The Trike Business

A driver will pay you P125 or max P150 per day to lease your trike, if you are the owner.

The owner of the trike must pay P300 per year for a sticker at City Hall to operate the trike. The one time TODA fee is P20,000 with annual dues of P500. TODA = Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association.

The trike must be insured. Trikes do take a beating and the owner is responsible for repairs, other maintenance and oil changes. Tires, chain, sprocket, brake shoe, etc, are replaced by the owner. It comes around more often than some may think since the trike is on the road 6 or 7 days per week. Trike tires are replaced about every 3 months and the cost, on average, is P600 each.

The trike driver is responsible for the fuel costs. The average earning for a trike driver is P200-P300 per day. P500 earned in one day is like hitting the jackpot!

This information is from an actual trike owner in Bacolod City. He bought 2 trikes to help his brothers. He told me it is more of a gift than an actual viable business. We talked in person about an hour.

Start up costs and expenses will vary from location to location. The results are probable about the same.

A Viable Business?

Long gone are the days in the Philippines when owning several trikes and several jeepneys was a viable business. That changed in the 1990s moving forward.

People may ask themselves, why are there so many trikes and jeepneys if no one is making money? For one thing, the ownership of the vehicles may change hands many times. Very often! There is usually always someone willing to buy, thinking it is EZ money, only to find out differently later. Also, rich relatives and OFW relatives had rather buy a used trike or 2 or a used jeepney or 2 for a relative in need, so they can make money daily rather then their asking him or her all the time for money. Buying the trike or jeepney keeps them off their back forever! “Hey, I bought you a trike! Hey, I bought you a jeepney! If you messed up with the business, that’s on you!” Seen it and heard it more than once.

For those interested, if you search the net, you will get an idea of a trike and a jeepney. Prices will vary from location to location and some will just about give them away, but not actually, to get rid of the headache! Right now on OLX site, there is a Yamaha trike for sale ready to start making money for P69,000. There is a Suzuki trike for sale, ready to make money, for P64,000.

On OLX site right now, there are many jeepneys, from P85,000-P200,000 in the budget range. Yes, they are used! Most likely, overly used!

My American friend, Dale, threw out a few ideas. If you are bound and determined to buy a trike, it is not really a bad idea, even in a midsize city. You can use it for cheap *local* transportation. No need to lease it out daily and let someone tear it up and wear it out. Have a driver in the family or a friend ready to roll, For Hire Only. They can take people shopping or to the doctor on half or whole day hire as needed. They can be hired for hauling or delivery. Such as bamboo poles or even hogs. Yes, you can buy a hog cage to put on a trike and haul 2 hogs or maybe even 3 if they are not so fat. For sure, you can haul more than 3 piglets to the market or to a buyer.

You could also do the same with a jeepney, as I mentioned above.

Street Food Is An Everyday Food Fair

Street Food is a very important part of the Filipino Culture and it is also a very important part of the foreigner’s experience in the Philippines. There are many different types of popular and locally affordable street foods in the Bacolod Area. My article is Negros Occidental specific, where I have lived for the past 6 years.

You will see large pots filled with Batchoy and bowls are as little as P25-P30 with some street vendors in and around Bacolod. Batchoy originated in La Paz, Iloilo but it is also very popular in Negros Occidental. There are many variations but basically, Batchoy is a fresh noodle soup dish with pork organ meat and garnished with chicharon or pork cracklings and chopped green onion. The Batchoy noodles are similar to thin spaghetti. It is certainly Negrense and Ilonggo comfort food. There are several commercial Batchoy chain restaurants but they are not only more expensive but the taste and quality is not as good as what you will buy from a mom and pop vendor, with their straight from scratch touch.

Kwek Kwek is hard boiled eggs, battered in an orange colored batter and deep fried. If quail eggs are used, this street food is known as Pugo in our area.

Feeling like some BBQ? One of my favorites. Pork, chicken, goat, squid and banana served on skewers. Near our farm, BBQ eel on skewers is popular. You will also see BBQ chicken feet.

Tempura is battered shrimp pieces, fish or squid. Kasugai Japanese style bread crumbs breading and deep fried. Popular around schools.

Siomai is one of the most popular street foods, which is a Chinese style stuffed dumpling with meat and/or veggies and are steamed or deep fried. Siopao is another one of my favorites, which has many variations. Filled steamed or baked buns. I prefer steamed siopao, filled with pork. Years ago, the sweet meat in Manila’s Chinatown siopao was rumored to be cat meat. Ma Mon Luk on Quezon Avenue had the best siopao around, cat or not! It was Chinese owned but not located in Chinatown.

Fish Balls, Shrimp Balls and Squid Balls; formed into a ball, battered and deep fried.

