Whenever I am not sure exactly what idea I should craft an article around, there is one “evergreen”, always ready one that will work on this blog … Moving to the Philippines.  One reason it is always a “go” for me writing or visitors reading is, there’s a whole group of people who have been “thinking about” and “planning for” and “considering” moving here for years now … I just heard from a guy this am that surprised me … he was a frequent contributor to a Yahoo Group about living in the Philippines which I used to frequent back before the year 2000.

And, he still hasn’t made up his mind.

How many more like him are out there?  I don’t know, but feedback from my readers here certainly let’s me know that it is more than a few.

I saw a neat quote this morning about an article from Steve Pavlina that I’ve read before … but perhaps not pointed out here.  Thanks, Michael, for pointing this important concept out to me, yet again Launching Your First Product – How We Did It!

Steve Pavlina explains READY FIRE AIM perfectly in this article:

As Steve explains – the ready-fire-aim approach, rather surprisingly works a lot better than the more common ready-aim-fire approach.

“The reason is that after you’ve “fired” once, you have some actual data with which to adjust your aim. Too many people get bogged down in planning and thinking and never get to the point of action. How many potentially great ideas have you passed up because you got stuck in the state of analysis paralysis (i.e. ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim…)?

If you think you want to move to the Philippines, then move to  the Philippines.  You know,the door swings both ways … if you try to make go of it here and you find out that the luster of your dream is a little less bright, then pack up and go somewhere else.

I need not be the soul numbing, stress inducing torture than so many of you seem to make it out to be.  What’s the worst that can happen?  You have to pay for some plane fares back home?  Let me assure you of something … if you are living in the US right now, you are likely wasting way more than the cost of some air tickets, each and every year, burning up your money on cable TV. ridiculous cell phone plans, insurance for everything up to and including orthodontics for your dog … and likely even some ore US-induced waste I haven’t thought of yet.

You might be interested in my article on “Economy Birding” in the Philippines as well.  Many folks, in today’s US economy, might find out it’s very smart to come here for a few years, wipe out the debts that are making you lose sleep now, get rid of the expenses you don’t really need, so you can focus on the important issues you feel you have to pay … and in general, just adding a few years to your life.

Could I be wrong?  Of course I could … but guess what?  If you just sit there, worrying and wishing and never do anything, you will never, ever know.

Ready, Fire, Aim … it can work.

The funny thing about running a site like PhilFAQS, where I attempt to answer the questions people have about living in the Philippines, especially for retirement is .. you become “Internet Famous” for things you never intended to become “Internet Famous” for.

Fortunately, this hasn’t jumped up and bitten me too badly … yet … but one of the things this blog always ranks highly for in search results is “Living in the Philippines on$770USD” (per month that is).

I’m not the one who actually started posting on that subject … in fact the first time I saw the phrase “live” was on another bloggers site and I really I commented that while a foreigner certainly could live in the Philippines on $770USD per month, I felt that he or she would be cutting things pretty close, and that a better “safe” figure would be $1000USD or more.

In fact I routinely publish more comprehensive cost of living data here, just outside Metro Manila, than I believe anyone else does online.  And if you follow the link:

http://philfaqs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009%20Aug%20Current%20Costs.htm

You’ll see that my (Filipina) wife and I and our college-age niece who lives with us, routinely spend substantially more than$770 USD per month.  See also Current Philippine Living Costs — End of August 2009

… and before the auditor and accounting types out there jump in my case about the figur4es being nearly a year old, let me assure you, they haven’t changed much.  Electric bills have gone up the most … $20 t0 $40 a month, gas and diesel fuel has risen also (but I use very little of that) and the most uncertain thing of all, the value of the Peso has risen a bit (frankly, with the credit mess the US is in right now I’m surprised the US dollar can still buy 46 or more Pesos) … this is the unknowable issue for the future.  While I have lived here in the Philippines in less than four years, the Peso has climbed to 40 to the dollar and shank back, once touching 50 to the dollar.  No way of knowing what the long term trends will be.

That’s why I maintain that the real bottom line … not for luxury, but for safety, is $1.000USD.

Still a very nice lace to live for a retiree, though.  No matter what these day-to-day fluctuations may hold in store for us, I’ve included the latest of my popular “Big Mac Index” charts.  As you can see, a Big Mac in the Philippines (using the Big Mac as a quick and dirty world wide unit of comparisons, that is about the same in all countries) is at least 40% less than in the USA.

I don’t eat many Bib Macs, but I sure do enjoy the cost of living here in the Philippines … even if I spend more like $1200 USD than $770 per month.

I guess it shouldn’t be too hard for me to rank on page one in Google for that title, should it? *smile*

But what the heck is an asteism?  Well, as my dear departed and sorely missed daddy would have said, it’s a 64 dollar word for a backhanded compliment.

OK, so what is a backhanded compliment, for those who aren’t familiar with the term? (Hey, my dad was born in 1903, and I not long thereafter, so I am not always as up-to-date as some of my younger readers).  Simply stated, it is an insult that is disguised as a compliment.  Sometimes, a backhanded compliment may be inadvertent.  However, the term usually connotes an intent to belittle or condescend.

A backhanded compliment may fool the listener, but the compliment remains "backhanded" because the speaker is being intentionally slighting and insulting. In some cultures, backhanded compliments are considered a genteel or polite way of expressing disdain

For example, how should a lady take this: "That dress is lovely; it does wonders for your figure."?  Or one I’ve received a time or two: "You’re smarter than you look."?

A few weeks ago, during the run up to the Philippine presidential Inauguration, a lady who was somehow connected with improving the President-elect’s appearance told an international TV audience, “The President’s appearance is very important, after all, he is the figurehead of the Filipino people.”

