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The Philippines offers a unique and appealing lifestyle due to its prevalent English, pleasant weather, walkable cities, vibrant social climate, abundant nature, and exceptionally hospitable people.
The video highlights ten reasons why the Philippines is a beloved place to live, starting with the prevalence of English, which significantly eases communication and reduces potential misunderstandings for foreigners. This linguistic accessibility is a key factor that makes daily life smoother and more enjoyable, allowing for easy interaction with locals in various service industries and everyday encounters.
Further reasons include the favorable weather and abundant sunlight, which contrast sharply with the often overcast conditions in many parts of the US, contributing to improved mood and enabling more outdoor activities. The walkability of cities is another significant advantage, allowing people to move around freely on foot, a stark contrast to the car-dependent culture prevalent in the US. The architecture, a blend of historical influences and modern mixed-use developments, fosters vibrant street-level interactions and a strong sense of community.
The social climate is characterized by a high degree of sociability, a strong emphasis on family, and a romantic culture, making it easy to connect with people. The country is teeming with life, both human and natural, encouraging an outdoor-centric lifestyle that is often more affordable than in the US. Night vibrancy is notable, with cities remaining active and social after dark, offering opportunities for gatherings and entertainment, often reminiscent of a more social past in the US.
The presence of numerous 'third spaces'—places like malls, parks, and restaurants where people can socialize outside of work or home—is a significant draw. These spaces, coupled with the genuinely warm and hospitable nature of the Filipino people, create an incredibly welcoming atmosphere. Finally, the breathtaking natural beauty, encompassing stunning islands, beaches, and mountains, offers year-round opportunities for exploration and enjoyment, making the Philippines a truly unique and desirable destination.
The Philippines offers many appealing reasons to live there, including the widespread use of English, which makes communication easy for foreigners. The country boasts pleasant, sunny weather year-round and a high degree of walkability in its cities, encouraging an active lifestyle.
Yes, English is widely spoken throughout the Philippines, making it one of the easiest countries in Asia for English speakers to navigate. This linguistic accessibility significantly eases daily life, from interacting with locals in service industries to conducting business.
The Philippines enjoys warm, sunny weather for most of the year, which is a significant draw for many. This consistent sunshine contrasts with the often overcast conditions found in many Western countries, contributing to a generally positive mood and enabling a more outdoor-centric lifestyle.
The Philippines is an attractive destination for digital nomads due to its affordability, vibrant social scene, and stunning natural beauty. The prevalence of English and the welcoming nature of the Filipino people further enhance the experience for remote workers.
Filipino hospitality is renowned and a major reason why many people enjoy living in the Philippines. Visitors and residents consistently report feeling genuinely welcomed and well-treated by the local population, contributing to a positive and comfortable living experience.
The natural beauty of the Philippines is exceptional, featuring stunning islands, pristine beaches, and lush mountains. This diverse landscape provides abundant opportunities for outdoor adventures and exploration throughout the year.
Filipino people are incredibly resilient and maintain a positive outlook even after facing devastating natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes. Their ability to smile and remain friendly, despite significant loss, highlights a special characteristic of their culture and spirit.
Third spaces are locations outside of home and work where people can socialize and connect, such as malls, parks, and restaurants. The Philippines has a notable abundance of these vibrant spaces, contributing to a strong sense of community and social interaction. They facilitate casual gatherings and offer opportunities for entertainment and connection.
The social climate in the Philippines is characterized by a high degree of sociability, a strong emphasis on family, and a romantic culture. This makes it easy for people to connect and form relationships. The culture also values respect for elders and humanity, fostering a welcoming atmosphere.
Yes, English is widely spoken in the Philippines, which significantly eases communication for foreigners. This linguistic accessibility makes daily interactions smoother and reduces potential misunderstandings in various service industries and everyday encounters.
Filipinos are generally known for their warm hospitality and welcoming nature towards foreigners. While curiosity might lead to staring, it's typically not intended as rudeness but rather an expression of interest in someone who looks different. They often prioritize treating others with love and respect.
Living in the Philippines offers advantages like a high degree of walkability, unlike the car-dependent culture in the US, and abundant sunlight contributing to a better mood. The social culture, emphasis on family, vibrant nightlife, and accessible 'third spaces' also promote community and connection.
