AboutBill and Lorna Collings Expertise Feel FREE to ask us about traveling, living, relocating, retiring and investing in the Philippines. Guests from 83 countries make our place in Manila an incredible meeting place for world travelers who exchange travel stories and information. We understand both the joys and the hardships of living and traveling in the Philippines.
Experience I arrived in the Philippines in January 1980 to travel for 2 months; I stayed 4 months before reluctantly leaving. I met my Filipina wife, Lorna. an incredible stellar, "one in a million" individual in 1983 in Seoul and we moved to the Philippines in 1986 and opened our 3BR house to world travelers on a budget. After welcoming thousands of guests from 83 nations our place has grown to 30 bedrooms but will never lose its "Home away from Home" atmosphere. Almost everyday at The Townhouse Hotel there's a party-like social scene with vibrant, almost magical energetic conversations between our guests who have the pleasure to meet each other and share their life's many experiences. Sometimes. three groups with conversations in different langauges are going on at the same time.
So we've been exposed to every kind of person from all over the world and shared their experiences.
Publications Suite101.com, eDreams.com, expertcentral.com ( who asked me to apply with allexperts.com since About.com has bought both companies and are in the process of integrating them)
Education/Credentials some college 2-1/2 years - no degree - I've been traveling since I was 18, almost 30 years.
Awards and Honors Luckily, my wife and I have been semi-retired since we were 30 years old, more than 15 years.
Question QUESTION: Hello,
My name is Steve Borowski and I am recetly married to a Filipina in Taclobhan City (Last June).
I am also, recently laid off. I am looking hard for employment and have been trying/hoping for an opportunity to work in the Phillipines.
My wife and I have built (Ongoing Process) a house there in Tacloban and I would dearly love to be able to be there. I have just about exhausted all U.S. contractors for positions(At this point I'd do just about anything to be able to live with my wife), and haven't had any success.
Any advice or information from you would be MOST APPRECIATED. Thank You.
Sincerely,
Steve Borowski
steven.borowski@sbcglobal.net
ANSWER: Sorry Steve for being the bearer of BAD NEWS but you can FORGET about finding or hoping to find employment here in the Philippines. For foreigners ( and many Filipinos with limited skills and education ) it can be compared to the old saying "finding a needle in a haystack", NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
Small World! I met an American, David of Italian descent from New York City who's living in Tacloban who also worked in construction in the States. he mentioned doing some sidelines for a Chinese Filipino resort owner. Maybe he could help. The trouble is that David is NOT internet saavy so doesn't have a an email address nor do I have his contact address in Leyte.
There are small business opportunities here but of course you need enough capital to live here for 6 months to a year of two before taking the risk of a small business startup. IF you can sell your personal stuff, maybe a car /truck for cash ( like U$10,000 to U$20,000 )and buy a return ticket valid ONE year. you could throw security to the winds join your wife and live a simple FRUGAL life here until the USA JOB MARKET improves and you can keep in touch with employment OPPS in the States vai low cost internet. TAKE CARE, HAVE FAITH! GRIN & BEAR IT! GOOD LUCK! Bill and Lorna
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dear Bill and Lorna,
Thanks for getting back to me on this. I was afraid that my own conclusions would parallel your answer. I guess I had to ask anyway. I do own two properties (Through my wife, of course), and we were thinking of selling the one and using the funds for a small business. Q: We had discussed trying to start a piggery on some other property, but my main concern is that it would be a little too long to realize a 'Return' on that type of investment. I realize that ANY business in the PI will most likely not make huge amounts of income; however, is there a business that you could recommend, or know from experience, that seems to be at least a steady and self-sustaining one? (We would have about 160,00P for investment) Also, do you have any more information on obtaining the Return Ticket valid for one year? I've not heard of this type. Being married to a Filipina (The ABSOLUTE LOVE OF MY LIFE, I might add!), do I need to do any applications to Say there for a year? I apologize for all the questiuons, but so far, your answers are the most informative and beneficial I've seen. Again, Thank you.
Sincerely,
Steve Borowski
steven.borowski@sbcglobal.net
Answer Sorry Steve, P160,000 isn't enough to get involved in a small business startup. I've been using Return Tickets with one year validity between Asia & California for almost 30 years, use to go back and forth across the Pacific like a taxi but now these type of tickets can but not always cost more than a a ticket with 30, 90 or 180 day validity. All you need to do is ask the travel agents when you are pricing tickets. It's BEST you email me DIRECTLY bill_lorna@yahoo.com for USA travel agents selling discounted tickets so it saves me typing.
After 28 years from my first arrival in the Philippines and married to Lorna for going on 23 years ( together going on 25 years ) I'm still choosing the TOURIST status as my BEST cheapest option. So all you do is keep extending every 2 to 3 months and it costs approximately U$500 / year. Then until recently I'd fly out after one year to one of many inexpensive destinations ( U$200 to U$300 RT )for a day or two then start the process all over again. BUT now this has been extended to TWO years. I LOVE TRAVELING so it's no hardship for me. If you want to stay here for good then there IS a NEW type of resident /retirement /work /investment visa with a reasonable cost which I have already posted ALL the DETAILS to skim through my PREVIOUS answers here to find it.
GOOD LUCK FINDING A NEW JOB and weathering the DOWN times in the USA, no longer the "home of the free and the brave". Bill
