Balik Pinas or relocate to first world with average income

[cindylmarvin]

Magandang araw mga kabayan!

Gusto ko sanang humingi ng inputs to get some wider view on my plan.

Currently living outside Pinas and has an option to move back at magwork remotely with 500k monthly income.

Some positive points I consider of going back to the Philippines:

• Proximity to the family and friends where my kids would surely benefit from stronger ties
• Travel and explore lots of nice domestic spots
• Personal utilization of real estate properties

But then, I don’t see a comfortable lifestyle sa Pinas in the short term. With this salary I know we can live nicely (family of four) but I don’t see that happening in a very stressful Pinas environment. Why stressful?

• Inefficient government
• Almost zero safety
• Inconsiderate neighbourhood

The biggest problem I have is the lack of discipline by many. Mapa gobyerno, drivers, pedestrian, vendors at kapitbahay. Mahirap, maykaya(old term?) o mayaman, hinde man lahat pero majority mas pipiliin ang shortcut or panlalamang para sa sariling kapakanan. Halos maituturing mong root ng problema ang disiplina(or family culture) kaya may pasaway na kapitbahay, dangerous roads, corrupt na gobyerno, internet trolls atbp.

To me the positive points still cannot outweigh the stressful environment mentioned above.

At this point, I’m still leaning on taking an average life in a first world country kesa maging mayaman (pakiramdam lang naman) living in the Philippines plus occasional Pinas visit like 1 month every two years.

I’m a firm believer of discipline regardless of the situation even when being demanded during my uncomfortable moments, that's why I do not want to go the route of using money, connections and other illegal methods para lang maging komportable, mauna sa pila or makuha yung kailangan ko.

Ano sa tingin nyo? Any other positive points for Pinas I am missing? Our main priority are the kids environment, safety and growth, sadly we see it very challenging currently sa Pinas.

P.S. If possible po, iwas political view na lang po muna to focus on the whole bigger picture.

TIA

Edit:

Salamat sa mga feedbacks Kabayan.

We are glad to read your insights and help a stranger like us. Appreciate all your inputs in our plan especially the PH’s current landscape.

All the best!

 

[resjudicata]

@cindylmarvin based on your context, relocation is better. but with your income, you'll live comfortably here sa pinas. mahirap lang naman dito tumira sa pinas pag wala kang pera.

 

[riverwest]

@resjudicata Super agree on mahirap lang naman tumira sa pinas pag wala ka pera!

 

[shaunf]

@resjudicata Marami pa ding bagay na hindi mabibili ng pera sa pinas e. Like maybe bukod sa maayos na transpo at dignified commute or walking, e mga parks near your workplace, hindi nanlilimahid na weather o mga extreme na bagyo at baha, etc.

 

[messengeroftruth]

@resjudicata Actually hindi ehh.. Like he said disiplina problema,culture ng panlalamang panloloko, infrastructures, public transpo,safety . Kahit maykaya ka comfortable ka lang dahil sa familiarity pero what about the kids?? May good point si OP 1st world has the infrastructure, safety that his kids will greatly enjoy and benefit from.

 

[glaucus]

@resjudicata Not in a pandemic tho. Kahit anong pera mo sa Pinas, nung kasagsagan ng covid halos ibato na ng mga mayayaman pera nila sa mukha nung mga doktor at nurse sa ospital para lang maipasok sa ospital yung pasyente nilang nag aagaw buhay pero wala nangyari. Kahit bilyonaryo ka, in times of nationwide crises, walang magagawa salapi mo sa inefficiencies ng gubyerno and our broken society. Ibang iba pa rin sa labas ng Pinas. I live in the UAE now and I can say na ayoko na tumira ulit sa Pinas.

 

[cindylmarvin]

@resjudicata Salamat! So far, relocating short term makes more sense for us. Noted on the income portion.

