Hello, Home Edders community! This is my first time posting here and I'm glad to have known about it through OCD's weekly community highlight. So let me take you to my beautiful tropical and humble country, Philippines!
Philippines is an archipelago made of over 7,000 islands located at Southeast Asia with a population with a little over 108 million. Our major religion is Roman Catholic as the country was colonized for 333 years. Our ancestors can speak Spanish but since the American occupation, English replaced Spanish and became our second language until this day.
Living in the my country is alright although there are things I wish we have too like the first world countries. If you are visiting to the Philippines for vacation, you would definitely enjoy the country. We have beautiful beaches, historical places, and a variety of delicious foods. But if you've thought of living in our country for a longer period of time, then let me share to you an overview about the life in my country.
The cost of living in the Philippines is quite affordable, supposedly your from a first world country. One USD is currently equivalent to Php 48.58 and you can purchase a meal with that or take a public transportation a few times.
Living in the main cities like Manila is more costly than living on the province, of course. For us here residing in the province, the average monthly salary is around Php 8000 to 10000, that's around 165 to 205 USD. This amount could suffice for single people but if you have a family to feed then I doubt this salary would be enough to live a nice life.
Getting a job can be difficult too as job vacancies are scarce for some areas. I remember applying for a job before, we were more than 50 applicants and I didn't know we were all vying for only two vacant positions. It was the worst experience for me.
Speaking of renting a place to stay, I have no recent idea about the prices though I checked the internet for the prices around my area and saw that renting an apartment costs around Php 8000 while renting a small room for student and a single person costs around Php 3000. For water expenses, my family pays around Php 1000 to 1500 per month. Water supply here in the province is good although in big cities, there are times wherein water supply is scarce like summer. On the other hand, electricity in my country is among the most expensive in Southeast Asia. Our home with 5 people, pays around Php 5000 for electricity bill every month.
For transportation, taking the public transportation is the cheapest option. The minimum fare here in the province for jeepneys is Php 8 and ordinary buses at Php 15. There are also the three-wheeled vehicles we call tricycle which you can rent to take you to a specific place compared to jeepneys and buses although the fare is more expensive. However, if you have extra money and want a really comfortable ride, there are taxis you can book as well. I remember paying Php 200 for a one way ride with a friend at Manila before. I have no choice because we are not familiar with the streets in that area. We could've shell out more money if we got lost.
Of course, another major thing to consider is food! Food here in the Philippines is still affordable. One tip I could say is buy fruits, vegetables, and meat at the wet market because these are sold a bit higher at groceries. Also, vegetables and fruits are cheaper in the province. That bag of lettuce you see above only costs Php 40 which could've cost more if you buy it in the grocery. I bought it when we went to La Trinidad, Benguet.
Fast food is also cheap but there are also cheaper options like the eateries you can find around the community which comes with free soup! Of course, I wouldn't forget to mention street foods. They're cheap and can make you feel full.
When it comes to education, I'd say we have an affordable yet competent education system which is why some foreigners choose to study here especially for health and English language courses. School life is also great, I'm sure one will have a wonderful student life here in the Philippines. Cases of school bullying here in my country is low. With the awareness of bullying coming to light for some years now, I'm sure Filipinos have become more mindful of their actions and words towards people.
Last is the community. Philippines is a country of friendly and warm people. You don't have to worry not getting help or a friend when staying here. We are also amongst the happiest people in the planet. Although, of course, just like any other country, there will always be bad people mixed in the population, so be careful who you trust even if they appear friendly in front of you. It always pays to be careful, right?
That's all for this post. I know I didn't make it to the deadline but I hope this helps someone out there to have an idea of what it's like to live in my country. I hope you have a wonderful experience if ever you choose to stay here for a long time. Despite the bad news, Philippines is a place worth living in. :)
