++NOTE: This is the free online version of my book Chasing Your Philippine Dream: An Expat’s Guide to the Philippines. This voluminous tome has been (inconsistently) updated over the last 13 years and can be purchased either HERE on the Amazon Kindle store (more expensive option) or directly HERE from our site via Surecart. All things considered; I’d go with buying the less expensive digital version off of Surecart. It’s the exact same book, and I really don’t think Jeff Bezos needs any more money.
And in case you are wondering why I am publishing the chapters out of order, it’s simply because I want you to buy the actual book. I gots a family to feed! ++
CHAPTER 8: HOUSING
The economic refugees that litter the shores of our tropical archipelago frequently cite cheap housing as one of their top reasons for living in the Philippines. I couldn’t agree more. Back in the US, a one-bedroom apartment in Boston typically went for about $2,000 USD. Here in the Philippines, a similarly apartment goes for about $200 to $300 a month, depending on whether you are living in the city or in a more provincial, country area. Renting a house can see even greater savings. Our three-bedroom home on the outskirts of Dumaguete (nice blend of somewhat cleaner air and easy city access) costs us $300 USD a month. And while it’s not your typical American colonial four bedroom on a sprawling acre of land, it suits us just fine.
ACCOMODATIONS ARE DIFFERENT HERE
Like virtually everything in the Philippines, accommodations are a bit different here. This is primarily due to environmental factors: The heat, humidity, extended rainy seasons and the constant threats of natural disasters all factor into design and construction.
The first thing you will notice is the preponderance of “hollow block” construction. Instead of using wooden framing – which would be devoured in very short order by termites and/or moisture damage – most modern Filipino homes are made of concrete ‘cinder’ block reinforced with rebar. While common in the West, the way in which hollow block is laid out is generally different in the Philippines. To a foreigner, the crumbly concrete blocks might not appear to totally be “up to Code,” (with more sand than concrete in the mix), but for Filipinos, it works out just fine. Cement is BIG business in the Philippines. Driving about – especially on the outskirts of Cebu and Manila – one will commonly see massive cement factories in operation, covering many hectares of commercial ground. The only production facilities to rival these factories in my experience are the sugar processing centers on Negros Oriental (Sugar Island). As previously noted, hollow block construction provides stronger protection against bugs and rot and also affords some additional protection against typhoons and super-typhoons (but not earthquakes).
In the West, drywall framing usually lines the interiors of concrete construction. Due to the constant humidity and threat of rot and vermin, you won’t see a lot of that in the Philippines. Instead, interior and exterior block construction typically has a skim coat “slapped” on to it and smoothed out. This manual process of applying skim coat is locally referred to as mano-mano ( from the Spanish, hand-hand). Once the skim coat cures (which usually takes a good long time due to the humidity), the surfaces are ready for painting. And while the Philippines doesn’t go to the kaleidoscopic color extremes of some Caribbean Island communities, Filipinos do seem to favor rather gaudy colors. As of 2025, bright green, yellow, and orange seem to be favored on interior colors, with pink (salmon), green and yellow being popular exterior colors. It takes some getting used to. And if you can’t get used to it, you can always talk to the landlord about rounding up some nice, neutral beige paint so that your eyeballs don’t melt. When I moved into my first house rental in the Philippines, that is just what I did – the original greenish interior paint was flaking and grimy and the flat beige made it much more livable.
A MAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE…
Homes and apartment complexes in the Philippines are also usually surrounded by concrete security walls topped with razor wire, steel spikes or even broken glass bottles. Entry and exit to these compounds are through lockable security gates; a smaller person-size door usually fitted into the wide, double steel vehicle gate. Some richer Filipinos actually spend a good amount of money customizing their walls with wrought iron embellishments, textured surfaces, and decorative motifs with personalized engravings proudly showing off their family name. This fortress mentality has been utilized for hundreds of years in the Republic, and even though it won’t stop a home from being burglarized, it does slow potential burglars down. And since so many homes here have guard dogs, the walled compound provides them room to roam around while on duty. On the topic of guard dogs, it is worth noting that some families keep “alarm dogs” in little metal cages. This is pretty common sight, and to the casual Western eye, it is a very sad life for a dog.
