How is customer service in the Philippines? There have been lengthy discussions recently on our forum, Mabuhay! Forum, as well as other expat platforms. Most expats here tend to agree that customer service in the Philippines is not of the same quality as we expect in Western countries.
My wife and I had an experience last week as we took a wedding anniversary trip to the Ermita area in Manila. We stayed for a long weekend at the Bayview Park Hotel, a hotel that ... Read More ...]]>
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On exhibit at SM Marikina through August 22nd are photographs from the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP), Marikina Chapter, and numerous sponsors. Several weeks ago, ASP, along with professional photographers in the area, took a group of high functioning children with autism to the Manila Zoo and the Manila Ocean Park. The photographers acted as mentors to the kids, showing them how to use cameras and the fundamentals of composition. My wife, Elma, accompanied the group as two of her special educa ... Read More ...]]>
Worrying about getting affordable medical advice is one of the things you do when you get a little older. One of the reasons I decided to settle in Metro Manila rather than a Province was my ability to get to world class medical facilities easily, although not always quickly. I see several specialists at The Medical City in Pasig City, Metro Manila, about twice a year. It is about a thirty minute taxi ride from my condo, and it was time this past week.
The Medical City is one of ... Read More ...]]>
Well, we have just experienced Typhoon "Basyang" (international name Conson), the first major storm of the 2010 monsoon season. In our area, there was very little flooding, but a lot of wind damage. At least twenty people were reported dead in a nearby city, Taytay, Rizal, as a result of the storm. Our condo lost power about
At least once a year, all foreigners living in the Philippines must come in contact with a government agency. Maybe it is annual registration, maybe to pay a fee, maybe to get an identification card renewed. In my case, it is to get a new membership card from the Philippine Retirement Authority, better known as the PRA. They have offices in many parts of the country, but I utilize their head office in Makati City, Metro Manila.
I left my condo about 9:30 am this morning and walked to the highway to hail a taxi. On most days it just takes a few minutes to find a taxi to take me where I need to go. But today was one day when there were just no taxis around. I stood th ... Read More ...]]>
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Sometimes getting away from a circumstance gives you a better perspective of things. We just returned from a vacation in the U.S. While our adjustment coming home has not been as long as it took when we first moved to the Philippines, there has been an adjustment period. I always tell prospective retirees that the weather here will be the first thing you must overcome. While we were only gone five weeks, when we first exited the airport terminal, and that hot air hit us, I thought to myself, yes, I must be back in Manila. For most of the year, very hot and very humid is the only way to describe the climate here. While it is not unlike central Florida or the Gulf Coast of the ... Read More ...]]>
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Palawan is located southwest of Manila in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the last mostly unexplored islands in the Pacific, and is considered one of the most beautiful natural places in the world. For a nature lover, this is the place to go. It is the hub of eco-tourism in the Philippines.
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One of the benefits of living in the Philippines is being able to travel inexpensively to many interesting and uniquely beautiful places. We recently returned from Cebu City, the capital of Cebu Province and one of the most developed areas in the country. It is also home to a very large community of expats from the U.S., Great Britain, and Australia.
While I had been to Cebu previously, I had never stayed in the city, only in beach resorts. Cebu City is a booming place, and deserves its good reputation. I found it to be cleaner than Manila, more organized, with even the drivers following the law more strictly. The airport is not large, but no ... Read More ...]]>