 

[bergsam]

@cindylmarvin With the kind of income you would get, first world living arrangements in ph would not be hard to afford I guess. You can easily be in those upscale communities with strict bylaws not having to deal with safety issues and difficult neighbors. Unless of course you see youself being in some undeveloped barrio. The opportunity of dodging high income taxes and earning first world income in third world settings would easily make you build the crucial nest egg you'll need upon retirement

 

[lizzyo]

@bergsam Agree, with that income kayang kaya bumili sa high end villages na may manners yung kapit bahay at mahigpit ang security. For government services, di naman laging makikipagtransact para mahassle ng sobra.

 

[cindylmarvin]

@lizzyo Good point nga po. Within the high end village mukhang safe at mas malaki chance ng good neighbour. Yung pag outside village na lang ang kailangan imanage. Salamat.

 

[eliseemo7]

@lizzyo not high end villages, high end villages in the phils would run around 200k to 300k per sq and minimum cuts would be 400 to 600 sq … mid baka kaya …

 

[cindylmarvin]

@bergsam Good point on the upscale option for safety. Salamat.

 

[offgrid2k]

@cindylmarvin With that salary, okay ka na dito. Mahirap dito if wala kang pera but with that moolah di ka ma eexpose sa mga problema ng mga mortal.

I would recommend, work overseas, retire here. Leave your children overseas. Malaki na siguro sila by the time you retire.

Sa observations ko, lahat ng nag mimigrate umuuwi parin naman when they get old. Kasi nga the reason they left was becuase of financial reasons, once that is settled, kids are okay, they come back home to retire here.

 

[cindylmarvin]

@offgrid2k Salamat, ito yung option namin ngayon para sa kids. Kung kami lang, kaya naman mamuhay sa Pinas basta OK na mga kids.

 

[offgrid2k]

@cindylmarvin I was on this same crossroad a few months back. Im earning very well here, pero malayo pa. But was planning to migrate for the kids, same reason which is to give them a safe space to fail and try again, risk is to high here in PH kasi. I decided to stay, my dream will be for the kids nalang, sila na tutupad ng pag migrate someday....

 

[cindylmarvin]

@offgrid2k Uu nga eh, kapag may kids na talaga you want the best environment for them hinde yung pwede lang. Big if not lone factor ito sa pagrelocate. Good luck sa plans nyo kabayan. Salamat

 

[resjudicata]

@cindylmarvin Halos lahat ng mayaman sa Pilipinas, hindi ipagpapalit ang comfort sa atin pag may pera ka. Ang dami kong kilalang mayaman na pwede naman mag-Amerika, pero they choose to stay sa Pilipinas.

Mas mura ang cost of living sa atin, lalo na ang pagkain at mga serbisyo. Yung traffic naman, kung hindi ka naman empleyado na mag-commute araw-araw, hindi naman ’yan masyadong problema.

Mapapansin mo na ang kadalasan ng mga nasa US o ibang bansa ay mga dating hirap sa Pilipinas, mga dating taga-probinsya. Syempre, mas pipiliin nilang mag-abroad kasi para sa kanila, ’yun ang comfortable.

 

[blazewater]

@resjudicata Ayaw umalis ng mayaman sa pilipinas dahil may Yaya, katulong, bodyguards, sekyu, at kapit sila sa gobyerno.

Kapag ang mayaman sa pinas nag 1st world. Ordinaryong mamamayan lang sila. Susunod sila sa BATAS, sa Korte sila magrereklamo, mahirap ang padrino, at higit sa lahat, wala silang taga silbi bilang prinsesa.

Kaya kahit kelan Hindi magiging pantay ang estado ng tao sa pilipinas. Dahil mawawalan ng follower ang POLITIKO, ng katulong ang mayayaman, at alipin ang mga oligarkiya.

 

[cindylmarvin]

@blazewater Agree. Isang uri ng mayaman na kung papalarin man akong maging mayaman, hindeng hinde ko gugustuhin tularan ang illegal at abusive moves.

 

[resjudicata]

@blazewater Judgmental mo naman brad. Wag mo naman lahatin lol.