Additional Info
Here you will find some very interesting value added infos regarding many
aspects of property and building and a broad range of related topics.
Please follow the index links below or simply scoll down the page to find
your subject of interest.
| Build or Buy | Security | Home Helpers | Communications | Postal Service |
| Banking | Travel | Medical care | Entertainment | Cost of living |
| Shopping |
I chose to build my own house simply because it was probably the house I will live in for many years to come, so I needed the perfect home. It's sometimes difficult to find the combination of the right house in the right spot, so having a house designed to one's own specifications and built in an ideal area is one sure way of getting what you want.
My budget was reasonable and the house was designed around my wife's and
my lifestyle which is not terribly exciting, but we do love to have parties
and BBQ's. The garden is small, easily kept and the addition of the fishpond
adds to the relaxed atmosphere.
The first step is obviously choosing a suitably sized lot in a good position
in one of the subdivisions offering individual building lots and leisure
facilities. We chose a corner lot so there would be more space, better air
circulation and not too close other houses. The second step is finding a
builder/architect with a good track record who will not be afraid to show
his previous work. My requirements were: Space - Air - Light - and a large
covered outside area (lanai or covered terrace) with a not too large garden.
The Lanai was a good move as I spend most of my time and entertain friends
there. Make sure you are completely happy with the design of your new home;
major alterations can be quite costly. One major addition we made was to
add an en-suit bathroom to the guest's bedroom. This was done during the
construction of the upper floor which didn't cost as much as if the house
had been almost finished.
Check out your builder, view his most recent work, and ask the owner if
he/she is satisfied with the quality and finish of the house and would they
recommend him. If you're happy with his quality of work ask for an estimate
showing materials and labour costs and then add 10-20% for alterations,
price increases and extras. Get some idea of a completion date.
Building your own house anywhere in the world is a daunting task, but especially
in this country and even more so if you are not around whilst it's being
built. It would be most unwise to instruct a builder to build your house
without any owner type supervision. I made a point of visiting my site as
often as possible making sure the builder was keeping to the plan and budget.
I insisted on buying the materials thereby ensuring the builder never ran
out, unless the supplier had no stock. This way I kept a tight rein on the
money and knew the cost of materials I purchased. Also, you can keep a more
accurate record of purchases. It is not uncommon to hear of unscrupulous
builders/engineers seeking commission from the materials supplier thus increasing
the costs.
This all sounds so simple, but things can and often go awry and you or your
representative should be on hand to rectify any problems.
If ever I decide to "do-it-all-again" I'll more take care in accepting
"extra work" estimates, especially when the extra work is almost
competed. Of course, I should have rejected the high cost, but was anxious
to get the house finished and move in, so I paid up. I would certainly not
use the same builder again.
One should not rely on completion dates, as slippages due occur for a variety
of reasons, some avoidable, some not.
Here’s something difficult to believe. We had a temporary electricity
supply installed during the construction of the house and had to pay a “deposit”
of around P18,000. When the house was ready for occupancy we ask for the
deposit to be refunded. We were told by the local electricity supplier MELCO
that the refund would be via a 6% reduction on our bill every January. A
quick calculation reveals that if our electricity for January each year
was P3,000 it will take 100 years get our money back. Only 97 years to go.
Living in the Philippines it pays to be security conscious for your personal
and property safety. Like anywhere else in the world you would not leave
your house without locking it up or unattended, those days are long gone.
The same applies when you go shopping or for a night out on the town. Wearing
expensive jewellery is an open invitation to snatchers especially walking
the streets in unfamiliar areas late at night, daytime is risky enough.
Shopping malls are reasonably safe with security guards at all entrances
who lightly frisk all visitors on entering the premises. Carry only the
amount of money you need for the occasion, keep your wallet/purse and credit
cards close to hand.
The same rules apply to your home and if you must have large sums of money in the home it will pay to invest in a quality fire safe. As in many places around the globe burglaries seem to be on the increase, not so much in gated and guarded subdivisions, but there is still a need to guard your property.
