Retire In The Philippines Now

When doing research recently about places in the Philippines I came upon quite a gem in Marinduque Island. Marinduque is a heartshaped island located in the center of the Philippine archipelago known as the “Heart of the Philippines” It is located about 18 km (11 miles) from the main island of Luzon and covers 370 square miles.

On the island located in the capital of Boac is the Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort. This beautiful resort features a beach house and a conference center with a multi-function hall that can accomodate 250 persons with 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, and storage area. There are beautiful beaches for tanning and swimming. Snorkeling equipment is availabe at the resort with choice diving spots and shops located a short distance away. This resort has maid service and all services available including massage and manicure/pedicure. Rooms start at around P3,000 ($50) for 1-2 persons and up. Air flights and Sea Service is available to Marinduque from Manila.

The proprietor of this fine resort is David B Katague, a retired Chemistry Team Leader from the Food and Drug Aministration in Silver Spring, MD. This resort showcases the beauty of the Philippines with abundant beaches and sea life.

Visit their website at Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

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Bulacan, also known as the Province of Bulacan is located in the Central Luzon Region on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is north of the capital city of Manila and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. Bulacan is bordered by the provinces of Pampanga to the west, Nueva Ecija to the north, and Aurora and Quezon to the east. Bulacan is directly north of Metro Manila and lies on the north-eastern shore of Manila Bay. According to the 2007 census, Bulacan has a total of 2,826,926 people making it the second most populous province in the country.

Bulacan is rich in its historical heritage and figures prominently in Philippine History as many national heroes and political figures were born in Bulacan. In fact one of the rays of the sun in the Philippine national flag is in honor of Bulacan. Bulacan is also home to many Philippine artists with some carrying the title of National Artist.

Some of the historical landmarks you should visit while in Bulacan include the Enriquez Ancestral House which is a structure built in the 1850’s and where documents of Marcelo H del Pilar, known as the Great Propagandist were found. It now houses a museum of rare antiques and historical artifacts from the Philippines. Also be sure to visit the Barasoain Ecclesiastical Museum  in Malolos City containing a collection of municipal antiques and priceless array of artifacts. There are many other historical and recreational tourist attractions in Bulacan. To get a list and view pictures of Bulacan please go to the official website of the Province of Bulacan here.

If you are planning on buying land for building or want to purchase a home in the Philippines you should know that the real estate market is booming. New homes are being built constantly and real estate prices although high for the area are much better deals than can be had in other countries like the United States. Buying real estate in the Philippines is highly restrictive to anyone not a citizen. Below are some videos of current places for sale and some links to real estate companies.

Let me help you find a piece of land on Samal Island

Islands Properties

Insight Philippines

Earth and Style

Fil Build

Disclaimer: I do not work for any of these companies and only provide information. I will not be liable for any business dealings you have with these companies.

Pampanga, a province located in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines has it’s capital in the City of San Fernando. Pampanga is also the province of Angeles City the former home of the U.S. Clark Air Base. “La Pampanga” was given it’s name by the Spaniards when they found the early natives living near the river bank. The word pampang means river bank so it was named as such.
The province of Pampanga is also known as the culinary heart of the Philippines. Kapampangans, as the provinces people are known, are proud that they are credited with the origination of such Filipino cuisine as kare-kare, sisig, and kilawin. Other well known food products from Pampanga range from the ordinary to the exotic. Pampanga’s Best and Mekeni Food produce such favorites as pork and chicken tocinos, beef tapa, hot dogs, and loganizas (Philippine sausage).

Pampanga is served by the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport located in the Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City. It is also home to two Philippines Airforce bases the Basa Air Base and the former U.S. Clarks Air Base.

Check out this video on one of the examples of Kapampangan food and festivals:

Pangasinan is a province located in the west central area of the island of Luzon and located along the Lingayen Gulf. It has a total land area of 5,368.82 square kilometers and a total population of 2,434,086 and expects to grow to 3,039,500 in 2010. The name Pangasinan means “land of salt” or “place of salt-making” which is fitting as the province is the major producer of salt in the Philippines. Pangasinan is also a major producer of mangos, rice, and bamboo.

Pangasinan is famous for Hundred Islands National Park, a marine park located off the coast of Alaminos City. Hundred Islands is named because it is composed of 123 islands (124 during low tide) most of which are quite small and uninhabited. Small boats shuttle visitors back and forth from the islands which boast beautiful white sand beaches and caves for diving.

During the summer, several feasts and festivals are celebrated in Pangasinan, including the Fiestay Dayat (Sea Feast) or Bagat ed Dayat (Sea Feast), the Bangus (Milkfish) Festival, and the Mangga tan Kawayan (Mango and Bamboo) festivals.

