Chas has plans to move to the Philippines, let’s see what he has to say about it!

Chas Rand

What is your name, and can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Chas Rand, late 50s and from the UK.

Trained as a Mech Engr with the RN and spent several years with the Far East Fleet based out of Singapore.

Back in civilian life i moved on into Sales, Management and Business.

When I first read your response and saw “RN” I thought the American abbreviation RN.. Registered Nurse!  Upon further reflection, I believe you meant Royal Navy, am I correct?

Have you ever been to the Philippines?

Several times over the years.

Yep!  I know 2009 for sure!

Why do you want to move to the Philippines?

About 8yrs ago i started thinking about my retirement, somewhere in Asia was an obvious choice for me.

During my research I met a wonderful Filipina and like they say, the rest is history.

Funny how those things happen! Well, I am sure you will enjoy your retirement in the Philippines!  Good luck to you on that.

Do you have concerns about moving to the Philippines? What is your biggest concern?

No major concerns, i think I’ve got most things covered.

Believe me, it won’t be 100% easy, Chas.  I can assure you that adjustment takes time.  Just be sure to give yourself the opportunity to adjust!

Where do you live plan in the Philippines?

Initially Davao City, then we will take it from there. We do have other options in Mindanao if the hustle and bustle of Big City life gets too over powering.

Always good to have options.

You are right, options are a good thing.  I was kind of surprised when you said Bislig, as I thought that somewhere in Bukidnon was on your mind!  Bislig is fairly remote, and it might be hard to make the adjustment.  But, different strokes for different folks, and only you know what is best for you!

What do your family and friends think of your desire to live in the Philippines?

I have no children so no issues there.

My family are used to me living far away since age 17 so they are familiar with only seeing me now and again. We will keep in touch like we have always done, by phone.

You Brits are a lot more worldly than us Americans!  Moving to another country is a very big move for us, but you guys live abroad a lot!  Good for you, Chas!

When do you think you will make the move?

Later this year.

So, the time is nearly at hand! Congratulations, Chas!  A new chapter in life is upon you.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about your move to the Philippines?

I will be very relieved when it’s all over, way too much to do and organize, (Stress Time).

I understand about the stress.  Making such a big move is something that creates such stress, you can’t avoid it.  I am sure it will all go well for you, Chas, and I wish you the very best!  If there is anything I can do to help you and make the move a bit smoother, please let me know!

I would like to thank Chas for taking the time to answer my questions and share his journey with readers of How to Move to the Philippines website!  Chas, you have a big adventure ahead of you, and I am sure you will enjoy (nearly) every moment of it!  Good luck.

Scheduling posts is very easy and useful for many reasons, one of the most common is if you want to prepare a week, month or even year’s worth of articles on your site instead of having to write on it ever-so-often. Other common uses would be using scheduling to schedule a few articles before leaving for a few days, that way in case you don’t have any internet access , you still have content rolling out even if you’re gone.

Posting on a schedule

Click the Edit Button

As I said, scheduling articles is very easy, all you need to do after writing the article is, instead of clicking on “Publish”, click on “Edit” next to “Publish Immediately”, which is on top of “Publish”. Then below that, there should be a new set of options that should appear, including the month, day, year, time, an “Ok” button and a “Cancel” button. All you need to do is input the date and time you want the article to be posted, then hit Ok and the options disappear, but the “Publish” button would now become “Schedule”, simply click on that and your article would be scheduled.

Set Scheduled Time and click OK

So what are the common types of articles to schedule instead of publish at the time of writing? Well, a few come to mind immediately, such as Q&A (question and answer), if you want your Q&A to be one article at a time, just write, schedule, write, schedule until you’re finished with all the questions. Another would be reviews or articles about new products, most of the time, new products would be under NDA (non-disclosure agreement), and if you disclose the product before the NDA is lifted, well the company that made the product might not be happy, and at the same time, you can’t just sit at you’re computer waiting for the NDA to lift, so just schedule it. One last example would be articles that you would usually publish on a certain day, but finish early, so instead of going through the trouble of opening it up later to publish it, just schedule it and save yourself the time.

