Expat Community > Philippines

mrbixby
Joined 2016
Posts: 10

Moving to Manila

8 years ago

Hello all,

I will be signing a one-year contract to work in Manila and am trying to get a better understanding of what that looks like.

Posters to this forum seem to have such incredible experiences (both good & bad) and a depth of knowledge. I'd love any insight or thoughts you might be able to share as prepare for this trip.

Some more details on my upcoming excursion:

- It is an extremely well paying position so I'm in a bit of a different position than many on this forum who seem to be retirees looking to stretch out their dollars. The position comes with a housing and transportation stipend and they cover my visa paperwork and health insurance.

I'm looking at living in Bonifacio Global City with the understanding that I will be overpaying on rent. I would do this because my job would be stressful and I would like to have a haven away from what I understand is chaos in the city.

I would be working near Manila Bay and would use Uber to get to and from work so I can work during the ride and feel relaxed not having to be as aware of my surroundings. Other executives at this company also do this and I would probably car pool with them relatively frequently.

During times of work I would imagine myself being social within the areas of BGC and Makati or at home (hopefully?) streaming entertainment from my server located in the US via a VPN.

When not working I will want to travel as much as possible, both to spots in PI like Boracay, Cebu and Palawan, but also to other areas in SE Asia like Thailand and Vietname. I wouldn't travel anymore South than Cebu.

I'm mostly worried about general safety concerns, being able to live within the same relative style I do at home (consistent internet, mattress comfort level, water flow, etc) and stomach-related food/water issues. Reading this back it makes me sound very bland and boring, I'm fairly well-travelled but want to make sure I have realistic expectations.

Love any feedback you can throw my way, cheers!

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SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
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SJB Global

SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
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SJB Global

SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
Learn More

SJB Global

SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
Learn More

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Expat Community > Philippines

Moving to Manila

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