Journey to Samal

Pearl Farm Resort To Get P34 Million Renovation

Randy C — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:41:06 +0000

The most famous and highest rated resort on Samal Island is set get an upgrade. Pearl Farm Beach Resort is easily the most widely known resort on Samal, at least outside of the region. It is probably the most expensive, too, but that goes with a AAA class rating.

P34 Million is no chump change, but the resort is doing well. Visitors were up about about 20% in 2011 compared to 2010.

Included in the renovations, set to be done this year, are a new aqua-leisure park. That will include the ever popular zipline (400 meter) and a wakeboard park. These are expected to be opened in February. The wakeboard will be only the second of it’s kind in the region.

Fuego Hotels, which has been running the popular resort for Anflocor, will be handing those those duties back to Anflocor according to Anflocor vice-president Vincent Floirendo.

“It’s about time, we modernized it a bit, Mindanao style.” Floirendo said. The renovation work will still hew more to the Maranao, Samal concept of the resort. He added that ever since the resort opened in 1994 the resorts remain unchanged.

There are also plans to acquire new boats, both speedboats and banca, to bring guests to and from the resort.

It’s great to see a one of the most poplar resorts on Samal Island doing well, and investing back into the business. It bodes well for the future of Samal.

via PIA News: Samal Island’s Pearl Farm Resort due for upgrading

We Don’t Want Your Business

Randy C — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:50:54 +0000

I’ve touched on this subject before, but it’s front and center in my mind again. This falls under the “adjustments” that I’ll be trying to make once I retire in the Philippines. I expect this will be one of those “adjustments” that I’ll be struggling with for awhile.

The need for services in the Philippines for myself and/or friends has come up a few times lately. The results haven’t been inspiring, to say the least.

You see, where I come from if you have a business, you want customers. In fact with the way the economy has been, it’s amazing what some business are doing to try to attract and keep customers. It’s actually refreshing to see customer service return to the fore front, because it had been sorely lacking in the recent years before the recession. Even prior to the recession, the goal was always to get more business. It doesn’t seem to be the case in many situations there in the Philippines. There are exceptions, of course. Even here.

Three instances come to mind that have all happened within the past few weeks. Three instances that make me scratch my head and wonder as to why is it like this.

The first situation was the attempt by my friend to have an aircon serviced. This particular company had serviced it last time, and they have signs all around the area promoting their service. They even have a phone number to contact them! So, an appointment was set up, and the day of the appointment they called to cancel, saying only that they weren’t working that day. No reason why. Attempts to reschedule resulted in no return phone calls or text messages. No communication. I suppose something could have happened to them, or their equipment. I wouldn’t bet on that, though.

The second occurrence had to do with another friend trying to find insurance for their home. A number of companies were called, and to be fair a couple responded. The others either didn’t answer numerous phone calls to their published phone number, or just didn’t reply to the request for a quote. This is more puzzling than the aircon cleaners, as these are supposedly established companies, as opposed to self employed entrepreneurs.

The third instance has to do with an event that I am trying to plan. I’ve been attempting, with help, to contact locations that advertise that they handle these kinds of functions, but again the response has been poor so far. I’ve received one incomplete response, have not been able to reach a second (evidently they don’t have email, which is probably just as well as it probably wouldn’t be answered), and a third referred us back to their website where the information that is supposed to be available is not attached as stated.

I’m sure anyone that lives there can give plenty of examples. I can even give you some here, but from my experience this seems to be much more prevalent there. I haven’t grasped yet how things get accomplished there. Is it a matter of continuing to try until you find someone that will do what you need, and then jump on it regardless, because there may be no one else that will do it?

I suppose, just like any place, after living there long enough I’ll have encountered enough people that I can count on, and have built a network of others that can direct me to those that can help with the various tasks that need to be accomplished. I also suppose that I’ll “adapt”, at least partially, and as others do, just say this is the way it is.

I’m pretty good at adapting, but some things are going to be more difficult than others to embrace.

No related posts.