0:01 In today's video, I want to answer the question: What do I love about the Philippines? The number 10 thing that I love about the Philippines is the prevalence of English. Anywhere you go in this country, people have solid English. You're able to communicate with people, and it really helps things to go more smoothly because there's less miscommunication. People can generally understand you, and you can understand them. If you're coming from the US, like I am, it just makes things super easy compared to many other countries I've been to where English is not a commonly spoken language. That just makes the Philippines an awesome place to be. It really could be higher up the list, but it's the key that makes this country so awesome. When I go out and I know I can talk to people on the street, I know I can communicate with people who are in the service industry, people who are providing different services to me, it just makes things go a lot more smoothly. I know that if I go into a store and I am checking out, if I have questions about something or whatever it may be, I can communicate easily with people, and that just takes a burden off my shoulders as to, 'Okay, well, if this happens, what do I do?' I don't have to pull out my translate app in some other countries. Here, I don't have that problem. I can easily communicate what I need to communicate to my counterpart.
1:16 The next point is the weather and the sun. For me, I'm used to the United States, where in much of the United States, it's cold and overcast half the year. It's gray and depressing and not exactly motivating people to go outside and do much. There are some exceptions that are pretty expensive, like Hawaii or California, Colorado. It's not like that here. Much of the Philippines has really nice weather by my standards. I tend to have some seasonal mood issues back home. It's really nice to know, 'Hey, if I want to go out and enjoy the weather, that's possible most days,' especially here in Daggett-i. DTI is known for being a good weather city that doesn't get as heavily impacted by storms and weather systems like other parts of the country. It's nice to be able to just go out, make plans, hang out, go out and enjoy yourself. Setting aside the rainy season and other inclement weather times of the year, most days are sunny. I mean, I'm watching the sun come up right now. It sets a positive tone to the start of the day when you look outside and it's beautiful and the light is illuminating each tree leaf. You really see these gorgeous landscapes at their best and just so different from where I'm from, where it's overcast and it's cold and people are in a sour mood. I think that's part of the reason why people are so cheerful: the weather is really nice. As far as the sunlight and the predictable warm weather, like you go out, you see people wearing shorts and t-shirts, not having to bundle up like back home. So that's something else that I really like here.
2:54 So that's reason number nine. Reason number nine is the weather and the sunlight. I think a lot of people are attracted to the Philippines because they know that the weather will improve their mood. Number eight is the walkability factor, something I like about the Philippines over my home state. I remember the last time I was in my hometown and I wanted to just walk across town, I explained to my friend's mom, who I was visiting at the time, 'Hey, I'll just walk over there, it's not that far, maybe a couple kilometers.' She said, 'Oh no, no, no, you can't walk here.' I said, 'Well, what do you mean I can't walk there?' I just come from Latin America, and to me, it seemed like a normal thing to do to just walk. She said, 'No, the cops will stop you. You're not allowed to walk in this town. They're going to ask you if you're a vagrant. They're going to stop you probably every five or 10 minutes asking you what you're doing and where you're going. You need to just ride over here. You need to call an Uber or you need to ride with your friend over here. This is not a town where you could just walk around.' Much of the United States is like this, where walking is associated with people who can't afford vehicles. It's not like that here in the Philippines. You can walk in many different places, as long as you're on the sidewalk, assuming you're not trespassing, you're not going on private property. Most people aren't going to care, and that's something I really like. I see people walking all over town. I see people going for jogs everywhere I go in the Philippines. I see people out going for walks, enjoying themselves, trying to better their health. Even where I'm sitting right here, I can see the road ahead of me, and I see people walking to where they need to go. The weather contributes to that, the population density contributes to that. The walkability factor is fantastic here. It's nice to be able to just walk around town. Do megas like that, parts of Manila are like that. Additionally, most cities here have a Boulevard area where you can go walking, and it's a nice way to get some exercise and enjoy yourself.
4:48 Number seven is the architecture. I rarely hear people talking about this, and I'm not sure why, but there's a lot of really cool architecture here in the Philippines. There are many different times throughout history that are represented here in terms of architecture. You see influence from the Spanish, of course, in terms of the Catholic churches, the old-world kind of look. You see influences from the Chinese, and you see influence from the Americans. There's the hypermodern BGC all the way to parts of this island which look like they haven't changed in hundreds of years. There is so much cool architecture here. Something else that I like is that they have mixed-use development here, where on the bottom level, you've got a business, you've got a cafe, you've got a convenience store, and then in the upper level, you've got apartments. This is rare in the United States. You'll pay a lot of money to live in a place like this because it's only going to exist in a few major cities. Even in the more small towns, medium-sized towns here in the Philippines, you've got this mixed-use development that really adds to the feeling of vibrancy, which I'll talk about later in this video. But it's so nice to be able to interact with people at a street level. Much of the United States is basically suburban car parks, and they've eliminated the human element in the effort of efficiency and maximizing revenue. Where many things here are set up to encourage people to interact, to encourage people to spend time together. Mixed-use development really fosters that, where you go to a store below your apartment, you go to a restaurant below your apartment, and you get to interact with different people. You get to spend time with different people. You can really get to know people better. So it's not just the architecture, it's also how the architecture interacts with the environment and how the people can interact with the architecture. I'll actually bring up another point related to the architecture later in this video.
