++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 4: RESEARCHING A MOVE TO THE PHILIPPINES
Before setting off on any grand adventure, a little preparation can go a very long way. If you are serious about moving to the Philippines, there are a number of resources that you can utilize in order to accrue a wealth of information.
Before going further, however, let us point out again that there is absolutely no substitute for actual boots on the ground experience. You can do all the research you like, but until you are actually in country, you are not going to be able to decide if the Philippines is really for you. This is especially true for the hardcore Dreamers who are thinking that the Philippines is a place they’d like to spend the rest of their lives.
It is also important not to become beguiled by unrealistic expectations. As the title of our books suggests, sometimes a Philippine Dream can be just that – a flimsy construct of hope, longing, and idealized anticipations. Some content creators capitalize on this, portraying the Philippines as a tropical paradise populated by beautiful women hand-feeding you grapes as you lounge on a white sand beach soaking in yet another glorious sunset. Yeah, you might see some of that at times, but trust us: It’s not all grapes and sunsets.
And all the grapes here are Chinese.
Jaded Expat: LOL – Foreigners dream of moving TO the Philippines. Filipinos dream of moving OUT of the Philippines. Go square that circle, mate.
RESOURCE OVERLOAD
There is no shortage of online resources covering expatriate life in the Philippines. When I arrived in 2013, such options were very limited, but as the years rolled on (and people found out you could monetize content), more and more options became available. As of 2025, there are an infinite number of Philippine expat Facebook groups, forums and YouTube/TikTok channels. We will take a look at each of these resources individually.
FACEBOOK GROUPS
Fire up your Facebook, type “Philippines expat” into your search bar, and you will be met with dozens of Facebook Pages to choose from. The quality of these groups varies wildly, and the only way to truly separate the wheat from the chaff is to join (most are ‘private’ groups). Just running down the results right now, I can see that there are groups devoted to all kinds of interests. There are groups comprised of certain nationalities (German, Polish, American, etc.), expat groups for buying and selling, a few dedicated to building homes in the Philippines, a good number for sexmongering in the Philippines and an odd little group dedicated to Positive Minded Foreigners in the Philippines. While Facebook groups can be a good resource, keep in mind that expatriates can be an odd bunch, so be prepared for anything. For example, as I edit this, I am meandering through the ‘Americans in the Philippines” Facebook page. Right now, a user named Dick N. Cider is arguing with all comers about which cities in the Philippines possess the loosest women. And of course there are all the American political posts being argued and deleted in near real time. So, as you can see, a good deal of real-time filtering is required on these pages.
ONLINE FORUMS
Despite the rise of Philippine Expat Facebook groups, a number of old-school internet forums are still chugging along in 2025. Three of the most popular sites are expat.com, expatexchange.com and expatforum.com. Each site covers a number of potential nation destinations, so just sign up and navigate to their respective sub-forums on the Philippines. All of these forums are still fairly active and are a good source of information. I would even argue that forums are a better resource than Facebook groups, as the topics are easier to search and the moderation on them is more comprehensive than in the more rough and tumble FaceSpace groups.
I joined the now-defunct Living in Cebu forum in 2011, and it was (at the time) at incredibly valuable research tool. Many of the members had been in the Philippines for years – if not decades – and even though they were a rough assemblage of scum and villainy, the forum prepared me for about 95% of the stuff that I later encountered in the Philippines. (It was the other 5% that still leaves me shaking my head in frustration.)
The Living in Cebu forums died last year. One day it was there, the next it was gone. If you want to go down a really strange rabbit hole, Google sexpat wall of shame. It was created by a French guy who had a vendetta against a bunch of the forum members. If you read it, keep in mind that A) most of the guys he is talking about are dead and B) he does a masterful job of mixing truth and fiction. As noted, some of these forums can be a bit rough around the edges. Considering that the Philippines tends to attract a heavily opinionated and independent demographic, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Many of them have heard the same questions over and over again, so their replies come across as a bit terse. Be sure to use the “Search” function on these sites – they are an invaluable tool.
YOUTUBE/TIKTOK/INSTAGRAM
These sites are useful for getting an overview of the mechanics involved in moving and living in the Philippines. The number of Philippine video content creators has exploded since I moved to the country in 2013. There, you can find just about any and all subjects having to do with the Philippines. Wondering what Boracay looks like in the off season? Want to take a ride on the Underground River in Palawan? Heard about the dancing inmates they (used to) have in the Cebu provincial prison? It’s pretty much all there.
Some content creators are in it for the money, others because they are passionate about the topic and want to pass on good information. I’d say I was originally in it for both reasons. I originally started my YouTube channel and blog as a simple travelogue, and it subsequently morphed into something that made a little money and I continued to enjoy (for a while). If you reckon a content creator is just in it for the money, simply move on to the next one. They are pretty easy to spot, having some large-font header exclaiming something along the lines of “Live Like a King in the Philippines for $1,000 a Month!” Another red-flag are content creators who are constantly bad-mouthing other creators or channels that promise you the secrets of finding the “perfect” Filipina. If you happen to anything along those lines, don’t walk away – run!
