... AS MOST ARE AWARE OUR APO IS NEW AND SOME OF THE SMALL POST OFFICES BACK IN THE STATES MAY NOT HAVE POSTED THE U.S. POSTAL BULLETIN TO THE LIST OF ACTIVE APO'.. JUST IN CASE YOU RECEIVE NOTIFICATION THAT THE RAO DOES NOT EXIST, PLEASE WRITE BACK AND MAKE REFERENCE TO U.S. POSTAL BULLETIN 21903, 9-28-95 PAGE 31...... THIS SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM....... IF NOT, SEE ME...... I THINK OUR POSTAL CLERKS ARE EFFICIENT, HONEST AND ARE DOING GREAT JOB AND IF YOU THINK SO, PLEASE TELL THEM........ IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED, OR YOU HAVE IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE SEE ME.. THIS APO IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR RETIREES, ACCOMPANIED DEPENDENTS AND WIDOWS(ER); DOES NOT INCLUDE ACTIVE DUTY & OTHERS WHICH NORMALLY RECEIVE APO PRIVILEGES ON MILITARY BASES... NON-NARCOTIC PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION MAY BE RECEIVED VIA THE FPO... THE U.S. POSTAL SYSTEM ALLOWS US TO HOLD MAIL UP TO 15 DAYS, RELEASE TO YOUR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OR FORWARD TO YOUR NEW ADDRESS/SENDER... AN EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS FOR YOU TO PROVIDE US WRITTEN AUTHORITY TO HOLD YOUR MAIL UP TO A SPECIFIC DATE NOT TO EXCEED 30 DAYS... THIS ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN YOU PLAN TO BE OUT OF TOWN FOR MORE THAN 15 DAYS... HOPE ALL WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY BECAUSE ANY RETURNED MAIL CAN EFFECT YOUR PAY/BENEFITS....""

I will investigate this ""multiple re-entry permit"" . Well actually I started a little business in the province some years ago. My wife is from the Sorsogon area and I had to go there every year. After some time I get quite bored. When I am bored I always go back to books. So I was very surprised that Sorsogon had no bookstore at all (the previous one was robbed and everybody got killed in the attack). To find books I had to do a 2 hour trip to Legazpi where I found a bookstore with only college books (mathematics, law, etc.) So out of a hobby I started a little bookstore (+ school supplies) in Sorsogon . (It is managed by my family in law when I am in Belgium) I wanted to keep it small but soon I got a lot of customers and alas also a lot of competitors. I suppose they saw the crowds in my store , see a foreigner and probably thought I was making lot of money. Sorsogon has now 5 bookstores !!! I am sure many of them will have to disappear because there is no market for 5 bookstores. Anyway I learned a lot and although the competition is fierce we are able to survive. Well I am intended to continue this bookstore business. As I don't want to live in Sorsogon (it is much too quiet) I will have to find something in Manila. I would like to publish some magazines (for instance an art magazine) or open a bookstore for expatriates (with German, French, Japanese, Dutch books), or an art gallery. I have so many ideas but I first need to investigate the market and see if I can materialize those ideas and see if I can be successful in one

The Temporary Resident Visa you are infering to is an option for restricted nationals. http://www.immigration.gov.ph/inquiries/temporary_resident_visa.htm As for the Permanent Visa status- if one would apply for this he needn't renounce his citizenship and can still carry the same passport for travelling. http://www.immigration.gov.ph/procedures/procedures.htm I am no expert at this but maybe some of the guys here can give you more info with regards to your question.