Chicken or Pork Bulaklak is battered and deep fried intestines from a chicken or a pig. Don’t think about what it is, just eat it and give it a review. I like it and you might like it too. Just don’t eat too much.

Fried hot dog on a stick. Can be any brand of more than 30 different brands of hot dogs in our area. The Pure Food Hot Dogs are usually the most expensive and can be P20 each around malls. The cheaper brands, such as Winner, Vida and Bingo are usually P10-P12 each.

Taho is made from bean curd with sweet syrup and tapioca pearls added.

Green Mango served with choice of bagoong, which is shrimp paste, or rock salt. One of my first street foods to ever try more than 28 years ago in Manila.

Dirty Ice Cream has this name because it is not factory made but made in the home or in the back yard. It is not necessarily dirty.

Garlic fried peanuts, boiled peanuts, hot & spicy peanuts, peanut brittle and kasoy or cashews. All very cheap and popular.

Balut. Crack the egg, suck the juice, peel and eat with vinegar and/or salt. I don’t eat the embryo. There is also Balut Adobo, which is made like any other adobo. Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Garlic and Bay Leaves.

There are other Bacolod Area street foods but my article covers the most popular and commonly seen.

As always, please use caution when eating street food, as you can become ill. We only buy from vendors we know and who we trust to handle the food properly in storage and with preparation. Very few times have we experienced gastrointestinal problems by following this rule of thumb.

Filipinos love to eat and most foreigners I know also love to eat. You can safely enjoy street food in the Philippines.

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Coffee And The Usual Morning Activities

I am up early this morning for a three to four month doctors appointment.

I have been listening to the news on the cable, and ordering free books

off the internet.  My level of free books is now at well over 3000 and I am thinking of getting a new computer.

I am on the computer a great deal.  I fear I may be addicted to the computer, but it is not an addiction that l am not willing to run off and obtain a twelve step treat plan to res\lve   I usually purchase several used lap tops each year and give the lap tops to my seminary students.  I have not purchased a new lap top in quite a few years.  I think I will save my pennies and get a superfast new computer in the next month or so.  I think I will pay the price.  I enjoy the computer, so what ….  Anyway ,on with the post.

I remember the many days I was up early, made brewed coffee and spent the early morning on the computer, waiting for the local people to wake up, on the months I spent in Marinduque. I waited for, breakfast to be cooked and life to once again start to unwind.  I often would go to the gate and purchase pandesal.  I enjoyed the pandesal with the local version of butter, or a substitute butter called Dairy Cream, and with imported or local jam.  If it were all the same I would rather have jam than jelly.  Jam seems to have more flavor, texture and is a bit less sweet.  I prefer mango for local reserves and raspberry or blackberry along the imported avenue of bread toppings.

I would get the fresh, warm pandesal, my nephew would start a rice cooker of rice.  My asawa would choose from various meat in the freezer,sliced ham or bacon often being the choice she put to the fire.  Sometimes she would add fish to the larder.  On occasion we would have something like pancit left over from the evening before.

School kids would be heading to school.  I would hear some and also see that the local traffic had picked up.  My wife would make an omlet for me most of the time, and scrambled eggs for the baby and her self.  My nephew is not too receptive to eating eggs.

My coffee maker would only make four cups, small cups at that.  I often made a second pot after using the first four cups and treating one of the boys who stayed around the house, a cup of java.  He liked my coffee, brewed coffee is not that common in our area.  The local version of 3 and 1 seems to be popular and Robert, [Believe it, Robert, not Bob or Bobby, or even Roberto], loved my brewed coffee over the local island version.

I would set on my veranda and slice away at my mounds of email.  The birds would be coming to life.  The roosters were crowing and the small sparrow type birds would assume flight.  Local pigeons would draw into and out of the small ventilation and light openings in the wall my neighbors warehouse.

The sea breeze in the morning was often light…but enough to cut through  the tropical heat.  The morning was cool, but the crispness was leaving and I could tell the tropical heat was not too far from coming on. I relished the cripsness in the mornings while it was available.  I put up with the tropical heat when if finally forced its ugly head into my otherwise beautiful day.

We were about a 10 minute walk from the ocean front, maybe less if I was in a hurry and walking alone.  If the baby was in toe, the travel time could be increased to almost double that., Most often my asawa would drive to the coast rather than walk.  One look at the ocean surface told me what the weather would be like for the next few hours.

The coast is the area of busy people many mornings.  If the weather was good, fishermen would be coming in from the nights catch or going out to try their luck in the morning.  There were some people there trying to haggle for fish early in the morning.  The sea was busy if it was calm.  Rough seas ment the weather may not be so nice, and there may not be as many fishermen heading out for a catch.  Rough seas also ment that the price of fish would be higher as less fish were caught.  Less fishermen heading to sea, less fish being caught, higher prices for seafood in the market.  Why did it take me so long to figute that our.  It seems to be an age olk theory.

