An occasional Newsletter from Le Le & John currently living in Lapu-Lapu, Mactan Island, Cebu
Late September 2026 - 4 Months in.
Living The Dream — The Stark Reality
Le Le and I have been resident in the Philippines for four months now and this is a Newsletter to friends and family so you can follow our progress and we can share things with you.
Le Le exercised her Balikbayan Privilege and gained visa free access and residency initially for 12 months.
Balikbayan is the name given to a Filipino visiting or returning to the Philippines after living overseas - Unlike the UK this privilege is extended to all family members.
We traveled via Singapore - we’d recommend this if you have the time, it breaks up the journey particularly with a 3 or 4 day stop over. It is a great way to acclimatise, get rid of any jet lag and take a holiday — all rolled in to one.
Singapore was enjoyable as ever - we opted to use the local busses to get around - fast, efficient, air conditioned and cheap. We also made the odd use of the MRT (Underground) - this has expanded since my last visit and you need a PhD in route planning to prevent much back tracking or ending up on the wrong line. But is the epitome of Public Transport.
Singapore is a site seeing city, with lots of free things to do, great food particularly at the Hawker centres - where just about every global cuisine is available. Genuine English style Fish and Chips for me was a nice treat. While Le Le had Sea Bass and Rice.
Needless to say we were exhausted at the end of each day.
From Singapore to Cebu.
We were booked on a 2am flight out of Singapore and decided to spend ‘the whole day’ at Changi Airport, after we checked out, we took a taxi to the airport, dropped our bags at Terminal 4 and availed ourselves of the free shuttle buses to visit the other 3 terminals and we did the works — everything — the Gardens, the shops and best of all the rain waterfall vortex - something truly wonderful to behold.
As you might imagine every conceivable food outlet from fast food to high class and fine dining is available in all terminals and all mostly very busy.
Early evening and we headed back to T4 to eat and relax before our flight. I’d seen an independent burger joint on the mezzanine level that looked interesting.
Prices were ‘Airport’ reasonable - however as I was about to order - I saw airport staff disappearing down a small corridor. Inquisitive as ever I followed them to find the Airport Staff Hawker Centre - brilliant - a full blown Asian Hawker Centre at the airport.
Passengers are allowed to use this facility and pay a small premium of Sing$1 over the staff prices. Le Le had a Fish & Noodle dish and I opted for a Malaysian Burger and all the trimmings at a fraction of the ‘Outside’ price. Highly recommended.
Singapore operates entry and exit clearance via an app and face recognition - three minutes to clear going in and less than 20 seconds to exit. - Present the Q Code on your phone to the scanner and smile at the camera - green light and move on. Someone should tell UK Border Force - that’s how its supposed to work.
We had previously checked in on line and only had to drop the bags off. Typical of all Philippines inbound flights - most of our fellow passengers were traveling heavy and by that I mean double and triple the baggage allowance.
I had pre-booked additional baggage so we had 44kg each plus cabin baggage etc. Le Le had actually brought an additional Suitcase in Singapore and purchased a shop full of goodies (sweets etc.) to take home for the family; so we were well covered - we were first in the queue and it all went smoothly - the secret is be prepared and get in line early.
The flight was uneventful and deplaning fast and efficient.
Like Singapore - The Philippines uses a Government App for pre-entry clearance - show the Q-code and proceed to the Immigration Check Point.
I was slightly apprehensive of clearing immigration at Cebu - the Balikbayan Privileged is not well documented online, or anywhere for that matter and anecdotal stories on Social Media tended to show an overall negative experience. I’d prepared a folder containing all documents they might like to see etc.
At the Border Control Desk I requested Balikbayan Privilege and the immigration agent just said “Look at the camera” and stamped our passports - she did not ask to see anything. Much accrued anxiety vanished in seconds.
So there we were with our 1 year Stamp heading towards baggage collection and customs. (For those with a Filipino partner — feel free to ask questions about the Balikbayan Privilege — I’ve gained quite a bit of knowledge on this subject and in particular why it can go wrong).
We cleared customs - changed our Singapore $ for Pesos and on leaving the arrivals hall we were met by ‘The Gang’ The noise and excitement only rivalled by fans at a Beatles concert in the 60s — What a Welcome!
I’d booked the first week in an AirBnB Studio apartment at a City Resort near the main bridge to Cebu City - small but comfortable. — Nice swimming pool, gym and other facilities etc. And most importantly Air Conditioned. Quite a well equipped Kitchenette so I was able to cook etc. (but no Toaster)
That first week was a bit of a blur, from the first night when we caught up with the whole family at a local seafood restaurant - excellent food and sunset views across the bay to die for. (Some diners actually went swimming between courses)
On leaving the restaurant I insisted we visit a shop to get some basics - Water, snacks, soaps, shampoo etc. A taxi to Gaisano Supermarket in Cordova was forthcoming. This was the first example of the natural friendliness and tolerance of Filipino Staff - Unbeknown to me the supermarket had closed whilst I was still perusing the shelves - we were not rushed along, the checkout lady waited patently for us to finish our shop.
