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Where you stand in the Philippine income hierarchy

Ever wondered where you'd rank compared with Filipino families? Below is monthly income for a family of five (about ₱62.90 to the dollar).

Poor: under ₱14,634 ($233). 6.4% of all households.

Low income (not poor): ₱14,634 to ₱29,268 ($233 to $465). About 38%.

Lower middle: ₱29,268 to ₱58,536 ($465 to $931). About 34%.

Middle: ₱58,536 to ₱102,438 ($931 to $1,629). About 19% for middle and upper middle combined.

Upper middle: ₱102,438 to ₱175,608 ($1,629 to $2,792). Included in the figure above.

Upper (not rich): ₱175,608 to ₱292,680 ($2,792 to $4,653). About 1.6%.

Rich: ₱292,680 and up ($4,653 and up). About 0.6%.

The brackets are multiples (1x, 2x, 4x, 7x, 12x, 20x) of the 2025 poverty line of ₱14,634 for a family of five. The poor share is the 2025 PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) figure, and the other shares are estimates, since the 2025 breakdown by bracket hasn't been released yet. The exchange rate is the October 8 close.

Cool technique

Hi! Which US carrier gets better connectivity if I want to keep it while living in the Philippines? (I need it for bank verification codes) Thanks

Are Grab drivers on drugs?

I've noticed a lot of Grab drivers have runny noses and sniffle a lot. Are they sick, or are they on meth?

Ahh, heaven.

Taguig Police "Hulidap" Video Goes Viral — Five Officers Relieved of Duty

📌 On Tuesday, October 6, a video went viral showing a 24-year-old man being nearly taken away in handcuffs by plainclothes police officers in Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, Metro Manila, raising suspicions of "hulidap" (extortion disguised as an arrest). The Philippine National Police (PNP) relieved five officers, including four officers involved and the station commander, and launched an investigation.

■ Incident Details
· According to the man's family, after taking his girlfriend home, he was on his way to a nearby store when men who identified themselves as police told him he was a member of a robbery gang, and he was nearly taken away in handcuffs.
· When the man resisted and called for help, residents came forward, and the officers left the scene.
· The officers claimed they had been dispatched after a report of someone smoking marijuana, and that they withdrew when residents gathered as they tried to make an arrest.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· PNP spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co said on Thursday, October 9, that four officers in plainclothes, along with the station commander, five in total, had been relieved of duty to ensure a fair investigation.
· On Sunday, October 11, PNP Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to investigate possible abuse of authority and procedural violations. Relieving officers of duty is an administrative measure, and no wrongdoing has been confirmed yet.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· If someone in plainclothes claiming to be police attempts to take you away, ask to see their ID and unit affiliation, and call loudly for help from those nearby.
· If possible, record the situation or immediately notify family or friends, and request verification through the police emergency number 911.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/9), Daily Tribune (10/11), Philstar (10/12)

Bike rush

New sticker

I'd like some feedback on the research I've done so far on health insurance options for Americans living long-term in the Philippines — with coverage for trips around Southeast Asia and the occasional visit back to the US.

From what I've found, Cigna Global and Allianz are the two heavyweights, with Pacific Cross close behind.

For Americans in particular, Cigna Global seems like the best fit. It's a well-established, reliable US company with a broad network, and (as a bonus) adding temporary US coverage for short visits Stateside is reportedly very easy. (As far as I know, not so with Allianz.)

For Americans on Medicare, people say keeping Part B is a very smart move, because the penalties for re-enrolling are steep (if you have to go back to the US for whatever reason).

What about PhilHealth? For those of you who actually use it, is it worth paying extra?

Just FYI, I have no financial ties to any of these companies. I'm simply checking whether my research holds up.

Does keeping data on here absolutely drain your phone battery?

I'm asking in case it's just me, but doesn't leaving your phone data on completely melt the battery? Even when I'm not using it and it's just sitting in my pocket, it seems to lose almost 10% an hour. When I actually use it, half the battery is gone in a couple of hours just from reading. If I turn data off and only keep cell signal, it still drains more than it did in other countries, but not by much.

To be honest, I do have a US number through Tello, but I set it up following Tello's instructions so it doesn't look for local cell towers and only gets texts and calls over the internet. Even so, unless the signal is really strong (which isn't often in Metro Manila), the battery drain seems to keep happening.

