The story about the milkshake is hilarious…😅😂 In all fairness the waitress would have to pay for that shake …. Which could be half a days wages for her I would just pay for it and chalk it up to the Philippines.😊
This channel just keeps getting better and better. I’ve been here for about 2.5 years myself. There are a lot of challenges that UA-camrs refuse to cover. The truth is, and I’ve said this here before… UA-camrs pretend to talk to westerners in their videos, but they’re really after the large Filipino audience. They pretend they’re telling westerners how great the country is, but really, it’s Filipinos who eat this up. I really appreciate you giving the facts rather than pandering. This channel is truly to help westerners who are considering retirement here.
I’ve been married to Japanese for 37 years,culture shock yes but still I am a Filipino with 2grown up kids,i taught my husband to have 50/50,I have to study their culture but he would study mine as well,and for the kids,I teach them Filipino culture,now they have their own and I thank god,they became a very good person
Hi Greg and Wilma, I’ve been living here for 16 months so I’m living your message. Trash burning is our biggest cultural issue but we are working with the Barangay to find a solution that will hopefully help everyone’s health. On the lighter side, my wife came in while I was watching your video and said “I want a necklace like Wilma’s for my birthday”…please tell me it’s a Walmart knock-off!!! Haha. Thank you for your time. Be safe.
They say "Out of stock Sir" and they do it with a smile, like being out of stock is a good thing or something. I am positive they want you to say thank you. It is mind boggling.
@bellissima7420 yes, that's what they know. They never experienced a proper, well running supply chain/ordering system. They have adapted to just say out of stock, often telling you to go to the competition to attempt to find it.
In the USA I moved a couple times far away from friends and family. From New England to Mississippi, and then to Florida. So it was not that challenging moving here to Bohol 10 months ago. Reminds me a lot of Mississippi.
When my late (Filipina) Wife and I were planning our retirements here in the Philippines, she was trying to warn me about all of the differences between western (U.S.) culture and life, compared to here in the Philippines. So I think I was a little better prepared than some westerners who come here for the first time. But there was (and is!) a lot of attitude and cultural adjustments that need to be made. The Filipino attitude of "just good enough" (or 'I don't care') has been the hardest adjustment for someone who came from a perfectionist background. When I find something that has been planned and executed properly, that is now a surprise! Like a house we just looked at! Heat mitigation, whole-house hot water? 😲 Double-paned, bronzed windows? Grounded electrical system? 😲 I felt like I has slipped into the Twilight Zone! 🙃😵💫🫣🤪 But, there are a lot of things here that are worth it. Most covered by the majority of Vloggers. We tend to show the positives, to avoid sounding too negative. Somehow you and Wilma can pull that off without being too negative sounding! 👍 Great video, guys.
Really enjoyed your house building videos your attention to detail was great. I just wanted to remind everyone the Philippines is not really a poor country in fact by GDP it’s the 38th richest in the world, that shocks many people. It’s more accurate to say 99% of the people there are poor, the money is there the problem is the 100 elite families of the Philippines look after themselves and give a dam on the struggling 99%, government there is just a vehicle to distribute the funds unfairly. For example they tell contractors to overbid on government infrastructure projects by double so for every one road, railway, school, hospital, or power station thats built there should be 2. The Infrastructure projects are required to release the funds, so if a railway costs 1 Billion US then the bidder puts a contract price of 2 billion and is told don’t worry the contract will be awarded to you, the contractor gets a share of the extra billion and the rest is shared around the 1%. To say the Philippines is poor rather lets the elites off the hook.
Actually, they are 40th and it's only 330B. They are in the top 25 for the last 5 year growth. They just don't export very much. Can't disagree with the government problems but I'm sure that things will change. Definitely don't agree with the 99% in poverty, there's a lot of middle and upper class there, media's focus is on the poverty.
