PHILIPPINES PROVINCIAL BARANGAY LIFE STYLE FOR FOREIGNERS

MY PERSPECTIVE OF BARANAGY LIVING IN THE TACLOBAN AREA

INTRODUCTION

When I meet foreigners visiting the Tacloban area many conversations similar. They have met a Filipina and are looking to settle here and live in a barangay. These foreigners are in love and I can fully understand where they coming from. During the conversations I find it hard to say anything negative as this person is on top of the world and has great plans. This article is about explaining how life really is living in a barangay (village) setting. There are positives and negatives to this life style.

Talking to foreigners planning to settle locally

The talk or chatter to foreigners wishing to settle here revolves around buying land, building a house and a new life. I never try to influence just give my opinion and answers to the questions. How big is your house and what did it cost to build? Can I own land here “NO”? It is hard to answer as land and building costs vary from province to province. To build a house depends where you are as labor and building materials can vary. In addition you must find the right architect or person to manage the building project.

One question I do ask is “Have you been to the barangay (village) you intend to live and stayed there? In the majority of cases the answer is “no”. They have visited and do not wish to stay. The barangay family home maybe basic and not suitable to a foreigner. The foreigners thinking appears if I build a nice house in the barangay things will be different! Yes the house will give the conveniences of everyday life but the life style in the area you live will remain the same.

Before any foreigner gets to the stage of wanting to settle here or elsewhere in a barangay (village) they should think about the life style which may or may not suite a particular person. Also the foreigner wishing to settle in a provincial barangay will be leaving allot of their culture and way of life behind them long term.

This article is about explaining how it is from my perspective. It is not all good but it definitely has advantages. In my case the positives out way the negatives but remember we are all individuals and we see things differently.

 But no matter where you live in this world there are negatives and positives.

My life in the area

 I have been coming to the Philippines for nearly 11 years. The last 7 years I have been living in the Tacloban area. The location is Dulag approximately 35 km from Tacloban City proper. I am married and have a young daughter.

Living in a barangay is a simplified life style but can be quite enjoyable. This barangay is safe and I feel part of the community. Most foreign friends I have in the Philippines prefer to live in a gated community. That is a personal choice and respected. I must point out here some of these friends are staying in upmarket condos in Manila and Cebu. The rent I have been told is up around 50,000 peso/month.  So 600,000 / year is allot of money. But there is a trade off in life style when you live in a provincial barangay (village). In the barangay there are no bars or restaurants and in simple terms life is what you make it. 

The barangay where I live is approximately 4km inland from the sea. I have been going to a small beach resort called Harapitan in a barangay called Luan on the main road to Dulag. I have known the owners of this resort for all the years I have been in the area. They are nice people and have suffered. The resort has been damaged by numerous typhoons and with Typhoon Yolanda (International Name Haiyan) the place was totally devastated. Harapitan only rents out beach cottages so food and drink will have to be brought by you. A cottage that will seat about 8 to 10 people costs only 250 peso for the day. I highly recommend this place for great relaxation.

HARAPITAN A SIMPLE BUT A GREAT TO RELAX

A question I ask myself: Where in the world can you relax by the sea with these views for just a few dollars for the day? Yes the sand is not white but dark but that is the nature of this part of the Philippines. Still it is a beautiful area. These places are not too far from Tacloban

THE VIEW FROM THIS RESORT LOOKING TOWARDS DULAG

Cooking Food and a place to eat at home

This is a term used in the Philippines. “Dirty Kitchen” which does not sound good. This was a term used by the architect who was contracted to build this house. So a bit of a mystery with this term! It is hard here to get verification of terms. I ask my wife “What do they mean with the term Dirty Kitchen” The reply “No we just call it the kitchen” Things can get confusing at times.

 From what I have observed here is most family homes do not have kitchen inside like we have in western society. So a kitchen is set up outside usually at the back of the house to prepare and cook food. There is also an eating area not far from the cooking area.

It is probably not a bad idea as the cooking area has a gas stove and for safety it is better to have this out of the house. I have this thing in the Philippines where they do not seem to put an emphasis on safety. In our main kitchen we have a microwave, electric oven, toaster and slow cooker.

I am just a basic cook myself but have learnt to be a bit creative. The local beef is not the best quality but at times it is good. Marinating, a casserole, a quick fry to seal the steak and cover with foil and a slow bake are a few options. I find here I eat allot for fish and chicken so it is more healthy in the long run. I forgot to point out Olive Oil for cooking is available in most supermarkets if you have an issue with cholesterol.

The reason I have mentioned being creative with cooking is for good reason. In barangays the cooking is very basic, for example, rice and fish and sometimes pork and chicken. For someone from a western culture they may find this very boring after a short period of time.

As a foreigner if you cannot cook and want to settle here “LEARN TO COOK” In some instances your girlfriend, fiancée or wife maybe a very good cook and can adapt to cooking foods for foreigners. I have one foreign friend here is the Philippines who cannot stop praising his wife’s cooking!!

Buying food

Living in the Dulag area as a foreigner I need a car. Most travel is to Tacloban for shopping and business. For food shopping I prefer Robison’s Place (Shopping Mall) mainly as everything is under one roof.