Living on Samal Island

Randy C — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:50:31 +0000

A little under four years ago I made a trip to the Philippines that began a love affair with this little island off the Davao Gulf commonly known as Samal Island. It was then that I agreed to purchase land near the White House, with hopes of eventually retiring there. Thus began this blog.

Four years can be a long time. Do I still have intentions to retire on Samal?

That’s not an easy question to answer.

Many things have changed during that time. I’ve had a couple of additional and extended trips to the Island Garden City of Samal. It’s all been documented here, which was the original purpose of this blog. From buying land on Samal, until retirement there.

Some events in my life have naturally been of personal nature, and I don’t feel the need to expound on in a public forum such as this. Other events, such as the realization that the plot of land that we purchased was difficult at best to reach, were just a matter of looking at things in a more practical manner.

My anticipated retirement age has also changed a number of times during that period. Sometimes a little longer, and occasionally much sooner. As of today I have a good idea when that will be, but there are a number of factors, as always, that are out of my control. I will know when the time is, when I do.

So I’ve avoided answering the question long enough, but as you can see, I don’t have a complete answer. If I were to somehow retire today, or soon, it appears to me that I would live in the greater Davao area. At the least, somewhere outside of Davao. That is where I have come to feel comfortable, and where most of my friends and acquaintances are located. Admittedly I have not traveled extensively throughout the Philippines, but I am comfortable with Davao, the people, and what it has to offer. Of course it is close to Samal, and I can visit whenever I desire.

At this time it appears to me that it would be more realistic to look into having a vacation home or bahay kubo on Samal with which to spend time at, much like my friend Kevin plans to do. If I were to need to live on Samal sooner than later, I would prefer to have something closer to the concrete road going from Babak to Penaplata. That makes sense to me, and is still very secluded. Of course I may feel differently down the road a bit.

I’ve met a surprising number of people, both in person and online, that live on Samal, at least part time. Ellen, Uli, Travis and Mae, Jack, Cleo, Matthew, and Angus. Probably more, I apologize if I missed someone. The point is, it can be done and many are doing it. I’m impressed by each and every one of them. A bit envious, too, I might add.

Samal Island holds a very special place in my heart. It remains to be seen if I end up there or not.

Hoping It’s More Fun in the Philippines

Randy C — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:01:16 +0000

It probably hasn’t made it out to the rest of the world yet, but most pilipinos have seen the release of the Department of Tourism’s new ad campaign. They want you to know, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”.

From what I’ve gathered, from my vantage point on the other side of the world from the Philippines, the reaction has been mixed. Considering the last campaign, “Pilipinas kay Ganda”, was universally panned, this has to be an improvement (they hope). No one outside of the Philippines knew what that slogan meant, of course.

It appears that the campaign is getting a lot of press, especially within the social networks (you know who they are). Not only are there numerous take offs of the ads, some of which are quite funny, it seems there is the issue (again) of the originality of the slogan. It has been noted that Switzerland used the same slogan about 60 some years ago.

I’m not personally concerned about the validity of the originality of the slogan. No, I have more concerns about how it’s promoted (the quality and placement of the ads) and even more than that, delivering on the promise of the ads. To me that’s the make or break it.

I’m all for promoting the tourism industry in the Philippines. It’s a great first step. Delivering on that promise is what will matter in the end. If you get the tourists to come over, and they aren’t happy with their experience, not only will they not come back, you can be sure they will tell at least 10 other people of that experience.

I’ve mentioned before my concerns for the traveler or tourist in the Philippines. Almost everyone is aware that Ninoy Aquino International Airport needs attention and upgrading. The first impression left from that airport is not a good one. I was there recently and I will admit that was not as bad as I had remembered, but to a person if you ask about their experience at the airport in Manila, you will get a negative response.

Related to that is the fact that there are so few international flights to and from any other city. Davao only services Singapore at this time. Cebu goes to a few more – Busan, Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore and possibly Tokyo, but almost every tourist is going to pass through Ninoy unless they are from one of those areas. There has been talk of this improving with the Open Skies Policy, but so far international travel outside of Manila remains very limited.

