Quick question for those of you living in the beautiful Philippines:
If you could go back to day one before you moved, what's the one most practical tip, app, or hard-learned lesson you wish someone had told you? (Whether it's housing, local apps, avoiding scams, or everyday life.)
I'm putting together a "practical guide" for newly arriving expats and want to hear what has actually worked! I'm not looking for tips from people on a 3-week vacation, but classic advice from seasoned long-term residents who've been through it all 🙏
Many people advise choosing a dating or marriage partner carefully and checking their certificate of no marriage record (CENOMAR) first. Some share experiences that if a business does well, people around you copy it and it can end up failing. Others answer that you should drop Western attitudes, respect the local culture, and live a relaxed life without debt.
If you're looking for a partner, find a professional woman with a career and bring her to an island that's one island away from where her family lives.
I first came to Davao City in 1999, got married in 2000, and retired here in 2019. Always carry toilet paper wherever you go, don't drink 'anything' with ice unless it's at a mall or a well-known place, and leave the purchasing to your wife or partner while you stay low-key 🙂
I was talked into opening a restaurant, a sari-sari store, and a school supplies shop. Once things went reasonably well, the people around me copied my shop, and a few years later I went under and lost around a million that I'd invested.
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