When I first heard that I thought she had chosen her words poorly and perhaps she should have said he was the leader or the embodiment or the public image of the country.  A beacon for the world, something along those lines. 

But then again, maybe she really meant to say that he was a non-functional, strictly decorative, wooden-headed figure placed on the bow of a ship solely out of tradition and vanity.  Not for me to say , I don’t know her thoughts.

But when a fellow devotes time and effort to establish a web site, do research and write articles promoting retirement in the Philippines … a situation I and many others like me are currently enjoying … one might expect he would use terms that actually were at least factual, and certainly he would avoid asteisms.  Here’s a quote:

… While Malaysia may have … even a special retirement scheme for single foreigners or expat couples, there’s little doubt that the Philippines has much more to offer … Foreign Retirement in the Philippines – Dreams can come true! »

I don’t know about you, but if I wrote regularly on retirement (which I do) and in particular on retirement in the Philippines (which I of course do here on PhilFAQS), I would try to do a better job on learning what’s available here in the Philippines via official programs which make it easier for Americans (and other foreigners) to retire here in the Philippines.  I have looked into the ‘special retirement scheme” offered by Malaysia, as well as ‘retiree enticements’ in several other countries and in my opinion the Philippines meets or exceeds the benefits of any Asian country for prospective retirees.

If you are a single person thinking about retirement, or a couple who neither one are Filipinos or former Filipinos, the Philippines has a comprehensive long-stay visa program just for you …it’s called the SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Visa).  And the purpose of this article is to let you know that is you are unaware of the SRRV (as the fellow Philippine retirement proponent I quoted seems to be), then you we it to yourself to find out.

In the past four years I have been living in the Philippines I find that the vast majority of retirees and potential retirees either don’t know of this program at all, or are handicapped because what they know isn’t correct.  Here are a few typical questions and answers that may help you in your planning:

Q: Is the SRRV for everyone?

A: No.  The earliest one can avail of the SRRV is age 35 (at the time of joining)

Q: Isn’t there some massive investment required?

A: Well, all “flavors” of the SRRV do require an investment.  It’s formally called a “Retiree’s Deposit” and in order of highest to lowest, they go like this:

Retirees who do not have (or chose to show) a formal pension income:

35 to 49 years old           – US$50,000

50 years old and above   – US$20,000

Retirees who chose to qualify with a monthly pension in addition to their required deposit

(for a single retiree, proof of at least USD$800 monthly, for a retired couple, USD$1000 monthly)

35 to 49 years old … not available

50 years old and above   – USD$10,000

There is is also a category for Former Filipinos and  certain foreign diplomatic personnel which I won’t get into in this article.  The investment there can be as little as USD$1,500 USD.

As a strictly personal editorial comment, if you are thinking of moving to the Philippines with less than $10,000 USD in savings, … don’t.  This is a very bad country to be broke in … even the poor on welfare in the US are very rich in comparison to poor people here, and there are very few government “safety nets”, unlike the USA.

Q: But is my deposit money gone forever?

A. No, not at all.  Retiree deposits must be placed in one 9or more) Philippine Retirement Authority banks, where they earn interest, very much like nay other bank time deposit.  If the retiree leaves the money in the approved account and then, for example, decides to leave the Philippines and give up his/her SRRV, the money is returned.  If the retiree dies, his/her investment is part of his estate and is dealt with in accordance with the retiree’s will, and/or the laws of the Philippines should s/he die intestate.

Q: I thought I could use the required deposit to purchase a condominium or lease a house and land.?

A:  You can.  After 30 days on deposit you can use your money to invest in several approved areas, including a condo purchase or the long-term 920 years or more) lease of property.  But there is a catch.  If you take your deposit out of the bank and invest it elsewhere, you will have to pay an annual “Visitorial Fee”  This is on the order of 1% of the required deposit, as always you should check with the source, the Philippine Retirement Authority web site for up to date information).

Q: But is my Investment Safe?

A. Well if you leave it in an approved bank I think it’s about as safe as can be. Many people have expressed concern to me that the PDIC (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation) only insures depositors in individual banks up to PhP 500,000 (about USD$10,800 at today’s rate).  True enough, but the work around is built in … if a retiree desires, s/he may spilt the required deposit among multiple approved banks to keep the total deposit amount covered by PDIC protection. 

Q: I heard the SRRV allows you to work in the Philippines?

A. Well the true answer is, it does and it doesn’t.  If you are an SRRV holder under the required monthly pension option, no.  You are not authorized to work (this may also include unpaid volunteer jobs) in the Philippines. 

If you are in a no pension required category then yes, you have the right to work or operate a business in the Philippines. But, (and this is a big but), I have seen a ton of false information on this aspect of Philippine living) having the right to work does not give you permission to work.  You must have an approved AEP (Alien Employment Permit)  issued by the Department of Labor and Employment which authorizes a foreign national to work in the Philippines.

Q: Someone offered to process an SRRV for me for a fee.  How do I know if this is a legitimate offer?

A. In almost all cases this is an offer you should avoid at all costs.  It is not legal for any agency or individual except the PRA themselves to charge any fees for the SRRV.  There are fees involved but they should be paid only to the PRA.  The PRA accredits two types of marketing partners … existing businesses and independent marketers to help prospective visa holders with learning about the SRRV, but these marketers are paid only through the PRA.  There is a list of accredited SRRV marketers on the PRA site.  You do not have to pay anyone to assist you with this visa … pay only fees provided by law and pay only to the PRA themselves. 

