A BALMY tropical weather, friendly people and affordable cost of living are a few of the incentives one should consider in retiring, and the Philippines has an abundance of these qualities and more.
Hence, the call of our envoy in Washington, D.C. for Filipino-Americans to seriously consider retiring and investing in real estate in the Philippines, especially now that the country has made it to the top 10 list of retirement destinations in the world.
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. in his meetings with members of the Filipino community put across this message during his recent trip to San Diego, California and El Paso, Texas.
“Affordable cost of living coupled with a warm climate and people are just some of the few things making the Philippines a top retirement destination,” Cuisia said, citing the recently released 2015 Global Retirement Index.
The Index, published by International Living, ranks the Philippines in the top 10 retirement destinations in the world, where most expats can live comfortably for about $800 to $1,200 a month.
“More and more foreign retirees are looking to settle in the Philippines. Aside from the affordable cost of living, expats enjoy things the country is known for such as its beaches, tropical climate, warm and hospitable people, discounts for senior citizens, and the duty-free import of household goods,” Cuisia said.
However, the envoy said Filipinos need not wait for retirement to experience what the Philippines has to offer.
“The Philippines has been receiving a lot of attention as a tourism hot spot by the international community,” the ambassador said as he cited the influential travel guide, Lonely Planet, which recently came out with its list of top 10 destinations in the world to visit in 2015 and ranked the Philippines at No. 8.
Cuisia also mentioned the award-winning US travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler that named Palawan the “Top Island in the World” based on over 76,000 votes from its readers. He said the Department of Tourism has also proclaimed 2015 as “Visit Philippines Year.”
“We are counting on our kababayans abroad to help make this a success,” said Cuisia, as he invited them to join the 10th Annual Ambassador, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour in July. He also urged them to invite their friends and colleagues to visit the Philippines with them.
During his trip to San Diego, Cuisia, accompanied by Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim and Honorary Consul Audie de Castro, met with Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other local officials as well with members of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce, the Pampangueño Association, the Pangasinan Association and the Los Chabacanos.
Cuisia was also hosted on board the destroyer USS Kidd by Comm. Brian Shipman and met with Filipino-American sailors under Destroyer Squadron 21.
In El Paso Cuisia was the guest of honor in a gala dinner organized by the Filipino community that was also attended by Brig. Gen. Timothy Coffin, commanding general of the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.