@@JMgmkh Yeah it’s so sad it’s just tickled down from the top over the years, I guess they struggle to find a good example to follow. The Philippines should be in a much better state infrastructure wise also health care,safety net, education in fact everything but people just accept the Philippines is poor, it is but it wouldn’t be if the top 1% stopped choking the progress of the country.
The vast majority of the families we see are quite poor. Middle class is growing, but very small % of total as compared to the west. Correct, small percentage at the top who hold the majority of the wealth. Will it change anytime soon, probably not.
I’ve been watching your vlog. I don’t know if there was topic regarding your property fence with your neighbor. In my situation my neigbhor just built their concrete fence and attached with my fence. They did not built their fence and just using my fence. Please advise. Thanks.
Filipinos, especially the OFWs, are some of the hardest working people that you’ll ever meet. Nearly anywhere that you go in the world you’ll find a Filipino that works there. Companies from around the world will recruit Filipino workers because they are very diligent in their work. Then you’ll run into the Filipino that doesn’t want to do anything, has no ambition, and expects everything to be given to them. Sometimes it seems like there’s no in between, it’s either really hard working or really lazy. You’ve run into that with some of your workers and people that you’ve gotten estimates from. Some are really great and some don’t want to do anything, but charge you a lot for them to do nothing.
Just realize that Duma and the surrounding area is just a speck on the Philippine map. Up in Olongapo/ Subic area and Clark. Large foreigner population in both areas and a lot of business managed/run by foreigners, that fly in the drink 25:34 would have been handled differently.
Yep, quite a bit different in the Philippines. Have they opened any self checkout lanes there yet in the supermarket? My Filipina wife tells me that some of the fast food restaurant have kiosks to place orders but you still have to stand in line to pay. She also says that they are starting to get electric trikes even though they may be 20 pesos more. Good video and thank you for sharing, Wilma and Greg...Jim
Just getting my roof fixed in Bacolod has been horrible and a cabinet built and the handles were a quarter inch out of level and getting them to come out and fix it then centering them and leaving all the wholes. You can’t make this shit up.
@@chrismogren8336 🤣😂Sorry shouldn’t laugh but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Filipino say, “I don’t know how to do that”. Which is very dangerous when selecting your contractors. Even when asking directions on the street they will send you the wrong way rather than saying, “ I don’t know”. Don’t get me wrong nice people I say it with love.
Quality work sometimes is hard to find. It's not on purpose, in my opinion, they just don't have the skills and sometimes the tools to do quality work.
You are correct. They want the job for the pay day. I experienced this myself. The guy who installed my pressure tank did not know how to set the pressure.
@@sunshinedream98 I get it. I have a real issue family members abandoning there little kids for a better life for themselves or just not caring. I took on three sisters 8 years ago now i am looking at two bothers 6 and 4 years old and a set of twins that are 3 years old being abused with lack of any care. That the family has just abandoned ones in jail and the other bother in law is out on ships not paying or caring. The mother just took off two years ago.
What americans need to understand is that the US is lucky that it can ship a package from east to west without riding a single boat. For a package to go from manila to dumaguete, it will take 2 boats minimum. On other islands, it can go to as high as 4 boats. Being an archipelago is a major infrastructure handicap. And it doesnt help that the capital city (where most manufacturing, and imports are from) is not located in the middle of the country. And it also doesnt help that islands just a few dozen miles apart are usually separated by channels and straits that go deeper than most bridge designs allow. Thus, constantly out of stock.
Greg, I am not in the camp of they don't care. I believe it's more about the Cultural norms of what is and customary and accepted as its okay as opposed to not caring. Again Filipinos are practical in many ways and have workarounds for most areas of life and this one of them. I am speaking as someone who has been married to one for many decades it falls into the category of "Cultural".
Both can be right at the same time. I have seen a lot in the last 3 years, a lot. Cultural norms, yes, in many cases. I have also seen some pretty blatant examples of not caring/criminal, and things in between.
“Workarounds” in my experience here, are almost always Filipinos doing something the easiest way to get it over with. This ends up leading to poor long-term solutions and sub-par quality.