Q: But wait, don’t go, you haven’t answered another question I had…

A. Sorry, I’m all out of time at the moment.  Here’s a source I highly recommend who can offer you a lot more information on the SRRV and in foreigner retirement in the Philippines in general.  They are my main information source and I recommend them highly.  Look for Ms. Susan Dudley, a true friend of PhilFAQS (tell her Philly sent you) and I am sure she can help.

As I have said before, I’m trying to make Mondays a day I devote pretty much to things on my mind and ways to help people succeed in general.  These thoughts usually (but not always) have a direct living, retiring or working in the Philippines connection.

One thing that troubles me a lot about the time I put in on this site is I so often answer the question of “how can I earn a living in the Philippines”, and yet I virtually never hear a word from anyone who even gave one of my ideas serious thought … let alone from anyone who tried one and succeeded.  I never even here from anyone who tired and failed … failure is an important milestone on the road to success, in case you didn’t know.

“Success is 99 percent failure.”

Soichiro Honda … yes, the founder of that Honda

I do, however, get my share of “hate mail”.  Negative thinkers who take the time to tell me why my ideas won’t work, although they don’t put their money where their mouth is and prove anything they say.

One fellow, not long ago, bought a “How to do it” course on making money on the Internet.  he then promptly returned it (for full refund, I sell or recommend nothing that isn’t one hundred percent risk free).

His comment to me … “Well, perhaps I should have actually tried the how to course, but I read some comments about it in a forum that were negative, so I decided to return it, because I was sure it wouldn’t work for me.”

Yes, indeed.  Perhaps I actually should have tried.  Wish I’d said that.  Why even take the time to read here if you aren’t going to exposed enough effort to find out if something will work for you?  Boggles my mind.  You know when people make comments on line about virtually any business or service, there are going to be a large number of tem that are negative.  Happy customers rarely make comments.  Just check with your local better Business Bureau for example, I’ll bet the volume of negative comments to positive comments about local businesses is ten to one unfavorable.

A good friend of mine is a “real” book author and an online marketer of some note and great success, Frank Rambauskas.  Frank just wrote something in a news letter that I thought I should share:

… I get so much hate mail I can’t even keep track!  The people who write it, however, apparently don’t realize how encouraging it is to me and how much it drives me on to even greater things. 

In a conversation with Robert Kiyosaki, the author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," he explained to me that hate mail and other opposition is a sign that I’m actually accomplishing something and helping people to further themselves.  A lack of hate mail and opposition would be a red flag that I’m not achieving enough through my efforts, so keep that in mind for when you encounter it in your own life…

Makes good sense to me.  And it should to you too, if you are planning to move to the Philippines, planning to start a business for yourself, or any one of a number of “non-conventional” ideas you might be thinking abut trying, and are hesitating because you are afraid of ‘what people will think”.

They don’t matter.  Only you do.

So I am not yet as successful as Frank … I don’t get more hate mail than I can keep track of … but I’m trying.  Keep those cards and letters pouring in folks ..

And for those of you who keep insisting you want a job instead of a business of your own, I have something of interest for you today. Learn how you, too, can work at home, legitimately!

So is this legit?  Yep.  If you do what they teach you, you will earn money.  If for some reason you don’t, you get 100% of your money back, no questions asked.  Can anyone do it?  Yep.  You need no special technical skills and you can do it from anywhere there is an Internet connection.

Does PhilFAQS recommend it?  Well, yes and no.  Here’s my issue.  I think there are ways to make money, much larger money, that are not trading hours for pay ..but … and it’s an important but, many of my audience does not want their own business, they want something more like a conventional, punch the clock job … and that is what this is, except you set the hours, you decide who to work for and you put in as many or as few hours as you chose to.  In that respect it certainly sounds pretty interesting to me.

But please do me a favor?  While it is true that if you click and then sign up for this program, I make a small commission .. I do NOT want you to click unless you are going to give the program a chance to work for you. 

If you click the button and then let the training sit on your hard drive and fail to take action, it will be a worthless exercise for all of us.

So Do Not Do It (click the link that is) unless you promise that you are going to Do It, work the program … fair enough?

Here’s a little information on home buying here in the Philippines, and a few personal thoughts you can take for what they are worth.  It will be helpful to start with (review) a few facts.

A Foreigner Can not Purchase Land in the Philippines:

If you take nothing else away from this, please take a moment to let this sink in.  Day after day I hear from people who have one idea or another that supposedly are going to let them “beast” the system.  My view?  Don’t get into scams, frauds and ‘workarounds”.  The Philippine Constitution of 1987 … the one we currently live under .. prohibits ownership of Philippine land by foreigners. (except with one important exception, see below)

Over the years I have heard of dozens, if not hundreds of “schemes” (often cooked up by lawyers or real estate agents of doubtful integrity) that propose to allow a foreigner to buy land.  Ain’t going to happen.  At best, you’ll lose your money.  At worst, you could get into serious legal trouble and/or deported.  Play by the rules.  (You might also like to read my series on why I don’t own my own home in the Philippines)

(Note: Under certain conditions a foreigner can inherit land in the Philippines, if you feel you are in this category, I wrote extensively on foreigner land inheritance here)

A foreigner can own certain condominium properties:

Let me stress something that many fail to note on this issue.  A foreigner can not own just any condominium property.  The corporation that actually owns the underlying property must meet certain ownership requirements, because when a person buys a condominium unit, s/he automatically becomes a member of the condominium corporation which owns the land.

Under Philippine law, foreigners are allowed to become members or stockholders of the condominium corporation which owns the land, but only up to a maximum of 40% of the capital stock of the condominium corporation.  (read more about foreigner ownership of condos here)

Another important trap I have seen spring closed more than once.  If you are eligible and considering applying for an SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Visa) (and many of you should be seriously considering this program), remember that while you can use the required investment funds to purchase a condo, you really can’t do this “after the fact” … you can’t show up at the PRA (Philippine Retirement Authority) and say, “here’s my condo, now where’s my visa?”.  Make sure you seek official, professional guidance before you take any steps along this route … the order in which things get accomplished turns out to be very important.