So what I do is basically keep my phone in airplane mode 24/7 and only switch it off the occasional time I need data. My carrier is Globe, which I've heard secondhand has somewhat better service.

Hi everyone..I'm new here and looking into the possibility of retiring there..First question of the day..Are medication prices there comparable to Canadian prices..??..I'd be grateful for any replies..

New Clark City Worker Housing Plan to Enable Walk-to-Work Living — BCDA and Pag-IBIG Fund Agreement

📌 On Thursday, October 8, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Pag-IBIG Fund signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to build worker housing on about 14 hectares in New Clark City. The project is planned as a "walk-to-work" residential community where people live close to their workplaces, but the construction start, selling prices, and number of units have not yet been announced.

■ What Will Change
· This is one of the components of the government's housing program "Expanded 4PH (Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino)," in which Pag-IBIG housing loans will be tied to land owned by BCDA.
· The plan is to include commercial facilities and leisure spaces within the residential community to reduce commuting costs and travel time.
· The first phase of 14 hectares consists of 10 hectares of residential land in Barangay Bamban, Tarlac, and 4 hectares of land for a government center and support facilities in Capas, Tarlac.
· The signing ceremony was held at the BCDA office in Taguig City.
· Other candidate sites mentioned were Camp John Hay, Morong Discovery Park, and the Poro Point Freeport Zone.

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· Since the project is still at the agreement stage, the application process, prices, and move-in timeline have not been decided. If you are interested, wait for official announcements from the Pag-IBIG Fund.
· If you work in Clark or New Clark City, it is worth keeping an eye on the detailed plans as they come out.

■ Sources
Daily Tribune (10/9), Pampanga News Now (10/10) — The date and location of the signing and the composition of the Bamban and Capas sites were confirmed by Daily Tribune only

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I'd like to ask about my husband's Annual Report for his 13A permanent residency.

We're currently in the US for medical reasons, and we plan to go back to the Philippines around January or February. Since we need to come back to the US as soon as possible, how many days does my husband have to stay in the Philippines after completing his Annual Report before he can return to the US?

We'd really appreciate any advice or information about the required stay and any other immigration requirements he needs to complete before leaving. Thank you so much!

Hood Pass Unlocked

Gotta make that bus

A teacher making the students focus in class

How did you all get your apostilled FBI background checks and get them to the Philippine consulate here in the US? It sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through.

Drugs worth 40 million pesos found hidden in 8 overseas parcels at NAIA mail center — Shabu, cocaine, ketamine, etc.

📌 On Friday, October 9, at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City, suspected shabu, cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, and marijuana hidden inside 8 parcels coming from abroad were intercepted. The estimated street value varies by report, at approximately 44.28 million pesos according to the PNP announcement and about 43.76 million pesos according to Philstar, and no arrests have been reported.

■ Incident Details
· The NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) seized 8 overseas parcels at the mail processing facility on Domestic Road, Pasay City. Philstar reported that the parcels were in an abandoned state.
· Seized items: approx. 5.2kg of suspected shabu, 1,047g of marijuana (kush), 261g of cocaine, 1,001g of ketamine, and 482 pieces of ecstasy.
· According to Philstar, the parcels were sent from Mexico, Canada, India, the UK, Thailand, Malaysia, and Belgium, and were addressed to recipients in Cavite, Tarlac, and Laguna.

■ Investigation & Current Status
· The total street value differs depending on the report — 44,281,000 pesos per the PNP announcement, and approx. 43.76 million pesos per Philstar.
· According to Philstar, the operation was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the PNP Aviation Security Group.

■ Notes for Residents & Travelers
· Do not accept overseas parcels asked to be received on behalf of strangers or people met online. Being listed as the recipient can make you a subject of investigation.
· If you receive a notice for a parcel arriving under your name and address that you did not order, do not accept it and check the sender first.

■ Sources
Pampanga Police Provincial Office (Official Facebook, PNP announcement, 10/11), Philstar (10/11)

I have a question about US income tax when you're retired and receiving Social Security plus whatever is in your retirement plans.
How do you file your tax return? Do you even need to file at all? I've never seen any videos on this topic.

Hello everyone
I'm 60 years old and live in America
I have pre-existing health conditions.
I'm looking for good private health insurance that covers Southeast Asian countries.
Please let me know which good insurance companies will take care of hospital bills when needed
I enjoy reading your comments
They're extremely helpful
Thank you