@michaeldiamond1600 I have discussed that in earlier videos. Wilma and I are able to adapt, genuinely happy/satisfied and appreciate what we have. We are able to go with the flow and remain happy. Lots of positive things here as well. Glass is half full.
If you are relocating anywhere, to another state or another country, it should be because of the differences, not in spite of the differences. No matter where you live, you will discover things you don't like about that area. Avoid those areas and find your happy place. Imagine if the pleasant store clerk was upset every time they had to say "Out of stock". That is the beauty of the Filipinos, they are greatfull not entitled. If I had been present for the fly incident, I'd have laughed and high fived the waitress. Waste not, want not. No extra charge for the fly, ma'am.
Good approach. Avoid problem areas/people for sure. Having the oh well approach may make a group of people chill. However, it also could/will keep a country left behind in potential. Appreciate the comment.
@bradsheffield5438 That may or may not be discussed with the ladies, I mentioned, in a future video. They may want to talk about their transition when moving to the west.
WHO IN THE RIGHT OF MIND TO EAT OR HAVE FLIES ON THERE FOOD OR DRINK! FOR SURE THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE YOU DOESN’T LIKE ALSO! EVEN KID’S FOR SURE ARE GOING TO SAY YUCK
I really don't know why but part of our culture is Filipinos have more clean and fragrant asses than the West. We grew up cleaning our own behind with pure clean water and soap until the very first bidet was introduced while the West clean theirs with tissue only. I really don't know why, maybe our great great ancestors are the followers of this saying that "cleanliness is next to godliness," often taught not only in the house but in school Christian Values subject, and we really remember and put it in heart and mind.
One of the good thing is one of you are or was a local. It gives a sense of confidence, guidance, and somewhat protection living there👍in regards to the fly in the drink I am grossed out . 🥹but who knows what goes on in the back of the kitchen here in the USA 😢
40+yrs in rest/hosp ind. I started as a server, being observant. Mostly-COWORKERS who pull stunts like a 3 yr old who doesn’t know any better! I’ve seen things and exploded in anger seeing it and raised hell! I consistently ministered care of food. Sat with a health inspector for an hour 1/2 and swear I’m shocked I ate dinner that night after her disclosure! Do the best we can of course, but wash EVERY fruit and vegetable and meat coming into your home! Look up organic cleansing I think vinegar or baking soda 🤷♀️I have so much chlorine in my water I do it and vinegar on solids and baking soda on softer things. 🤷♀️🙏🏻😉❤️
The story about the milkshake is hilarious…😅😂 In all fairness the waitress would have to pay for that shake …. Which could be half a days wages for her I would just pay for it and chalk it up to the Philippines.😊
Isn't that a shame. Short sited. Business owner possibly lose 8 future customers (in this example) over a dollar worth of product.
This channel just keeps getting better and better. I’ve been here for about 2.5 years myself. There are a lot of challenges that UA-camrs refuse to cover.
The truth is, and I’ve said this here before… UA-camrs pretend to talk to westerners in their videos, but they’re really after the large Filipino audience. They pretend they’re telling westerners how great the country is, but really, it’s Filipinos who eat this up. I really appreciate you giving the facts rather than pandering. This channel is truly to help westerners who are considering retirement here.
Thank you for the comment, appreciate it.
Is it Scotty boy from the channel Regular guy? 🎉That says “they just don’t care”?
You got it. He's quite entertaining.
Thank you for this topic, as I have always been interested in what you let us know what I need to know about the culture that I need to be aware of.😊
Yes, information is power. Being aware is half the battle.
I’ve been married to Japanese for 37 years,culture shock yes but still I am a Filipino with 2grown up kids,i taught my husband to have 50/50,I have to study their culture but he would study mine as well,and for the kids,I teach them Filipino culture,now they have their own and I thank god,they became a very good person
That's great to hear, congrats to you. Thanks for watching.