Most people think high-rise apartment units when they think “condo”, under the law it denotes a certain class of ownership, and it can be any style of building, as long as it is owned by a Philippine corporation who structures the foreign ownership as a condominium form of ownership.  You might enjoy a feature I did on duplex condominiums a while back.  More condo townhome information.  Sample comprehensive conventional condo specifications, pricing and financing information.

A foreigner married to a Philippine citizen can Purchase a Conventional Home Along with his/her Spouse, with Rights of Survivorship:

Now of course this is the option a great many of my readers are going to be interested in.  We’re already up to a lengthy article here, and no way can I cover the offerings you’ll see all over the Philippines. 

So I’ll wrap this up with a few sample financing plans from recent Philippines listings.  Remember, in general, you will almost never find any purchase plans with less than 20% down payment requirements. 

Loan terms, compared with the ever-poplar nothing down and 30 or even 40 years to pay in the US, along with very low interest rates, are just not available here in the Philippines.  It’s really no wonder many people describe the Philippines with the term, “Cash is King”.

Sample Listings and Terms:

---

Sample One, a very modest price with extremely flexible financing options:

IF PAID IN CASH: 2,196,750.00
Less: discount 128,143.75
TOTAL CASH PAYMENT 2,068,511.25

Less: 30 % Down payment 659,025.00
Less: Reservation 50,000.00
Balance of 30% Down payment 609,025.00
pay. in 3 mos @ 203,008.33/mo.
70 % Balance 1,537,725.00

IF BALANCE IS PAID THRU IN-HOUSE FINANCING
1 Year 0% interest 128,143.75 per month
2 Years @ 15% interest 74,559.13 per month
3 Years @ 15% interest 53,305.74 per month
Processing Fee: P 5,000.00
Insurance: P 11,818.57 per year
Transfer fee: P 66,412.00 after full payment

THRU BANCO DE ORO: 2,196,750.00
Less: 20 % Down payment 439,350.00
Less: Reservation 50,000.00
Balance of 20% Down payment 389,350.00 pay. in 3 mos @
129,783.33/mo.
80% Balance 1,757,400.00

IF BALANCE IS PAID THRU BANCO DE ORO
5 Year @ 10% interest – 37,339.55 per month
10 Years @ 11.50% interest – 24,708.24 per month
15 Years @ 11.50% interest – 20,529.77 per month
NOTE: BDO interest rate @ the time of approval will apply
Processing Fee: P 5,000.00
Bank Charge: P 36,000.00 more or less
Transfer fee: P 66,412.00 upon approval of loan

LIST OF REQUIREMENTS :

Latest Res. Cert. (3 copies)

BIR TIN Card (3 copies)

Marriage Contract (if married) (2 copies)

Birth Certificate (if single) (2 copies)

Latest 1×1 picture both husband & wife w/ signature at the back (1 copies)

Valid ID with picture & signature (3 photocopies)

Latest proof of mailing address (1 copy)

Latest Cert. of Employment & Compensation duly notarized (4 copies)

Latest 1 month payslip (1 copy)

Latest Income Tax Return w/ W2 (1 original & 2 Photocopies)

Latest Contract of Employment sealed by POEA (2 copies)

Passport (3 photocopies)

Post Dated Checks for the balance & for the Insurances

Medical Certificate (Full medical examination)

---

Sample 2, Another modest home with more typical financing requirements:

All we seem to hear these days, especially in US news is talk of unemployment, more unemployment, under employment and then, yet again, more unemployment.  I suspect many of the searches I get here regarding jobs in the Philippines for Americans are motivated at least as much by the bad employment outlook in the US as by the folks actually interested in moving here to the Philippines.

What is I told you, though, that one of the world’s largest employers, one of the best in terms of pay, benefits, retirement and promotion opportunity, is hiring.  Big time.

I’d be telling you the truth.  After years of trying to balance the budget by decimating the Federal work force, the US is now on a massive hiring spree.

At least 150,000 jobs, plus the vacancies caused by attrition in the coming year … up to as many as 1.5 million new Federal jobs are being opened up for hiring.  Although there are only a few US federal jobs in the Philippines, there are federal jobs all over the globe, as well as the USA.

Who has the best chance of getting one of these jobs?  Easy.  The person who prepares.

About 90% of the folks I deal with looking for a job are hopeless cases, because they don’t even care enough about themselves to have a decent resume and haven’t taken the time to sit down and catalog their skills and figure out how to present themselves.

And those who might be looking for a Federal job (hint, retired US serviceman have preference for most of these jobs, which a significant portion of my audience here.) have to do the resume thing also.  Telling a prospective employer you were the NCOIC of some military alphabet soup office, or the major in charge of testing prep school academy applicants on Podunk Air Force base means absolutely nothing to most employers, even in other Federal agencies.

But if you know what the Federal government is looking for (hint two, if you don’t know what your KSA’s are, better get with the program), then you have an excellent chance.

The vast majority of these jobs are going to require a US Security Clearance as well … you’ve heard me mention this before also.  having a security clearance already is a tremendous asset IF you know the right way to document it.

So, today, as a public service, I’m reprinting some information about a guide I believe would be well worth a small investment on your part. (About $12 USD)

(Note;  this is not an offer from me, I am not selling this guide and I make no commission or other consideration … merely presenting this as a possible help for those who would like to pull themselves up out of the jobless mire .. the publisher of this guide knows what they are talking about.  In all cases though, YMMV).