Several notable Filipinos were born in or have ties to Pangasinan they include:

Fidel V. Ramos- former President of the Philippines

The mother of current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

The father of the late actor and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr

The maternal great-grandfather of Jose Rizal, a Philippine national hero

The province is 170 kilometers north of Manila, 50 kilometers south of Baguio City, 115 kilometers north of Subic International Airport and Seaport, and 80 kilometers north of Clark International Airport.

Check out a video I found on YouTube abolut Hundred Islands

Batangas, a province located in the southwestern part of Luzon, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. Batangas has many beaches and is famous for diving spots which are only a few hours away from Manila.  Some of the notable diving spots include Anilao in Mabini, Matabungkay in Lian, and Punta Fuego in Nasugbu. These spots are prime for observing the rich marine life and for underwater photography.

Also in Batangas is the TAAL Volcano which has a water filled crater and sits on an island in the center of Taal Lake. Tourists who desire, can catch a horse ride up to the top of a mountain and look down into the crater. The town of Taal is also famous for beautiful hand embroideries, knives, and other crafts.

Pineapples are common in Batangas, and the leaves from the pineapples provide the material for the Philippine National Costume, the Barong Tagalog. Batangas is known for the livestock industry in the Philippines and provides beef through the Bakang Batangas (Batangas Cow).

So with a flourishing livestock industry, plenty of diving spots, and beautiful sight-seeing spots Batangas offers a good place for retiring in the Philippines.

Iloilo, a province of the Philippines, located in the Western Visayas region is the second largest marshland in the Western Visayas. The province is divided into two geographical regions; the highlands of Madia-as and the lowland plains which are the larger portion of the province. There are various islands in the Visayan Sea which dot the northernmost tip with the most well known of these Pan de Azucar and Sicogon. Population of Iloilo in 2007 was 1,925,002.

Iloilo is known for it’s beautiful old world architecture similar to that of Latin American Countries. The most well knowned tourist sites in Iloilo are the Spanish Colonial Churches. These include the Miagao Church, Molo Church, Cabatuan Church, and San Jose Church. Another attraction of Iloilo is the Calle Real, a street of old buildings with classical designs. During the month of January the city celebrates Dinagyang, which is dubbed as the best tourism event in the Philippines. During this event tribe warriors dance in the honor of the Child Jesus. Check out this video of Dinagyang 2009.

The island province of Palawan, whose capital is Puerto Princesa City, is the largest province in the Philippines in terms of total jurisdiction. The province is named after it’s largest island Palawan Island which is 450 kilometers (280 mi) long and 50 kilometers (31 mi) wide.

Palawan province stretches over 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) of irregular coastline and is dotted with 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and white sandy beaches. It also contains a stretch of virgin forests upon it’s mountain ranges. The highest point is Mount Matalingahan with is 6,843 feet or 2,086 meters. The mountain ranges of Palawan make it a major source for valuable timber in the Philippines.

Palawan was rated in 2007 as the best island destination in East and Southeast Asia and the 13th best island in the world. It was described as having “incredibly beautiful natural seascapes and landscapes. Notable places in Palawan include: Calauit Game Preserve and WIldlife Sanctuary, Coron Reefs, Coron Bay Busuanga, El Nido Marine Reserve Park, and Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.

Heres a video showing the beauty of Palawan

When you want to move or in my case retire somewhere you want to be able to locate certain areas of the country follow this link to a great map of the Philippines.

MAP OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Island Garden City of Samal is a beautiful and exotic destination in the Philippines. It is part of Metro Davao in Davao Gulf located very close to Davao City. The name was derived from Sama, a tribal group found on the island. This place flourishes with beautiful white sand beaches, plentiful marine life, and interesting rock formations. It is also home to the Famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort , which was once actually a pearl farm. Another landmark on the island is a cave that holds the distinction of containing the world’s biggest colony of fruit bats and could contain over 1 million bats.

Getting to The Island Garden City of Samal can be accomplished by first reaching Davao City. There are numerous flights from Manila and other major cities arriving in Davao City daily. Flight time from Manila takes about 1.5 hours and from Cebu it is a fifty minute flight. Bus service from Manila to Davao is about 48 hours and Superferry service from Manila is 40 hours.

As far as accommodations in Samal there are 30-40 resorts scattered throughout the island, most notably the previously mentioned Pearl Farm Beach Resort and Paradise Island Resorts. Most of these resorts offer all amenities at a reasonable price per night. Check the links to the websites for more information.

For a foreigner’s view on Samal Island and Paradise Island please check out American in Davao.  This blog writer lives in the immediate area and has provided pictures and posts from Samal.