Also Make Sure You Check Out Our New Expat Shop!

A collection of how-to guides, travel tools, and courses to help expats move abroad.

New!

Share:
Notifications
Clear all

Health or relatives/ friends

 Lucy
(@Lucy)
New Member
Joined: 7 months ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter  

Hi Marco,

Thank you for your valuable information! 

Being a Filipino-American, you have convinced me to retire in the Philippines....But will travel internationally  every so often using the Philippines as my base

I am still deciding between  Manila and Baguio.  Coincidentally, the 2 cities you mentioned previously. 

I have some relatives & friends in Manila, but I feel it is densely populated & polluted. Not to mention the traffic congestion.

While Baguio which is 5-6 hours drive away from Manila, seems more healthy because of its cool weather & fresh air.

Don't you think my health environment is more important than being surrounded with relatives & friends?

What do you think?

Merci beau coup!

God bless,

Lucy


   
Quote
(@marco-expat)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 612
 

Hi Lucy, that's a tricky question, especially because Filipino culture is family-oriented. It boils down to your personal priorities. For me, I prioritize my physical and mental health. While I enjoy Manila's nightlife, the pollution is too much for me to live with. If it were my decision, I would choose Baguio as my retirement base and build a new social circle of friends there.

The good news is that the decision is not permanent, and retirement gives you incredible flexibility. If you start in Baguio and find yourself missing your friends and family, you can move to Manila after a year.


   
ReplyQuote

Leave a reply

Author Name

Author Email

Title *

Preview 0 Revisions Saved
>