Don wrote in response to Bob Hammerslag: I am sure others know more about this than I do. I am sure someone will tell you more. Robert Warren dabbles in the market here and has told me a lot about online banking. Robert knows the good banks too. He is in Texas now and has not been posting. I will try to wake him up. Hi Guys. I'm in Texas now, but will be returning to Cebu in early January. It looks to me that you have the fundamentals well covered. For me, I try to do as much of my USA banking over the internet as possible. An internet bank, and if you are interested an on-line stock brokerage account are all very useful. If you can get credit card statements and make payments over the internet -- so much the better. Try to keep less than 100000 Pesos in any one Philippine bank account, which is upper limit on the governmental insurance. I did have a local Rural bank refuse to honor my (and any other depositors) withdrawal request from one of my savings accounts. I believe it was cleared up after several months, but it was annoying. I try to keep most of my family's money in the USA, not in the Philippines. I will also occasionally instruct my USA bank to issue checks or otherwise make payments to USA businesses. The bank issues the check, and mails it for me. The only problem is that they won't allow much more information than a memo notation to be placed onto the check. So if the USA recipient needs additional information along with the check, it is not useful. In the past I have used an other Internet service http://www.sendsnailmail.com/ to issue payments, along with a one page note, but generally those services are more expensive than I like. Generally, if I need to send a check, Tax Form, or a Signed instructions to my stock broker - I will use a fast mail forwarding service from the Philippines. I usually go to LBC branch (private mail service firm) in the Philippines, pay them 100 Pesos and use them to mail the letter. LBC will fairly quickly get my letter to the USA, and then just drop it in the USA postal system. The price is reasonable, and it seems faster than turning such an important letter over to the Philippine governmental postal service. My bank transactions are so small, they don't mean too much to me. When I need money here, I just write a check on my US bank, deposit it in PNB and in 22 days it clears. Once that flow is started, there is no problem. Don pointed out to me that this was possible. That is generally the way that my family gets our dollars into the Philippines. We have one USA dollar denominated account, and several Peso accounts. The dollar account is in Cebu City, and it takes us an hour or more to get to the bank. Our Peso accounts generally are closer. When I was first started living in the Philippines, I would periodically request my USA bank to wire USA dollars to my Philippine dollar bank account. I would use my scanner, and internet connection to send a Fax to my USA bank with my instructions. Although it is fairly fast, there were lots of fees involved. So now my family does it the way Don does it, by just depositing a check and waiting. I have told the USA Internal Revenue Service (IRS) my Philippine address. But as far as my banks, credit card companies, magazine subscriptions are concerned -- my family and I have a USA address. I have given most of these companies my parents USA address. As mail or packages are received -- my parents are good enough to toss it into our box. Periodically they have this box sent to us. It goes by private freight company by surface, and ocean going vessel. It takes a couple of months, so it is fairly slow, but the price is lots cheaper than trying to use the regular mail services. If you have Philippine friends in your area, they can probably tell you -- if there is such a service in your area. If not -- find some companies doing delivery into the Philippines, and see if they can tell you their local representative in your area. ght, I hope something useful comes out of it.

Someone was asking about an ACR and an ICR. iF U BECOME A PERMANENT RESIDENT U NEED BOTH. WITH AN aliens registration certificate which I have, I have to register every year with the local IMMIGRATION OFFICE and pay a very small fee. I also need an ICR which is a certificate of residence. I paid for it when I first arrived here nearly 8 years ago but the office was about to close and they said no problem. They would send me the form later. IT DID NOT ARRIVE and I kept enquiring about it. ABOUT 3 years later I reapplied again and sent all my documents to IMMIGRATION OFFICE, MANILA. but no reply and they ignored all my future requests to ask what was happening. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO I WENT TO THE MANILA IMMIGRATION OFFICE and they admitted all my documents had been lost. I said I wanted to make a complaint and they told me to leave the building, contact a lawyer and get him to send in a complaint. I am DIABETIC and said I was about to collapse on the floor with stress which might be embarressing to them. That got them worried and I was quickly rushed into the office of the BIG CHIEF. About 3 hrs later they completed a new set of documents and I left exhausted but triumphant clutching my ICR. IT HAD TAKEN ME OVER SEVEN YEARS to get it. EVERY FEW MONTHS AT THE LOCAL FOREIGNERS CLUB a new lawyer arrives and tells us he feels so sorry that we are having problems with IMMIGRATION. For a payment of several thousand pesos each he will get us the required ACR and ICR. Do not be taken in by that trick. Some of my friends tried it and their documents disappeared. Stewart. I dont know much about visas but one thing for sure, a permanent resident visa is just a visa. You will retain your citizenship and not acquire Filipino citizenship hence you will continue using your own passport and not a Filipino one