I hope this helped you with your own site, if not, then feel free to ask questions in the comments. Even if you understood it, ask questions, and I’ll try to answer them. 

And if you have any suggestions about future N00b’s guides, post them in the comments, and I’ll try to learn them, and do a guide.

Brigada Eskwela is a requirement before enrolling to all public schools (Both Elementary  and High School) in the Philippines. Brigada is just about cleaning and preparing the school for the opening of classes. For elementary, the parents are the one that does that part for their child. But for High School, the students itself are the one required to do it.

Some parents already star buying school  supplies for their children. For those who are away from their elementary kids and aren’t able to personally pick the school items that are needed, the School Supplies Box (elementary) from WowPhilippines is just a perfect thing for you. It has all the basic things that your kid in elementary will need for the rest of his/her school year.

The School Supplies Box includes different papers for each elementary grade levels and other items that are basically important for elementary student. It has other things like the bond papers ans scissors that your child can use for the art classes and many more items (just click the link to see the full items included in the package).

Just remembering our elementary days,  the smell of our new notebooks and papers which adds our excitement for the class to start and somehow that used to  inspire us to study harder.

If you have something you want to request for your child in High School or Secondary level, we would also welcome Request Order. Just feel free to send us an email.

First, two weeks ago they tried driving a Jeepney in Manila, they got some passengers, but it’s a tough way to make money.  Truth is, they barely made enough to buy a cold drink.

Last week, they tried driving a Taxi, and could not find a single passenger to ride with them.

This week they are going to try their hand at selling a favorite snack of Filipinos, Taho! Do you think they will succeed in finally finding the right job to keep them from going hungry in the Philippines?

Have a look and see how they did.

Well, it seems that they sold a little Taho, but very little!  I don’t think these guys are going to be able to make a living in the Philippines, at least not with the methods that they are trying!

You can make it in the Philippines

If you want to move to the Philippines and don’t want to resort to selling Taho, why not check out my eBook, 49 Ways to make a living in the Philippines?

If you are interested in living in the Philippines, but you need a source of income, getting a job here is generally not the way to go.  Firstly, most companies are not looking to hire foreigners.  Secondly, you probably won’t want to work for the kind of wages offered here, usually only a few dollars per day.

To help out people like you, I have written a eBook called “49 Ways to earn a living in the Philippines” and I cover ideas of all sorts on how you can earn a good living while living in the Philippines.  I have been earning my living here since 2000, and I earn more money now than when I lived in the States.  So, I know that I can help you do that too!

As a special offer to you, I am going to offer you $10 off the eBook, but the offer is good for only the next 24 hours.  During checkout, just enter the coupon code – 10discountToday – and the eBook will be $10 off the regular price. But, remember, the discount expires after 24 hours.

Buy it Now, get $10 off!

Check it out today, I am sure that this is what you are looking for, if you want to live in the Philippines!

Besides, those two guys who sold Taho spoke pretty good Tagalog.  If you want to earn more money than they did, and no requirement to learn the language, this book is for you!

Here is Christopher’s question:

hi, my son born in philippines while i’m already australian citizen on year 2008 of september, then I sponsor my wife and granted a temporary they come here last nov. 2009 and now we are waiting for my wife permenent resident visa, but i alrready applied my son a citizenship by descent last april 2010 and already approve on june 2010 he is australian citizen now.
can he stayed in philippines for more than one year?
is he is still filipino citizen like dual?
if not how much the charges if he stay more than a year in philippines?

Filipino-Australian

thank you hope you answered me as soon as posible because we are going to travel on may 1 and i am confuse which passport he gonna use because we are planning to leave him back home for more than a year thankx

And, here is Bob’s answer for Christopher:

Based on the information you have given, I believe that your son is a dual citizen of the Philippines and Australia.

Good luck to you, your wife and son, Christopher!  Thanks for visiting here.

What is your name, and can you tell us a little about yourself?