There were also some local men with throw nets along the coast line.  Some of these men had been casting their nets for years to get their daily protein eeds.  A few casts and many were lucky enough to have breafsast lunch and dinner and they would head home.  The beauty of a simple life.

Some folks would dig for clams.  Some would check for oysters.  Some of the more couragious people would head to sea with age old bamboo crab traps loaded with old bait.  Anything with a smell seemed to be used to bait the crabs into getting caught in the traps.  0ld plastic bottles tied to the crab traps bobbed on the ocean surface to tell each crabber where his traps laid on the ocean floor.  Each crabber seemed to know his own secret spot to catch crabs and a few people took on this adventure in order to feed their families. It was quite a site to see these old banka boats, loaded to full capasity, heading out to sea.  The captains of the various vessels seemed to pilot their craft with skill.  Most had paddled those same waters in the same manners as their grandfathers had done for generations in the past. Almost all of the crabbers had paddled their boats to sea, several times a week, since they were boys.

Not far from our home and along the national highway were located a few decent resorts.  Here foreign visitors, and some of the richer domestic visitors from the mainland, were busy having breakfast and also starting their days. They would fuss at waitresses to get the same pandesal and jam as I had procured at my outside gate.  The blessings of being at home on a tropical island.

The local traffic would be increasing as breakfast finished for most of the local people..  The local housewives would head to town for their daily larder.  My asawa and houseboy would often be in that group. My asawa often had an agreement with her suki for the biggest prawns.  She had a few prize fish saved for her, often 18 inch tuna, or better in some cases.  Even Charlie would be proud of the good taste.

Where many areas have condos along the coast line, our island is not so blessed.  The local populace has a problem putting food on the table day afrer day. so putting down money for a luxuary condo is simplyly out of their  financial grip.  Most of the coastal structures were simple nipa huts, often without any power or fresh water being supplied to the nipa hut.  On occasion there may be a simple bamboo pole and a meter supplying power to a single few electric bulbs and perhaps a small radio.  In the days gone bye, the coastal areas were left for the very poor.  Now most of the very poor have moved inland and the rich have built substancial homes along the coast line.  Homes, but still no condos.

There are a few rental homes still available for rental, but most of them are just rented short term to travelers who are looking for a place to stay for a month or two.  Rents are expensive by local standards, By international standards, a few hundred bucks is considered quite cheap by most international travelers. Most of the costal rental homes were two and three bedrooms.  None were what would be called palacial.

Regardless of where we find ourselves, the pace of life is slow.  Businesses are usually small and many have been living hand to mouth for years.  Few of the local peoiple seem to have much more thant the basics for life.  The local businesses are not overstocked with goods and often the stock is quite low.  The local businesses are those that offer goods and services to the local populace.  Few of the businesses in our area are dependent to any degree to international or foreign travelers.  We do have a few new businesses in town.  One business is owned by a returning American expat.  The owner imports stateside products to our humble island.  She had worked as a nurse in America and had wanted to return to her home in the islands capitol town almost as soon as she had left decades ago.  Upon the death of her husband, she made her return move to our town.  She seemed to enjoy business and was making enough to keep the lights on.  She also put me out of an excuse for having to send as many BBSs for our return trips to the island.

Watching the world go by the fishermen head to sea, and the housewives head to the local market is quite a site. At the local market, meat and seafood is passed from hand to hand.  Meat is chopped and weighted.  fish is passed along the same way.  Vegetables are thumped and inspected and the buyers head home, sackes in their hands.  For me it was an adventure.  for many it was survival.  I enjoyed watching some haggle.  My wife knew most of the prices early on and considered most of the prices on many items to be fixed.  I on the other hand tried to bargain on almost everything  Mama often left me home for that reason.  Plenty of supply ment lower prices.  Seasonal starts and finishes ment higher costs for various fruit.  Still, my asawa seemed to understand the meaning of fixed price.

The vibe is low-key; the pace is slow. The businesses are small and locally-owned, with many lining the town square, [not much more that an basket ball court in one case],, are the hub of the community.  Local women often wear a  t-shirt and a tattered ragged skirt or a pair of patched shorts.  The t-shirts often reflect people who have run in past elections   The skirts or shorts indicate years of wear and tear, and some stiching to patch holes.  Men usually wear a t-shirt about the same as their female counterparts.  The men wear shorts but usually with less holes.  Both genders wear flip flops, the usual footwear.  The people in the islands seem to be far younger than the people in the west.  There seem to be far more children in the local market, most under school age, than I would expect to see.  The islands of paradise is a young and vibrand country.