anyone know much about this one?? it says it is good for one year then can renewded every two years after that what are the pit falls of this I can only see that one would pay the fees every other year but I wondered if one appys for perm status wont he then have to travel under a PI passport Here are some helpful links from the Philippine Immigration Department website to give you more info on the multiple entry permit http://www.immigration.gov.ph/procedures/procedures.htm http://www.immigration.gov.ph/procedures/change_of_status_to_multiple_entry_special_visa_for_foreign_personnel.htm Like you, we are still trying to figure out which bracket the hubby would fall under immigration law. We are carefully taking note of all the requirements needed and hopefully the 13a visa would be the workable solution. Here's hoping that you would get things done smoothly when you decide to move here in the PI next year. Thank you for your email will investigate this ""multiple re-entr permit"" Well actually I started a little business in the province some years ago. My wife is from the Sorsogon area and I had to go there every year.

Mmm, to start with the last one I think it does matter and despite other reactions I think the lying is to protect herself and not you. You have to know that most Filipino's do not like second hand wives so it could very well be that she is afraid to loose you. If you think all sexy Filipina's work in bars then I have to disappoint you there are not that many bars in the Philippines. I tried to hire a secretary and ended up getting married. My wife could very well have been working in the mall, nothing strange with that but I am working here in the Philippines. If the guy was here that long then what was he doing here? For the rest this does sound like a typical Filipina to me. I would suggest that you visit the Philippines and visit her family and friends. That way you have a change to find out for yourself.

IN CAGAYAN DE ORO a group of foreigners meet every Wed morning at a cafe called OVER THE TOP in BURGOS STREET. ABOUT 20 OF US ATTEND and most of us bring our wives or girlfriends. WE Swap experiences and nearly all of us have had problems with IMMIGRATION. A small number live here but for a few months of the year they return to work abroad to earn enough to live here for most of the year. So they keep everyone else informed of all the latest change in regulations. Most of us have tried running businesses here but nearly all had the same problem eg. I HAD THE FIRST restaurant and Sing-a Long in this area. While the only one, quite successful but everyone copies and I closed when I became one of SIX.THEN FOUR others had to close as well.

Everything I write now have to be checked again as things are not always clear cut. 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.