There are those who employ a 24/7 armed guard service for their home protection and have a killer dog or two thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, I do not have enough money for it to be protected in this manner and if I did it wouldn't be left lying around the house. Most Filipino homes have dogs who bark relentlessly at anyone passing the property. No notice is taken of these barking pests by the owners and I often wonder what purpose they serve, unless it is to warn any prospective intruder of their presence. The majority of these poor mutts are tied up most, if not all, of the day, not exercised and are only there to bark.
For added protection against break-ins a not too costly security system
can be purchased and easily installed. Motion detector systems are very
effective which incorporate door and window alarms. As long as the weakest
points of entry are protected these systems should be sufficient. The addition
of a family dog, not one which is cruelly tied up all day, is also a deterrent
against would-be thieves as any family dog will automatically protect the
home and its occupants.
With unemployment high and much of the population poorly educated there is a plentiful supply of domestic helpers. Depending on the size of your house, you may only require a maid which can be either live-in or out. Most properties have a small maid's quarters, some with their own bathroom. The average monthly salary of a maid is around P2000 for a six day week with Sunday's being the preferred rest day of helpers.
If your house is larger than average you may want to consider hiring a houseboy who will do the heavier jobs around the home, such as keeping your terraces/lanais clean, tend the garden, clean windows, wash the car and generally help around the house. A houseboy's salary is between P1000 and P1500 per month.
If you are like me and detest driving in the Philippines and wish to keep your sanity you may want to consider hiring a full time driver/handyman/general helper. It would be uneconomical to hire just a driver as they would probably sleep most of the day when you are not using the car. Drivers' salaries usually start at around P4500 per month. It is essential the prospective driver be given a road test first. After 10/15 minutes you should have an idea of his competency. It may be an idea to have him tested for drugs, after all your life will be in his hands. If he refuses, you know what to do. A drug test is quick and cheap, with the results available within a few minutes. Also, it may be an idea to have him checked out by the National Bureau of Information (NBI) who will advise of any wrong doings of the past.
Live-in helpers are provided with 3 meals a day and 2 snack breaks. Live-out's are provided with 1 main meal and 2 snack breaks.
Once you have good staff, life becomes very pleasant. But it may take some time to get there. Don't be surprised if your maid tells you she is leaving the next day for any amount of reasons and without notice.
We have used agencies in the past to find staff and found they were more interested in obtaining their commission than offering the right candidate. Perhaps we didn't find the more professional agency. Our last helpers were found by asking around, word of mouth moves very quickly here.
Whilst we treat our helpers with courtesy, respect and as family we do make it clear from day one that we are firm, but fair. Do not tolerate any kind of theft including food. Do not pay salaries in advance and if you loan any money, make sure a record is made and signed by the borrower and that you ensure the loan is repaid. Keep a record of salary payments and get the employees to sign for their money each time paid.
Some employers buy uniforms for their staff, personally, I find that a little too formal, unless of course you want to treat and show off your helpers as 'servants'.
Finally, you may find a high turnover with helpers; we are currently on
our 8th maid in three years. We've had countless houseboys. Maybe it's because
of my wife, who having lived in England for several years and expects a
high standard of cleanliness and is not happy to accept a lower standard.
Thankfully, my driver has been with me for almost 2 years and is very adept
at fixing things in and around the house.
Telephone: There are two major phone companies, PLDT and Globe/Innove and
a number of mobile phone service providers. Land line suppliers do not charge
for local calls with long distant calls reasonably priced, overseas calls
are quite expensive. Normally there is no connection charge and the monthly
service fee is around P500 plus long distance and overseas calls. In most
subdivisions there should be no problem in being connected, but there are
some areas where there could be no service.
The Philippines is considered the texting capital of the word where people
are continually texting, even when walking down the street.