I think back at the birds along the ocean coast line.  The birds follow the boats at they go to and fro, hither and yon.  The birds love to dispost of fish parts as the local fisherfolks clean the fish on the way in to shore.  Those that do not stay out to sea at night, head out to sea early in the morning.  People in the small barangays depend on the sea.  Some depend on the sea for an income, some depend on the sea for their larder.  Some go to the coast for a swim, some walk along the coastline and collect bright colored glass that has washed it way up from out at sea, turning smooth with the resolve of water for the months the glass was submerged.  Some people collect sea shells.  Some make hallow blocks a short distandce beyond the high tide line.  For many reasons, the sea is important to the locals on our island, it is also what makes then islanders.

I think back on my time on the lsland of Marinduque.  I smile and think of this post starting with the thought of a brewed cup of coffee.  My you all have a blessed day and many wonderful memories of what will happen as your day start.

I dream of my fall return.

JJ++

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Island Life In Marinduque

This article below was written by our good member and friend, JJ. He has many stories to tell about his 40 + years in the Philippines.

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We are blessed with clear blue water all around our island.  The islands itself has about 50% more land and population than Guam, to the east of a few hours by plane.  The water is blue, often calm and usually warm.  We often go to the sea and swim even in January.  I have to admit I like water warm, nearly like bath water, but my family really enjoys a swim in the sea nearly any time of the year.

 The weather from September to January, including all the BER months, is usually warm during the day with cool evenings.  We often need a sweater or long sleeved shirt in the evenings.  The weather is great, and the weather is tropical but not hot.  We have rainly season from May to October and we have a much more dry season from November to April.   Of course we have some hot days scattered in the BER months, and some rainy days scattered into the dry season, but by and large, we have four seasons.  We do not have any cold weather, but we have warm and wet, warm and dry, hot and wet and hot and dry.

 I have been into and out of The Philippine Islands since the very early 1970s.  I have ducked under cover for many storms, but overall the weather is pleasant and very comfortable.  We do use an air conditoner from late February to early September.  From Mid September to late February, and sometimes into March, we sleep very comfortably without an air conditoner.  We open the windows, turn on a fan and sleep soundly.  Even our grandson, who likes cool weather, sleeps soundly in our humble province during the BER months and in January.

 I was introduced to the Philippine Archipeligo by the US Military.  I was introduced to the lsland of Marinduque by my wonder wife of nearly 40 years.She was born and raised on the island, went to college in Manila and had been working in the USA when we men in the mid 1970s.  We were reassigned to The Philippines in the mid 1980s.  During the time we were in The Philippines courtesy of Uncle Sam, we often visited the lsland of Marinduque, espically during Holy Week.  If the islands had been closer to our military home, we would have visited more often.

 Our islands offers famtastic scuba diving and many military ships can be found close to the island, and some are Japanese and some are of American origin.  I am not a scuba diver, but I have heard from government officials that the ships are in water levels reasonable for exploration.

Fresh seafood abounds and we have plenty of seafood to grace our table most of the year.  Even with red tide and other problems involving sea food in Manila, we can still chomp down on seafood nearly year around.  I really enjoy the huge prawns, big shrimp and clams.  Oysters are also fairly cheap.  Many local meals can be had for 250 to 350 peso a meal at some of the better eating places on the island.  The options seem to get better as the years move on.  A few years ago, there were very few nice places to eat.  Over the year, good places to eat have come on the scene.

We enjoy going out to eat in various restaurants for special occasions.  We have a special eating place about 10 kilometers away from our home.  That ;place is located in Gasan, Marinduque and has been owned and operated by the same family for over 20 years.  Recently the original owner went back to Austria in Eurpope, and the food is not quite as good as before, but still the food is worth trying and spending a night out on the town.   A second option is in the town proper, Boac, Marinduque.  The eatery is located in a four story building, and we often climb two or three flights of stairs to eat good meals.  Both places allow us to eat out with a crowd on a budget.  We

eat out and enjoy it.  We expect good service and we usually get what we expect.  Living on an island that is surrounded by ocean is obviously a seafood lovers paradise.  The trick is to find someone who can prepare the local seafood in a style we enjoyed while in the USA.

Seafood is not all we find, but it is a real hit.  The beef is a bit tough but full of flavor.  The pork is as tender as if it were purchased in any Texas market.  I really enjoy the pork in the two places where we often eat.  We also experiment with several other eating places and some have alos hit our ”return to later” list.

My wife and I are an average retired couple.  We have a grandson who is four, and we travel overseas with our bundle of energy, the fireball that keeps our lives in balance and keeps us both feeling young.  He seems to enjoy both Manila and Marinduque and seems to have adapted well to our overseas travel.