6:39 Number six is the social climate. The social climate is great here in the Philippines. People are still social. People still interact with one another. In the US, if I go up and try to talk to a stranger, they're going to look at me like I'm crazy, especially in a big city. But here, people are super social. Here in the Philippines, I can approach just about anybody on the street and start up a conversation. The woman I'm chatting with now, we actually met through her aunt, and her aunt is a really nice lady with a great sense of humor. This would never happen in the United States. In the US, they would probably tell you, 'Stay away from my family, stay away from my daughter, stay away from my niece.' Here, the social climate is such that many people here believe that you should be in a relationship if that's what you want, and they tend to believe that you'll be happier in a relationship than you would be single. And that romantic culture really permeates the atmosphere here. Another element of the social climate is the family-oriented nature of things. You notice that when you go out to restaurants, they have family-style portions or family-style meals. This is not so common in the US anymore. You used to see this a long time ago in the US, like I said, back in the '90s. These days, it's mostly catering to the solo diner. You have like combo meals and things like that. But they know that families are fewer and far between than they used to be, and that most people simply can't afford that. So there's no point in marketing products to that demographic. One of my acquaintances back in the US pointed out how expensive diapers have gotten, and he explained to me that diapers are expensive because very few people need them anymore. So the few people that want them or demand them have to pay a higher and higher premium to make it worthwhile for these brands like Pampers to manufacture these products. I'm sure the same applies to baby formula, and I know the same applies to childcare.
8:28 Number five, the next point is that the Philippines is teeming with life. You go anywhere in this country, you're going to be surrounded by life. Not just the wonderful Filipino people, but also different kinds of animals. You go in the ocean, you see marine life like fish and crabs and shrimp, and all kinds of different critters are all over the place. Part of the reason why the Philippines is such a popular diving destination. But this is something that has really made me feel good because in the US, it seems like to experience this, you really got to go out in nature. The level of development is so high, they've gotten rid of some of the life that's not so convenient. Now, there is nice nature, I'm not saying there's not, but most of us have to go to a national park to really get a strong taste of that. Where the way that this country works, you're much more exposed to life and kids running around, for example. That's another thing you don't really.
9:21 That's another thing you don't really see as much of in the US these days, maybe a select few family-friendly areas that are particularly well-off. But a lot of people just don't have kids, and so the population, when you get back to us, you notice it's substantially older. Here, you don't really get that sense the second you step off the plane. You have this sense you're almost like on another planet where life is still thriving in many ways.
9:47 And that's something I find really enjoyable about being here is that I see all kinds of life running around. When I wake up, I hear birds singing. When I walk down the street, I see kids playing. I see people really living outside. Back home, it seems like we live box life; we spend most of our time indoors. Here, it seems like a lot of the life is happening outside.
10:10 It's happening out there, and in such a way that you really benefit from going out and doing stuff. And it's not so expensive to go outside either. Like back home, it's like every time I leave the house, I'm going to spend a lot of money. Here, you can spend a very modest amount of money to go outside, so it's much more like an everyman kind of environment where people aren't necessarily as excluded from the public space or the public sphere.
10:33 They have nice parks here in the Philippines. Here in DTI, we also have the Boulevard, and you walk down the Boulevard, you see all kinds of people, people with many different backgrounds. It's free to go down to the Boulevard, so anybody could afford to be down there. And it's just really nice to have that inclusive of all-life kind of atmosphere.
10:51 The next point is night vibrancy. Now, what do I mean by night vibrancy? Well, back in the States, where I'm from, everything closes down by like 8 or 9 p.m. For a lot of businesses, it's not safe to be open late. The volume of customers will also be much less, so that you're just not going to see or do much in much of the US in the late night hours.
11:11 Maybe if you're in Las Vegas, maybe if you're in New York City, maybe if you're in certain parts of Texas, you've got that vibrancy at nighttime. But for many of us, we don't have that experience back home. We want to go out, we want to live life, but to do so is expensive, time-consuming. We may have had to pick up another job due to inflation, and it's just not that fun to go out.