A pleasant Jeepney ride back to our digs and goodnights sleep
The following day we hit Cebu City — Home of Several Massive Malls — meeting up with friends and family, shopping and lunch at Tony Roma’s.
After lunch I hit the Metro department store to find a Toaster (the Girls went Girly shopping). Finding a toaster was easy but what followed was interesting - the salesperson gave me a tutorial on how to use a toaster and I was given a full demonstration that my toaster was working - this is quite common in the Philippines.
A few weeks later — It was hard to keep a straight face as a young salesperson attempted to demonstrate an electric hand whisk - clearly she had never seen one let alone operated one before. In all 7 people where involved in this purchasing process - reminded me of shopping with my Nan in a department store in the early 1960’s:
- find the item on display
- indicate to the salesperson you are interested in purchasing the item
- they tell the floor runner who departs to the rear of the store to find the item in the warehouse
- the warehouse staff pass the Item to a demonstrator
- the item is demonstrated
- you agree to purchase and the ’Ticket’ is taken to the cash desk, you follow
- you pay and get a receipt - (This was SM so I can pay in £s)
- the floor manager checks all the paperwork and stamps the receipt
- you move to the collection point and your wrapped item is handed to you
- security check your item and receipt as you leave the store
The rest of the first week was and trips around Cebu & Lapu-Lapu - looking for our next accommodation.
Our Next Accommodation - Sub Division at Breeza Palms
For week 2 & 3 - We moved to a larger AirBnB town house in a small subdivision at Breeza Palms - great location and great neighbours - however we were beset with municipal water supply problems, you’d be half way through a shower and water would cut off for several hours. Another issue was an invasion of ants.
In the Philippines drinking water for the home is supplied in 25 litre water cooler bottles at the exorbitant price of P25 (About 30p) and delivered daily.
Whilst we enjoyed the stay - problems with the Air Conditioning (Le Le and I prefer ceiling fans but the Filipinos have gone mad for Air Con) and almost constant Power Cuts somewhat spoiled the experience - Our Host (based in Australia) and her local Agent - did their utmost to sort out the problems.
That same week we looked at potential land for a smallholding - this was intended to be a group purchase (Le Le her Sister and a Brother and very close family friends) however we soon discovered the many pitfalls of acquiring property in the Philippines - our Lawyer soon uncovered that the person trying to sell the land had questionable title to it. Agriculture land in the Philippines can revert back to the Department of Agriculture if not developed or on the demise of the original title owner. We are still looking and we’d love to eventually move to the Provences and be self sufficient - just a matter of time and finding the right area.
Where we initially hoped to set up home.
Fritz Ville - Compostela, Cebu
Our planned domestic property (Home) also had problems. We had been informed by the developer that our ‘Lot’ was ready for occupation (Normally this means ready for 3rd Fix) - however this turned out to be far from the case - unless you could call erecting a tent on a concrete slab as ‘ready for occupation’ — we are both very philosophical about this - we and others were taken in by the ‘Fake’ pictures. The important thing is Le Le has legal title to the Lot.
It will eventually get finished. This is a common issue in the Philippines where developers undersell the project and run out of funds before completion or run in to local Barangay permissions - things eventually get resolved.
On the positive side we can become more involved with the actual build and layout. We have now lived in 2 Sub-Divisions (and possibly moving to a 3rd soon) and have learned the local rules on building (or the lack of them). So you can take advantage and build to your plans and requirements.
Apart from the very high end property (Villas and Condos) most house are built to the ‘House That Jack Built’ standards.
Our third move - Pueblo De Oro - Mega Sub Division
So we had to look at renting somewhere else - Rents vary enormously from Condo living to local townhouses in sub-divisions. In the end we opted for a 6 Month AirBnB contract for a Townhouse at La Aldea Del Mar, Pueblo De Oro, Babag Duce, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
Why AirBnB? - Once you do all the sums: Rent (Minimum Contract, Deposits& Indemnities) - Electricity - Gas - Water - Insurance & Internet etc.,then purchasing Furniture, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Oven, Washing Machine, TV etc., and then add on top of that Site Fees for Street Cleaning & Rubbish Collection etc.
A Long term stay in an Air BnB (which attracts greatly reduced rates) and will often work out far cheaper in the short to midterm - giving you an ‘All In’ Price for everything including maintenance and repairs etc.