Overall we spend about $1200 a month for our traveling life style.  Much of our monthly expences includes a trip, door to door, from our home in Marinduque to our apartment in Manila  When we stay in Marinduque for the month, we can

count of spending about $1200 without worry about curbing our desires and denting our budget.  When in Manila most of the time, we estimate our overall cost of livng would be about 1200 to $1500.  My wife leans to $1500 but I do

try to exercise some restraint in Manila and try for $1200.  Realisticlaly we probably meet in between..We own our Marinduque home and our appartment in Manila has an overall cost of about $200 a month.  Of course if we were to figure expences in both places, we would probably be bouncing in at about $1600 to $1700.  Stange accounting practices, right?  We do not cook much in Manila as I love catching up on my dining out and Manila is filled with decent places to eat.  Most people do not split their time between two places in the slands of paradise, so I am trying to give my forum friends an overall idea what living in either place would cost on a monthly basis, with normal iving conditions.

Medical care is not a strong suit on the islands of Marinduque, but every day problems are cheap to treat and there are adequate doctors to treat the more common medical problems.  I usualy take my medications in with me for the duration of my trip.  If I were to stay there year around I would allow another $500 for medications and health care.  Good medical care is available in Manila and we are not far from several great medical treatment facilities….

We have rare visitors from the international scene.  We do have a fare number of visitors from the domestic scene.  During Holy Week we find that the overall population on the island swells to more than double what it is throughout the rest of the year. With the swelling of the poblulation comes a modest percentage in the increases of prices for food.  The streets become more crowded and traffic far heavier during the Holy Week festivities.

I have four pensions that come in with regularity throughtout the month.  Because of that I do not depend on any type of business.  I have however had several business adventures in Marinduque.  We have seen a tricycle business and a jeepney operated very close to our home, [by a tenant and a neice].  We have seen a sari-sari store run and seen the goods and bads with that type of business.   We have seen an ice business work and we have had rental units as income.  We have also see quail run as a good business and we know the ins and outs of that business.  We have also raised vegetables.  All these businesses added modestly to our bottome line.

What really did add well to our bottom line was income over the internet.  This involved use of a vonage line and having my daughter collect the money for funeral goods and services that we sold.  We feel that having a viable internet business was able to provide us more than enough money where we could have lived well and not dipped into our savings.  We would have had to use or savings at times, but these savings could later be replenished with sales of goods and services. My Filipina wife felt we had more than enough income and she did not like the restraints of having an internet business in the islands of paradise so we let much of our internet go on hold for the past few months.

I have an American friend in the southern islands who is able to support his family of six with income obtained from the internet and exporting a few products from the southern islands, where he lives.  His income is impressive even by American standards.  I have several friends who are involved in MLM and so well enough to provide for themselves in the islands.  I have a friend who was a wed designer and he did well enough in the southern islands to make a diving for his wife and two daughters.

I think it goes without saying that living in the islands of paradiseis far cheaper than living in the USA.  I can not compare my life or lifestyle with Europe or Canada, but it is far cheaper than Texas.  Texas is one of the lower cost of livng states in the USA.  I will let other menmbers of the forum compare Japan, Okinawa, Thailand and Tiawan to The Islands of Paradise.

Some of my favorite times are spent taking the family on a motor trip to various areas on the island.  Most of these trips are done with a rented jeepney.  We go to various distant places on our beloeve island.  Some of the people we take have never been away their home more than walking distance.  For them to go to the other side of the islands for swimming or some other water activity.  We have beatuiful white sand beaches. falls, hot springs and many other resorts that seem to be great entertainment for our extended family.  We can do one of our motor trips and take a jeepney full of our extended family. bring along food and spend less than $100 for the whole day, encluding food, transportation and entry fees.  We really look forward to these trips and the family seems to relish the time going, enjoying the resort and returning to our home area.

We can, if we look for it, find almost everything we want and all of our needs,at our local market.  When we do lack for certain itmes, we have vendors, sukis, that will order items from the main land for us. These special orders provide the vendors with added income and guaranted sales, and it permits us a steady flow of items we relish for our hybrid life style that we enjoy on the island.

We can find many good local native dishes for a very low cost.  We can eat out in a good native restaurant for about 40 to 100 pesos,depending on how low on the native scale we care to partake.  My wife often comes back from the market with prepared food.  We sometimes can not make the food as cheap as we can get the food already prepared from a vendor in the local market..

On our island, there is no shortage of places to go or things to see.  Beaches, parks, places to eat, off island day trrips…. lots of different items depending on our mood and tastes at the time.

This may not be the retirement haven for everyone but it sure has been a great wonder for my wife, daughter, son, grandson over the last few years.  The islands may not be perfect, but it is comfortable.  Paradise may not always be perfect, but it is always paradsie.  I am not trying to sell anything, and hopefully some of the group may try Marinduque on for size and see if the gloves fit. We may be the Holy Week capitol of the islands.  It is the butterfly capitol of the islands and it is noted for frequent outages, but as time goes on , the power is more dependable .  We expect our planes rides to resume soon.  We have learned to deal with the weather.  We love the people and our province is the second safest and most peaceful in the country.  Come and take your shoes off and try out the island on for size.

