Digital Nomad in Philippines

I started my Digital Nomad journey in the Philippines back in 2015. I don't regret any second of it, but in the end I discovered I was missing a lot by staying in the PH.

A big joy of being a Digital Nomad is the freedom to travel, what I found in the PH were reasons to stay. Hospitality, adventure, and friendship. - So I did. ALOT.

On the surface, PH can be inexpensive or quite expensive depending on your lifestyle, what you wish to do and such. That sounds like a broad overstatement, and it really is.

English is widely used in the Philippines. You'll have no issue until you start going more south, into Mindanao or remote provinces. Places like Mindoro, which has Puerto Galera, English can become a bit tricky, but once you go south to Zambonga or to Baselin and such - yes English can be almost 0%. Danger also goes up.

Maximize potential - Create a homebase.

When I was new to the PH, I was booking airbnbs for weeks at a time, paying 3-5x the local rent rate. It's no secret that having a long term lease helps you reduce cost, increase runway - but places that rent for $300-400 a month, go on Airbnb for $1600/month easily, especially if they're tastefully furnished and have fiber internet. I highly suggsest to look at facebook marketplace and other sites for local rental rates. You'd be surprised at what condos go for. I was renting in BGC a "new" condo for $440 a month, barely 22K PHP. Parking for another 4K/month.

Furnished Condos is where the money pits are, I've never seen one that has "qualiy" furniture. From the photos, it looks acceptable, but quality is usually abysmal. I suggest looking for bare and furnishing it yourself.

New appliance purchases over a year or two make up the cost of buying it new, and if you sell within 2 years, you can recover 60% of the cost. So it's more like a rental.
Abenson, and malls are great for this. You can also ask for a cash price and that should reduce items by $20-80, 2-4k usually, if not more. A Fridge goes for about 10K. A washer machine about 10K, a TV goes from 10-40K depending on what size. For about 30K pesos, or $600 you can furnish your condo, with quality appliances and never worry about having a lazy landlord fix appliances OR used stuff. I suggest a surge protector on each outlet, but, the washer machine and fridge are super essential, the TV can and should probably wait.

Utilities

 Electricity in condos is usually handeled by the property, they'll bill you along the water. If it's an SMDC condo, you'd have a separate power bill that goes to the local merlaco. It's pretty pricy, I'd say minimum 3k a month to 5k. I suggest ceiling fans to minimize aircon use. (If you say A/C in PH, no one will understand you.)

I was paying approx 200php for water, 3.5k for electricity monthly alongside my 22k/month rent.

Internet is the hardest, you will need ID's. Globe/Smart. I'd suggest getting both and if you're lucky, also Converge. Internet is unreliable, 50mbps costs 2.5k/month minimum, 100mbps is 5-7k. You can purchase proper routers to combine both internet connections into one so you have ultimate fallback - that's what I did and it usually was successful enough.

Travel

There's so many places to go, but it's no fun if you go solo. I personally enjoy the historical places of the Philippines. I find it a great joy as well that I can teach/go on and on about historical events that filipinos don't know about, from Spanish-American War, WW2/Japan, and recent history w/ Marcos and Martial Law.

I'm not quite sure how or why I know all of these things, but I guess it's a bit uncommon. One goal I never did accomplish was the Bataan Nuclear Powerplant. You have to email a yahoo email address to get added to the schedule for a tour, and they always were booked. :(

I'll post about individual places where to go in the PH in other posts but in general.

Essentials:

Phone/Simcard:

Globe is the best cell phone provider, I'd highly suggest postpaid. 500P a month gives unlimited globe/smart calling and 16gb internet, really all you need. Prepaid works, but it always runs otu at the worst times.

Smart is faster, but has less coverage outside popular areas.

Banking:

HSBC/ BDO. They'll open accounts for Foreigners with ease, you just need an ACR and a Passport. BDO requires 5k peso deposit ususally, and HSBC wants 100,000 pesos. If you have a prexisting HSBC account, even better. Fees exist though.

HSBC will issue a checkbook, BDO will want you to wait a minimum of 6 months. A check book is needed to rent a place and issue PDC, post dated checks. People want PDC's because if you don't pay, they can charge you for estafa/fraud, because when presented for a report at the PNP, the check would then be valid and present dated. EVEN THOUGH all BANKS have warnings against issuing PDC's and say you CANT do them.

Shipping:
EMS via Philippines post works pretty well. No issues but it is expensive. DHL/UPS/FedeX also are around, but all carriers may try to inspect your package before you ship, meaning you can't prepack and drop off. You need to go to the place, and have them physically inspect it - it's a bore and a timesink.