Richard Van Der Voort

My name is Richard Lee Van Der Voort, and I am from outside the Cesspool, Detroit, Michigan. I took my B.A. in Philosophy at Michigan State, Lansing, and loved being there in spite of winter. In the 70s, after 15 years as University English professor, including two writer and poet-in-residencies, I moved to Houston, Texas, and later Austin and San Antonio, and loved all three! My second career, free at last! 20 years as a touring psychic consultant. My second base was Oklahoma City. Good people there also! I was also a Radio & TV personality all those years, and had 8 psychic call-in shows of my own. I was often introduced as “one of the Real Ones”. About 20 years before the mixed blessing of moving to da Pil-a-peens at age 56.

You’ve been around the block a time or two, Richard!

How long have you lived in the Philippines?

I got cured of the marriage thing

Too long, but now I am stuck here. I have a 3 bedroom rent house full of stuff which now owns me. George Carlin had a great monologue on the subject. Cannot live in my first choice, Mexico, because of the Drug War. And, it got expensive there. I had a Big Chance to “get rich” so I left Houston on a Trade Mission with the Phil Consulate and Phil-Am Chamber of Commerce as a Psychic Consultant and Business Finder representing the TexaPhil Corp that never came into existence. I left February 1992. The Fil Rep advised that once in the PI, TRUST NO ONE! He failed to say, INCLUDING HIM! And the Mob he represented. I lived in the PI full-time 1992-94, most of the time very poor and underground, then half years 94-04 until my mother died, then full-time again to present. 3 legal Fil-wives before getting cured of marrying, and a live-in these past 9 years. Years ago a psychologist friend told me I was a “rotten chooser”. And then I started to get “old”. Now age 77 goin’ on 80.

Sorry to hear that you feel stuck here.  I do understand, though, about having a house full of stuff that basically owns you.  Yes, Mexico was an expat haven for years, but has been on the decline in that sense for a decade or so.  Cured of marrying?  Ha ha.. I hear you.  I have been lucky, though.  My current Filipina wife is my only wife.  We’ve been married for 23 years now.

 What made you decide to move to the Philippines?

Bad Luck! Boredom in the States, and the changing nature of the country, and, my love of adventure when I was still young enough to take risks. Personal Freedom and Self-fulfillment has always been my twin overall primary motivation in life. Living on the American treadmill chasing money and stuff never appealed to me. And I got cured of credit cards and debt early 1960s. TexaPhil Corp intended to refine gold in Cagayan de Oro in co-operation with the Small Miners Association. They and their legal team nicked my guy for about One Million Dollars U.S.! Cash and equipment. I lost 15 boxes of my personal belongings shipped with the equipment in the process. The liaison guy bragged to me about who got what of MY PROPERTY. Magellan, I read, called the PI “A land of thieves”. Beware! Newbies, beware!

We all need a change of scenery from time to time, I think.  Hopefully, the moves are for the good, though.  Sorry to hear of  your negative experiences.

What do you like or dislike about living in the Philippines?

Maybe money can buy happiness

I am and have been AMBIVALENT AT BEST my entire tenure here! Depending on WHO and HOW you are determines ones’ quality of life in the PI. AND, how much money you own. Life is a whole lot easier if you have at least enough money, BUT, you won’t have the adventure, the learning experiences if you do. Many or most here are single men, boozers and ex-boozers, and are happy to live in a country where women, including young ones, are available to them. Beautiful brown-skinned black-haired girls and women certainly played a major part in my staying on here. Some guys, a few, bring their white American wives here with them. I have no idea why! But, once experience teaches about the cultural, or other, nature of the Filipina, a guy may reason that he can’t win fer losin’. I married in the States five times, mostly “rescue missions”, so AFTER EXPERIENCE, I by far prefer the Filipina in spite of the potential downside. But that’s a very long subject on which most guys here like to expound for hour on end.

 I came here with a nice stack of cash.  Lost it all in about 2 years.  That is when I decided that I needed to learn how to make money here.  Thankfully, I did it, and the rest is history for me.

I’d like to say it is cheaper to live here, and overall I guess it is. But I do miss all the material things, some not all, one can buy easily and cheap in the States. In the PI I’m always jockeying to get my pipe tobacco from the States, vitamin supplements at the reasonable American price, etc. The cheap rent is the best feature here. For $250 a month, I have a large house that might cost one or two thousand dollars in the States, and certainly not near an ocean, or even a lake, and beaches like here.