Jaded Expat: I love these Philippines expat content creators. They are a constant source of amusement. The proverbial blind leading the blind…
REDDIT
Reddit is also a good tool in researching a move to the Philippines. There are more than a few sub-reddits devoted to life here. As with online forums, they are more heavily moderated than Facebook groups and subsequently most of the chaff has already been separated from the wheat. Although many people complain about over moderation on Reddit (and the shockingly high number of bots on the site), I find Reddit to still be an invaluable resource for just about any subject.
NOTE: You are going to find trolls and shitposters on all three of the online resources we just noted. Sadly, that is just the anonymous reality of internet life. Likewise, you are going to see a good number of apologists on these sites constantly telling anyone who brings up anything negative about the Philippines to LeaVe tHe CoUntry if they don’t like it. I understand the whole ‘rose-colored glasses’ thing – we all go through it. But the whole ‘the planes fly both ways’ thing gets a little old on all these sites. The Philippines – like anyplace else in the world – is not perfect. So, to instantly slam someone when they bring up any negative aspect of living in the Philippines is ultimately self-defeating. If problems are not noted, they can never be addressed.
OK, now let’s talk about a few other resources you might want to employ in researching a move to the Philippines.
THE WRITTEN WORD
Typing ‘Philippines expat’ into the Amazon search bar will bring up a no shortage of books related to expatriate life in our sunny little island kingdom. As with anything, the quality of these guides varies wildly, and don’t judge a book by its (usually sexy) cover. Some of these books offer a free preview, and it behooves you to sample before you buy. Books can be a good resource, but keep in mind that things can change quickly, and some of the contained information might be out of date. This is especially true with laws and regulations concerning visas, foreigners running businesses, military health insurance, purchasing property, and the like. You can expect to pay something for these books, but considering the amount of time and energy that most of the authors have put into them (and the information that is being conferred), they can be a worthwhile investment. They might now be as wonderfully written as what you are reading right now (heh), but they might help.
Jaded Expat: /eyeroll
RECOMMENDED: One of my favorite books on the Philippines is Jens Peters’ Philippines Travel Guide. It’s a massive tome (about 800 pages), and represents the author’s decades-long love for the Philippines. I have two copies – the most recent edition (for reading around the house) and an older one that I rip sections out when visiting different regions. His information on transportation, local attractions, fiestas, places to stay and eat, and just about every other topic is literally invaluable. Highly recommended!
Another excellent book on the Philippines is The Great White Tribe in Filipinia by Paul Gilbert. You can get it for free from the Guttenberg website in mobi/epub format. Although it was published in 1903, much of the information on Filipino structural and social traditions still resonate strongly to this day. After multiple re-reads, I can think of no greater example of “the more things change, they more they stay the same.” The Philippines has experienced a multitude of surface-level changes over the decades, but the fundamental foundation of its culture remains immutable (God bless our way!). It’s an absolutely amazing book. The book’s author is also an intriguing part of Philippine history. Paul Gilbert was an English children’s author who emigrated to the United States and was one of the original Thomasites – the first contingent of American teachers and engineers that sailed to the Philippines in 1901 aboard the US Army steamship Thomas. Upon arriving, he traveled throughout the Philippines working as an English teacher. White Tribe is his memoir about his time spent there, and despite its age, it reads in a very contemporary manner. As a final note, the Thomasites were the foundation for what would later become the United States Peace Corp.
CHAT ONLINE
This might sound a bit out there, but I’ve seen it work. The premise is simple: Join one of the many Philippines online dating sites. Note in your profile that you are considering a move to the country and would like to learn more about the country, language and culture. As many Filipinas are on these sites for romance, let them know that you are not primarily interested in a relationship. You probably won’t receive a lot of responses, but it will give you an opportunity to chat, learn, and perhaps make some friendships along the way!* Again – make sure you are being totally honest and up front. Many Filipinas there are pursuing their own Philippine Dream in seeking a foreign mate, so don’t take advantage or waste their time. Above all else, don’t be the guy who raises their hopes and never shows up. That’s just a really shitty thing to do.
*’Friendships along the way’ was written in the original 2014 version of this book. It’s a bit of a facepalm in 2025. As for a Philippine connection, you might want to Google Ron Watkins friends along the way. He is the Filipino-American conspiracy theorist that is widely believed to be ‘Q’ of the Q-Anon conspiracy cult. A great documentary in which the Philippines is prominently displayed is “Q: Into the Storm” by Cullen Hoback.
++ 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. ++