SRRV is a special multiple entry visa program of the Philippine government that grants foreigners and former Filipinos non-immigrant permanent resident status and vests them the privilege to own real estate properties or proprietary golf shares, put up and conduct business, work, study and reside permanently anywhere in the Philippines. The Philippine Retirement Authority, created by Executive Order 1037 on 04 July 1985, is a government owned and controlled corporation that processes applications for Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) issued by the Bureau of Immigration. The Philippine Retirement Authority guarantees that the SRRV can be issued after five (5) working days from the date the complete documents and requirements are submitted. I. BENEFITS Once you become a member of the Program or a holder of the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV), you will enjoy the following perks and privileges: 1. Permanent non-immigrant status with multiple-entry privileges; 2. Exemption from customs duties and taxes for the importation of personal effects, appliances and household furniture worth US$7,000.00; 3. Exemption from exit clearance and re-entry permits from the Bureau of Immigration; 4. Exemption from payment of travel tax provided the SRRV holder has not stayed in the Philippines for more than one year from date of latest entry into the country; 5. Conversion of the required time deposit to active investments which may take the form of shares of stocks in existing or to be organized corporations (except those traded in the country's stock market), proprietary club or golf shares, long-term lease of real property, construction of residential house on a leased property or on the property of a former Filipino spouse, and a purchase of condominium units for commercial or residential use; 6. Foreign currency time deposit in the name of the SRRV holder can be converted to Philippine peso deposit and earns interest credit to the holder subject to withholding tax; 7. Pension and annuities remitted to the Philippines are tax-free; 8. Guaranteed repatriation of the requisite deposit, including invested profits, capital gains and dividends accrued from investments upon compliance with Bangko Sentral (Central bank of the Philippines) rules and regulations; 9. Holders of SRRV are exempted from getting the Student's Visa/Special Study Permit; 10. Former Filipinos have the option under the Foreign Investments Act (RA 8179) to acquire lands limited to 5,000 square meters in urban areas or not more than three (3) hectares in agricultural areas for business or residential purposes. II. DEPOSIT REQUIREMENTS Principal applicants are required to open a US dollar time deposit for a term of at least six months at any of the four (4) PRA authorized bank in the Philippines: Equitable PCI-Bank, Bank of Commerce, Chintrust Banking and Metrobank. The bank deposit may be withdrawn after six months and converted into active investment. Bank Deposit 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above : US$1,500.00 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : US$50,000.00 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : US$75,000.00 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : None III. FEES The following fees should be paid at the office of the Philippine Retirement Authority or can be deposited directly to its Land Bank of the Philippines US $ and Peso bank accounts: ONE TIME FEES: PROCESSING FEE 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above : US$1,300.00 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : US$ 1,300.00 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : US$ 1,800.00 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : None SERVICE FEE 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above: US$ 200.00 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : US$ 200.00 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : US$ 200.00 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : US$ 100.00 BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION CONVERSION FEE 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above : None 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : None 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : None 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : US$ 7,600.00 BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION EXPRESS FEE 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above : PhP 500.00 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : PhP 500.00 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : PhP 500.00 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : PhP 500.00 PRA I.D. 1) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above : PhP 250.00 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above : PhP 250.00 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 : PhP 250.00 2) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant : PhP 250.00 TOTAL FEE 3) Principal Applicant 1.a) Former Filipino 35 years old and above US$1,500.00 (PhP750.00) 1.b.)Foreign national 1.b.1. Age 50 and above US$1,500.00 (PhP750.00) 1.b.2 Age 35 - 49 US$2,000.00 (PhP750.00) 4) Foreign National married to former filipino and dependents below 21 yrs old joining the principal applicant US$100.00 (PhP350.00) If the Special Resident Retiree's Visa is issued by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate abroad, the applicant, his spouse and dependants shall pay the required visa fee. ANNUAL FEES: 1. Visitorial fee of one-half percent (0.5%) per annum of the Philippine Peso equivalent of the deposit converted to actual investment; IV. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS QUALIFICATIONS: Citizenship and Age 1. All foreign nationals (except those from countries with no diplomatic ties to the Philippines or are classified as Restricted by the Department of Foreign Affairs); 2. Former Filipinos who are how holders of foreign passports; 3. Provided they are at least 35 years old. DOCUMENTS: The Special Resident Retiree's Visa will be issued after five (5) working days upon submission of the following: 1. Accomplished PRA Retirement Program Application Form; 2. Original valid passport; 3. Department of Foreign Affairs Medical Examination Form #1 accomplished by a licensed physician abroad, duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate if the applicant is outside the Philippines or PRA Medical Certificate (RRSC Form # 002) accomplished by a licensed physician in the Philippines; 4. Certification by PRA short listed bank of the requirement deposit of US$ 50,000.00 or USA$ 75,000.00 or US$1,500.00 whichever is applicable; 5. Police clearance issued abroad duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate if the applicant is outside of the Philippines or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance issued in the Philippines; 6. 1"" x 1"" and 2"" x 2"" colored photographs (6 pieces each size); 7. If the spouse is joining the applicant, Original Certificate or Marriage Contract duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate nearest the applicant's residence if marriage was contracted abroad. If applicant's marriage was solemnized in the Philippines, original copy of the Marriage Certificate issued by the civil registrar; 8. If dependents are joining the applicant, original copy of Birth Certificate of dependents born in the Philippines or Birth certificates duly authenticated by the Philippine embassy/consulate nearest the applicant's residence abroad. Only dependents below 21 years old are eligible to join the program.

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.

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 . For the AIDS TEST: 2 accredited hospitals: Makati Med St-Luke Hospital (New Manila) Bureau of quarantine requires an examination which includes: stool exam, urine analysis, X-ray, VTRL (Venereal Disease Exam) Open from 8 am on. Count on spending 1 to 2 hours. I can't help you more for the moment. Till now I spend most of my time hunting after the required documents. Did the tests & medical examinations). Good luck. But don't expect much help from the civil servants in your own country and in those of the Philippines. It is a special kind of people you are dealing with. Sometimes I have the impression they are happy to send away someone (for a technicality) who lost already a whole day waiting in a queue BETTER first read KAFKA first and take life with a smile! Again I am not a lawyer and everything need to be checked. Things are changing all the time. Some information may be incomplete.

