Robbie in and around Tacloban

INTRODUCTION I have foreign friends in different parts of the Philippines who prefer to live in condominiums or gated communities. This is a personal choice. From what I have been told from these friends rent can be anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 peso a month. When you look at the rent that is 600,000 to 840,000 peso per year. In dollars that is $12,000 to $17,000 US/year  I should point out these condominiums are a bit up market and you could rent cheaper places. I am living approximately 35 km from down town Tacloban in the Dulag area. I found a barangay with the help of my wife that is safe and just inland from the sea. To go for a swim or just relax the Pacific Ocean is only a few kilometers away. WE DECIDED TO BUILD A HOUSE IN THIS BARANAGAY (VILLAGE) This barangay has about 1000 residents and is noted to be very safe. My wife and I looked around for land. Land in the Philippines can be expensive but not so in this area. We found a 1000 m lot of land (1/4 acre...

INTRODUCTION  I drive from Dulag to Tacloban City at least twice a week and pass through the Municipality of Palo. I am familiar with some of the tourist attractions which I will name later but not all. The feeling I have over the years living in the area is Palo is quite a thriving community. Also I find foreigners I meet tend to stay in around Tacloban City and will maybe visit MacArthur Landing Memorial Park which is in Palo but nothing else. Every town and city in this world has a story to tell. I believe people who promote the Tacloban area could concentrate more on the history of the surrounding areas. I agree there are tourists who may not be interested in local history but there are also many who would. This is by no means criticism just advice from my personal thoughts. The more I research history from Dulag to Tacloban I become very interested and amazed The municipality of Palo is located on the north eastern side of the island of Leyte. The distance from Taclo...

INTRODUCTION This can be harder than one would think. Most foreigners think it is about investing some money and you start to make a living. My intention is not to kill a dream but to advise on my personal experience. This article is more aimed at foreigners living in a province. BUYING LAND IN THE PHILIPPINES As far as I am aware and have spoken to different attorneys a foreigner cannot own land here. I read on the internet there are ways around this but my but not so on the legal advice I have received. I am married with a family and the land is in my wife’s name. After 5 years the value of this land (1000 square meters) is 300% higher than what we paid. Land prices go up over time. It is the same the world over. WORKING IN THE PHILIPPINES I have never gone into this but as far as I know if you are working for an International Company there are permits required through Immigration. If you are living here and somehow find a job you will have to compete with local labour...

INTRODUCTION Foreigners may wonder what is like to live in a barangay (village) setting in a province of the Philippines. I can only comment on my experience here in the Dulag area not too far from Tacloban City. It is a life style that will be suited to some but not others. My purpose here is to express my feelings and the plus and minus aspects of this type of life! I have now been living here permanently for three consecutive years. DAILY LIFE The daily life of the local people appears normal and routine in this village. It is very quiet through the night but around 5.30am you will start to hear motor bikes as we are living on the main road. Some people will travel to Dulag, Tolosa, or right into Tacloban City for work. Many in this village are involved with rice farming. You have land owners and you have laborers. Labourers will help with crop preparation and harvest but you also have maintenance workers who spray the rice crops plus other duties. Rice farming appears ...

INTRODUCTION I have been living the he Tacloban area continuous for approximately three years. I am married and have a young daughter.  I have not worked during his time because of a serious illness. With the help of my sister I made the journey back to Australia for three weeks. I wanted to see my sister, son and two grandchildren Three years does not seem such a long time but changes in Australia were significant. PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION   Having been in excess of six months in the Philippines you need a clearance to leave the country. This was done at the immigration office in Tacloban City . It is recommended you apply for this clearance a week in advance before travel. I had the clearance processed within an hour on the same day. I must admit the immigration office in Tacloban offer a very good service. TRAVEL WITH PAL AIRLINES FROM TACLOBAN I hear many complaints about PAL Airlines and have had a few myself. The main complaints have been ground staff althou...

DULAG A SIGNIFICANT TOWN IN LEYTE AND PHILIPPINE HISTORY Introduction As a foreigner I have been living in a Dulag Barangay (village) now for a number of years. If you visit Dulag one would think it is just another provincial rural town. These were my thoughts as well until I started to conduct research. I was amazed at what I discovered and would like to share. The article is a summary but links are supplied if readers are interested in additional information. Dulag boundaries  Dulag covers just over 11,000 hectares of land on the eastern side Leyte fronting the Leyte Gulf. If you visit Dulag it is approximately 36 km (22 miles) from Tacloban via the Maharlika Highway. Travel time depending on traffic is around 45 minutes. The town is bounded 12 kilometers to the north by the municipality of Tolosa, to the west seven kilometers to the Municipality of Julita and seven kilometers to the south to the Municipality of Mayorga. Location map from Tacloban Population of Du...