DSL, euphemistically called Broadband, is available from the two land line
providers with speeds of up to 500 kbps, but the speed often drops during
peak usage hours. The earthquake in the Taiwan area at the end of 2006 caused
havoc because of damage to undersea cables slowing the system down considerably
for almost 2 months. The service fee for DSL can be up to P1,000 per month.
There are wireless DSL providers that are becoming popular simply because
it is not subject to telephone problems and no telephone line is needed.
I had Globe’s DSL service disconnected after many problems and signed
up to SmartBro wireless DSL which is reliable. Globe has continued to charge
me the monthly DSL charge even though the service is no longer connected.
The postal service in this country is a very antiquated, unreliable, riddled
with the theft of letters and packages and extremely slow. A bank statement
posted in late April was received at the Lapu-Lapu, Cebu post office on
9 May, it sat there for 47 days before being delivered. Many letters to
and from abroad do go missing. Cheques sent by post are sometimes stolen
and en-cashed by the thieves seemingly with the connivance of bank personnel.
It is most unwise to send anything of value through the post. Most companies
use messengers and bank statements are usually collected from the bank.
There are no post boxes as in other countries where one can drop off a letter,
if a letter has to posted it has to be taken to the post office.
Post offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
There are numerous banks in this country and banking is pretty efficient. There is no standing order or direct debit service provided by the banks. Usually one can pay electricity, telephone bills etc. via the bank or on-line. Many people use ATM machines to avoid visiting their bank and long queues, depending on the time of day and location.
You may be looking for a bank to receive payments from abroad such as pensions
and annuities. I had an account in England with HSBC, but had to transfer
to an offshore branch because the UK bank who offers Internet banking facilities
could not, for some unexplained reason, provide an Internet banking service
to the Philippines. An HSBC sterling account was opened in Cebu for the
purpose of receiving my pension payments.
A minimum maintained balance of GBP1,000 per month is required. The offshore
account started off by requiring GBP1,000 minimum balance which was increased
by 500% to GBP5,000 and a year later was further increased by 500% to GBP25,000
an overall increase of 2500% in three years. I was charged GBP20 per month
because I cannot afford to lend them GBP25,000.
I applied to Citibank London for a current account in mid December. I really
wanted a savings account with Internet access but the website was not clear
if this was possible. I had tried using its "Feedback" service
on its webpage requesting details, I sent 2 messages both of which were
ignored. I applied on-line and have to say I've never encountered such an
inefficient bank. After 3 months I was finally told I was not eligible because
I lived in a foreign country which it knew when I applied in the middle
of December. Anyone with half a brain should have spotted I lived in the
Philippines and advised me by email within 24 hours. Its Bombay Call Centre
in my view is useless, I was told during one of many expensive calls to
Bombay that I couldn't open a current account but could definitely open
a savings account which, as most of the information received from them,
turned out to be incorrect.
After spending money, time and much frustration with Citibank I found Bradford
& Bingley International (BBI) in Douglas, Isle of Man on the Net and
who offer high interest savings accounts for ex-pats. I am pleased to report
that a savings account with a minimum balance of GBP1,000 was opened. And
it must be said, BBI's Isle of Man call centre is the most efficient and
courteous I have ever had the pleasure on contacting. Emails are answered
within 2 working days, unlike some offshore banks who take 4 or 5 days.
You may read my letter to Citibank here.
A word of warning: As the guaranteed amount one can claim if a bank goes down is only P250,000 it would be unwise to keep more than that amount in one bank account.
Banking hours are from 9:00am until 3:00pm. Banks do not open Saturdays.
Public transport comes in many modes including the famous Jeepny based
on the American WW2 jeep. The larger models can carry up to 30 passengers,
the smaller version called the multi-cab, carries up to 15. The Trike, a
motor cycle combination with a covered sidecar which can carry around 6
persons.
The Tricicab, a peddle cycle with a sidecar, the slowest form of transport.