———————————

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Our Federal Workforce will be increased by at least 153,000
to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010!

In today’s challenging job market, Federal
Employee positions are one of the few markets
that are hiring. You must make sure you know
how to properly prepare your federal resume…
even if you are already a federal employee and
are applying for a transfer or new positions.
Please read this important information.
Sincerely,
FEDweek

Your Security Clearances on Your Federal Resume are Critical

How to Prepare Your Federal Resume Properly
How to List Your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
and Your Security Clearances on Your Federal Resume is Critical
The Complete Guide to Writing a Federal Resume–
Available for Immediate Shipment

Go to http://www.fedweek.com/pubs/index.php
From the Publishers of FEDweek, the federal government’s
largest information resource…

We are proud to announce the launch of The Complete Guide
to Writing a Federal Resume. This book was written
specifically for you and is designed to help you meet the
requirements for written materials in seeking a new federal
job or advancement within the federal government. There is
no longer a single, required method of applying for federal
employment. In fact, most federal agencies are moving
toward the resume (either paper or electronic) as the
preferred method of applying for jobs.

That’s why we’ve published The Complete Guide to
Writing a Federal Resume and all current federal employees,
retirees, military members and private sector professionals
who are looking for a federal job need this all-inclusive guide.
Note to Military Members:

Many of the federal job openings at this time require security
clearances. As a military member, a large percentage of you have
the security clearance and the qualifications needed to fill
these positions. This all-new guide will show you how to compose
your resume to accentuate your strengths and experiences.

Here’s a partial list of the table of contents:

Finding a Federal Job
Should I Apply Using a Resume or an Application Form?
The Federal Resume
Preparing to Draft Your Resume
What to Cover (and not cover) in a Resume
The Designing of Your Federal Resume
Your Accomplishments (including a worksheet)
What if You Use an OF-612?
Knowledges, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
Cover Letters and Thank You Letters
Interactive Worksheets
The Do’s and Don’t's for Federal Resume Cover Letters
Contains Many Sample Federal Resumes and Cover Letters
And Much More!

This Book is a "Must Have" For:
1. All federal employees
2. Military personnel interested in civil service careers
3. Federal managers and supervisors
4. Human resources professionals and federal libraries
5. Military retirees beginning their second career with the
   federal government
6. All private sector workers that wish to apply for federal
   government positions.

Simply put, designing and writing your resume is not an
easy task. You must highlight your accomplishments,
qualifications, experience, etc. all while keeping it
brief and easy to follow. The Complete Guide to Writing
a Federal Resume will show you how to do this. It also
gives a complete list of "result and action" words to use
in your cover letter and resume as well as a list a
frequently misspelled or misused words or phrases.
"In today’s competitive job market, especially the federal
job market, this new interactive resume book is a must
have and is guaranteed to help you, whether you are
writing a new resume from scratch, making minor changes
depending on the position you are applying for or just
fine tuning and error checking it."
Don Mace, Publisher
FEDweek  http://www.fedweek.com/pubs/index.php

It’s a little too early in the year for typhoons here in central Luzon … at least so far as I’m concerned., but Typhoon Conson, Philippine name Basyang, was just a tiny dot on the map way out east a few days ago … an inconsequential ‘x’ called “03W”, (the third tropical depression in the western Pacific for 2010.  It picked up force, and much more ground speed than usual and yesterday, the elementary school kids were already sent home under Storm Signal One, the mildest of the three standardized storm signals issued by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration).

Last night, before bed, I rolled up the outside sun shades on some of the windows, closed all the windows and made sure the candles and flashlights were in easy reach.  Woke up when the air con went off with the rest of the power about 1 am, and actually spent the rest of the night in my recliner in the living room … it was much cooler there because the way the wind was coming I could have a window open.

By first light, most of the wind and all the rain was gone .. but no power and no Internet until after noon time.  (but the way, hint for coffee lovers .. I filled the electric coffeemaker before bed, but without electric I had to wait until noon for the first cup you might be thinking.  No, just boil a kettle of water on the gas stove and pour that through the coffee in the filter and your drip coffee maker will make you piping hot and fresh coffee any time, “curyente” or no “curyente”).

Depression 03W just a few days ago

Conson/Bayang current track:

The naming of these northwest Pacific storms gets confusing, especially to those folks thousands of miles away who may have family or other loved ones here in the Philippines.  This web site gives a pretty good explanation.

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/B2.html

The next storm to come, not on the radar yet,will be Philippine name: Caloy

Meanwhile, life goes on at it’s same pace as ever in the Philippines … and I’m a happy camper, because both the the electric power and my Internet service is working just fine.

Again and again and again I get these messages, or read them on someone else’s site …

Hi ….where do I go to get answers to my husband’s queries on banking here in our city.

He’s a retired xxxx and depends solely on his pension from bank of America for a living.

Lately we cannot make one time cash advance from his bank of America debit card at Banco de Oro. We need to get one time cash advance…

Well let me take this opportunity to pass on a tip or two about Living in the Philippines.  You can find plenty of cries for help like the one I quoted above, any day of the week.  Here are a few rules and suggestions that can help you avoid being one of the ones in dire straights asking for help.

As a general observation, Americans in particular need to get their banking terms straight … because when it is your money, you need to use the proper terms.  A bank ATM card gives you cash by withdrawing it directly from your bank account.  This is Not a Cash Advance.  A Cash Advance is the use of a credit card to obtain cash where the money goes into your credit card account the same as a purchase.  Fees are imposed and you have to pay back the debt, and interest if applicable.  Some bank ATM/debit cards are ‘dual purpose’, they can function as either a debit (direct withdrawal) or a credit (Cash Advance) card.  Don’t go into a bank, or use a teller machine, and use the term :Cash Advance: unless you mean to incur the fees and the debt.  Most banks will happily process the request as a “Cash Advance” instead of a “Withdrawal”, if you say so, because typically they make a lot more money on the deal … so, precision in speaking is required here if you ant to save yourself money.