If a foreigner settles here their diets and preference to food will be quite different. It depends on the country of your origin.

Supermarkets are quite large but the selection you would expect in your home country may not be there! There is a deli selection now at Robinsons Place Supermarket and have seen imported different European Sausages and cheese present. I look and pray one day you will see a Beef or English Pork Sausage for sale (Not yet!!). The meat section will be divided up into areas for chicken, pork and a smaller section for beef products. It is very basic and do not expect the same as your home country. There is a small freezer at this supermarket with imported beef and lamb but the price is expensive and the selection varies. . I buy all meat and frozen fish at the supermarket mainly due to it being processed and the presence of refrigeration.

To buy meat and fish at the markets can be ok but I just personally worry a bit about the processing of chicken and pork. Some fish venders have their fish on ice and others they just keep the fish moist with salt water. You will see large shrimp (prawns) for sale at times for around 500 peso/kg ($10US) which is good value.  

Vegetables in a supermarket are expensive by Philippine standards. If you choose to buy in a barangay (village) you will pay approximately 30% of the supermarket cost. For example green and mixed vegetables can be as low as 30 peso/kg (60 cents US)

One last point and that is bread. Most bread in the Philippines has sugar added and for me I just don’t like it. I have found one bread a whole grain called Gardinia to be very good. You will find it in most supermarkets but the cost is double of other breads.

Some may not be on a budget and not worried about cost. If you are looking at a budget and a way to reduce costs this information is hopefully useful!

Having a beer at home and just relaxing.

I have to be honest! I do miss going to a local pub (Bar) back home in Western NSW Australia and having a beer Saturday and Sunday afternoons. When you live in a provincial barangay there is a trade-off for a simplified and quiet life. But if I want to buy beer a bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen (1liter) it cost me 80 peso ($1.60 US) locally in this barangay (village). It should be noted this beer is around 5% alcohol volume. For foreigners if you are start to drink another local beer “Red Horse” be aware the alcohol content is a lot higher.

A front yard

As you drive around provincial and other barangays there is not much emphasis on the land in relation to trees and lawns or a nice front yard. I decided for a compromise and have a nice well maintained front yard. It is just a small area and good to get outside and have a nice cold beer in my gazebo and just watch the world go by!

YOU CAN HAVE A NICE FRONT YARD IN A PROVINCIAL BARANAGY

 Mixing with the locals

This can be a personal choice but you have to be careful. Many in the barangay you wish to settle will think and regard you as rich. You have to be assertive from day one. If you have a lot of money and give away, well yes you will be popular. If you are on a budget and have a wife and family it is there future that is number one priority.

But you can still give in other ways. Our village is a long way from Tacloban City where all the hospitals are located. There is a local ambulance but with a poor cell signal help is hard to get and possibly it will not arrive. I have taken people to hospital who are sick and yes pregnant woman about to give birth. About two years ago a boy was born in our car a Montero Sports SUV on route to hospital in Tacloban. The boy was named Montero after the make of the car or the reason maybe this was the location of his birth.

I have been a boxing fan all my life and a great fan of Manny Pacquio . Now there is one thing I do is every fight I purchase the pay for view. I then move our large flat screen TV into the car port. So usually a large crowd turns up as the word spreads to other barangays (villages).The cost is 950 peso or ($19 US). This will not break the bank.  

LOCALS WATCHING THE PACQUIO HORN FIGHT IN THE CAR PORT

Family issues - Support

When you decide to live in a Barangay (village) of your fiancée, wife to be or wife, family will be close by. This will include possibly many relatives. So a foreigner may wonder about support!

I had the income at the time and decided to take a different approach. In my wife’s name there is 4 hectares of land. Three hectares for rice and one hectare to grow vegetables. The profit from the land supports the direct family. My wife’s father was a farm laborer when I met her and was earning 300 peso/day ($6US). Poor is not a good adjective and I prefer to use the terms disadvantaged or lack of opportunity. This land offers support but I must point out only the direct family. The money from this farm land is not huge. We are looking at an average income of 30,000 peso a month ($600 US). This is an option but it may not be in all foreigners budget.

SMALL RICE FARM FOR FAMILY SUPPORT

Privacy in the home.

In our house lives myself, wife and young daughter. In addition my wife’s parents and younger sister who was sponsored by me and just graduated in Human Resource Management and now working.

The brothers live close by are married and have one child each. So family and relatives like to visit frequently. I believe the attraction is satellite television.

As a foreigner you may want privacy at times so this can cause friction and a compromise is the best solution.

To put this into perspective I uses an example of Philippine people I know in other areas. These people I know are two brothers and one sister who are pretty well off financially and their houses are quite large. In the sisters house there are 4 families living permanently. In the brothers houses there are 6 families each all under one roof. They pool their money and take care of one another as far as I understand. So the closeness of family is a part of life here and a foreigner who wants to settle in a provincial barangay should be aware of. We are all different and this may be an issue for some but not for others.

Final thoughts

The information given in this article are my thoughts and perspective in relation to living in a provincial barangay. It is a big step for a foreigner to make if he decides to build a house and settle.

We are all different so weigh the positives and negatives. For some it may not be suitable but for others it can lead to happy and great life style.

Have a nice day and feel free to contact me if I can be of help.