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 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. Very true, Sidney. Some Filipinos really have hard feelings about the Chinese Filipinos. You would have an advantage there. 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. Unfortunatly it is the culture of most developing countries, not just the Philippines. 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. 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. In fact you can own your own condo where you want. 60% of the buildings is always owned by Filipino's. Yes, and 60 percent of the common facilites you and they use. You only own 40 percent of those facilities, right? They can decided to destroy it, paint it, add a park, sell the trees or what ever. Now I am splitting hairs. I will stop my nonsense. You have a point that I could continue to argue. But you see mine and I certainly see yours. I opted for the ""corporation way"" and this corporation own a condo. But I could have bought the condo under my own name. Yes, I understand. Either way is perfectly legal I feel sure. 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). Interesting, good information, Sydney, maybe valuable to some in the same or similar situation. 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. It is possible to get information here because people like you share it so generiously. Without listmembers kindness in sharing people would have to find out the hard way. 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. This is something I have been working on for a while, not an easy chore. I hope to have it finished soon. But things change. Some of the information I have compiled is already out of date. And some is not clear still subject to interpertation. It is a much bigger job that I thought. But I will get it done. 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.

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.

Well actually I started a little business in the province some years ago. My wife is from the Sorsogon area and I had to go there every year. After some time I get quite bored. When I am bored I always go back to books. So I was very surprised that Sorsogon had no bookstore at all So out of a hobby I started a little bookstore (+ school supplies) in Sorsogon . (It is managed by my family in law when I am in Belgium) I >wanted to keep it small but soon I got a lot of customers and alas also a lot >of competitors. 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 would like to publish some magazines (for instance an art magazine) or open a bookstore for expatriates (with German, French, Japanese, Dutch books), or an art gallery. Interesting. The publishing would of course work anywhere - you can send your book to a printer in Hong Kong if you can't get adequate quality loally - but a retail business catering to expats would likely have to be located in Manila or Cebu. I have so many ideas but I first need to investigate the market and see if I can materialize those ideas and see if I can be successful in one of those things. My problem as well - no shortage of ideas, but little time to do the necessary research. I'm still kicking myself because in '96 I wanted to open a cyber-café here in Iligan. If I had done it, it would have been the first one in town. Some well-meaning but totally misinformed local buddies talked me out of it. If I had taken the time to do my own research, I would have known better. At last count, there were over 40 walk-in Internet services here, ranging from 1 to 20 workstations. Now starting another is out of the question, of course. >What are you doing in the Philippines? Living happily with my wife, adopted son and little daughter born 29 September. I earn my living over the Net, doing technical and commercial translations (German to English and French, French to/from English), writing, editing and publishing (of my own work, mostly). I publish a quarterly magazine in the field of lighter-than-air flight which is a loss leader for another business, which is providing photocopies of technical documents in obscure fields of technology. The book I wrote with George Wright on designing ducted fans for propelling light aircraft is selling well and is in its second edition. In my spare time I'm Secretary of the Rotary Club of Metro Iligan and am working on a plan to revamp the coconut industry here in the Philippines, which may or may not have any useful result. When I can get the work (rarely), I consult for pay in the various fields in which I have useful experience to impart (security & intelligence, plus various technical fields, plus database publishing - my early specialty)

