Planning to move to a new country can be very intimidating. It’s a major life change and brings with it many challenges and worries. If you’re moving to the Philippines, though, then you are in luck. The South East Asian country, an archipelago of 7,107 islands, has become a popular spot for tourists who are looking for an affordable place to spend their retirement years.
The great thing about living in the Philippines is that it eliminates a lot of the worries that an expat may face with his family. Here are some of the things that you don’t need to worry about when it comes to living in this beautiful country:
Language
The first thing that you’ll notice is that if you speak English, you will most likely be able to muddle through well enough. The Philippines has English as one of its major languages and you can expect to have at least one English speaker around when you need it. Most professionals will be able to converse well in English and it is common enough in the urban areas that most of the signs and billboards are in that language.
This doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn Tagalog, the country’s native language. But you’ll eventually pick it up as you live in the country. You don’t even need to know much. A hundred words can be enough for daily use.
Culture
Some cultures present a large bit of culture shock to most expats. The Philippines isn’t that harsh on newcomers, though. This is mostly because many Filipinos are very friendly. They will welcome you into their home and become good friends with you easily. This helps blunt the edge of some strange habits, such as being touchy-feely and being open about discussing looks.
The other reason for easy adaptation is that the country is very westernized. Majority of the country is Christian and a lot of the pop culture is from the United States. It should be easy enough to understand their culture and adapt to the small quirks.
Education
If you have children, you might be worrying about where they will go to school. Fortunately, it is easy to find an international school in Manila, Philippines. The sizable expat community allows for several types of international schools in the capital. This means whether you are looking for a UK-style institution or a US-inspired school, there will always be one for your kids.
In addition, tuition is usually affordable. You can send multiple children to good schools without any worries about your budget.
Employment
There are also plenty of employment opportunities out there in the Philippines. The country is one of the leading outsourcing hubs in the world. They’ll always need someone who can teach their agents. Being an English teacher is also a viable option.
The expat life can be very challenging. Starting life in a new country is difficult, but not all countries are equally hard to adapt to. The Philippines is one of the best places to be an expat and the reasons above should highlight that fact.