JJ

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Philippine Flu Season Is Here

It’s that time of the year again. The flu and cold season is here and runs from July-December in the Philippines. Frequent and proper hand washing is one of the best ways to help avoid catching colds or the flu, in my opinion.

Muscle aches, bone aches, backaches,  a dry hacking cough, a low grade fever and loss of appetite are the symptoms that are making the rounds. In schools, in the work place, in malls and in the general public. I had all the symptoms for the past 5 days.

I am rarely ill  but this terrible cold had me dragging for much longer than I like thinking about.

What did I do?

I did not run to the ER and I did not run to a doctor’s office. I did not go to a pharmacy and try to self-medicate with over the counter antibiotics. That would be the worse thing I could do .

We sent a friend to fetch Madame Watusi and bring her to our home. That’s not her real name, of course, and I am referring to a famous hilot.

I am a firm believer of hilot, the ancient Filipino art of healing. You do not have to be concerned about medication side effects or allergic reactions, as only herbal medicine is utilized.

What is a Hilot?

The ancient and traditional Filipino art of healing has been around forever. The hilot I sent for is famous for healing colds and the flu. Her technique involves locating the cold virus in the body and massaging it so it will break up and move out of the body. It works for me.

After removing my shirt, I received a 20 minute therapeutic massage of my back, neck and chest. The hilot applies a green colored menthol oil to her hands, repeatedly, during the massage. I can honestly say that I began feeling better immediately after the hilot massage. My cough was no longer dry but was indeed productive and the cold was moving out of my body.

I was instructed not to shower until 2 days later, to prevent washing off the herbal oil from my body. Of course, I followed instructions. My appetite was also returning but I did not over-do it. I still had chicken, ginger and rice porridge the rest of that day. On the 2nd day, I was looking forward to pizza and steakhouse fries. I also felt like going out and listening to a live band that evening, which is exactly what I did.

On average, the fee for home service performed by a hilot is P200 per session.

Since the mid 1980s, I have exclusively utilized traditional Chinese and Filipino healing, which is 100% natural. I cannot recall the last time I had to take an antibiotic or even a Tylenol. It has been many years.

An American I know refers to those who practice hilot as quack doctors. He said he did not believe in it. I told him that it is not for him then if he does not believe in it. If I have never tried something, I cannot honestly say that is is not good or that it doesn’t work.

The next time you feel a cold coming on, give hilot a try. You may be surprised.

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Personal Safety Tips In The Philippines

Last month, the expat community in the Bacolod area was  shocked by the deaths of an American and his Filipina wife. They had lived in the area for some time and had an organic farm in Murcia, outside Bacolod City. Many of us knew the couple and some of us actually bought organic vegetables from their farm. A very sad and tragic story. The husband was reportedly found in a deep well on their property, with his head bashed in from a hammer. His wife was found later, murdered.

One of the most important issues concerning foreigners wishing to retire to the Philippines is their personal safety. There are no guarantees in life and any of us can be murdered no matter how safe the area. However, we can help prevent being a victim of a violent crime by choosing a safer area to live. Many parts of Manila are not it. The crime rate is high in Manila. Violent crime is on the rise there. More people are murdered in one week in Manila, most weeks, than are murdered in the Bacolod area over a 12 month period. I’ve seen the official crime statistics of the PNP to back up my statement.

Usually Someone You Know

As in the USA, most people murdered in the Philippines  know their murderers either directly or indirectly. Business related, an act of revenge, a feud vendetta, relationship related, robbery and silencing are usually the motives for murder of foreigners in the Philippines,

In short order, the 4 suspects were arrested by the police in the murder of the couple I mentioned in Murcia. The victims knew them. The suspects worked for the couple on their farm. Their home was broken into, their home was ransacked, items were stolen and the couple was murdered. Just for the bounty of a few thousand US Dollars in loot. This is so tragic.

It can be very risky when you hire someone in the Philippines and give them access to your home. There have been cases when a live in helper allowed a boyfriend or a relative to enter the home after the midnight hour to rob, steal and sometimes even kill. A number of Filipinos see foreigners and the wives of foreigners as being rich and having a lot to take from them. Be careful who you hire as a domestic helper, driver, yard man or farm employee.

Statistics Are Shocking

If you do an online search, “US Citizens Deaths Overseas,” you will be directed to an official website of the US Dept of State. On the site, you can enter the country, Philippines, and the time period. Statistics for 2015 are incomplete but I recently checked for January 2014 to December 2014.