Continuing the fortress schema, most windows in the Philippines are protected by welded steel stock window grates. Like compound gates and a good deal of other metalwork in the Philippines, these are fabricated to order by local shops. Some are thicker than others, and although most can be cut with bolt cutters (or saws), security grates – like the hollow block security wall – do tend to slow any would-be burglar down. Cutting or ripping the grates make a lot of noise, so it gives a home owner (or renter) time to utilize other methods to deter entry.
Tip 1: Bring a portable motion detector alarm with you to the Philippines. These small, battery-operated devices can be picked up on Amazon and make a surprising amount of noise when triggered. Most are travel sized and run on batteries.
Tip 2: Foreigners are not allowed to own firearms in the Philippines. Your Filipina partner, however, can own a firearm. ARMSCOR is a Philippine arms manufacturer, and a quality .45 ACP Colt copy runs about $300.
SUBDIVISIONS
The fortress mentality extends to dedicated subdivisions and can best be seen in the metro areas of Manila, Cebu and other large urban areas. These communities have come in existence for two reasons: First, it provides wealthier Filipinos and expats with a sense of exclusive living (keeping the riff-raff and rabble out) and second, it provides a higher level of security in the face of opportunistic crime fueled by extant poverty. The gates of these walled subdivisions are typically manned by armed security guards and patrolled by even more armed security personnel. Vehicle entrances to subdivisions are controlled with access passes and car stickers which are checked by the gate guards. Taxi drivers and the like usually are required to leave their drivers licenses and/or registrations with the gate guard when picking up a resident. Subdivisions also usually have a homeowner’s association in which security issues are addressed on a regular basis. Despite the presence of a private uniformed army, crime still occurs and guards – on occasion – and other workers have been known to be involved on inside jobs. Another downside of these exclusive subdivisions is the further distancing between the social classes – where gated mansions could once be seen right next to poorer native wood homes, and neighbors possessed some sense of social bond, many of these relationships no longer exist.
HEAT AND HUMIDITY
We cannot stress the importance of trying to find a “cool” house or apartment when you once are in the Philippines. Direct sunlight on concrete, glass and steel can make for some extremely uncomfortable living spaces, so put priority on places that have tree-shaded lots, tinted sliding windows or adequately vented roofs.
An issue I had with my first house rental (‘Pink House’) was the way the roof was constructed. Like the vast majority of roofs in the Philippines, it was made of corrugated metal panels that were painted ‘adobe rede’, which was probably a carryover from the Spanish occupation’s use of red clay roof tiles. And although Pink House had vents under the eaves for air intake (soffit vents), there is no provision for venting the heat out of the top of the roof – with wind-driven rains so common here, you won’t see much in the way of ridge venting. So, the dark roof heats up, transfers it to the uninsulated crawlspace, and it radiates down into the house. All told, it would probably make more sense to have the metal roofing panels painted white or silver (like in the Mediterranean) to reflect solar heat, but for some reason, that’s not the way things are done here. We ultimately ended up putting ¼ inch polystyrene insulation in the attic, laid on top of the ceiling panels with the reflective side facing up towards the roof. This DRAMATICLALY lowered the houses interior temperatures and only cost about $100 USD.
Tip 1: Buy a temperature gun: Long before COVID, I had picked up a laser heat sensor/ temperature gun from eBay. It turned out to be a wise purchase and still sees constant use. It saw particularly heavy use when we were house hunting where we were able to accurately gauge what the actual rental temperatures were. Continuing this theme, try to check new places out during the heat of the early afternoon – that will give you the best indication of just how hot your prospective place will be.
Tip 2: Insulate your house rental: In addition to the $100 ceiling insulation, I also ended up making ‘heat shields’ for the windows in Pink House that were exposed to direct sunlight. They were quarter inch Styrofoam insulation fronted by reflective foil that were mounted on simple bamboo slats. I forgot to put them up one day, and the interior of the house heated up to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (36 C). With them up (it is now high summer), it ‘only’ heats up to around 88 degrees (31 C).
TILE, TILE EVERYWHERE….
Tile is everywhere in the Philippines, and I have come to love it. Porches in the Philippines are usually made of tile laid down over poured concrete. Again, with all the wood eating critters lurking about and the prevalence of water and dampness, it doesn’t make sense to construct porches of wood as they are more commonly seen in the West. The interiors of the homes are also tiled, which makes sweeping and mopping a simple process. Noticeably absent is carpeting – in this environment of dampness and intrusive vermin (ants, roaches, fleas, etc.), carpeting makes absolutely no sense. Plus, those little Filipinos brooms don’t work very well on shag.