You are right on the mark.  It used to be cheaper to live here.  These days, it is not all that cheap, though.  I have a friend from the States who used to live here.  He moved back to the States about 5 years ago and still swears to me that life is cheaper there than in the Philippines.

There are endless laws here, but none that I’ve noticed are rigorously enforced. Driving is a free-for-all. Fun for good drivers like me. Terrible for the lily-livered type. Many guys here are relatively RICH. I went through absolute poverty here and was broke in the streets of Manila for my first 7 months, after the fall of the would-be company. How I survived and worked up is a very long story. My LIFE LESSON was to learn GRATITUDE since I was an only child and materially spoiled. Now I live well enough on about $1,500 a month income, SS and VA Pension. I am one of the few relatively poor ex-pats here. I’ve always gambled on my talents, considerable and marketable, and lived by my wits. BUT, BEING A WRITER, I EXPECT TO BE QUITE WEALTHY ANY DAY NOW, if only in my dreams. For me, and I am unique here, I have all the time I want and need to write my books. A dozen since 2005. On the down side, weather here often drives me nuts because I have a worn-out hip, arthritis and chronic pain. So, not ideal, not paradise, but, better than a lot of places I’ve been, especially where I grew up!

 Ha ha, you are right that many laws here are not enforced, or are sometimes selectively enforced.

Being broke in the Philippines would not be fun at all.  Congratulations on making it through that.

Oh, there is one not-so-small matter, and that is the “rooster chicken situation”, the “cockadoodledooo” irritation. Some of us foreigners absolutely detest those noisy cocks around the clock! I had one that doodled up to 14 times a minute, if you can imagine. Why should I have to put up with that constant folk-stupidity? Why should I be the one who needs to wear my gun-range ear-muffs if I take a geezer nap? I like a recent internet joke that says: In the Philippines people have chickens for pets and eat dog, while in the States it’s the opposite! And if and when I object to Authorities, the attitude, with a smile of course, is “screw you. This is my/our country. If you don’t like it, go back where you came from.” Guess whose side the Law will always be on in the Philippines. And that’s why drivers avoid hitting people walking in the middle of a street while talking on a cell phone. You, foreigner dog, will be in the wrong every time! Now pay your way out! I learned to NOT TRUST attorneys here… the hard way.

 Been there, heard that… I don’t like it either.  I have lived in many Philippine neighborhoods where the rooster’s crow was a big hassle.  Thankfully, I am in a relatively quiet area now, though.

Where do you live in the Philippines?

I live in Olongapo, Subic Bay where the American Base used to be until 1991 just before I came here after Mt. Pinatubo blew. Before moving here to live near the beaches, I lived in Angeles “Sin” City, but my very favorite place was San Fernando, La Union, up north. People are nicer, more normal up there. I knew to go there after most of a year teaching English at Brent School up in Baguio which I hated. Cold in winter and no heat. And because of the high altitude, not good for high blood pressure. When I was there, it was quiet. I guess now it is flooded with poor people. If I live long enough, I may move back to SFLU. But probably not. Unless of course I hit big with a book, and then anything is possible. I will never move back to America, though, because I refuse to live in a Socialist Muslim country! In America, everything is Materialism and Control! Living kind of “underground” has always been best for me. *Whoops, low batt. I’m typing overlooking the beach with only moderate noise for a change. That is what I hate most about the PI: the many kinds of ignorant, irritating NOISE here! And I’m half deaf at that! I cannot stand the noise when wearing my hearing aids. But, where in the world isn’t there the noise of stupid people anymore?

I have a few friends up in your neck of the woods.  I have also heard good things about La Union.  My problem with living in that kind of area would be that it is remote, and could be difficult to get the things you need.  Also, I rely heavily on having a good internet connection, which is not always possible in such a remote area.

I am like you though… I will never move back to the States.  I just don’t care for the hustle and bustle there.

Are you happy there?