And we’ve experienced many things breaking down - a quick Messenger call or email to the owner (who lives in Milan) or her local agent and the repairman is out right away - we have a very good relationship with Jorge, our local repairman - who has even given us his mobile number and asked us to call him direct - he has completely replaced the water system Pump & Filters, fixed the drain in the bathroom,replaced the extraction fan in the kitchen, repaired leaks in the roof, fixed a few electrical problems (All part of the fun of living in the Philippines).
I was advised by a German chap I met when I was shopping for a new kettle, to buy the ‘cheapest’ as nothing electrical lasts long here. The voltage is all over the place and its not unusual to loose a phase. Critical Items like the Fridge/Freezer need to bepowered via an inverter.
Purchasing small to medium Uninterrupted PowerUnits is advised (and sold) by Mactan Power - The Electricity provider. We have a Solar Panel & Battery Bank to power Storm Fans during outages.
Thanks to Trump energy prices have almost doubled from P10 a Kw/h to P19 Kw/h and fuel has increased by 40% in the four months we have been here. Lack of fuel is causing several blackouts (called brownouts locally) - these last from 2 to 5 hours and are scheduled so everyone gets hit at sometime during the day and above all else they can be fun - everyone comes out to the street and spontaneous parties just happen. A good way to meet your neighbours. The fuel is just not getting through - 40% of flights out of Mactan Airport have been cancelled and 25% of Staff laid off.
Getting Around
(Currently the Peso is P84 to £1)
Getting around - Manual trike (or e-bike) for local trips - about P13 a mile - we live 15 minute walk from the main gate so we just call the gatehouse staff and minutes later a trike will pick us up. Trikes are only licensed for journeys to the Main Road boundary. Typically we will take an trike to the boundary, then grab a Jeepney for P20 to P40 depending how far you are going.
Next up is the motorbike trike - open to the elements about P100 for a 3 mile trip - Much fun but not good for the throat!
Then there is the Motorcycle Taxi — Le Le loves these P50 to P70 for 3 to 5 miles as a pillion passenger - great for visiting her family and school friends.
Next is the standard Taxi 4 to 10 seaters — Grab and Maxim are the local providers all managed by their respective Apps. You can opt to use the Meter but fixed rates are better, particularly as you could end up stuck in traffic in some cases for an hour or so.
On the main roads particularly leading to Bridge 1 and 2 the traffic lights could be against you for 5 minutes - no one panics or hits their horn. Large Signs countdown the time remaining - so soon at it hits 10 Seconds to go - people are ready to move. Bridge 3 (CCLEX) is a Toll Road (P107 for a Car) well worth it on a weekend.
Taxi rides are very reasonable typically P250 per trip of around 8 Kilometres.
The roads in Lapu-Lapu are an experience. The unwritten driving rules here would never work elsewhere - it works because several modes of transport share the same space and people just give way. The ‘Manila Wave’ works well here - I was apprehensive the first couple of times I used it - Crossing 6 lanes of traffic just waving your hand in front of you.
My personal favourite transport — Shanks Pony, I do get some funny looks when I am walking (very few foreigners walk more than a few yards) not unusual for me to walk 2 or 3 miles - perfectly safe providing you keep your wits about you. If it rains take, your socks off!
You see and experience so much more by walking, Filipinos love to chat and ask questions.
Shopping - Markets and Supermarkets.
We have an almost unlimited supply of mobile vendors who visit every area of the subdivision throughout the day - from Pan de sal - at P5 for a cheese roll, Bud Bud, sticky rice in a Banana leaf and Taho (a rather sweet desert made from Tofu which Le Le loves) - it really is a no brainer when you want a quick snack.
Virtually everything is on sale at local Sari Sari outlets - we have 3 within a 1 minutes walk - these mini businesses flourish everywhere in the Philippines. Our local fish vendor (we live metres from open seas and several fish farms) - will deliver live fish daily at very reasonable prices. Milkfish (Bangos) - a particular
favourite about P180 a kilo.
We have a newly opened 7/11 at the main gate - great for those small things you forgot and the odd naughty American Style Hot Dog and next door to that is an upmarket Coffee shop. Above is a Launderette.
About 100 yards further is a local veg shop. - I can get a weeks supply of fruit and veg for around P250 (£3).
Then there is about a mile of Sari Sari, Barbers, Bakeries, Eateries, Internet Cafes and a plethora of other shops. A constant hive of activity from early morning to well past midnight.
On the main road are many more Eateries, shops, a Pharmacy, a Jollibee (Under Philippine law a there must be a Jollibee every 500 Metres), a Chow King and many many other stalls and shops.
Two Hundred meters further and you hit the Cebu - Cordova Express Way Bridge (CCLEX) - which takes you to the heart of Cebu - SM Seaside City - an ultra modern Mall and Exhibition Centre. (I prefer Pacific Mall in Mandaue myself).