In the meantime I got a mail from one of my friends in the Philippines. He told me I should just apply for such a multiple re-entry permit once I got my 13A Visa. There seems to be no particular problem in getting such a permit. 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. Nice to meet another book lover on the internet. Well, till now I mostly deal in local printed and published books (National Bookstore, Rex, Goodwill, etc.). I got wholesale discount as a bookstore and from that discount I need to live. So the price of the books in Sorsogon are almost the same price as in Manila. (Sometimes I try to mark-up them up a little bit more.) Now I started sending ""cheap"" second hand books from Europe in Balikbayan boxes to the Philippines. My previous dealings with the customs was a disaster. If I want to import more I will need to make ""friends "" with some guys of the customs. I'm still kicking myself because in '96 I wanted to open a cyber-café here in Iligan. If I had done it, it would have been the first one in town. Some well-meaning but totally misinformed local buddies talked me out of it. If I had taken the time to do my own research, I would have known better. Well, I am not so sure. I am convinced you need to find a business that requires a lot of ""investment money"" or a ""particular knowledge"" so that nobody copies you immediately. Cyber cafés are popping up as mushrooms and I doubt it is a very profitable business. Competition is too big . Maybe in very crowded areas with a lot of students? Hope the publishing & art scene are less competitive fields. I earn my living over the Net, doing technical and commercial translations (German to English and French, French to/from English), writing, editing and publishing (of my own work, mostly). I publish a quarterly magazine in the field of lighter-than-air flight which is a loss leader for another business, which is providing photocopies of technical documents in obscure fields of technology. The book I wrote with George Wright on designing ducted fans for propelling light aircraft is selling well and is in its second edition. In my spare time I'm Secretary of the Rotary Club of Metro Iligan and am working on a plan to revamp the coconut industry here in the Philippines, which may or may not have any useful result. When I can get the work (rarely), I consult for pay in the various fields in which I have useful experience to impart (security & intelligence, plus various technical fields, plus database publishing - my early specialty).

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 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.

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 Posted: 5:08 PM (Manila Time) | December 17, 2001 By Agence France-Presse 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.

Hahaha, I think John is full of it,(joking). Where did you learn that theory? Wasn't around during those times but my Father told me it was hard, those Japanese were mean, raped their women and killed lots of men they suspected were American sympathizers. If you had lived during those times, I'm sure you'll lie too and probably will tell those Jap you aint American! If they lied, it's for their survival. People always lie, regardless of their ethnicity. When Filipina didn't mention about marrying a 60 year old man, it doesn't mean it's in their genes or she just used the man to get to America. Maybe she thought she was inlove with the old man, etc. I know a Vietnamese girl, raised here and very beautiful. She acts like so proper, shy toward guys, etc. But she wears very revealing clothes to get guys attention. Or when a guy asks her name she acts like she is so shy but you can read on her face that she is enjoying the attention. Filipina, Viet or whatever, everyone are different. Some woman needs or enjoy attention, some probably won't admit it, but when they don't, that's when it gets annoying. Women, married or not wants to be told they're always beautiful, (even NOT). It's why some try hard by resorting to dressing up so sexy, etc. but it doesn't mean we will cheat to our husbands. All these negative stuff, such as, ""I didn't know she was married before, she probably just used me to get to America,etc."" are the speakers fault. Why did you let that person lie to you or put you in the circumstances you are in now, whos fault is that? Anyway, regardless, generalization or steriotyping is always unfair but it's always used as a reasoning for ignorants.

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.

so now I don't have the right of reply? Think about it, you reply on post to tell me not to reply on post after my reply to you offered the private reply bit first? Why did you send the below reply on post? As for not mentioning you, if you post on a public board then you have to expect a response, especially when you take it upon yourself to make statements about other people's rights to debate various topics. I could have ignored this and not replied but why? As for emailing you privately, I doubt it would achieve anything positive. Regarding your ""showing off"" comment, that is very school teacher-ish. If I wanted to show off I would have ripped you and your argument apart and offered some cutting and incisive comment backed by scientific and historical fact that would have probably had you resigning from the List. But I don't feel I have the right to do that to anyone, no matter what they say to me. This is an open forum within certain guidelines and you have as much right as I do to post (within those guidelines). Regardless of whether we have Moderators or not, I agreed when I joined this site that I would follow the rules and that includes not flaming people. I have never flamed anyone, nor do I need to. Most people deserving of being flamed usually provide their own matches and fuel by what they write anyway. Now, as I said in my response, this is no longer on topic and if you have anything further to say to me on the matter, feel free to email me privately. I am sure if our first contact had been on any other topic or in some more face to face manner you would not feel this put out by my responses. Rest assured I hold no ill feelings towards you for anything you have said as I never take discussion of this type personally. This board is meant to be fun and informative, open to all.