First a Rule:  (No it isn’t really a rule documented anywhere, but it’s “Dave’s Rule” and it has served me well so far). Do not attempt to live here on one ATM card.  It is like playing Russian Roulette without even knowing how many cartridges are in the cylinder.  Why?

ATM cards can get lost or stolen.  Shouldn’t have to expand much on this, but if you have only one card and it gets stolen, have you any idea how long it will take your bank in the US to send you a replacement?  Will they even send a replacement to the Philippines?  Have at least another, independent card (that you don’t carry with you)as a backup.

ATM’s here in the Philippines may ‘eat” your card, capturing the card and refusing to return it.  This is a common anti-fraud measure.  If you committed no wrong doing, can you get your card back?  Normally, yes, through the head office of the bank who runs the ATM.  How long?  Figure weeks, not days.

For some reason unknown to you, your bank may terminate or suspend your account. especially in today’s “War On Terror” hyperbole, foreign money transactions are always monitored by various agencies of the US government and by commercial security agencies, perhaps under contract to your bank and/or the card issuer.  How could this happen if you do nothing wrong? 

No way I can say, but if it happens, do not expect to get the matter resolved via a simple phone call.  My advice.  Have more than one bank or credit union, either in the US or here and in the US so that one “backs up” the other. 

Your bank may be totally out of line in taking such an action, and maybe you can sue tem, and write your Congressman, etc., but the bottom line is, if this happens to you, you ain’t getting cash

ATM’s here in the Philippines are sometimes notorious for “Failure to Dispense”.  You card is accepted, the transaction is processed and charged to your US account but no cash comes out.  If you asked for cash up to the limit of the card, guess what, you can’t even try again until tomorrow. 

Will you get your money back?  Most likely yes.  But here’s the way it works.

The bank here who owns the ATM which failed to dispense is acting solely as a service provider to your US bank.  They are not responsible to give you a refund, and they certainly won’t.  They are required, and normally will, report the “no dispense” to your US bank, and the end of the next banking day here in the Philippines. 

Your US bank them, is responsible to credit your account for the money erroneously charged.  How long will this take?  Last time it happened to me, it was back in my account in three days, with only ne phone call to the States.  Got time to wait for that before you go to the grocery store?

What do I recommend?  belt and suspenders, or even multiple belts.

Carry a US bank debit card.  Also carry a US “name brand” credit card, like Visa or MasterCard.  If your US debit card fails, you can try the Credit Card, either in a machine or an over the counter cash advance from any major bank.

There are fees that come with a cash advance, but hey, you can still eat while you straighten out the mess.

I go several steps farther.  I have a bank account here in the Philippines.  I carry an ATM card for that account.  No fees and much easier to straighten out any screw ups that might occur.

I also carry a Philippine-issued master card, and I could buy groceries, go to the drug store or even get a cash advance on that card if I was in those “dire straights” we mentioned earlier.

But there is another pair of suspenders which I highly recommend.  It’s free, and I wonder why more long-term visitors don’t take advantage of it.

Not only do I r3ecommend you have a bank account here, I highly recommend you introduce yourself to, and take time to notice and act courteously to the branch manager, his or her deputy, the chief security guard, etc.  Do I mean be an asskisser?  Those who know me will quickly realize I don’t mean that.

But these folks are fellow humans, and they control, to a great extent at times, just how easy (or hard) it is to live here.  My branch manager is Mr. Favro.  It costs me nothing to pass by his desk on the way out and say hello.  Matter of fact, he often has something interesting to say.  And recently, when I came back from Florida, he and I had a very interesting conversation for about half an hour regarding the real estate credit crunch in the US, how things were similar and also different here, and so on.  I know I certainly learned some things of value.  I hardly consider enjoyable conversations like that currying favor, but hey, as we say here in the Philippines, ‘Sup to you’.

All can say is, works for me … instead of having the adversarial relationship so many foreigners seem to have with their banks here, why not find yourself one managed by humans, and, in turn, treat them like humans in return.  For me, it has paid dividends in convenience and peace of mind.  Thanks to all the great folks at the SM Marilao branch of BDO, who help me out most every day.

This article will not be of interest to some of my younger readers.  No problem, feel free to flit elsewhere, I bear no grudge.

But almost all of us are in one of two groups.  Thos who have already reached the “golden years” (like me) or those who hope to live long enough to be included … so perhaps this is of more general interest than you first thought it was.

Many also reading may have Filipino relatives age 60 or older, and you may find that some of what I write about here is very directly applicable.

I tend to write too long and too dense on these sorts of articles, and when I make a lot of quotes and reference links, few people follow them … so I won’t take up your time.  Just the facts, ma’am, as Sgt Friday used to say.

Is There a Viable Senior Citizen Discount Program in the Philippines?

You bet.  Among other benefits it covers:

• Purchase of medicines, including influenza and pneumococcal vaccines and other essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment; and
• Actual fare for land travel in public utility jeepneys, taxis, Asian utility vehicles and shuttle services.

Moreover, additional incentives and benefits are also granted to senior citizens, as follows:

• Free vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease for indigent senior citizens;
• Benefit assistance to the nearest kin of a deceased indigent senior citizen worth P2,000.
• Five percent (5%) discount on water and electric bills registered in the name of the senior citizen, provided that consumption is below 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 30 cubic meters of water a month; as well as
• Additional government assistance, i.e., social pension/monthly stipend of P500, mandatory Philhealth coverage, and social safety assistance (food, medicines and financial assistance).

