Eternal construction and diving paradise: relocation to the Philippines

The Philippines is an Asian island country with a warm, humid climate, ideal diving spots, an overcrowded capital, Manila, and despotic President Rodrigo Duterte, whose election in 2016 saw the country engulfed in summary executions. Here, English is the second official language; not only offices of Asian companies, but also European and American ones are located in the capital. A couple of years ago, the country became the first place for a relocation from Ukraine for Andrey and Lisa's editorial friends, and now Lisa is telling us about her experience. The guys work in an international company that develops b2b services for social networks. Liza is a Project Manager in the product development team, Andrey is a network engineer.

Visa and work

We left Ukraine when the situation in the country was unstable. An attractive offer appeared, but it was not about moving, but about working for a while. It was interesting for us to look at the prospects and how comfortable the new experience would be. It was a transfer within the company, so there were no problems with the documents. It is not difficult to get a work visa in a large corporation that offers a good salary in the Philippines. It is a little more difficult to transfer a family. It took about a month to process my visa without the right to work. Over time, it was changed - to the one that gives the right to work. I managed to stay at my old job remotely, although, as I found out later, I could very well find a new one in the Philippines. It should be noted that there are offices of many international companies in Manila. If you know English and have relevant experience, then getting a job is not difficult, especially for a European. I am talking primarily about managerial positions with good salaries in international companies.

Housing

The company paid us for accommodation and services of a realtor. The task of the husband, who left two weeks earlier, was to look at all the options and take pictures. The apartment was chosen as follows: the husband went to Manila “for reconnaissance” for a couple of weeks and from there he sent me photos of the options he liked. It must be said that Manila is a huge agglomeration consisting of districts, in fact, separate cities. We lived in Makati City, a business district full of skyscrapers. I got the impression that Makati is a continuous construction site: some houses were built, others, on the contrary, were dismantled. Around our skyscraper, five more were being built at the same time, and around the clock. But here you need to understand the specifics of the Philippines: for 15-20 years, houses are thoroughly settled by termites and other living creatures. We lived in a 20-year-old house, and in addition to the ubiquitous termites, our regular guests were large Asian flying cockroaches. Once, even a rat came to visit. And it's on the 22nd floor! Apartments in the area where we lived, for example, 2 + 1 (two bedrooms and a living room) then cost 1200-1600 dollars a month. But at the same time, each house has a swimming pool, sometimes more than one, a sauna, fitness and play areas, parking is required (usually the first 4-6 floors of the house), reception and 24-hour security. In the apartment itself, before delivery, a major overhaul is made, new plumbing is installed, dishes, furniture are bought, the walls are updated. Therefore, the owners do not like to rent them for six months. Minimum is a year.

Budget

Manila is the capital of the country, a huge conglomerate where there is always work. Filipinos have large families in which it is accepted that older children support the whole family. We saw this with our nanny. In their family, she worked with her husband and her sister. They fed all the grandparents, mothers and brothers. In addition to housing rent, a significant part of the budget is the cost of food and entertainment. The cost of products familiar to us is several times higher than in Ukraine. So, milk cost from 2 euros, and buckwheat was not to be found at all. Prices even for local fruits cannot be called low, especially if you buy them in a supermarket. At the local bazaar, prices are lower, and often there was a better selection.

Climate and ecology

We arrived in November, when it is still not very hot and not very humid, about 25-30 degrees. The first week, when you still feel the difference in time, you walk like dumbfounded: it’s hard to breathe, you want to sleep. And in the Philippines, split-system air conditioners are not very developed. Most apartments have air conditioning that goes directly to the street, it is cheaper. Manila is a huge metropolis with 22 million people. Construction continues, there are a lot of cars, there is no eco-friendly public transport. In addition, typhoons are constantly here - this is, in fact, heavy rain with wind. When you live in a normal area in a house on the 20+ floor, it does not seem like something scary. In principle, sometimes you can even go to the store. But if you don’t have a storm drain on the street, and your houses are made from improvised materials, then any rain becomes a problem. Once, in heavy rain, our nanny received a phone call from her relatives and was told that the city where she lives was completely flooded, and she had to either swim there or stay somewhere else. Swim - literally.

