Greetings from South Africa, everyone. I'm thinking about relocating to Dumaguete. I'm 75 and single, and I'm healthy…

🤔 Before you go, know this... I really love living in the Philippines, this is just for your information... Don't even think about moving here until you've lived here at least 3 months. It's nothing like what you imagine. You won't know what a developing country really means until you've experienced it. Yes, there are many beautiful places, but most are nearly impossible to get to, and that's only a tiny part of what living here is like. And flooding is common on every island. Foreigners can't own land. Be careful. You could buy land and she could kick you off and take it. It really happens. You can own a condo, but renting is usually best. If you get wronged, there's no higher authority to appeal to. If you feel you've been had, just leave and chalk it up as an experience. Medicare doesn't apply overseas. You need accident and medical insurance. Some people think the VA hospital in Manila will treat them, but they're wrong. It's only an outpatient clinic for military-related injuries and illnesses. In many cases, whether serious or not, healthcare requires cash up front before you're admitted. Plenty of other places are like that too, but you can't choose where you'll have an accident or a heart attack. A jeepney driver will take you to the nearest hospital or whichever one he has dealings with. I know from experience. If there's an accident, it's automatically your fault and you have to settle it at the scene, so carry plenty of cash. Someone I know is unconscious right now in a hospital in Dumaguete after a motorcycle accident. One room with 25 beds, most beds holding two people. The hospital is demanding money, but nobody knows how to access his bank account or ATM card, things we never think about. He has since passed away. Ambulances are rare, and traffic in most cities is terrible, so it takes a long time to get to a hospital. And you can't trust every doctor either. One person was told by a doctor he needed open-heart surgery; he came back to the US for a second opinion and was told there was nothing wrong with his heart. The Philippines is in the top 10 countries for rabies deaths. There are free-roaming dogs and cats and unvaccinated wild animals everywhere. If you need prescription drugs from the US, you probably have no way to get them. Prescription drugs have to be sent through a pharmacy with the proper paperwork, and controlled substances and any prescription drugs sent by individuals through the mail are strictly prohibited. Lawyers and bankers... be careful... they don't always act in your interest and there's nothing you can do about it. One foreigner bought a resort through his wife, and it turned out the seller didn't even own the property. There's a skin tax. Foreigners get charged a premium because people assume you're rich. And compared to them, you actually are. Most areas are suffocatingly hot and humid. Mail, electricity, internet, phone, and water go on and off and can't be relied on. They shut down the power plants every week for maintenance. It's really noisy, dogs barking, loud talking...

Isn't South Africa a lot cheaper? Why do you want to leave? A friend of mine who lives in Canada goes back to South Africa and says his Canadian dollars go 14 times further

For a walkable city, there's Eastwood in Quezon City (as an alternative to Dumaguete). Everything is within 1 km x 1 km. Places like this are called bubble cities. There are lots of Eastwood videos on YouTube. There are medical clinics, and it's close to two St. Luke's hospitals. There are small malls and lots of restaurants, smoking is restricted, and there's a bar area but it isn't a nightlife district. About once a month a performance stage is set up. A supermarket and Costco (it's S&R in the Philippines, does South Africa have Costco?) are within walking distance. It's an upscale condo complex and half the price of BGC. A furnished studio/one-room goes for around 20K if you search patiently. I found an unfurnished one for 14.5K. No, I'm not a broker. I'm just giving you ideas.

At that age and on your own, wouldn't it be better to live near family who can take care of you when you're sick than to live alone in the Philippines?