Fares vary depending on the distance traveled, nevertheless it is very cheap
and short journeys cost just a few pesos. None of the above is comfortable
especially for the portly and retired foreigner.
The V Hire, a small air conditioned passenger van, which can carry up to
15 people and usually used to travel to and from shopping malls from various
points in Cebu and Mactan.
The air conditioned Taxi is by far the most comfortable and very affordable.
They are plentiful and most cab drivers are honest, but there are the few
who do not like using their meters even though it is illegal not to do so.
They tend to quote double the going rate for a journey or quote in US dollars.
If a driver refuses to use his meter please do not use his cab, there are
plenty more around and the practice should be discouraged.
The private motorcar: this is naturally the most convenient form of transport,
but driving in this country is totally different to most of Europe and the
States. Highway Code? There isn't one. There appears to be no rules, just
one big free-for-all. Some ex pats employ drivers to avoid the stress and
strain and to stay sane.
There are many medical facilities in the Philippines, some world class
hospitals and clinics that are fast and efficient are to be found in the
major cities. Facilities in most provinces are very basic and do not offer
the expertise of the city hospitals.
The cost of medical treatment and consultations is very reasonable compared
to other parts of the world and there is very little waiting times with
the results of tests normally available the next day, sometimes the same
day. The medical care industry is a business and therefore needs to make
profits, it would be advisable to obtain a second opinion and estimate for
any serious ailments. Drugs in this country are very expensive compared
to the rest of Asia.
Dental treatment is very reasonable compared to the west with many dentists to choose from.
Top of the PageThere are countless bars in the Cebu area many run by foreigners where many ex-pats congregate where one can play pool, watch the sports channels etc. There are also discos, jazz clubs, bars for the boys, cinemas and of course the dreaded karaoke establishment for the terminally tone deaf. Island hopping is a popular daytime event and the pump boats of all sizes can be hired at reasonable rates that include the driver. Scuba diving and diving schools are popular on Mactan Island with its many fine diving sights. There are many restaurants of different styles and themes that cater for most foreigners. Television: It is essential to have cable or satellite TV of which there a number of suppliers. I will not comment on local TV programmes and leave you to judge for yourselves. Cable and satellite packages are much cheaper than the western world. Don't worry if you miss a particular movie you wanted to watch, it will come back again, and again, and again. If you are into blood sports you will enjoy the nation's number one so called sport, cock fighting.
The cost of living has increased significantly over the last few years, made worse by the currently very strong peso against western currencies which has reduced their value by up to 20%. For the average ex-pat it is still reasonable to live here compared to say England. Whilst local food is quite cheap imported is expensive and more a on a par with what you would pay in the country of origin. Certain products are not available much to my dismay, such as quality bread, proper bacon, English sausages, North Sea fish, plus many other items. Drugs, the legal ones, are the most expensive in Asia second to Japan. If you are smoker you can smoke yourself to death for less money. Cigarettes can be bought from around GBP0.20/US$0.40 for a pack 20. Alcohol cost is also a fraction of developed countries. Electricity is expensive second only to Japan. Gas (LPG) used for cooking has become very expensive to the locals but to an Ex-Pat it is reasonable. The ever increasing oil prices have seen gasoline almost double from 4 years ago. Water too, is much lower compared to the west. House rentals vary depending on the size of the house. For a small 3 bedroom house in a gated subdivision you could expect to pay P25-30,000 per month. A 4 bedroom house, anything from P40,000 upwards.
Cebu has 2 very large shopping malls, SM & Ayala super malls, both
offer a wide variety of products including supermarkets and many eating
houses. Phrases you will hear on a daily basis are: "Out of stock",
"Sorry sir, no stock". It remains one of the world's great mysteries
that stores and supermarkets can at times be out of stock of the most basic
of items. Mactan has an SM supermarket at the Marina Mall (close to the
airport) which also contains many other various retail outlets and food
stalls. There is also a large department store which sells just about everything
which too has food outlets. Cebu can satisfy the most serious shopaholic.