Hi Greg and Wilma, I’ve been living here for 16 months so I’m living your message. Trash burning is our biggest cultural issue but we are working with the Barangay to find a solution that will hopefully help everyone’s health. On the lighter side, my wife came in while I was watching your video and said “I want a necklace like Wilma’s for my birthday”…please tell me it’s a Walmart knock-off!!! Haha. Thank you for your time. Be safe.
@@mpnsfilipinoretirement let me ask her which one she had on. Was it the culture shock video?
@@buildingthephilippines Yes. And it t was huge Greg. I'm going to have to sell some toys if it is 24K!!!
I just asked Wilma. It was bought from a private jewelry store in NJ a long time ago.
Thanks Greg….. that may buy me some time until we get back to US.
@@mpnsfilipinoretirement lol
They say "Out of stock Sir" and they do it with a smile, like being out of stock is a good thing or something. I am positive they want you to say thank you. It is mind boggling.
@bellissima7420 yes, that's what they know. They never experienced a proper, well running supply chain/ordering system. They have adapted to just say out of stock, often telling you to go to the competition to attempt to find it.
good video and advice 👍
Thank you, appreciate it.
In the USA I moved a couple times far away from friends and family. From New England to Mississippi, and then to Florida. So it was not that challenging moving here to Bohol 10 months ago. Reminds me a lot of Mississippi.
Certainly an adjustment, but definitely some of us adjust better than others.
When my late (Filipina) Wife and I were planning our retirements here in the Philippines, she was trying to warn me about all of the differences between western (U.S.) culture and life, compared to here in the Philippines.
So I think I was a little better prepared than some westerners who come here for the first time. But there was (and is!) a lot of attitude and cultural adjustments that need to be made.
The Filipino attitude of "just good enough" (or 'I don't care') has been the hardest adjustment for someone who came from a perfectionist background. When I find something that has been planned and executed properly, that is now a surprise! Like a house we just looked at! Heat mitigation, whole-house hot water? 😲 Double-paned, bronzed windows? Grounded electrical system? 😲 I felt like I has slipped into the Twilight Zone! 🙃😵💫🫣🤪
But, there are a lot of things here that are worth it. Most covered by the majority of Vloggers. We tend to show the positives, to avoid sounding too negative.
Somehow you and Wilma can pull that off without being too negative sounding! 👍
Great video, guys.
@@jerrymarshall2728 thanks Jerry, appreciate the comment.
Thanks Wilma and Greg for this video. I experienced, what you said. It also made me smile.
Thanks, appreciate the comment.
Really enjoyed your house building videos your attention to detail was great.
I just wanted to remind everyone the Philippines is not really a poor country in fact by GDP it’s the 38th richest in the world, that shocks many people. It’s more accurate to say 99% of the people there are poor, the money is there the problem is the 100 elite families of the Philippines look after themselves and give a dam on the struggling 99%, government there is just a vehicle to distribute the funds unfairly.
For example they tell contractors to overbid on government infrastructure projects by double so for every one road, railway, school, hospital, or power station thats built there should be 2. The Infrastructure projects are required to release the funds, so if a railway costs 1 Billion US then the bidder puts a contract price of 2 billion and is told don’t worry the contract will be awarded to you, the contractor gets a share of the extra billion and the rest is shared around the 1%.
To say the Philippines is poor rather lets the elites off the hook.
Yup. It goes SO low the family that pays the most has the privilege of their daughter winning the barangay beauty pageant.
Actually, they are 40th and it's only 330B. They are in the top 25 for the last 5 year growth. They just don't export very much. Can't disagree with the government problems but I'm sure that things will change. Definitely don't agree with the 99% in poverty, there's a lot of middle and upper class there, media's focus is on the poverty.
@@JMgmkh Yeah it’s so sad it’s just tickled down from the top over the years, I guess they struggle to find a good example to follow. The Philippines should be in a much better state infrastructure wise also health care,safety net, education in fact everything but people just accept the Philippines is poor, it is but it wouldn’t be if the top 1% stopped choking the progress of the country.