Happy

I’ve never been happy anywhere! Joke. The real answer is Yes and No. Wherever we go we take ourselves, our inborn temperament and hang-ups, with us. And as a sage person said, “We are about as happy as we wanna be.” Which is to say choose or decide to be. I am happy that I’ve had a life of relative freedom and wonderful experience, even if I never amassed wealth. I avoided debt and that is the secret to real success in life. The Roman Stoics had it right: FREEDOM INHERES IN SIMPLICITY. Complexity complicates.

There are, based on experience, places with better weather… for me. And some of the ways of the great mass of Filipinos can be trying. On the other hand, the majority of people here, not the “rich and powerful”, are preferable in many ways to the folk in America. Here people smile, even if you are a stranger. Sometimes of course it is only in hopes of getting something out of you. Most Americans seem unhappy, but will become happy once they have enough money. But, alas, enough will never enough for that mentality. Here friendliness is usually genuine. If you are a hungry foreigner down on his luck, even “squatters” will share with you. Knock on the door of someone where you live in the States and they seem bothered, unless they know you well. The greater mass of people in the Philippines is poor or not very rich, and they still find ways to be happy, to smile, and they are usually happy, even flattered, to become friends with an American.

Filipinos, especially the hostile low ones, sometimes resent us, and if we are offensive, may say, “Go back to your own country.” My reply in such a case is, “When all the Filipinos in the States return home, then I too will go back to my own country.” Why do they sometimes resent us? Because to them EVERY American is RICH and they are not. And by contrast to them, WE ARE. But, I don’t owe them. I worked for what I have, but Filipinos on the lower end cannot appreciate that. The Filipinos a little higher up socially, and economically, are more understanding.

Japanese Flag

Some of us remember WWII and tend to believe we Americans “saved their ass from the Japs”. That thinking is NOT appreciated here. To most of them, that is ancient history. But, there is still a colonial consciousness here in which the Filipino looks up to and defers to the white American, and yet at the same time may resent him. But, it is difficult and perhaps unfair to generalize. There are many types and mind-sets of Filipinos just as there are of Americans, and other foreigners here. If as a foreigner you think you understand the Philippines and Filipinos well, you are deluded. After 20 years, I continue learning “how it is here”.

 I don’t know, Richard, perhaps it is because I am younger than you are (I’m 51), but I find that “we saved you from the Japanese” argument to be offensive.  It was so long ago, and not all that relevant in today’s day and age.  I do feel, though, that most Filipinos are grateful for the assistance that the USA did provide to the Philippines.  I am also proud that my country has helped, I just don’t feel a need to rub it in the face of Filipinos.

One judgment often heard here, on the part of the American male, is that the Filipino man is a poor excuse for masculinity. And that the Filipina, in general, is a much higher life-form. And yet, I’ve known many “nice guy”, “good guy” Filipinos as well as Filipinas. Why do I make such a big deal over this issue? Because our social relations largely make us happy or un, depending. Just don’t expect the people of the Philippines to be “like us”.

There are great cultural differences, and not ones that Americans can’t always understand or appreciate.

Oh, another thing: FAMILY is everything here! They hang together as a clan their entire lifetime… USUALLY. So, when an American man marries a Filipina, he’d better understand his place in the scheme of things. Generally he is expected to kick in and help the woman’s family. And, the husband will be at the bottom of the totem pole in the scheme of things. But, as Filipinos are fond of saying, “Not all, not all.” And, generally, Filipinos, and I suppose ALL HUMAN BEINGS, are light on GRATITUDE. Sometimes no “thank you,” only “where’s the rest” or “keep it comin’, bro!” My first Fil wife, even though I was poor at the time, liked to say, “Papa, I hit the Jackpot!” She didn’t speak a lotta English.

You are certainly right that under the culture here, if you marry a Filipina you are marrying the entire family.

