I'm Patrick. I'd like to move to the Philippines, and I'd really appreciate any advice on where to start and where to…

Let me tell you the cold hard facts.... You haven't done enough research... If you don't have steady income coming in from the US, you won't survive here. The visa costs alone will kill you. And you can't get a job here. So unless you have a very solid base of regular clients in AI film, you'll end up homeless in the Philippines and get deported. Don't think hopes and wishes will make you okay here... You'll end up broke, kicked back home, and sleeping on the streets there. It's a hard truth to hear, but you need to hear it!!

Go there first. Multiple times. YouTube won't show you what you need to see. Most creators talk about whatever gets views. This is a developing country. Outside the big cities the infrastructure is mostly poor, and the big cities are expensive. Sort out your work situation before you come. Video calls are annoying with the time difference too. US East Coast is 12 hours behind. An 8 AM meeting in the US is 8 PM here. The West Coast is even worse. Don't even think about a serious relationship for at least a year. The culture is different, and if you're not careful you can end up homeless. There are very sophisticated ways of extracting resources from people here. If you do end up dating, always take care of birth control yourself. Visit at least 3 times, at different seasons, for a month or more each time. Don't come as a tourist. Scouting beforehand is important. Keep checking the weather news here too. Good luck.

Good luck. Watch out for scammers. I'm from Kansas and now I live in Negros Oriental near Dumaguete. My first experience here was really bad. I trusted too much. Now I know who I can trust, and I'm always wary of people who say smooth things. Good luck with your new adventure, and always be careful about who you trust.

Before coming here, first evaluate yourself and your financial situation. Do you really want to live in an archipelago country like the Philippines? Each island has its own varied culture and traditions, yet in many ways they're united as one. I recommend settling in one of the major cities outside Manila. The living conditions are excellent too. If you're retired and living on a modest pension, you can get by if you live frugally. If your budget allows, you can also travel around and enjoy yourself. More and more foreign tourists are staying because they like the simple provincial atmosphere. Just choose women carefully. Unfortunately, there are also scammer women in the Philippines who see foreigners and dollars as an ATM and take advantage of them. If you're looking for a life partner, look for a good Filipina woman who is educated and earns her own money, and doesn't depend on her partner. Don't listen to the people who try to talk you out of it. Life is what you make of it, no matter which country you spend it in. One advantage of staying in the Philippines is that we speak English well, so communication isn't a barrier. Try it, enjoy it. If you try it and don't like it here, you can just pack up and go somewhere else. Who knows, maybe your destiny is here? Good luck and God bless.