Just past the bridge - on route to Cordova is the local open market - early morning (5 am) for best deals. - Whilst Cordova is geographically part of Mactan Island, administratively it belongs to Cebu. It really has a different, more old Spanish colonial, feel. Scores high on the possible location of our next move as does Mandaue.
Nothing particularly wrong with Lapu-Lapu - but it is overcrowded and rents are considerably higher and land cost are astronomically higher, caused by the nearby super rich resorts.
In reality nowhere on Mactan Island or Cebu City or Mandaue is that far away. Particularly now with 3 bridges between Cebu and Mactan.
My favourite shopping mall is Pacific Mall in Mandaue - a Metro Department Store, Metro Supermarket, Watson’s Pharmacy, and a Host of smaller outlets, lots of places to eat. About 30 minutes by taxi (P250 - £3). Best butchers around - I can get Oxtail and Lamb (imported from Australia).
Supermarkets have International Isles - these tend to be well stocked with US/Korean/Japanese food stuffs - but only Lea and Perrin’s and McVitie’s from the UK.
Local Milk is far too sweet for my tastes as is local breads and sausages.
So things I can’t get I can make - HP style Brown Sauce, Piccalilli, Branston, Wholemeal Bread, Sausages, Lard - going to try Mango Chutney soon. Managed to find Prague Powder so I will be curing my own Ham and Bacon very soon.
Fishmongers and Butchers are not like UK - the meats are laid out individual sections - you pick up a plastic bag and tongs and choose what cuts you want.
You get exactly what you want rather that having to over buy like we do in the UK. I often get a polite nervous laugh or stare from staff and other shoppers - surprised to see (1) a man do the shopping (2) a foreigner at that. Nothing is too much bother - if it is not on display just ask the staff what’s in the Cool Room or Freezer. I can even get the staff to ‘Joint’ something UK style where possible.
Things Medical
This really works well. I needed to see a Doctor to get my Prescription made up - a face to face costs just £7.50 for a 30 minute consultation, all bases covered - script issued (it is a repeat script, valid for a year so you don’t have to go back to get a new script every couple of months) - yes you have to pay for medication. Several pharmacies to choose from and you can go branded or like UK go completely generic. Prices are published on the Government and pharmacy websites.
No long referral waits for secondary care. - As needed the Primary Doctor will write a script for tests or in-depth consultation. Yes you have to pay unless you have insurance, but it is far quicker than in the UK.
For example you book an appointment - normally seen within the next 24 to 48 hours. If the doctor suggests a blood test is required (typically P600) - they will write a prescription for it and off you go to the blood clinic which is in the same complex - you get the results within a couple of hours, you take these back to the doctor and the interpretation of those results by the is included in the fee.
Doctors here are all trained to the US and European MD standard and most operate over several practices. In the Philippines Medical Doctors is a protected profession meaning that posts are not available to non Filipino doctors, unless on a research fellowship.
There is a kind of universal healthcare system - no one in need is ever turned away. There are voluntary donations to help cover the costs for those that cannot afford to pay.
For many like me, who can book a time slot appointment on line, turn up 10 minutes before your appointment and be seen on time. Others, depending on their insurance may have to sit and wait.
Mam and Sir take a bit of getting used to but all contribute to the overall friendliness. One thing I particularly like is how priority is given to older people, particularly in shops. All large shops have priority checkouts for seniors - I use them all the time.
General
Weather - Hot — Very Hot — Many recent days have had a feel like temperature in the mid 40s - being near the sea keeps the Wet Bulb point around 25c so on the whole very bearable.
Storms - Oh boy when it rains it pours. At the first roll of Thunder head undercover as quick as you can - we are talking a deluge!
So we have reached the 4 month point. Still lots to see and lots to sort out.
I try to keep up to date with UK & Global News - I don’t like the direction the UK is heading - nor Europe for that matter. Fear of a full blown War is worrying and I understand HMG has issued advisory leaflets to every UK household to be prepared - Northern European States have extended the call up age to 65 - that in itself is not a good sign.
Living the Dream - well at the end of the day that is just an expression - Living Well is certainly true here - I actually feel Retired now.
You can live here as a couple quite comfortably for US$900 a month and that includes accommodation. That drops to US$700 in the Provences. We are living upper middle class by Philippine standards at around US$1100 a month - we are relaxed and deal with minor inconveniences (loss of Power/Internet going down etc.) in our stride.
Living here full time is not like being on a Holiday - its very different - Here right now reminds me of my 18 year old self living in Mauritius in 1972 - the same kind of magic, friendliness, outlook and on the whole bright sunny days and balmy nights.
Yes there are local rules and conventions to get your head around and you soon get used to them.
The Philippine Government has introduced new Visa categories for would be immigrants particularly for the Digital Nomads and the Retired. There are sound reasons for this move.
Like elsewhere on this troubled Globe the Youth of today are beginning to wake up and getting ready to challenge.