Last year, there were 4 reports of US citizens being homicide victims. There were 4 reports of US citizens being suicide victims. There was 1 report of a US citizen being a drowning victim. There were 4 reports of US citizens being killed in vehicle accidents-motorcycles. As I have said all along, your chances of being killed in a motorcycle accident in the Philippines is about the same as your chances of being a homicide victim.

What Can You Do?

Location, location, location is the first step. Learn about the area you intend to live in the Philippines. The internet is loaded with PNP crime statistics for every given area of the Philippines. They are broken down by the crime, such as rape, theft, murder, homicide, robbery, breaking and entering, etc.

Chose a residence which is safe. My wife, our son and I live in a gated subdivision with 24/7 armed security at the gate. Entering the subdivision is restricted unless you live here or unless the security has been informed to allow certain visitors in. The drivers license must be handed over to the security officers upon entering and will be returned upon departure.

Dogs. The bigger and louder, the better. Dogs are a deterrent to prevent anyone trying to breach your gate and wall. We don’t live behind a high concrete wall but there is a wall with iron bars and a locked gate on our property in the city. We don’t need those at our farmhouse in the province because we live on family owned land with 4 family houses nearby. There is also only one way in and one way out. We have a half dozen azkal dogs, who will greet any visitor with loud barking. If the dogs do not recognize the person, it’s on.

Guns. Only Philippine citizens are lawfully allowed to buy and own firearms. My wife has a 9mm and a 45 licensed handgun. At our farmhouse, my wife has a 12 gauge automatic tactical shotgun. However, as explained by police officials, the spouse of a Philippines citizen may use one of the licensed firearms if rules of engagement are present to justify the use of deadly force. Are these really needed to be safe in our area? Probably not. However, we collectively agree. It is best to have licensed firearms in the home and never need them than to need them and not have them.

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The Bright Future Requires Sunglasses At night

We hear more often from the guys who lost their shirts trying to do business in the Philippines. Most discourage others from even trying because they failed and they don’t want to see another foreigner succeed. I’m sorry about their bad luck but it hasn’t rubbed off on me. I am successful.

My wife and I have not made a fortune but make enough to live comfortably every month. We’ve been doing alright for the past 6 years. The farmland and the taxis are great assets that have increased in value. The taxi franchise paperwork that cost P35,000 can now be sold for a price starting at P100,000 and my wife owns 2.

Not having a well organized business plan, trusting all the wrong people, getting into a business that is not viable or even practical and investing everything in one project are common reasons that I have seen for the failure of foreign businesses in the Philippines.

The old myth is still being told to foreigners by other foreigners. If you want to have a small fortune from doing business in the Philippines, invest a large fortune and soon, you will have a small fortune. Simply not true across the board. I personally know a number of foreigners from several countries who have very successful small businesses here.

I also strongly disagree telling anyone that if they do not have experience running a business, they will fail. Every businessperson had to start at some point. They were not born running a business.

A Good Moon Rising

The Philippines economy is the 39th largest in the world and it is one of the emerging markets. The International Monetary Fund, Goldman Sachs, The World Bank, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch all have good things to report about the Philippines economy. The Philippines is currently referred to as one of the ‘Tiger Cub’ economies.

The Philippines is ranked in the global top 5 concerning its shipbuilding and ship repair industry. The shipyards and ports in the Philippines are doing a booming business with no slacking in sight.

Moog Aerospace is located in Baguio and it is a $3 Billion USD industry. Parts for Boeing aircraft and Airbus are made in the Philippines. Texas Instrument’s plant has been in Baguio for about as long as I can remember.

There are many foreign automakers in the Philippines. Ford, Isuzu, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Kia. The anti-lock breaking system, ABS, for Volvo and Mercedes are made in the Philippines.

I stayed in Florida last year for one month due to the illness of a close relative. My brother drove me around almost everyday to the Gainesville-Lake City area and there was very little construction going on anywhere that I went.

If you drive around Bacolod, you will see so much ongoing construction. Office buildings, condo units, development in new subdivisions, new malls and so much progress. City Mall, which is owned by Jollibee, and 888 Chinatown Mall are under construction. SM added an entire new wing last December, 2014 and a convention center.

Megaworld from Manila is developing 2 communities and the 10 year project is expected to generate 250,000 direct and support jobs in the Bacolod area. Over the 10 year period. Office buildings, condo towers, shopping centers, bars and restaurants will be constructed. Maybe others as well.

The future is so bright, I have to wear sunglasses at night. At least compared to where my old home is in Florida!

The situation in the Philippines is not as bleak as some would like for you to believe. Actually, far from it.