What Philippine Law Covers These Senior Citizen Benefits?

RA (Republic Act) 9994, know as The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010

Who is covered by this act? Residents of the Philippines who are citizens of the Philippines who have attained the age of 60 years.

You can look the exact legal language up for yourself.  I write the sentence above in a slightly different fashion that the original act to point out something important.

Only Philippine Citizens may legally use the discounts and other benefits covered by RA 9994.  I get questions more often than you might think regarding this question, and I see it discussed, sometimes Ad nauseam, in groups and forums of interest to foreigners living in the Philippines. (oh, and by the way, if you are a former Filipino (as in living here under a 13(g) permanent visa, you are not a Filipino citizen for the purposes of this law, so the law does not cover you either.)  The language was written the way it is for a specific purpose … to distinctly define who is eligible … and there are a number of my foreigner friends, for example, who have long believed they were entitled to the senior discount privileges … and even some who already avail of them … but the new law is pretty specific.  Only Philippine Citizens are covered.

Now that I have made myself undying popular with the foreigner community, let me mention a little about how some of the confusion regarding this law, and its predecessors has come to pass:

In the early 90’s, the first law on senior citizens, RA 7432, was enacted to maximize the contribution of senior citizens to nation building and to grant them benefits and special privileges. Among others, this law granted the senior citizens a 20% discount on purchases of essential goods and services.   Many of the official/semi-official writings I have seen on this law seem to be confusing about its applicability to permanent residents, as well as Philippine citizens … but the law itself says, specifically, that the Senior Citizen discou8nt privileges and accompanying identification documentation is for Filipino Citizens only.

Subsequently in 2003, RA 7432 was amended by RA 9257, otherwise known as the "Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003," which granted additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens.

There is also specific procedures in RA 9257 that allow government officials, such as barangay captains, to grant the issuance of the Senior Citizen ID to others, including foreigners, if they make specific and documented contributions to their local community.

However, if you bother to read it, you’ll note that there is no such provision in the most current law, RA 9994 … so no citizenship, no ID seems to be the clear intent.

With every Philippine law comes what some would consider the “fine print”.  The IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulatins).  I believe there may yet be changes in the IRR for RA 9994, but here is a link to them as they are currently published.

Especially for those of you who are already warming up your keyboard to tell me how I am ‘all wet” on this, and how you already have your own Senior Citizen card, or how your Former Filipino wife has hers, or how Larry down at the VFW told you different, and Larry certainly knows what he is talking about … save your breath.

What you do is up to you.  I wish you the joy of it.  But here, although, as you know, I am not a legal practitioner, I try to base my advice on facts, not “bar talk” or what you read in this forum or that forum.

I give you the exact copies of the law as I can find them published.

Tell Larry, or whomever else wants to argue, that the should, in particular, read Article 24, Sections 3 and Sections 4 of the referenced IRR. 

use of the Senior Citizen privilege by a person not entitled to use the privilege is punishable by a fine of not less than P50,000 and (If I were a lawyer, I would tell you why they chose the word ‘and” here and not the word “or” … but in layman’s terms, it likely means you are going to jail) a prison  sentence of not less than six months.

Sounds like a pretty stiff penalty, to me, to try to save 20% on the purchase of a bucket of chicken.

However, as you’ve no doubt heard Ron Popeil say, “But wait, there’s more!”  The jail time and fines are in Section 3.  Section 4 is short and sweet, and applies to most of us reading this:

“If the offender is an alien or a foreigner, he/she shall be deported immediately  after service of sentence without further deportation proceedings”

So, now you know.  As a foreigner, or former Filipino you can not avail of the Senior Citizen Discount Program in the Philippines.  If for some reason you have a card already and you are not a Philippine Cit6izen?  Well, that, of course, is up to you … those 20% discounts that you are getting (at the benefit of the poor people of the Philippines, I might add … nothing comes for free in this world) may seem worth it to me.   But if I had a card, as a foreigner, I’d burn it … I can’t see how the promise of an occasional discount can be worth the very real risk of a substantial fine, a mandatory jail sentence and then deportation.

However, this is the Internet, so YMMV … but you can’t say Dave didn’t warn you.

Part two.  If you missed Part One, it is here, telling the story of how I got started on this whole “leave the Philippines or stay” question.

In summary regarding the much ballyhooed US recession, yes there are people hurting, but to a large extent the recession impression fueled by the mass media is not representative of what is really going on in the USA. 

They (the media) get more viewers writing stories about people who paid $400,000 USD for a house that wasn’t worth $200,000 and now can’t accept the fact they did something stupid, than they can ever make out of a story about Joe Six-pack who works in a steel mill and gets more overtime per month than he really wants.

… Another thing I am considering is the loss of my license to practice law here if I acquire US Citizenship. Filipino citizenship is a necessary requirement to practice law in the Philippines. Even assuming that I can make use of the Dual Citizenship law, would I not have to initially relinquish my Filipino citizenship upon acquiring US citizenship and just subsequently re-acquire it? Does that mean I have to lose my license initially? Of course I am kind of thinking about all these things out loud. Eventually, I will have everything kind of charted in a kind of pros and cons thing where I can make a more careful evaluation of our options. …

I’m not a lawyer myself (obvious) and I certainly can’t research all the fifty states, but California is a good place to look, because it’s typically a leading state in advances and changes to the law and they also publish a lot of information. 

So far as I can tell, in any state, there is no requirement for US citizenship in order to practice law.  As a spouse of a US citizen, you have the right to work in the US immediately, so you would be qualified to look for a job from day one as something on the order of a paralegal or legal secretary/researcher. 

