# Dumaguete?



## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Is there anyone who can give me some feedback and cost details of living in Dumaguete? I am told it is very livable and I am nearing the time to make a decision.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Living in Dumaguete*



mogo51 said:


> Is there anyone who can give me some feedback and cost details of living in Dumaguete? I am told it is very livable and I am nearing the time to make a decision.


I just spoke with my wife and she told me that the Island of Dumaguete is nice and is a nice place to live. It is also close to the Island of Cebu. There should be several websites that will give you much information about the island.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Dumaguete is the provincial capital of ***** Oriental. I've been there many time as my wife is from the area. It's a nice place but getting overcrowded with expats. This has the effect of making it more expensive and also starts to eventually draw in the the less desireables. It's starting to happen a bit with Subic where a high density of rich expats look easy pickings.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

mogo51 said:


> Is there anyone who can give me some feedback and cost details of living in Dumaguete? I am told it is very livable and I am nearing the time to make a decision.


Thanks Jim,,
I have been told it is quite nice and many expats there. There has been some negatives about the expats increasing, but that does not worry me all that much.
I am now to and fro from Pattaya Thailand which is full of expats and I like to mix and meet people from my and other countries.
I notice you live in General Trias and this is an area that is of interest also. What is it like there? Infrastructure, safety living costs etc. 
My gf is from northern Luzon but the south interests me much more.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*General Trias*



mogo51 said:


> Thanks Jim,,
> I have been told it is quite nice and many expats there. There has been some negatives about the expats increasing, but that does not worry me all that much.
> I am now to and fro from Pattaya Thailand which is full of expats and I like to mix and meet people from my and other countries.
> I notice you live in General Trias and this is an area that is of interest also. What is it like there? Infrastructure, safety living costs etc.
> My gf is from northern Luzon but the south interests me much more.


General Trias is a decent place to live, especially if you live in one of the gated communities. It really depends on which Barangay you live in. There are several other communities that are nice as well, Bacoor, Dasmarinas, Imus, etc., and you have access to just about everything and can get just about anything you need without having to go all the way to Manila which is about 2 hours away. True there can be problems with traffic, etc., but that happens. There is a beach resort in Tanza, General Trias even has several hotel/resorts. The cost of living here is fairly inexpensive and it depends on the type of housing you have. You can also have air conditioning if you wish. We have a small 1 bedroom house with a very nice patio and very good ventilation on that patio. Because we live on a slight incline we have never had a problem with flooding, even during a typhoon.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Thank you for your reply. From the time I have spent looking at options, gated communities on the larger islands eg. Luzon seems to be the right option. So you are near the sea there? You bungalow sounds very cozy. I assume two b/r are available? What costings to purchase/rent, could you give me a guideline.
When you say cost of living oik, would you say $12-1400 US month would be enough? We live quite modeslty, but like a night or two out a week to a cheap but nice restaurant, I enjoy a few beers 3/4 days a week. Rest of time happy to be home with cable tv, home meals etc, also like a walk along a promenade or beach once in awhile?


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I went to Gen Trias many years ago to get a copy of my wife's birth certificate. Yes she is from Dumaguete but she was born in Gen Trias. Her father was military so they moved around. From what I recall the journey from Manila was not too arduous and Gen Trias seemed a nice place. I think it has been much developed over the years since then.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Cost of Living*



mogo51 said:


> Thank you for your reply. From the time I have spent looking at options, gated communities on the larger islands eg. Luzon seems to be the right option. So you are near the sea there? You bungalow sounds very cozy. I assume two b/r are available? What costings to purchase/rent, could you give me a guideline.
> When you say cost of living oik, would you say $12-1400 US month would be enough? We live quite modeslty, but like a night or two out a week to a cheap but nice restaurant, I enjoy a few beers 3/4 days a week. Rest of time happy to be home with cable tv, home meals etc, also like a walk along a promenade or beach once in awhile?