I was thinking the other day about where I was happier than here. Of all places, Toronto, Canada, came to mind. In spite of the weather. I toured there often back in the 70s and 80s and experienced very comfortable and satisfying “meeting of minds”. I loved Mexico, but, socially, Mexicans in general are altogether too much like Filipinos. In the States, I got along well with people in Nashville where I lived and worked for a year, and in Texas and Oklahoma. Weatherwise, my ideal is Hawaii, but I can’t afford to live there. I did my psychic work in Honolulu three tours. If one of my books becomes a best seller, I do believe I’d leave for Honolulu in a heartbeat! And if I got to missing Filipinos, there are plenty of them there, and most everywhere in the world these days!

I forgot to say, I took my M.A. at the U. of New Mexico in Albuquerque. That was a VERY satisfying place to live in spite of some of the petty academic BS I went through there, and my second divorce. If I were rich, I’d surely consider living in Santa Fe, a wonderful mystical place to be!

Do you have any regrets that you can share with us?

Sometimes I wish I’d kept a place and my excellent clientele and reputation back in Houston. Houston is very cosmopolitan, so it doesn’t have to be boring there. For example, I often went to Sunday meetings at the Chinese Buddhist Temple, and had acupuncture treatments in Chinatown. And the various Asian restaurants there were outstanding, as well as Dunkin’ Donuts where I was part of the morning gang. Also, anything and everything I wanted to buy was available. There also was no lack of women to relate to and satisfy my male “wants and needs”. Austin was right up there in those regards also. There I had another chance to “become rich” as a successful psychic oil finder (proved!), before the Government ordered domestic wells capped! What a downer that was! San Antonio, unfortunately, has yearly “cedar-fever” which threw me into pneumonia one season. Otherwise, I liked it there also. California, I found from experience, may well be left to Californians.

 But, you did mention earlier that personal happiness does not really depend on where you are, right?

Burning Bridges

But, after my mother died in 04, I burned my bridges. I sold off the small house (by then rotting down) my dad built back in the 40s, and decided to live in the Philippines full-time, even after knowing what it is like to live here. That house where I grew up was on a beautiful acre on the edge of what had been my Hungarian grandfather’s 80 acre farm. Oh, there is another true tale that we male ex-pats laugh about. At times we are hot to get back home to the States, but after a couple of weeks back there, or a month tops, we can’t wait to get back to the PI with all its flaws and irritations. For whatever reasons, the Philippines gets in one’s blood!

I often tell people not to burn their bridges.  However, having been here for a long time by the time you burned your bridges, I would tend to think it was an “OK thing to do” by then.  Like me, I have don’t nothing to burn my bridges, but my attitude is that my bridges are long gone by now.

In my case, I’ve pretty much run the gamut in the Philippines, from high to low. The Rich and Powerful are too much like Americans for my taste. Materialistic, proud and greedy! I’m more comfortable with the low or lower people. They are more real. I come from “working class people” so that makes a difference in who I relate to. I am an odd one, a guy, thanks to the GI Bill for Higher Education, from the lower classes who got educated. EDUCATED, not TRAINED. In any case, most members of humanity don’t seem to revere the “Life of the Mind and Spirit” as I do, and so I am often lonely for like-minded people wherever I hang my hat or lay my balding head. But, periodically I meet other guys who love to exchange experiences and ideas. Such conversations “make our day”!

All in all, FOR ME, living in the Philippines is a very mixed bag, but then I’ve never found any one place to be absolutely ideal. That’s the nature of human life on Planet Earth. Richard Lee Van Der Voort, American Ex-pat living in the Philippines… for 20 years now…

Oh, I think it has to be expected that no matter where you live it will be a mixed bag.  Living in the Philippines has been a mixed bag for me too, but I try to focus mostly on the positive.

Please visit Richard’s website Psychic Consulting by e-Mail.

As this case has been covered by the media, I heard a statistic used on several different news stations.  They said (paraphrasing):

Child kidnappings in the United States are very rare.  In 2012, according to FBI statistics, only 411 children were kidnapped by strangers in the USA.

Welcome home to the Cleveland Victims

Uh, what?  Only 411 children were kidnapped.  To me that is a huge number!  And, it is thousands of children who get kidnapped by non-stranger, family members.  Usually this is in a case where parents are going through a difficult divorce or something of that nature.  But, 411 children kidnapped by strangers in one year.