There is also local domestic shippers, LBC is the best for this. Then there is instant, but that's mostly Grab, and Lalamove.

Where to Stay?

Makati, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Malate, Ermita, Oritgas, Pasig, Quezon City for NCR. More South and More North is more desolate, and probably not to a foreigners liking. These are the Manila CBD areas and fun.

When you want more space/lot/house/family, then Nuvali, Laguna, and such. Las Pinas is busy busy and traffic, and not so pleaseant. Bulacan is the new place to buy cheap houses/land, but it's far from everything.

more north or south is provinces, and not bad, but you'd be away from much of the fun of city life.

Cebu is great, but it's another island, Cebu City/Mactan is good, but then you also have Moalboal. It depends.

Clark/Pampanga/Angeles - cheap, night life, or did, cheap housing, talking about 10-15k/month, but not much to do.  

This is not where to explore, but where to make a homebase.

Groceries/Shopping

Clothes can be cheap or expensive, normally matching USA prices. Shoes are somehow expensive. Import tariff for shoes - nike/adidas and such is high, so costco tier nike shoes, that go for $40, will sell for $140 in PH.

Uniqlo is best value.  

Groceries also are expensive, while there is a Consumer Price Index that is maintained by the PSA - https://psa.gov.ph/ fruits and such are pricy in grocery stores. You should order directly from farmers or fruit stands. There's an app for that too - otherwise, you're paying 2-5x at a grocery store.

Grocery stores and malls are ususally 1:1. SM operates the most chains, and it's like stepping back into an 1980's grocery store. They also do have a return policy, unlike most stores in the PH. Prices for dairy/high shelf life items/meat are good, but fruits/vegetables can be almost double.

Especially if items are imported, like these California Strawberries. Philippines have local ones too, from Baguio, but they aren't as big as USA and the price is usually 50-70p/.5kg.

Meanwhile, places like S&R, which are a Costco/Samsclub copy are flourshing. It's  very popular for "bulk" purchases, or just buying Alcohol.

You will also have to get used to no dairy. Most of Philippine Milk production goes to coffee shops like Starbucks/Max Group. There is also bad logistics involving frozen products, reefer trucks and just not that many highways.

https://www.selectaphilippines.com/our-brands/selecta-supreme/selecta-supreme-cookies-cream-ice-cream-selecta-ice-cream.html

The ice cream also does not have cream/dairy, the first ingrident is always water.

STAY OR GO?

I enjoy the PH for what it is.

If you like food, eating out and such - you'd be disapointed in the Philippines. There are many dining options, but they're all with pinoy twists. Imagine hearing what a hamburger is supposed to look like, taste like, be like - but never having it, and chefs playing a game of telephone is what the eating out experience is like.

Filipinos make great burgers, zarks and 8cuts are great chains. But there is no truly authentic cultural food comparred to Thailand, Japan, China or Indonesia.

Filipinos will say Adobo, or Sinagang, or Lechon - but majority of dishes enjoyed by Filipinos are heavily Spanish inspired, if that, and are lacking. This is why there aren't any dedicated "Filipino" restaraunts around the world. You can find everywhere a Japanese Restaraunt, Thai or Chinese restaraunt. Even indonesian, but not Filipino. The food is bland, depressing and lacking.

What's worse also is Japanese chains in the PH, from Yoshinoya to PH franchises that sell Japanese food - they all offer it with "filipino twists" or filipino rice. It ruins the dish. It's ironic to see filipino families go dine out and sing how fantastic Japanese food is, but really just eat filipino food in a bento or tray. I bascially cook because of disapointing PH experiences, and while it's cheaper than western restaraunts, it's disapointing and a waste of money.

Drinking - it's good, cheap alcohol all around, and great places for live music, clubs and bars.

Adventure - Lots of things are off the beaten path, IG/Social media is bringing light to many provinces, and many do not have foreign tourists. It's great joy to be one in a truly remote place. History too.

Dating - I learned alot, I wouldn't mind marrying a Filipina. It is a commitment and I think they make great partners, they will follow you anywhere.

Opportunity - Make a business, or profit centers, easily. Capital costs are high, so high barrier of entry but that means no one can really enter your niche easily. Business permits and such are annoying but you can hire and outsource that work anyway. Wages at 20-25K are considered good and will get you employees. Going a bit more at 30-40K will mean they'll probably do most skilled work.

If you work in the Philippines and it's not because you have income from abroad, you're doing it wrong. There is so much opportunity, that if you can see it, you'll never make it.