16.Maymanage to live your dream
Hubby, his aunt & I were talking about retirement last night. We know of several people, mostly couples, who opted to spend their retirement in Pinas.
My first example is this couple who spent their first year in Pinas, well, spending. They sold their maisonette here in the UK, cashed part of their pensions and proceeded to build what they thought would be their multiple homes. The husband built a house in his hometown in Pangasinan. They also built a house in Tagaytay. Their main residence is Bulacan where they have two houses: one is shared with the woman’s family (everyone pitched in), and the other a 4M house which now stands empty. They returned here last year to everyone’s surprise. I haven’t spoken to them since but I can imagine what happened. Finances aside (the endless spending), they’re bored. Once the houses were built, they have no more project to work on. They missed working. So at the age nearing 70, the woman, I was told, is back in NHS doing “agencies” (replacement nurse). The sad part really is they’re co-habiting with friends as they have nowhere to stay here.
Now we have another couple, originally from Pangasinan, who both worked for the Royal Mail. They received handsome pensions when they opted to retire. They sold their house to their daughter for cheap. In Pinas, we were told, the couple bought a mango orchard with 400 fruit-bearing trees. They also bought a “palaisdaan”. They own a house & lot near the beach where the compound’s neighbour apparently includes Gretchen Barretto. When my friend went to visit them last month, the couple took her & her family to an island via their newly-bought fishing boat. And of course, these retirees have no plans to come visit grey London anytime soon.
Some people have this grand vision that when they retire, they will enjoy doing nothing. But I have yet to see that pan out.
There are so many pitfalls for balikbayans thinking of spending their grey years in Pinas:
- If the person doesn’t have enough money then old age in Pinas will not be kind. Remember old age = aches & pains = high medical bills & maintenance.
- I don’t think anyone will really want a life with nothing to do. Even your closest friend cannot chat with you day-in & day-out.
- Balikbayans are accustomed to work, hardwork even. If they suddenly face what they see as “doña’s life”, they’d go stark raving mad.
- Some balikbayans will not settle to Pinas life anymore. It’s a fact. Yes, you visit once a year, you think you still know the place, but it’s a different story when you’re a permanent resident once more.
Like many other employees, I have designs for my own retirement. I know that to enjoy my retirement in Pinas I need enough money to support myself (& hubby). I have a very long “to do list”. Painting, photography, writing, see Pinas: those are just few of MY wants. But I also want to be able to “give back”. I don’t know how, I don’t know where, but I want to give my time not just money.
Retirement doesn’t mean stagnancy. As proven by Sexy Mom & Annamanila (ok she’s nearly retired), there’s more to life out there. I see it as my freedom to finally do what I want. I’m just hoping I will have enough fuel to sustain me.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 3:46 pm and is filed under buhay OFW, life, pinas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
You are soo right.
I guess that is why we fast-tracked our plans to move to the Philippines. We’re doing it in 2009, way before it’s time to retire. Luckily, I managed to cinch an expat package and work in the Philippine branch of our company here in Frankfurt. My husband, on the other hand, is negotiating for a better deal with his work.
Honestly, if we would not have the above options, we probably would not be that brave. With kids to factor in, di talaga pwede na basta basta na lang.
this post reminds me of what jim paredes wrote – that is – filipinos plan to retire depending on where their families are. if the rest of the family is in canada, ayaw na nila bumalik ng pilipinas. pero pag andito pa, gusto nila bumalik.
Great post Auee. I’m also planning of retiring in the Philippines but my husband has his reservations of selling our house when the time comes. He said if God forbid something happens to me, how will he survive the Philippines(red-tape and all) without me? It’s a very valid point because if we sell, coming back to buy real estate is not going to be affordable to retireers.
I was talking to my great-aunt who has been here in the US since 1965, she said that I will change my mind when a grow old about retiring in PI. She doesn’t have any plans of retiring there.
So for now, it’s really weighing our options. The optimum situation would be to be able to split time between 2 countries. During the cold months we go to PI. We love where our house is now but Maryland isn’t really friendly to retireers(no tax breaks).
that’s very true. in fact, i see the same observation each time i go home. i don’t know my country anymore. i still plan to retire there and my frenchguy thought i was selfish, we have to split time between here and there. it’s still too early for us to think about where to spend retirement, but i guess it won’t be 100% pinas.
hi anp… you’re so lucky you have that option & that your husband is amenable to living in Pinas. I often wish the companies I’ve worked for here can send me even on business trip to Pinas, but they’re all keen on India!
hi ladycess… ah that’s true. Hubby & I will always have close relatives in Pinas. Our siblings though we already rarely see.
hi KK… you’re right, if you sell up & comeback your retirement money won’t buy you a flat. Hubby insists that when it’s our time we should keep a house here then we’ll have a place to stay whenever we want to come back.
hi analyse… Mahirap nga pag di Pinoy ang partner ‘no? A split is an even better option, like what KK said winter spent in Pinas, spring/summer can be spent in Europe
:-)
Auee, great subject! We have an american friend who doesn’t want to retire at all, which leaves me and husband dumbfounded. We have have so much stuff we could love to be able to do when we retire.
But about the Philippines, reality for us is, my husband would never retire there for good (KK’s point is an eye opener) but the most he said would be 3 months at a time. Sounds good to me.
You’ve given other expats a lot to think about Auee. Great post! I too have a very long To Do list which probably has to wait until I retire, but I never really imagined retiring anywhere but the Philippines. Of course this might change if my brothers and sister decide to settle down elsewhere.
my husband agreed to retire there with me, siempre kelangan talaga may ipon (and that’s where the pension fund comes in handy) :-)
yeah, like they said, great post Auee …
oh, yes. it doesn’t mean that when one goes on retirement–it will all be leisure, pleasure and fun. that is the pitfall of many.
retirement is re-creating oneself to what one finally wants to be, do what one likes doing most. retirement makes this all these easy, since there will be some money available, even if one does not work as hard as before.
retirement allows one to be productive, to be positive, maybe even of service to others, in one’s own pace.
good luck to all who are planning their retirement (mine, i took it early, am not even 50 yet).
hi geri, thanks for dropping-by. What not retire? Nuts. hehe Meron nga din akong briton na officemate silang mag-asawa ayaw mag-anak. I find that weird, too.
hi Christianne… pareho tayo I used to keep a mental list, but I have put them in writing at talagang Pinas ang destination namin. My sisters are everywhere but they all want to settle in Pinas too.
hi Pining, salamat. Panay nga usap namin ni hubby ng tungkol sa pension fund namin. Talagang kadarating ko pa lang dito, as soon as I got a job, apply na ko for a private pension. I’ve been lucky that 2 jobs I’ve had offered contributory pensions, now I make that a requirement when looking for work.
hi sexy mom. You & Annamanila inspired me to write this post. I’m just always looking forward to retirement & I keep telling your stories to hubby. Ayaw ko talagang iba ang expectation nya sa kung anong retirement plans ko.