More basic things like the ability to access your money from ATMs in the Philppines and the fact that traveler checks aren’t usually accepted, make it more difficult for the traveler to function there.

Internet access is also expected for travelers now. I do think that has gotten much better in the last 7 years that I’ve been traveling there. My trip last fall was by far the easiest for me in that regard. Internet access was not difficult to find. The quality of the connection varied, but that is improving, too.

There is much that is appealing about the Philippines. The people, the beautiful white beaches, the tropical climate, the history and the culture. The cost of a comparable vacation could be much less in the Philippines, sans the plane ticket. These, and so much more, are all great reasons for a visit. Maybe even a retirement Let’s hope that this campaign is just the start, and delivering on the promise is the commitment.

I Have Square Feet

Randy C — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:16:47 +0000

SpongeBob may have square pants, but I’ve got square feet. No, not the kind you walk with, but the kind you measure with.

There are a lot of adjustments to make when moving to and living in the Philippines. I’ve touched on the differences in electricity, language, currency, cultural and more. Another that can be a bit challenging for some, myself included, is the unit of measure used there (and the rest of the world except of course the United States, Liberia and Myanmar).

Thankfully there has been some introduction to the metric system for those of us that are still in the dark ages. It is prevalent in many parts of life, just not our standard. I can remember a time while I was still in school when we were told that we would be converting to the Metric System. That never took off, much as many things political here tend not to. One administration decides one thing, a following one decides another. One step forward, one step back. But I digress…

The U.S. Metric Study recommended that the United States implement a carefully planned transition to the principal use of the metric system over a decade. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 “to coordinate and plan the increasing use of the metric system in the United States”. The Act did not stipulate the conversion happen over a decade. Voluntary conversion was initiated, and the U.S. Metric Board (USMB) was established for planning, coordination, and public education. The public education component led to public awareness of the metric system, but the public response included resistance, apathy, and sometimes ridicule.[6] In 1981, the USMB reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Because of this ineffectiveness and an effort of the Reagan administration to reduce federal spending, the USMB was disbanded in autumn of 1982.

I have trouble converting distance, or area, into metric when I have a need to do so quickly. If someone says a place is so many kilometers away, I have to ask “how long to get there?”. When looking at land, or a house, I need to do the calculation back to square feet for it to register.

I imagine this will come over time, with the benefit of living there and experiencing it on a daily bass. It will become visual as well. I believe this process is very similar to the peso issue, where those that move to the Philippines just start thinking in peso at some point, instead of converting everything in their head. It probably happens unbeknownst to the individual, just a natural progression.

In the meantime I’ll just have to deal with my square feet. SpongeBob would be proud.

eBay from the Philippines

Randy C — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:06:00 +0000

As I continue down my slow, but steady, path of Spring Cleaning, I’ve found myself selling on eBay to a much larger extent then I ever have previously. I’ve learned a few things along the way. One of the most significant is the fact that if I offer international shipping I will have a better chance of selling an item, and probably at a much better price.

I had always been leary of offering overseas shipping due to the extra costs involved, and potential problems that could arise from a shipment that was lost or damaged. The options for shipping carriers aren’t that great, either.

To my surprise, I’ve actually been having fairly positive results with my efforts so far. As I mentioned, a few items went for much more than I expected, and those went to places like Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. I even sent a couple of small table lamps that were made of blown glass, and therefor somewhat fragile. Everything has arrived in perfect condition.

So how have I done it? So far I’ve only used USPS Priority Mail for all packages. A majority of the items were small enough to fit in the Priority Small Flat Rate Box, which is pretty reasonably priced and very reliable (so far). It is also pretty quick, at least for international delivery.

The items that were too big for the Priority Small Flat Rate Box were still sent USPS Priority, but in my own packaging. The size and weight determined the cost. If you know that up front, the delivery cost can be calculated by eBay depending upon the destination. Your customer will know before they buy the cost of their shipping.