Side Note: If you every go the US embassy in Manila, you will see VINYL tile laid down on the floors. Given the prevalence of quality ceramic tile in the Philippines, it blew my little brain to see that the US government had actually shipped over vinyl tile. With it, they also sent a big tile ‘buffer’ which gave me flashbacks to my time ‘stripping, waxing and buffing’ that stupid vinyl tile in the US Army.
TWO KITCHENS
Filipino middle-class homes generally have two kitchens: A standard kitchen inside the home and a ‘dirty kitchen’ set up outside – typically adjacent to and accessed from the main kitchen. The main kitchen is can be seen a ‘show piece’ while the real grunt work is done outside. There are a few reasons for this. First off, one has to keep the environment in mind: The Philippines is hot and humid year-round, and running a stove inside a house can quickly make a hot area even hotter. Secondly, many wealthier Filipinos have hired cooks on the payroll, and their work is best left tasted but unseen. Interior kitchens can frequently be up to Western standards, with shiny appliances all laid out atop marble (or faux-marble) countertops. This area is usually just reserved for show or for the lady of the house to occasionally indulge her culinary flair, while the real work is done outside in the more rustic and dimly-lit dirty kitchen.
CARPORTS
Outside of some exclusive, big-city communities, you won’t come across many garages in the Philippines. You see them every now and then, but usually what you have is a ‘carport’ which is just a poured concrete slab on which folks park their vehicles. These can either be covered with a second-floor porch or living area (for richer folks) or uncovered and open to the elements. At Pink House we originally had a rickety metal frame with a slightly perforated tarp stretched over it. Although ripped in places, it generally did a good job of keeping water and the occasional falling mango off of our motorcycles. The carport is very common in the Philippines, and it’s of great use when faced with the uncomfortable consequences of direct sunlight in the (endless) summer and the subsequent torrential downpours of the rainy season. You will also find some larger carports devoted to other duties – washing machines, clothes lines, general storage and the like. This is also a popular area for Filipinos to install a metal cage for their four-legged canine alarm systems.
Our Carport: We finally had a nipa and coco lumber roof built over the driveway/carport on the side of former Pink House. It covered the entire length of the concrete driveway which was often heating up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48 C) due to the direct sun exposure. Since covering the carport, temps in the house were much more tolerable.
UTILITY FITTINGS
Water and electrical connections can be, um, interesting in the Philippines. Building and construction codes do exist in the Republic, but as with many other laws on the books here, they are rarely enforced. As a result, builders can get a bit creative when it comes to delivering water and electricity. You won’t often see metal water pipes running into Philippine homes. Instead, you’ll find what are basically garden hoses running off the actual roadside metered mains. Water pressure can be a problem (especially when a lot of neighbors are using water at the same time), so you will often see water tanks elevated on towers of concrete or steel. An electric pump sends water up to the tank which in turn sends water down into the house at a higher pressure due to the tank’s elevation. Water tanks are also a solid investment as they provide a backup water supply if the mains are cut or if there are random water outages, which aren’t all that uncommon in more provincial areas of the Philippines.
Electrical supply can be equally haphazard. When it comes to houses and apartments, the lack of any real electrical code leads to (literally) no grounds, bad connections and flickering lights. And since the lines are run through the hollow block walls, accessing these conduits requires a good bit of digging. To deal with brownouts (complete power outages), some homes have generators or supplemental solar arrays. AVR’s (Automatic Voltage Regulators) and UPS’s (Uninterruptable Power Supplies) are pretty much mandatory in dealing with wide variances in delivered voltage (dirty electricity) which can cause serious harm to sensitive electronics. If you have expensive electronic gadgets, we highly recommend getting AVRs. We’ll be revisiting this topic in the next chapter as well.
In mentioning solar, I have to note just how popular it has become in the Philippines. Hybrid and stand-alone systems are going up as a dizzying rate all around the country. This is pretty much a win-win for all involved. The Philippines continues to face severe power shortages, and home installations that ‘sell’ excess production back to the grid helps to assuage that challenge. For the homeowner, not having to worry about ‘brownouts’ or high electric bills is also a win. Finally, I have to note how cheap a home install is (around $6,000 for a 16KWh hybrid system). Compared to Western countries, components and installations are much less expensive, as are the Electric Vehicles that charge off of them.