@@JerryBellasFinalChapter Yes but it’s the 1% that do the damage
The vast majority of the families we see are quite poor. Middle class is growing, but very small % of total as compared to the west. Correct, small percentage at the top who hold the majority of the wealth. Will it change anytime soon, probably not.
I’ve been watching your vlog. I don’t know if there was topic regarding your property fence with your neighbor. In my situation my neigbhor just built their concrete fence and attached with my fence. They did not built their fence and just using my fence. Please advise. Thanks.
@rambess1 If your wall is on your property, then the neighbor would need permission to attach the 2 walls.
Filipinos, especially the OFWs, are some of the hardest working people that you’ll ever meet. Nearly anywhere that you go in the world you’ll find a Filipino that works there. Companies from around the world will recruit Filipino workers because they are very diligent in their work. Then you’ll run into the Filipino that doesn’t want to do anything, has no ambition, and expects everything to be given to them. Sometimes it seems like there’s no in between, it’s either really hard working or really lazy. You’ve run into that with some of your workers and people that you’ve gotten estimates from. Some are really great and some don’t want to do anything, but charge you a lot for them to do nothing.
@@lmcc0072 That's well said. We have experienced it both ways as well.
Just realize that Duma and the surrounding area is just a speck on the Philippine map. Up in Olongapo/ Subic area and Clark. Large foreigner population in both areas and a lot of business managed/run by foreigners, that fly in the drink
25:34 would have been handled differently.
Probably in a few places here as well. However, that seems to be the norm (from my experience) and not the exception.
Wow I love this video good info I don't care 😂😂😂
@mariavarnas960 thanks for watching
You welcome now I have time to watch your videos 😊
Yep, quite a bit different in the Philippines. Have they opened any self checkout lanes there yet in the supermarket? My Filipina wife tells me that some of the fast food restaurant have kiosks to place orders but you still have to stand in line to pay. She also says that they are starting to get electric trikes even though they may be 20 pesos more.
Good video and thank you for sharing, Wilma and Greg...Jim
I have not seen self checkout lines yet. McDonald's has kiosks for ordering. Electric trikes in some major cities. Progress is slow for sure.
Just getting my roof fixed in Bacolod has been horrible and a cabinet built and the handles were a quarter inch out of level and getting them to come out and fix it then centering them and leaving all the wholes. You can’t make this shit up.
@@chrismogren8336 🤣😂Sorry shouldn’t laugh but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Filipino say, “I don’t know how to do that”. Which is very dangerous when selecting your contractors.
Even when asking directions on the street they will send you the wrong way rather than saying, “ I don’t know”.
Don’t get me wrong nice people I say it with love.
Quality work sometimes is hard to find. It's not on purpose, in my opinion, they just don't have the skills and sometimes the tools to do quality work.
You are correct. They want the job for the pay day. I experienced this myself. The guy who installed my pressure tank did not know how to set the pressure.
@@sunshinedream98 I get it. I have a real issue family members abandoning there little kids for a better life for themselves or just not caring. I took on three sisters 8 years ago now i am looking at two bothers 6 and 4 years old and a set of twins that are 3 years old being abused with lack of any care. That the family has just abandoned ones in jail and the other bother in law is out on ships not paying or caring. The mother just took off two years ago.
@@buildingthephilippinesAnd most just don't care... 🤔
What americans need to understand is that the US is lucky that it can ship a package from east to west without riding a single boat. For a package to go from manila to dumaguete, it will take 2 boats minimum. On other islands, it can go to as high as 4 boats. Being an archipelago is a major infrastructure handicap. And it doesnt help that the capital city (where most manufacturing, and imports are from) is not located in the middle of the country. And it also doesnt help that islands just a few dozen miles apart are usually separated by channels and straits that go deeper than most bridge designs allow. Thus, constantly out of stock.
Definitely some logistical challenges here with their supply chain.