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Free Bird And All Five Horizons

If you like the feel of a bikers bar without getting your butt kicked and without biker chicks, Crossed Pistons Saloon is the place to visit in Cebu City. It is located on Morales Street, near Harold’s Hotel and the Silver Dollar Bar. If you are looking for a girlie bar, skip Crossed Pistons because that is not what they are about.

I was sent on a mission one evening when I was in Cebu last month, to check it out, mainly for their upstairs karaoke. “If Gary returns, the place is safe.” Thanks guys. No, I did not have to RKO anyone. I met the challenge and returned safely. No danger despite the leather, the colors and the bikes outside. Open arms was my greeting. “Come in, Bro. Welcome.” Ever seen a Filipino biker wearing Outlaw colors? I met one and he is nice as anyone could be.

As soon as I saw the songs “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Black” by Pearl Jam in their song book, I said to myself, “this is my kind of place.” What started out to be a casing of the joint and a quick beer turned into a 3 hour singing session with the bartender and I. Wow! She has a great voice. I discovered many of my favorite songs available in their karaoke song list. Songs I have never seen in Bacolod.

Second Helping

My last night in Cebu last month, I visited Crossed Pistons Saloon again. Everyone remembered me. The bartender said, “Let’s sing.” She did not have to twist my arm.

If I was looking for the heart of a Friday night, I found it. Good fun, good food, good friends and ice cold beer. I don’t know where she learned but the cook can really cook up some mean southern fried chicken that will rival my grandmother’s chicken.  Half chicken fried for P150. You can’t beat that.

I found a couple more Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pearl Jam songs in their play list song book. No songs by The Mavericks, though. Another song I enjoy singing in the Philippines is “What I’d Say,” by Ray Charles. Some in the crowd will join me in singing the “hey…ho” chorus.

As always, another good night for singing.

I have met many foreigners over the last 29 years in the Philippines but I have not met many who love singing. One reason, among many, why I relate to Filipinos so well is because I firmly believe that every night is a good night for singing. If you keep a song in your heart every single day, despite the challenges of life, it can reach to the depths of your soul.

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Living In The Philippines

Living in the Philippines is the original site and list, not one of the many knockoffs, so please don’t get confused. Living in the Philippines has been around for 15 years and is by far #1 on the Internet. You are rest assured that you will receive the most accurate and up to date information you will ever find on the Internet about the Philippines. Some of our members have up to 40 years of great experience in and out of the islands and in actually living here.

About Us

Don Herrington, my best foreign friend in the Philippines, had the vision and mission to create Living in the Philippines many years ago. He is the owner of the name, Living in the Philippines, and let us please make no mistake about that. Every single day, we discuss hot topics and issues about the Philippines on the lively list and forum, which has more than 18,000 plus new every week joined members. Retirement, cost of living, where to shop, the best locations for you to live, the best restaurants, travel, medical care, introduction to the vibrant Filipino Culture, relationships, how to engage in business, the best businesses, how to get a Philippine drivers license and many more topics. We provide you with the information you want and need about the Philippines.

We are not a dating site, so please do not ask for personal introductions. Living in the Philippines is strictly moderated. We do not allow Filipino bashing, Philippines bashing, off topic posts not about the Philippines and it is family oriented. Members are protected and we never allow any of the members to attack, inflame, threaten, ridicule or embarrass others.

I studied at the University of the Philippines in the mid 1980s. I lived in Metro Manila two different times for a total of 3 years, although I knew those were not permanent moves at the time. Overall, I have 29 years of wonderful and exciting experience living in the Philippines and spending quality time here during annual visits. For the past 6 years, I have lived with my lovely wife and our son in the Bacolod Area of Negros Occidental.

I am currently the Administrator of the List, Living in the Philippines3. We have a lively and sometimes robust discussion every single day about the Philippines. Hundreds of topics are discussed each and every month.

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Mission and Vision

Don Herrington had the mission and vision more than 20 years ago to provide a venue, which promotes the Philippines. That’s what we do! If you have never been to the Philippines but are interested, our group members and knowledgeable forum members will help introduce you to this wonderful country and the beautiful people, The Filipino.

There is never a fee on Living in the Philippines and our information is 100% free. I, as well as a few other well informed members, have written what many have reviewed as very entertaining, informative and interesting books about our long experience in the Philippines. You are never obligated to spend one centavo, however, if you want to read one of our books, you can order here:

http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/

I would like to personally thank the List Guides/Moderators of Living in the Philppines3 for their great assistance to me as the Admin. Gerlie, Peter, Warren and Roy. Jack is still around as well. They ensure that the list runs smoothly and timely for your convenience. I can never say enough good things about them. They are all my amigos and amigas, as well as yours!

This is my initial article about Livining in Philippines and Living in the Philippines3. We all look forward hearing from you!

Take care and we hope to meet you one day, somewhere all around the Philippines. Hasta la bye bye for now. See ya soon.