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. Jeff Jenks, C.T.C. - Owner - TRAVEL IS FUN E-mail: travelisfun@mich.com Call: 800 941-0049 Fax: 248 398-7859 Website: http://www.mich.com/~travelisfun 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.

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 nput. Thanks! 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. Jeff Jenks, C.T.C. - Owner - TRAVEL IS FUN E-mail: travelisfun@mich.com Call: 800 941-0049 Fax: 248 398-7859 Website: http://www.mich.com/~travelisfun 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.

I've flown courier 3X in the last year, first to Bangkok, then Manila last X-mas ($750 RT NYC, much cheper than $1,500 last minute on NW) and HK in April. If my temporary job ends Friday (and my 2nd car sells as planned on 1/5), I will again visit Phils in January. Might have enough for 2 RTs to Davao, otherwise, will stay in northern Luzon for maybe 3 weeks. No Cebu Marriott this trip Don, haha, my abode of choice when in Magellan's favorite city.

It seems that many messages being posted have a certain amount of ""How to make a small fortune in the Philippines"" / ""Start with a large one"" syndrome about them. I have written a small piece below of my experiences in the hope that it will instill in some a more positive attitude towards the country. We own and run an apartment hotel of twenty-three units, ranging from studio suites to three bedroom town houses. Built it up from a green field site seven years ago, we have enjoyed near full occupancy from day one. A business in The Philippines legally set up and following the rules can be very lucrative for all concerned. Contrary to popular belief among foreigners the playing field here is level, as in all countries running a business needs skills in the field you are intending to compete. You must also run the business professionally from a financial and legal point of view as you would in the West. Choose a business that you know something about, or at least have very good access to information or products. Aim for the A's and B's of society they have the money to spend, setting up a Sari-Sari store in a lowly area is not going to get you too far. Positioning of the business and what you sell is as important in the Philippines as else where, do some market research. Also start small and grow big. Advice on setting up. We have a Corporation, and as stated by others it's got to be 60% Filipino and 40% foreign, (but can be now 100% foreign in certain categories). I would strongly advise not to get a partner, except your wife, as things can and do go wrong. If you don't trust your wife as a partner the best advice would be to get a divorce! A Corporation is easy to set up with the help of a good lawyer or accountant of your choosing, (don't use ANYONE else, and be very wary about ones that get recommended). Stay away from friends, family, politicians, government employees, fixer's etc who tell you they have 'friends in high places' and can get things done quickly. The benefit of a Corporation over a Single Proprietorship is that you get part of it. A Corporation also means of course that you have the responsibility of following the law. Your own house (wives in most cases) and the land it stands on can be incorporated; this is where a good lawyer or accountant can advise you on the best way to go. If your wife already owns land and you transfer it to the Corporation, you will be required to pay the necessary taxes. If you are serious about doing something here the first thing to figure out is what! It should be done as a business, not as a hobby for you or the family. I suggest the last thing to try is a bar or restaurant, these go bust very quickly if not managed on an hour to hour basis by yourself, and it also takes a lot of expertise in the F & B line. Plenty of other opportunities around though, and if done correctly and professionally can be very lucrative. Only employ the very best people you can get, and that does not mean the family, in fact my advice would be to keep them at arms length. If not they will, in a very short time want part of the company, and their vision of running it is a lot different to what yours will be. I speak from experience on this, luckily my wife and I have the same attitude now regarding employing family, we don't. You of course can still help them in other ways such as sponsoring children to go to school. Make sure you pay the school bills direct or buy the uniforms or books, don't give cash. Another way as Christmas is just around the corner is to buy them a large food hamper. We have never paid national government officials or the local city hall officers, anything in setting up or running our business. Stay away from 'fixers' both local and particularly foreign ones, they are all after one thing, money, and most of the time do not know what they are talking about. Best to do it all on your own, you then get the feel of the place, and although you need a lot of patients at times, you know what's going on. To get an insight into doing anything visit the local book store and get a book on taxation, corporate law etc plenty around on all sorts of subjects. Follow the law at all time, this is not difficult if you find out for yourself from the government departments you have to deal with. Get away from 'Bar"" or now ""Internet"" talk, most of it is just that. Again get the best people you can to work for you, contrary to popular belief Filipino's are honest and hard working, (but not necessarily productive). Pay them at least the minimum wage (Davao is now P177 a day) plus any cost of living allowance, first six months is probation, if they are no good during that time they never will be, fire them, as after six months it's a problem terminating. DOLE has a handout detailing conditions of employment. Hire a good book keeper, they do all the running around at the BIR, City hall, VAT etc, cost is about one thousand a month, depending on the size of the company. Many foreigners here in Davao own and run there own businesses ranging from agriculture, to meat processing, and from wholesale drink distribution to fishing. Contrary to popular belief people in the Philippines have money, and you can make money from them by offering good products, and service(s). Every bad report you hear regarding service or goods not available, don't look on it negatively, but as a good business opportunity. I wish you the very best of luck on doing something in the Philippines, it's a great place to live with wonderful people, and a great climate.