Greg, I am not in the camp of they don't care. I believe it's more about the Cultural norms of what is and customary and accepted as its okay as opposed to not caring. Again Filipinos are practical in many ways and have workarounds for most areas of life and this one of them. I am speaking as someone who has been married to one for many decades it falls into the category of "Cultural".
Both can be right at the same time. I have seen a lot in the last 3 years, a lot. Cultural norms, yes, in many cases. I have also seen some pretty blatant examples of not caring/criminal, and things in between.
“Workarounds” in my experience here, are almost always Filipinos doing something the easiest way to get it over with. This ends up leading to poor long-term solutions and sub-par quality.
Hi Wilma Greg.... interesting video.... you did not relate why you decided to retire to the Philippines and why you have decided to stay on....
@michaeldiamond1600 I have discussed that in earlier videos. Wilma and I are able to adapt, genuinely happy/satisfied and appreciate what we have. We are able to go with the flow and remain happy. Lots of positive things here as well. Glass is half full.
This should be good! Don’t we have a part 2 due on a different“controversial” subject?
Do we? Can't remember, what is the topic?
@@buildingthephilippines I think the Filipinas and them having to send money back versus the Filipinos who stay and take the free ride?
Good topic
If you are relocating anywhere, to another state or another country, it should be because of the differences, not in spite of the differences. No matter where you live, you will discover things you don't like about that area. Avoid those areas and find your happy place. Imagine if the pleasant store clerk was upset every time they had to say "Out of stock". That is the beauty of the Filipinos, they are greatfull not entitled.
If I had been present for the fly incident, I'd have laughed and high fived the waitress. Waste not, want not. No extra charge for the fly, ma'am.
Good approach. Avoid problem areas/people for sure. Having the oh well approach may make a group of people chill. However, it also could/will keep a country left behind in potential. Appreciate the comment.
Greg ,how about the reverse. How do Philippines deal with the west when in the west.
@bradsheffield5438 That may or may not be discussed with the ladies, I mentioned, in a future video. They may want to talk about their transition when moving to the west.
Greg, Wilma, Thanks, but we just don't care..... 😂
Lol, I love that line.
Don't get me going 😂
I know what you mean.
Been 8 months im Getting a deep well drilled...the guy just don't care!😅😢
@michaelg4232 lol, yes he just don't care. Hard to get used to.
WHO IN THE RIGHT OF MIND TO EAT OR HAVE FLIES ON THERE FOOD OR DRINK! FOR SURE THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE YOU DOESN’T LIKE ALSO! EVEN KID’S FOR SURE ARE GOING TO SAY YUCK
Thanks for commenting.
I really don't know why but part of our culture is Filipinos have more clean and fragrant asses than the West. We grew up cleaning our own behind with pure clean water and soap until the very first bidet was introduced while the West clean theirs with tissue only. I really don't know why, maybe our great great ancestors are the followers of this saying that "cleanliness is next to godliness," often taught not only in the house but in school Christian Values subject, and we really remember and put it in heart and mind.
@@InfiniteGoodness thanks for watching
One of the good thing is one of you are or was a local. It gives a sense of confidence, guidance, and somewhat protection living there👍in regards to the fly in the drink I am grossed out . 🥹but who knows what goes on in the back of the kitchen here in the USA 😢
True, having an educated filipina helps a lot. I do hear of and have experienced more examples of food poisoning here.
40+yrs in rest/hosp ind. I started as a server, being observant. Mostly-COWORKERS who pull stunts like a 3 yr old who doesn’t know any better! I’ve seen things and exploded in anger seeing it and raised hell! I consistently ministered care of food. Sat with a health inspector for an hour 1/2 and swear I’m shocked I ate dinner that night after her disclosure! Do the best we can of course, but wash EVERY fruit and vegetable and meat coming into your home! Look up organic cleansing I think vinegar or baking soda 🤷♀️I have so much chlorine in my water I do it and vinegar on solids and baking soda on softer things. 🤷♀️🙏🏻😉❤️