One downfall of the international selling is that PayPal charges you an extra percent for customers outside of the United States, even Canada. That extra percent is for your total amount of your sale, including shipping. Since you are now also charged a final fee from eBay on the shipping, the extra cost of shipping international can really eat into your profits. I’ve countered that by adding a handling fee, especially on the more expensive and/or heavier items.

This all got me to thinking about how I could make this work from the Philippines. There are a number of items that I could see listing that I’m sure would have interest around the world. That’s not a problem at all. What to do about shipping from the Philippines, though?

I’ve had mixed results in having things sent to me from the Philippines. FedEX has been reliable but VERY expensive. No, to make this work I’d need to use PhilPost or find another carrier that was reliable and inexpensive. PhilPost offers a number of different international options, and truthfully I haven’t had a chance to try them all. Not all would work for every item or every country:

Letter Post
Letters, cards, and other printed matters for delivery in any part of the world.

International Express Mail Service (IEMS)
The fastest means of sending documents, goods and other time-sensitive items abroad. Currently, the Philippines has agreements with 50 countries for the reciprocal exchange of EMS items.

Air Parcel Post
The most convenient and economical means of sending merchandise and other bulky items to foreign countries worldwide. Air parcels are transported to the country of destination by air.

Surface Parcel Post
The cheapest means of sending parcels to foreign countries with which the Philippines has bilateral agreements. Otherwise, parcels may be sent only through intermediary of the United States of America. Surface parcels are transported to the country of destination by interocean vessels.

Insured Parcel Post
Parcels with a maximum insured value of P5,000.00 may be accepted for delivery in selected foreign countries. At present this service is available only in Switzerland and USA.

Registered Mail
Letter post items destined for foreign countries may be accepted as domestic registered mail subject to the same conditions as those of domestic mail.

International Reply Coupon
International reply coupons are sold to postal customers for use in prepaying reply postage from other countries, present rate is P 115.00 per coupon.

I know some there have had problems with PhilPost, but I’ve really only heard about incoming packages issues, not the other way around. That’s not to say they don’t exist, and that’s what I need to look into further.

I currently have a small package on it’s way to me. I’m not sure what service was chosen, but I intend to research it further after it arrives. That’ll give me a good idea of time and cost, at least for one service option. I may test a few others, too, and see if if I can’t find a reliable/affordable solution within PhilPost. That would probably be the best fit for what I’d like to do. If not, I’ll continue to look.

Oh, there might be a couple of other things to work out — like PayPal, for instance, but eBay from the Philippines just might be in my future.

The Visa Question

Randy C — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:42:37 +0000

If there is one topic that every person moving to the Philippines will have to eventually research, it has to be “what to do about a visa”? There is so much information on this subject that I have no intention to try to tackle it again in this article. No, I have a good idea already which visa I would prefer to get.

I wish it was as simple as figuring out which one you want and/or qualify for. That is complicated in and of itself. The fun only begins when you begin to look into the options. As much as some will tell you not to be concerned about it, it does take some thought and planning if you don’t want to be scrambling later on.

After reading all the articles, checking the immigration website, and pondering my options, I concluded that I’d like to get a 13a Permanent Resident Visa when my time comes. Geez, that is easy, isn’t it? Well, no it isn’t.

I next need to decide whether I want to apply for that prior to moving, through the consulate in San Francisco (consulate that covers Washington State), or wait until I’ve already moved. I’ve read that it is a much easier and quicker process in the States, and you avoid the multiple trips to Manila, assuming you are not living in the area, which I do not intend to do.

Contrary to what I’ve also read, it is likely to cost me more to get the 13a here in the US, as the requirements are much different to do it here than in the Philippines. For one, I need to get medical tests done, Unfortunately, as much I’ve I’ve tried, I cannot get a complete answer as to what is required for the blood work. The definition of “complete” doesn’t mean anything to my clinic. They want to know specifically what they are testing for.

Additionally, there is a requirement for an “in person” interview, which would be quite expensive for me, as I would need to get to San Francisco, probably by plane. Some have said this isn’t required, you can do it over the phone, but I could not get the consulate to confirm that. They said they would schedule the interview after receiving the paperwork, leaving me to wonder if I could do it over the phone, even though I asked specifically.