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"" Ye Gods! You got ripped off. I got mine without an attorney or ""fixer,"" and total fees were less than P5000 in 1998. I paid another $75 or so for the processing that took place at the RP consulate in LA before I came over here, and of course I paid my doctor and medical lab for their work - let's say another $150. It took me three months to get my act together in the States (mostly to do the medical stuff), and 1-1/2 days after entry, including the Customs and revenue paperwork. The visa is PERMANENT - as the name suggests. Once granted, you only have to visit Immigration once a year in the first sixty days, pay a fee (now about P300) and register, confirming your current address. Most of that P80,000 you paid went to intermediaries; the fees that Immigration charges are painted on the walls of the lobby in Intramuros.

1.Don't start a business if you have not enough cash to invest and keep on investing. 2.Business ethics are not that common in the Philippines. As a foreigner you will need to play by the rules but be prepared that your competitors are playing fool (pay their employees less than you do, pay less taxes, have the right connections). This should be compensated by the fact that you introduce more efficiency in your business. They save on wages & taxes, you safe money by working in a more efficient way. 3. Being in the retail & wholesale of books & stationaries I am confronted with a widespread use of corruption money. At least 60% of the purchasers expect corruption money (mostly 10% you add on the invoice). As a foreigner it is very difficult to compete in this game. This system is in place since a very long time and is tacitly accepted by everybody. Then you come along and try to sell. I know, they know. But why should they trust me? Why should they change from supplier. They already get their usual % on their purchases. Should I offer more? Anybody who could give me advice on this is more than welcome. I am loosing almost all the governmental bids. I am strong in retail but very weak in wholesale. To sustain my business I need a bigger share of the wholesale market.

I already thought a lot about my future rights the day I will move to the Philippines. I went trough some of the past emails and statements like: < ""The family can also file charges against you and have you deported,even if you did nothing.""> Quite frightning. Lately I was playing around with a ""silly"" idea. Why not aquire the Filipino Nationality? I read somewhere that once you got the 13A Visa you can apply (after 5 years) for the Filipino Nationality. Of course I don't want to loose my Belgian Nationality. But if I don't tell the Belgian authorities , how will they ever know? In the Philippines I would have the Filipino Nationality and in Belgium I would have the Belgian Nationality. Again I can't imagine this kind of information is traded between such distand countries.

You're caught in the situation of living in an American Commonwealth where only indigenous natives can own land, and the local government controls its own immigration. Which means that you can employ Filipino OCW helpers, as even some welfare families on Saipan are known to do. I'm jealous! Guam is only an 'unincorporated US Territory', but property ownership and immigration are under US laws. Due to the poor economy and 9/11, property rentals and sales here get cheaper by the day. Quite a few military retirees have moved here from the RP since the bases closed, in order to have exchange and hospital privileges. If you want to retire in the tropics, under the US flag, Guam is certainly an appealing choice. But the Filipinos here soon get Americanized, and forget how to smile.