Tip: Remember that electricity here runs at 220 volts. Most modern adapters and automatically switch between 110 and 240 volts, but make sure you check the data plate on your particular device to be sure. The only exceptions to this ‘auto-switching’ seem to be with kitchen appliances, AV receivers and surge protectors. Not thinking, I brought a US surge protector to the Philippines back in 2013. The first time I plugged it in, the the ‘magic smoke’ was released, and it now it serves as a rather bulky extension cord.
BASEMENTS?
You won’t see many basements in the Philippines. The majority of the populace lives along the coast, so the water tables are just a scratch beneath the surface. Also, given the torrential downpours of rainy season, having a basement can be more trouble than it is worth (unless subterranean swimming pools are your thing). As a result, you won’t be able to toss endless boxes of soon-forgotten junk into the basement. In the Philippines, such storage duties are served by bodegas – concrete storage sheds situated around the property much like wooden tool sheds in the West.
WHAT ISLAND SHOULD I LIVE ON?
With over 7,000 islands scattered about the archipelago, determining which island you want to relocate to can be an adventure unto itself. I am often asked that question by would-be expatriates, and it’s a difficult one to answer as it mostly comes down to personal preference. In determining this, we usually recommend that people spend some time traveling around to different island areas to do an actual ‘boots on the ground’ reconnaissance. Travel light (backpack-level light), stay in hotels or furnished studios and take a few weeks to check out each prospective location. And don’t limit yourself to the city limits – make sure you have some means of seeing the surrounding areas – a scooter or motorcycle is ideal.
WHERE SHOULD I LIVE? CITY V. PROVINCE
As noted, a lot of people are always asking about the ‘best’ place to live in the Philippines. Truth is, there is no best place, and what is perfect for one person might be a horror-fest for another. I myself had come to the Philippines hoping to find a nice little house or condo by a white sand beach, allowing me to laze about on my hammock while sipping margaritas and gazing out over a turquoise sea. Upon arrival, I quickly realized that a place like that was going to cost an arm and a leg and/or that all the really good places had already been rented out; or they simply didn’t exist.
Ah yes, the first chapter of my Philippine Dream. I remember you well.
After some time, I found a nice beach house in the town of Dauin that seemed perfect. It was rustic, right on the water, had a massive yard and even came with its own kayak and trampoline. After moving in, however, I soon found out that living without window screens isn’t much fun and that my internet-based work was being stymied by a noticeable lack of bandwidth (most of the time it was crawling along at 300 kilobits per second and was basically unusable after 5 PM and on weekends). Not cool. I also found out that I actually prefer living closer to the city. We were about 26 kilometers from Dumaguete, and given the dangerous traffic, getting into town was a chore.
Now, we seem to have found a good balance – we are in a suburb of Dumaguete city and benefit from easy access to its amenities while still being far enough from the heat and congestion inherent to any urban area. We also have fairly reliable internet (Starlink) and the electrical grid is a lot more solid. Yeah, the house we are renting (Orange House) isn’t perfect, but we’re going to improve on that when a more ideal house or apartment becomes available.
And that’s another thing to keep in mind – always be on the lookout for a better/nicer place.
Now let’s look at some of the pro’s and con’s of living in the city versus the country (province).
BENEFITS OF THE CITY:
- Restaurants, shopping, and nightlife are all close at hand
- Better internet
- More to go out and do
- Less brownouts
- Better access to medical care (can be a crucial factor for some)
BENEFITS OF THE COUNTRY (PROVINCE):
- Quieter
- Cleaner air
- Less congestion and heat
- More open space
- Peace of mind
- Considerably less expensive than living in the city
So, when it comes right down to it, I guess it’s all about finding a good balance and – more importantly – finding out what you really want. Because – as we have learned – you might think that you want one thing(the beach house in Dauin), but when you get it, you find out that you don’t. And then you have to move.
++ So that’s it for this installment. If you are looking for a more concise/less fragmented version, buy the complete ebook for (a wopping) $6.95 by clicking HERE. Note that it is in epub format, so you will need an appropriate e-reader app (or Kindle) to read it. ++