The consulate does have a list of paperwork requirements. They are different than the Los Angeles consulate, and both are different than that of the Bureau of Immigration site. That also leaves me wondering if I’d be sending in everything needed.

If I decide to get the 13a after moving to the Philippines, it could cost me less (potentially) in dollars/peso but likely will take much longer. As I mentioned the requirements are much different, a lot more paperwork including a petition from my spouse, but the medical tests are also not needed. I’m not sure how many trips I’d need to make to Manila, but several is likely.

I’d really like to get it in advance, if I can work out the logistics and requirements. It would be great if I didn’t need to make a personal appearance in the San Francisco consulate, but I feel that I need to plan on that. If it’s not needed, then that will be a bonus.

I’m sure I’ll get this worked out, as many others have before me. I just wish I knew exactly what is required, but even that seems to change constantly. So, I’ll just have to plow through it and hope for the best. It’ll get done one way or another. I think that is a mantra I need to get used to.

No related posts.

Samal Households Receive Solar Power

Randy C — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:30:23 +0000

Some of you long time readers may remember some of my early articles referencing my desire to use solar power when I got a house built on Samal. I still have a lot of interest in solar power in the Philippines, but have done next to nothing in regards to doing anything about it. Partially because it will be so far off, but also because I was not having much luck with finding solutions that would work there.

The DOE (Department of Energy) didn’t wait for me to get my act together, they have already implemented solar power for some homes on Samal Island.

As part of a Philippine Energy Efficiency Project (PEEP) funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank, households that were previously without electricity (off-grid) now enjoy solar power via a system that is composed of a solar panel, a storage battery and three lamps. Total cost is P28,800 of which is picked up by the DOE. The households are also given training as to the use and maintenance of the system. There is no on-going energy bill for these homes.

“Solar energy emitted by the panel and stored in the battery is enough to light up the household for the entire night,” said Rosalie Joan Sotelo, senior science research specialist of DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Division.

The article does not say how many homes in the Samal area are covered, but a total of 233 households are furnished within 4 areas in the Visayas and Mindanao – Samal Island, Davao; Pandan, Antique; Makato, Aklan; and Manalo, Palawan.

So, I guess this makes my plan clear. I just need to build in an area that is off grid, and I’ll get my solar, and not only that, but have it paid for by the DOE. Joke only!

Ref: DOE powers four off-grid areas through solar technology – PIA NEWS

HDTV Davao Region

Randy C — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:25:36 +0000

I don’t watch a lot of television. Some sports, an occasional movie, but mostly not very much. So what’s available in that regard there in the Davao region has never been a major concern of mine. That doesn’t mean I haven’t looked into it though.

When I do watch TV, I only watch High Def channels. One might say I’m spoiled. I’m not going to argue the fact, but after watching HDTV for the last 7 years or so, it actually gives me a headache to watch standard definition for any length of time. That’s why I found it encouraging to see that HDTV is available in Davao, and to some degree possibly Samal now.

I’ve owned a 50″ Samsung HDTV for those past seven years. That setup, along with the home theater system, is not coming with me to the Philippines. Too big, too old, too expensive to ship, wrong voltage, etc. No, I’ll get by with something much smaller, but still HDTV I suppose. I’ll look at my options for content based on our needs.

One company that caught my eye during my visit was Cignal Digital TV (complicated but they are part of PLDT). Cignal is very similar in function to DirecTV or Dish Network here in the States. They use a dish, pointed to the right location, and it just needs a clear line of site for reception. This is great for Samal Island, as that is the exact kind of set up you need in a remote location. I didn’t ask if they are installing on Samal, but if they aren’t I would have to guess they would be soon.

Cignal offers many different packages, with the basic one costing P250 (lang) per month. That one doesn’t include HD though, you need to move up to the P590 to get a couple of channels of HD thrown in. To get all nine of the HD channels they offer – HBO HD, STAR Movies HD, National Geographic Channel HD, History HD, Discovery HD, STAR World HD, Food Network Asia HD, ESPN HD, NBA Premium TV HD – you’ll need to put out P1290 a month. The upper two packages include free equipment, so that’s a bonus. They also have a tenth PPV HD channel, so you can watch Manny in HD if you are willing to pony up the additional fee.

