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A fixer is a response to the extreme inefficiency of some government offices. I call it the window syndrome. You go into the office and head to window #1. You explain your business and get a number ticket. You sit down and wait to be called. After 30 minutes you get called and go to window #2. You get the form you need to fill out. You wait until your number is called. After 30 minutes you get called and go to window #3. The staff checks your form and tells you what needs to be fixed. You go back to your seat and wait for your name to be called. After 30 minutes your name is called and you go to the cashier window. You pay the fee and get a receipt. You go back to your seat. After 30 minutes your name is called and you go to window #4. You submit the form and show the receipt. You go back to your seat. After 1 hour you go to window #5, get the final documents, and check that nothing is wrong. That's how the whole thing takes 3 hours. The alternative is this. You go to a fixer, fill out the form, and pay the express fee. You watch the official pocket their share of the express fee and go back to the office. They tell you to sit down and wait until the cashier calls your name. After 5 minutes you go to the cashier and pay the actual fee. You sit down and wait for your name to be called. After 10 minutes you go to window #5 and get your processed documents. It takes about 20 minutes in total.

"My value is absolute. I won't answer to the demands of insignificant beings."

Took 15 minutes.

I'm not saying the others here are wrong, but I'd advise you to contact the Bureau of Immigration directly for an accurate answer. You have a 15-day departure order. Nobody here can give you a definite answer. Don't take the risk!

The key is consistency. Don't stop when you can go. That way everyone can predict your movements.

For what it's worth, a Filipino can also be an expat.

I've always been a lone wolf type, so I had no loneliness problem until I turned 50. Then I met the woman of my dreams, the answer to all my prayers. We built a big house, and her two younger sisters, her mother, and my brother-in-law live with us. Another sister and several nieces and nephews live just a few steps away. I'm surrounded by family, and I've made friends with a few neighbors, including the bakery owner two houses down from the gate, and some street vendors who make the best barbecue skewers every night from 5 to 9. Fruit sellers stop by our house to show off fresh bananas, mangoes, lanzones, and fresh bukō. Especially after sunset, there's never a shortage of people to talk to. My brother-in-law runs a sari-sari store in a shop he built in front of our house. I really love sitting out front with a cold San Miguel or Red Horse, chatting with the neighbors.

That woman seems to be flirting with that guy. If she didn't want it, she would have twisted the towel into a rope already. Ouch.

Register with the VA FMP (Foreign Medical Program). You'll receive a letter from the VA listing your service-connected conditions. Some hospitals and clinics will accept that letter and bill the VA for you. If they won't, you can pay up front and then submit a reimbursement claim to the VA. TriCare Overseas covers anything not related to your military service. Same deal there: you pay first and file for reimbursement later. You'll need to cancel your TriCare Prime enrollment in the US and enroll in TriCare Overseas instead.

No way it's 500 a month... someone's lying. You need at least $1,500 to live decently even in the provinces. In the city, to live properly you should budget $2,500 a month.

Found the only wrong answer

The three most expensive ways to send money are Xoom, Western Union, and WorldRemit. Most foreigners use Wise, and then Remitly comes next, since their exchange rates are better.

🤔 Just so you know before you go… I really love living in the Philippines, and I'm only saying this as a reference… Don't even think about moving there until you've lived there for at least 3 months. It's totally different from what you imagine. It's a developing country. You can't know what that means until you experience it. Yes, there are beautiful places, but most of them are nearly impossible to get to, and that's just a small part of daily life. Also, every island floods often. Foreigners can't own land. Be careful. There have been real cases where someone bought land, then their partner kicked them out and took the land. You can own a condo, but renting is usually the best option. Even if you feel you've been wronged, there's no higher authority to appeal to, so just leave and chalk it up to experience. Medicare doesn't apply overseas. You need accident and medical insurance. Some people think the Manila VA hospital will treat them, but they're wrong. It's an outpatient clinic for military-related injuries and illnesses. In many cases, healthcare requires paying cash up front before admission, whether it's serious or not. Many places do this, but you can't choose where an accident or heart attack happens. Jeepney drivers take you to the nearest hospital or the one they work with. I know this from experience. If you have an accident, it's automatically assumed to be your fault, and you have to settle at the scene, so carry a lot of cash. Someone I know is in a hospital in Dumaguete right now, unconscious from a motorcycle accident. There are 25 beds in one room, mostly two people per bed. The hospital wants payment, but nobody knows how to access that person's bank account or ATM card. These are things we don't think about. He died after that. Ambulances are very rare, and traffic in most cities is terrible, so it takes a long time to reach the hospital. You also can't trust every doctor. One person was told by a doctor they needed open-heart surgery, but when they came back to the US and got a second opinion, they were told there was nothing wrong with their heart. If you need prescription drugs from the US, it will probably be difficult. Pharmacies have to send prescriptions with proper paperwork, and controlled substances and any prescription drugs mailed personally are strictly prohibited. Lawyers and bankers… be careful. They don't always act in your best interest, and there's nothing you can do about it. One foreigner bought a resort through his wife, only to find out the seller wasn't the actual owner of the property. There's a 'skin tax,' a foreigner tax, an extra charge that only applies to foreigners. They think you're rich, and compared to them, you really are. Most areas are suffocatingly hot and humid. Mail, electricity, internet, phone, and water go on and off, so you can't rely on them. They shut down power plants for maintenance every week. It's really noisy. Dogs barking, loud talking, roosters crowing all night since everyone keeps two of them, and karaoke blasting all night. That's just how it is there, so don't complain. You g…

You can't even afford that, so you're headed straight to the Soylent Green factory.

This guy's IQ is on the level of a street dog from inbreeding.

Why would anyone ship motorcycles here by boat? About 75% of vehicles here are motorcycles in one way or another. And the prices are also much cheaper than buying them abroad.

Fair enough, that was the most unexpectedly anticlimactic ending I've seen today.

Personally I'd rather read posts complaining about how bad things are here than posts like 'Can I live here on $1000?' or 'Can I date a 20-year-old?' or any of the 'my Filipina...' posts.

I left my bank accounts in the US. All three have debit cards. My Social Security goes directly into my account every month, and I withdraw cash with my ATM card when I need it. When I need a large amount of money, I send it from my account to my wife's bank account here using Remitly.