Our rented house is 40SQM made of cement filled cinder blocks on a concrete slab and we have a tin roof over our hard plastic shingle roof. The average rental for a 1 bedroom house is about 3,000 Pesos a month or about $75US. As far as buying a house, including land, you must be married to a Filipina as, according to Philippine law, only a Filipino can own land in the Philippines, a foreigner, married to that Filipina can own the building that sits on said land. You can buy a condo but you can't buy the land that the condo sits on. If available, beachfront property may be rentable and if you are married to said Filipina, beachfront property can be purchased, in her name but like anywhere, beachfront property in the Philippines is expensive. Cost of a house will depend on how large it is, the bigger the house, the higher the cost. In most places you can't build outward but you can build upward.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Thanks again for reply, it is the same in Thailand where I have been back and forth for 5 years.
My gf is Philippine and we have been together in Thailand (where she teaches) for 2 years. So we an buy in her name and I will have a 25 year lease, do you know if this is possible?
It is a safeguard that many foreigners use in Thailand to protect their interests.
Would double your rent be about the price of a 2 b/room? My budget is about 10k pesos a month so assume we should be able to find something quite nice for that price?Are you within easy access to the beach, not necessarily overlooking it, but within walking distance?
Is the 1500 UASD a reasonable figure to live on. Sorry if I am annoying you?


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

mogo51 said:


> Thanks again for reply, it is the same in Thailand where I have been back and forth for 5 years.
> My gf is Philippine and we have been together in Thailand (where she teaches) for 2 years. So we an buy in her name and I will have a 25 year lease, do you know if this is possible?
> It is a safeguard that many foreigners use in Thailand to protect their interests.
> Would double your rent be about the price of a 2 b/room? My budget is about 10k pesos a month so assume we should be able to find something quite nice for that price?Are you within easy access to the beach, not necessarily overlooking it, but within walking distance?
> Is the 1500 UASD a reasonable figure to live on. Sorry if I am annoying you?


1500 UASD should be quite comfortable although no safety margin. The family code forbids any foriegner from having control over land so leasing from your girlfriend could be a bit shaky legally. Also if she became your wife you would be considered a single entity and you certainly can't lease from yourself. It's best to forget about trying to protect any land, it's just not going to happen. And if anyone says otherwise it's either a scam or they are deluded.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Understand, so it looks like a Condo is the answer, are there any in the area you live, again near the beach/water. I trust my gf but have seen far too many bad results in Thailand to put my neck out, if you understand what I mean.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

lastyle7 said:


> In all seriousness what can you expect for 3k pesos per month?
> 
> I can imagine old and bugs.


I am not sure that is an appropriate reply. It is a small house, I live in a condo 50% larger, but just perhaps that is large enough for what they need to be happy.
I am assuming an expat has certain cleaniliness standards. I have found their domestic habits beyond reproach, cleanliness to the extreme. Not to mention their manners and respect. 
I am sure you meant no disrespect.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

mogo51 said:


> Understand, so it looks like a Condo is the answer, are there any in the area you live, again near the beach/water. I trust my gf but have seen far too many bad results in Thailand to put my neck out, if you understand what I mean.


A condo in the Subic freeport would seem to tick all of the boxes


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

yes I have read quite a bit a bit on the Subic Freeport but from what I can see, it is extremely expensive by Phil terms. I have been to Angeles several times and it is like Pattaya in Thailand.
I was hoping to get away a bit from that type of living, but you are correct, the utilities etc are far superior.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

mogo51 said:


> yes I have read quite a bit a bit on the Subic Freeport but from what I can see, it is extremely expensive by Phil terms. I have been to Angeles several times and it is like Pattaya in Thailand.
> I was hoping to get away a bit from that type of living, but you are correct, the utilities etc are far superior.


The Subic base is about as opposite to Angeles/Pattaya as you can get.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

sorry my poor writings, I was referring to the expat factor, I also went into the Freeport and of course your are right. I was quite impressed with the cleanliness and order in the place there.
My main problem as I see it, is the cost of accommodation.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

One thing one must always consider is that here in the Philippines, medical costs can be very expensive and if you don't have the funds to cover that, your lunch can get eaten up fast. One of the biggest gripes here is with over 600,000 US Citizens living in the Philippines, none of us who are on a pension has the ability to use Medicare, we have to depend on what our spouses are able to get with the use of PhilHealth. You have to save money for any emergency, especially a medical emergency because should you have to be admitted to a hospital, they will want at least one month's pension to treat you. This can be very hard on you, especially if you are not ex-military. Many of us don't have the funds to fly to Guam for treatment, especially, should one qualify for Medicare, Medicare won't even look at your case unless you have paid $2,000US deductible out of your pocket and anything you do in the Philippines as far as medical costs or claims doesn't count. A good rule to thumb to go by is to take your pension money, use 75% of it to live on and save the rest. If you don't save it, it could be used for fun but it is better to save as much of that 25% as you can. It can and will make a difference.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Yes Jim very good posting and I have a back up for medical but will also include some savings there in the monthly budget. I was sick on one occasion at Angeles and went to the local hospital. The treatment I received was extremely good and cheap, but I did not require hospitalisation and that is a totally different situation.
Medical is also a nightmare in Aussie.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

mogo51 said:


> I was sick on one occasion at Angeles and went to the local hospital. The treatment I received was extremely good and cheapQUOTE]
> 
> I dislocated my shoulder and sprained an ankle in Angeles, ER visit with Xrays ran me 1000P. Paranoid me had to have a US dr check me out when I got home, $300+ to tell me the same thing the PI dr did.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

You know I dont think it matters where you come from or what country, good medical care is a bit of a lottery.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

So far I have been very lucky, I have been hospitalized 3 or 4 times in the last 5 years while living in Gen. Trias, I have a very good lady doctor who is a good GP and there are very good quality specialists at the hospital where I receive my medical care. My wife, on the other hand, can go to a medical center and the cost is free because she is a Filipino. If either of us had to be admitted to a hospital, PhilHealth will help with the cost of that. I have to take 6 kinds of meds on a daily basis and whenever I have a checkup to be done, I get blood work done and from the results of this, my doctor can adjust any meds accordingly. My wife hates taking medicine, hates doctors, hospitals, etc., and is very reluctant to receive any kind of medical care or treatment even when she needs it. I tell her that it is worth the cost of the medical care because the doctor can diagnose any problem she may have and give her the proper treatment or refer her to a specialist. This was very appropriate when she had an accident during the time she went home to visit her family. I won't go into any details here but she lost part of her left middle finger, up to the first knuckle in an accident while visiting there. She is OK now and can return to her work as a caregiver.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

I think that is quite common with Filipinos as my gf is exactly the same, will not take medications but I suppose that is her choice. But I have never met a more caring and loving person in my life.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Health Care*



mogo51 said:


> I think that is quite common with Filipinos as my gf is exactly the same, will not take medications but I suppose that is her choice. But I have never met a more caring and loving person in my life.


I agree, you, like me, are very lucky. My wife is very loving and caring and will do for others before she does for herself. She is Bisaya and they do have certain beliefs and ideas about things that other Filipinos don't have or use. My wife has also learned that she just cannot trust everyone and if anyone ever cause her to lose her trust in them, that have lost it forever and they can never go back to where they were before they took away that trust.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

JimnNila143 said:


> I agree, you, like me, are very lucky. My wife is very loving and caring and will do for others before she does for herself. She is Bisaya and they do have certain beliefs and ideas about things that other Filipinos don't have or use. My wife has also learned that she just cannot trust everyone and if anyone ever cause her to lose her trust in them, that have lost it forever and they can never go back to where they were before they took away that trust.


My gf is from Nth Luzon and has a teaching degree in Maths/English. Speaks excellent English and is very sensible, honest, trustworthy etc no doubt the same as your wife. She is still married so marriage is not an option for us, as divorce is so expensive there.
So we have to work with what we have and as she is teaching in Thailand (put her 3 children through Uni herself) and the last one is just about finished. Then we can decide where we will hang our hat. Cannot see the point in living in Thailand as we are both foreigners then and she cannot see her children, grandchildren when they come along etc. 
But after 3 western Aussie marriages, there is no comparison, I have never had such a loving and caring person take care of me like she does - as I said, just so lucky, we are at one on that.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

JimnNila143 said:


> I agree, you, like me, are very lucky. My wife is very loving and caring and will do for others before she does for herself. She is Bisaya and they do have certain beliefs and ideas about things that other Filipinos don't have or use. My wife has also learned that she just cannot trust everyone and if anyone ever cause her to lose her trust in them, that have lost it forever and they can never go back to where they were before they took away that trust.


That's a Bisayan girl for you! Been married to mine 30 yrs and finally convinced her if she takes the full medication regimen that's prescribed it works. lol


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Amen to that!!!


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## HondaGuy (Aug 6, 2012)

There is an American Expat living in Dumaguete who posts videos to Youtube.
Many of them are geared toward guys who have never been to the Philippines before, but others (like where the Immigration office is located) are good for all expats:

LifeBeyondTheSea - Philippines - YouTube


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