Their main competition appears to be SKYCable. This is your standard cable offering, not a dish setup. The prices are pretty similar between the two. SKYCable has about three more HD channels – Discovery HD World, History Channel HD, National Geographic Channel HD, HBO HD, HBO Hits HD, STAR Movies HD, FOX Family Movies HD, STAR World HD, Fox Channel HD, Fox Crime HD, NBA Premium TV HD, ESPN HD, and the HD PPV, but they handle the packages differently. There are a few bundles of HD channels for various prices that are “add ons” to the normal packages. That’s what makes it somewhat difficult to compare pricing between them an Cignal. SKYCable standard (non HD) packages start at P280. Depending upon your wants and needs, you might be better served with one or the other.

I would imagine, much as the way it happened here, the number of HD channels will continue to increase whereas in the future virtually all channels will have a HD equivalent, if not just HD. Regardless, I feel that it’s a pretty good start. ESPN in HD is good enough for me, not that I really know how ESPN differs from what they show here. I’ll need to look into that sometime.

Comparatively you can get either product much cheaper than what you might pay here. The total number of channels is much less, but how many of the 200+ channels do people really watch? The most expensive Cignal package comes in about $30 US (at todays rate). I can only get the most basic package here for that price. No ESPN, and the only HD are the local channels.

For those television watchers around Davao (and Samal hopefully), things are looking pretty good.

Recycle Philippines Style

Randy C — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:57:42 +0000

It’s probably a matter of economics versus any environmental concerns, but I’m really impressed with the amount of recycling done in the Philippines. No, I’m not referring to trash, though I understand that may have recently become more prominent, also.

The recycling I’m referring to has to do with items that in my lifetime have become increasingly disposable here in the United States.

I know it wasn’t this way when I was a kid, at least I don’t remember it that way, but sometime in my lifetime almost all things electronic have become disposable. If they break down, you don’t get it fixed, you throw it out and buy a new one.

The cause of that is undoubtably the high cost of labor and parts, in conjunction with the low cost of mass produced items. It just doesn’t make sense to pay $50 or so per hour of labor, plus the cost for some difficult to get part, when the item, or similar, can be had for less new.

But it’s much different in the Philippines. Labor is inexpensive, and ingenuity is quite high there. I’ve been been surprised with what can be repaired, and at what cost.

A good example from my last visit was a friend’s CD player/stereo that was no longer working. There was a discussion going on about getting it repaired, and the first thing I said was, “buy a new one”. This was just a “no name”, inexpensive unit, and it certainly couldn’t be worth the time and trouble to have it repaired. Boy, was I wrong (again). They got it fixed within a couple of hours for a cost of less than P300 (around $7 USD). You’d be waiting a week or two here, and it would cost you as much in gas to get it to the repair shop and back (exaggerating only slightly).

I’m also very interested in getting some of my appliances and/or tools rewound to work with the 220v wiring there. I can, and will, use step up/step down transformers in some instances, at least initially, but for the longterm I’d like to get everything 220v. One of the big hangups for me in that regard is my Vitamix. I’ve researched, and frankly there isn’t anything available there that compares. So I’ll bring that, and try it on a transformer for awhile, but I’d like to see if I eventually can get that rewound. I understand the cost to do so can be quite reasonable, say well under P1000. If I can get that done, it would be well worth it to me for such an expensive and useful product.

I appreciate the repairing and reuse of still valid products that is part of the norm there. Again, the reason behind it may be of necessity, but it certainly has it’s benefits regardless. It always bothers me to throw out old electronic items, so I end up storing them or giving them to Goodwill. Neither of which really accomplishes anything, but to appease my conscious for a period. No, what they do in the Philppines is much better for all, including the landfills.

There are many things that will be difficult to adapt to, but this recycling of electronics is one that I’m all for and happy to participate in.