Retiring in Cebu Philippines
The U.S. State Department estimates that the total number of US citizens living in the Philippines is more than 250,000. About 22,000 of those are permanent settlers and another 81,000 are non-citizen residents such as business, missionaries, and educators. Of those 250,000 the majority probably live in the Metro Manila area but many are living in Cebu.
Why Cebu? After all, Cebu is known for its narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains which are typical of a tropical island paradise. Cebu ‘s rolling hills, and rugged mountain ranges and white sand beaches with beautiful hotels and casinos, world-class golf courses, and shopping malls has long made it a favorite destination of tourists. Conte Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the 7th best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007. Cebu is also one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines and the main center of commerce, trade, education, and industry in the central and southern parts of the country.
Cebu’s extensive international port facilities and access to major points worldwide has led to more than a hundred firms such as Mitsumi, Pentax Corp, Lexmark, Timex, and others to set up manufacturing plants here. Due to its extensive furniture –making industry, Cebu is known as the furniture capital of the country. It is also fast becoming an IT hub for many international companies and a favorite site for U.S. call centers.
Cebu is the home to over 1,000 private and elementary schools, 200 secondary (high) schools, 9 universities and 29 colleges. It’s average annual college student population is 130,000 with prominent universities such as Cebu Doctors’ University, University of the Philippines, Cebu College, University of Cebu, and University of the Visayas. Many foreign students attend Cebu’s universities with Korean and Iranian students being the largest group of students from outside the Philippines.
If it’s entertainment you are looking for Cebu is the place. If you are an outdoor type there are dive shops like the Blue Abyss in Moalboal where dive gear can be rented for $22 and diving lessons are given for a very reasonable price. Other dive shops include Club Aquasports and Dreamers Water World in Lapu-Lapu City. If you just want some serious beach time check out Camotes Island and experience an island of white sand beaches, limestone rock formations, caves, waterfalls and a river that empties into Lake Danao.
Bars with live bands abound in Cebu with genres from Jazz to Heavy Metal, which would be expected in an area with such a large population of college students. And don’t forget one of the things that the Philippines is famous for worldwide, FOOD. From the unique seafood to the tropical fruit and pastries that are native to the Philippines Cebu is one of the major food destinations of the Philippines. Of course there are also typical American fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds and KFC if you prefer that kind of food.
All in All, you can see that foreigners wishing to retire to Cebu will be very comfortable and find many of the things they thought were left behind in their native country.