Transport

The main way to get around the city for visitors is a taxi. To use your car, you must either have a local license or a driver. And the city also has a system where each car, according to its number, has days when it can leave its garage. We had friends in another area. In order to visit them, we had to look for a taxi that could enter their area on that day. They approached the taxi drivers, called the address - and they already found out among themselves who could go there. This is inconvenient, but not critical. The easiest way to call a taxi is to find it on the street. In large shopping centers, they are in special places. Get out and leave in a minute. During peak hours, however, had to wait up to half an hour in line. The Philippines has Uber and other services. When you go to the airport, it is better to use them. For the locals, you are a purse with legs. They can name the price for the trip, which exceeds the real one four times. If you call Uber, then you can get to the airport for 150-200 local pesos. There are few comfortable city buses in Manila, no trams, etc. There are city trains (but they are usually crowded) and jeepneys. Jeepneys are public transport used mainly by locals. In fact, this is a converted jeep, similar to our gazelles minibuses. A lot of people jump there, everything is open, so you have to breathe exhaust gases, the names of the routes are written in the local language. If in the morning a girl rides in a jeepney to work in a suit and high heels (and local girls seem to never go anywhere without heels), then before boarding she changes her shoes into flip flops. And after the exit - back.

Circle of communication and integration into society

We did not experience a lack of communication in the Philippines, as we arrived in a group of 15 people, all working in the same company. We met on the spot. There are many visitors at the Saturday market, you hear your native speech and can talk about something. There are groups on Facebook where people share useful information, news, and give advice. But it cannot be said that they are aimed at acquaintance and friendship. It's more of a help in resolving issues. Young mothers make contacts at playgrounds, although nannies are more likely to walk with children there.

Care for children

Private kindergartens in Makati are expensive - it cost us 500 euros, which is an average fee. But you can easily find it. They are different from ours. You need to bring food with you, no one feeds the children. And they don’t have kindergartens for the whole day - after dinner, the child must be picked up. Nobody cares that parents have to work. On the other hand, even such a kindergarten gives children the opportunity to socialize, and parents to free up a few hours of time. A good babysitter costs money - about the same as a kindergarten. They do not work for pennies, at least because they need to support their families, and life in the country is expensive. Since I worked according to Ukrainian time, my schedule was shifted, the nanny came in the afternoon, so it was more convenient with her.

Trips

The Philippines are islands. This is a must travel! The tourism infrastructure is well developed, especially in recent years. You can travel between the islands by ship, car (there are ferries), as well as by plane. It's available. The locals drive a lot. In the Philippines, there is a chic Cebu Pacific low-cost airline with very affordable tickets, which allows you to fly cheaply even outside the country. During our life in the country, we saw Singapore, Malaysia and other places.

Hygiene and medicine

For the most part, Filipinos are not just clean - they are turned on cleanliness. Filipino women brush their teeth in the toilets of shopping malls after a lunch break! If there is a European with a Filipino who does not smell very good, he may wonder why this is possible. Medicine for the locals is very “local”, I don’t know much about it. In places, even international organizations have a lot of questions about it. There was a case when Red Cross workers were not allowed into the local hospital, because “ma’am, you didn’t warn that you would come, you are not allowed here in any case.” Foreigners take out insurance. We addressed all questions to one clinic, it is very modern. After Ukraine, I was amazed that there was super-equipment, everything was organized. treated with normal drugs. Unlike our doctors, Filipinos are not crazy about prescribing antibiotics against any disease. First, they try to cure it naturally, then - heavy artillery. It is hard for our people to face such a balanced approach. But you have to pay for everything. Anything not covered by insurance is very expensive.

Safety

The districts of Manila are very different from each other. We lived in Makati. It's expensive, but neat and safe. There are places even where locals live and which they are not much different from our sleeping areas. There are not very many skyscrapers, usually buildings are 2-3 floors, the quality of housing is average. I can’t say anything about poor areas, I haven’t been to them, I only saw them from above or from afar. There, housing in places is assembled from pieces of slate, metal and boxes. The Philippines is not a very prosperous country, but I cannot say that we felt in danger. On the other hand, not every foreigner in Kyiv will go to Troyeschina (a region of the Ukrainian capital notorious for its high crime rate, ed. note) - he will be afraid that he will be undressed and undressed there.

To go or not to go?

From the point of view of going to work, the Philippines is an atypical place for Ukrainians. There are many Europeans and Americans here, and most importantly, a large labor market of its own (about 100 million people), among which there are high-level specialists. For us, this was the first long-term trip outside Ukraine, it was interesting to see how other countries live. When you go somewhere for the first time, expectations are high. There is a feeling that everything will automatically get better. Another country is extremely interesting, but after the first experience you understand that it is just another country. It will have its own difficulties. Is it worth it to go to the Philippines? Depends on the goal. If you work remotely and live on the islands, diving, then it can very well be. If you are young and without a family, it can be wonderful there. There are many freedoms and beautiful girls in the country, semi-legal prostitution. In Manila, almost every quarter has its own “red light district”. But in general, you should not aim specifically at Manila - it is an overpopulated city with poor ecology and a nervous political situation. On the other hand, this is a good option if you know only English, and you want not to the USA or the UK, but somewhere else, preferably with the sea and the beach. But do not forget that the Philippines is not a cheap place, especially by the standards of Asia.