Many of you who read this site either are foreigners living in the Philippines, or are considering making such a move to the Philippines.  I would bet that 90% of you who are living here or thinking of doing so have heard from friends and family that you are crazy to move to the Philippines because it is so dangerous!

I remember when I moved to the Philippines, hundreds of people told me I was crazy, even stupid to move to the Philippines.  They warned me that I would either be killed or kidnapped here.  I was asked how I could subject my children to such danger.  I was told that I was not a fit parent, because I had no concern for my kids.  Even after 13 years of living here, I still hear this sort of thing from time to time.  I’ve been living here for 13 years now, and have never really had any kind of incident that would cause me to be scared of living here.

When I heard the TV coverage of this US kidnapping case, frankly it shocked me that more than 400 kids in the USA were kidnapped by strangers in 2012.  I honestly did not think that would be the case.  I didn’t think it would be anywhere near that number.

Kidnapped

I decided to do a bit of research.  I found statistics about Philippine kidnappings on a US State Department Website.  It is a website operated by the State Department for the purposes of Diplomatic security.  According to this site, in 2011 there were 24 kidnapping incidents in the Philippines.  In 2010 there were 41 cases.  So, at worst case, the number of kidnappings in the Philippines were only 10% of USA kidnappings of children.  The population of the Philippines is about 1/3 of the US population, so on a per capita basis, kidnapping in the USA is more than 3 times more rampant than in the Philippines.  And, I am really figuring this in a way that is in the favor of the US, because the 41 (2010) kidnapping cases are all kidnapping cases (adult and children) and the USA figures are only for children.

That’s an eye opener, don’t you think?

So, is the Philippines dangerous?

I have never felt that it was very dangerous during my years of living here.  Yes, some types of events are dangerous here, such as elections.  But, if you are a wise person and you use proper caution, you avoid getting involved in things like elections or other events that have more danger than normal.  Overall, I feel that it is at least as safe being here as it is to live in the States.  But, still, almost every day of the week, week in and week out, I get e-mails from people who write and ask me how much danger it would be for them to take a trip here.

Frankly, there are some places in the Philippines that are dangerous.  If you are going to Sulu or Basilan, you are putting yourself in unwarranted danger.  If you are going to Davao or Cebu, Cagayan de Oro or Baguio, you are probably at least as safe as you are in your home town.

Are you going to get kidnapped if you visit the Philippines, or choose to live here?  Well, you might.  But, then again you might also get kidnapped in Cleveland, or in Houston or Des Moines.  Truth is, if you look at the statistics, you might be shielding yourself from being kidnapped by coming to the Philippines.  FBI statistics show that you are more likely to be kidnapped in the USA.

Most of the time, that’s the email we received from our new customers or even  for few returning customer.They encountered problems in how and where to put their recipient’s information. Instead of spending too much time on working on what to do, some simply emailed to us their recipients information, while other’s simply fill the message box right below the delivery information page. Once we received the information, we simply add it to your account for your future record.

One cause of the delay of the order is due to insufficient of the recipients address (example: there’s no street address, the place is not well-known, the recipient is a boarder). If this is the case, contact number is really important. At least we can get a hold of the recipient and can ask for the exact location. Some recipient also don’t want to provide their exact address for privacy purpose or personal reason, they just want to meet somewhere or they are the one who will pick up  the stuff from the designated local courier’s office. And also, some recipient may not be available during delivery due to work, that’s why it’s very important to include the contact number so that we can arrange the time and availability.

I am giving here an example on how to fill out the recipient’s information in the Philippine address.

First Name: Johanna

Last Name: Cruz

Cellular Phone/ Telephone: 0919-123-4567 or (082)123-4567 (it’s okay not to include the international code and country code)

Street Address: #4 Shower Lane Street,

Suburb: Rancho Palos Verdes Subdivision, Mandug

Post (ZIP) Code: 8000 (if you are not familiar with the ZIP Code of your recipient’s address, you can write four zero 0000)

City: Davao City

State/Province: Davao del Sur (if you don’t know the particular Province where the city or municipality belong, you can write the same information that you put on the City column)

Country: Philippines

For all  who want smooth online shopping, just follow the guide on how to fill out the Philippines address in our online store. If you can’t really figure it out, don’t hesitate to email to us or just write it down in message box (where you can also include your personal message and instruction). We will be happy to assist you.