Ask someone like Attorney Michael Gurfinkel (do you ever watch him on “Citizen Pinoy”, or read his newspaper columns?) if there are opportunities in the US for folks who are up to date in Philippines law.

So far as actually getting back to being a full-fledged lawyer, California at least doesn’t seem to make it all that difficult.  Your UP credentials seem to count for a lot:

… Persons who have studied law in a law school in a foreign state or country may qualify as general applicants provided that they
(A) have a first degree in law, acceptable to the Committee, from a law school in the foreign state or country and have completed a year of legal education at an American Bar Association Approved Law School or a California accredited law school in areas of law prescribed by the Committee; or
(B) have a legal education from a law school located in a foreign state or country without a first degree in law, acceptable to the Committee, and
(1) have met the general education requirements;
(2) have studied law as permitted by these rules in a law school, in a law office or judge’s chambers, or by any combination of these methods (up to one year of legal education credit may be awarded for foreign law study completed); and
(3)have passed the First-Year Law Students’ Examination in accordance with these rules and Committee policies….

It’s likely paragraph (A) would apply to you, and I note that the California Bar is very attuned to correspondence school and on-line education, so the apparent one year of education at an ABA Approved law school would not even have to be in residence.

I have no idea of the legal issue regarding your law license and a brief time as a US citizen only.  However, you should consider this. if you went to the USA and took up citizenship, you technically, at the time you take your US oath, lose your Filipino citizenship. 

But in real-world, “what happens” terms, this is a “nothing” event in day-to-day events.  No “official notice” gets sent to any Philippine government agency that I know of. nor the Philippine bar.  Depending upon the actual dates of events, you can reacquire your Philippine citizenship within a day or a week of renouncing it, depending on what Philippine Consulate serves the place you are living in the US.

Now you are again a Philippine (and US) citizen once again, with her same law license documentation.  I’m sure you wouldn’t want to just “ignore” the fact that the change occurred … although I am sure some would , but check the rules out here for yourself.  I’m sure there is a way around this, legally and forthrightly.

And one issue that has troubled me this whole conversation.  Going over all the pros and cons of US citizenship versus Philippine citizenship.  Why is this the question?

Have you considered this alternative?  Go to the US with your husband on a spousal visa.  Get your US Green Card (virtually the same issues that you and your husband went through to get his 13(a) percent Resident visa for the Philippines).

If you then decided you wanted to become a US citizen.  I’d be flattered even, but there is no need, ever, for you to go any farther.  As a lawful US permanent resident, a status you are already qualified for, you can live in the US for as long as you chose to, you can come and go from and to the Philippines as you wish (there are some limits, but they are broad), and you need never deal with any Dual Citizen questions. 

No Filipino suffers any consequence to his/her citizenship by virtue of having a US Green Card.  Presto, in one fell swoop, all the troublesome questions disappear.  Am I missing something here?

… On the other hand, I wonder if by staying here I deprive my Asawa of good healthcare. I also wonder if by staying here I deprive myself even of the opportunities that would not be available for me here — a higher-paying job and survivorship benefits. Also if we have kids I also wonder if by staying here, I would also deprive them of opportunities that could be available for them there.

There are also so many advantages to staying here. I feel so much better raising children here (if we can still have one). I feel they can turn out more like the way we would want them if they were raised here. I don’t know… but what do you think? …

Children are of course the most important consideration of all.  Even though my wife and I are currently planning to remain childless, one never knows.  Children you and your husband might have while living here in the Philippines would be eligible to be US citizens except for two legal points.  They couldn’t run for President of the USA (the only office that Constitutionally requires birth on US soil), and, unless they physically lived in the USA for a certain period of time, they, in turn, could not pass on US citizenship to children they might have.

If you went to the US and then had children, they would be ‘regular” US citizens and “natural born” Filipinos, based on your citizenship. (Even if you gave yours up, if you reacquire, they gain their Philippine citizens as part of a “package deal”).

So citizenship-wise, there is no clear cut advantage for potential children no mater where you live … they will have the opportunity to carry both country’s passport and the ability to take advantage of whatever opportunities either country has to off.

I do think maternity and child rearing leaves and working rights are more liberal here in the Philippines … but if you follow my frequent advice you won’t get yourself “stuck”: in a job anyway .. set up your own law practice or firm (incorporation laws in the US are ludicrously easy compared with corporate rues here) and then you dictate maternity benefits

What you would not have the advantage of are the excellent private schools available here.  Myself, having raised two children in the US years ago, I wouldn’t send another child to US public schools … I’d home school … but then, that’s just me. 

The question of where to raise your children is indeed important, and to me, the Philippines has some great advantages … but may I point out a simple fact?  You have no children now.  If you start a family immediately, aren’t we talking about at least 4 to 5 years from now before schools become a big issue?

It seems to me that you are making this whole question a bit more difficult for yourself than it has to be.  If you can tell, for sure, where you are going to be and what work you will be doing in 5 years’ time, then I’d say you are a much better prognosticator than most of us. 

In five years you could have been to the States, gotten a Green Card, studied for and passed the Bar, attained US citizenship, reacquired your Filipino citizenship, borne a child or two and raised them to pre-school readiness and now be sitting there wondering if you and your family wanted to return to the Philippines or stay there in the US.

This is an important decision but hardly a permanent one … people come and go between our two countries often … some are very happy with a home in the Philippines and one in the US as well.  I don’t recall seeing a single word about how your husband feels on this issue, either.  What is his preference?

Whichever you decide on, I wish you the best.  You really can’t make “the wrong”  decision here, because there are clear advantages to either going or staying.  I’m sure you’ll do well.