What is your name, and can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is William Still and I am 70 years of age. I like internet, odd jobbing around the house and a little cooking.

If you enjoy cooking, you are welcome at our house anytime, my friend!

William Still enjoying a great meal

How long have you lived in the Philippines?

I have been here 13 years. Following a divorce in the UK I started writing to Irene and we exchanged letters for almost three years before I came here. I arrived in Davao on June 8th and we married June 30th. Best move I ever made. I have a very loving and caring wife and we are very happy.

Wow, I didn’t realize you had been here that long!  That is about the same amount of time that I’ve been here.  So, you are already a veteran!

What do you like or dislike about living in the Philippines?

I think I like the climate and the beaches very much. Fresh fruits and plenty of easy shopping.

I tend to dislike the amount of time it takes to get anything done here. But, That is their way and I accept that. A Foreigner coming here needs to learn patience. However this a great place once one gets used to it.

You certainly can’t go wrong with the fresh fruits here!  Patience is really necessary here, as you say.  It is something I didn’t have when I first came here, but I’ve learned a lot in the time I’ve been here.  Sounds like you have too!

What made you decide to move to the Philippines?

My reason for coming here was to marry Irene. Best thing I ever did!

Glad to hear that, William!  

Where do you live in the Philippines?

We are located between Davao city and Tagum city near Panabo.

Yes, I am very familiar with that area. 

Are you happy there?

Happy?…Yes I am very happy. we are in the process of elevating our house now to keep us out of the floods we get from time to time.

Good luck with your project.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about your move to the Philippines?

This is a country of great natural beauty (once clear of the cities). The people here are nice and friendly. They all want to speak to me when I am around town. Fruits and foods everywhere. Great shopping malls and the cost of living is very reasonable. And lets all face it,  the Filipinas are the most beautiful race of people.

William, thank you for taking the time to do this interview!  Let’s get together soon!

Plugins will add almost any kind of functionality that you wish to add to your site.  For example, if you had a website for a hotel and you wanted to add a way for people to make room reservations, there are plugins for that.

How to find a plugin

Add New Plugin

So, you have it in mind that you want to add a room reservation system to your hotel website.  First thing to do is to go to the Plugins menu in your WordPress admin panel, then on the sub-menu under Plugins, click on “Add New”.  When you click on this “add new” option you will be taken for a page where you can search for whatever it is that you are looking for.

So, as I have clicked to add a new plugin, now I enter into the search area “hotel reservations”.  When I enter that search, I am given a choice of 20 different plugins that fit my description.  One thing that is nice, in my opinion, is that when the plugin choices are listed, there is also a rating of up to 5 stars, the ratings have been given by users who have tried the plugin before.  So, for me, I almost always choose the one that has the highest user rating.

When you have chosen which plugin to install, just click on the link that says “Install Now”.

Plugin Settings

Settings

On some plugins, once you install them, everything is good to go.  On other plugins, you must check the settings and set everything so that it is customized in the way you want it to be.

Take a look at the image at left.  The image shows the page that lists all of my plugins.  In the red circle you can see that the one particular plugin allows us to change the settings.  Many plugins will not even work until you have gone and reviewed the settings, then saved the settings once.  This activates many plugins.

Keep in mind, though, not all plugins require settings or even offer settings.  Probably, in my experience, less than half of the plugins out there have or require you to do settings.

Have fun

It is fun to customize your site and make it unique by using plugins.  Just keep in mind that the more plugins you are running on your site, the slower your site will be.  A single plugin rarely has a huge impact on speed, but if you add tons of plugins you will notice that your site is not as responsive as it used to be.  So, be careful, and only use plugins that add something special to your site, or are truly needed for your site to function as you need it to.  In general, I would say that you should try to keep your number of plugins to less than 20 or so, but this is a personal choice.