11:31 Where here, cities, because it's hot during the day, here you actually can have more fun at night. At times, you go out and it's cooled off, people are off work, they're getting together in a social setting, they're meeting up with their families. They might be doing karaoke, they're meeting at the parks, they might be doing some dancing.
11:50 That's something that's kind of neat to see at Quezon Park here in DTI is people will go there and they'll do these dance classes, people of all ages participating in these dance classes, and it's a lot of fun. It's just a fun, vibrant atmosphere. You don't feel like everybody is home for the night and is just so exhausted and also maybe lonely and isolated that they don't want to be around other people.
12:13 It's just so different here in that way. I think some of the only people out in much of the United States after dark are law enforcement and criminals. You just don't have that here. Here, a lot of people like going out in the evening. They may go out to restaurants, they may go out to their friend's house, their relatives' house.
12:27 It just made for an exciting atmosphere. I went out Saturday night to go try to find a bite to eat, and I had gotten back late from some traveling I did over the weekend, and it was like being back in the '90s. I walked down this popular part of town, there's all these cars parked, people are hanging out, listening to music, enjoying their evening.
12:46 It just reminded me so much of being back in the '90s when people still did that kind of thing in the United States much more so than today. The next point, point number three, is the mall culture.
12:57 There's this really cool mall culture that once again used to be a thing back in the US. But malls now in the US are magnets for crime; they're typically kind of run-down. Most of the stores aren't there. Here, there's still a big mall culture, and the thing that I like about it is that there are a lot of what I call third spaces here in the Philippines.
13:18 That's probably a better name for this point: the presence of third spaces. Back in the US, we've got work, and we've got home, and not much else. There's some things if you're really wealthy, if you've got a lot of money, that you can participate and enjoy. But for people who don't have a lot of money, there are no third spaces. You go to work or you go home; that's basically the extent of your life.
13:39 Here, you've got malls, you've got parks, you've got different shopping centers, you've got restaurants that seem to still get a lot of business because they haven't priced out a lot of people. There's so many different kinds of third spaces here in the Philippines. Beaches are another example, the Boulevard. There's places where people can go to meet up and hang out that aren't at home and aren't at work.
14:01 I know so many people back in America where all of their friends are just former co-workers, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not here to pick on Americans or pick on America. I get it; people have a high standard of living, and with that comes a lot of working hours, limited vacation time. But here, the society is more oriented toward relationships.
14:18 And this also comes out in the architecture, the public spaces. It's just really enjoyable to say, 'Hey buddy, instead of coming over and watching Netflix, or instead of meeting up at my office or the neighborhood around my office, let's go over to this coffee shop, or let's go over to the shopping mall, let's get some dinner, let's do this, let's do that.' There's so many options here that the third spaces create that you just don't have as much, if at all, back home, especially if you're not really well-to-do, you're not in a nice part of LA or New York City.
14:45 Dagupan is a nice town. It's also not massive, right? You're not coming to DTI and thinking, 'Oh, I've landed in Chicago or New York City.' It's still a modestly sized town. I think that's going to change because it's so popular and growing so fast, but it is something to be aware of. It is something that I love about this country is that there's so many different third spaces, places for people to get together, places for people to have fun, and you don't even have to spend money in all of them.
15:09 There's a perception, 'Oh, you got to spend money.' You can go to the mall without spending money. You can go to the Boulevard without spending money. A number of places here allow for people to just come in and drink water. They're not going to throw you out for not buying something, unlike the US. We in the US, sir, you need to buy something, you need to get out of here, no loitering. They don't have that atmosphere here, and it really makes for a great climate to meet people.
15:30 I love it here that you can meet different people. That's how I met most of my vlogger friends. It's not just through personal introductions, but just running into people. There's people that I've just run into out in town walking around, 'Oh, well, hey, what's up?' and we stop and we chat. It's so different from back home. I've lived in big cities for a long time, very, very rarely, maybe once or twice a year, do I run into people by accident.
15:51 Number two, the next point is the people. The people here are incredible. I've got so many examples of Filipino people being good to me, it's impossible to count. And if I mentioned every single example, this video would never end. It's rare to feel welcomed on this level in a country. The Filipino people want you to have a good time here, they want you to enjoy their country, they want you to go back and tell your friends to come here and spend time here.
16:17 I fell in love with this country the first time I came. I've been to six different islands at this point, and the amount of variety here is incredible. I found hospitality all over. I fell in love with this country when I first came here about five years ago. The kicker for me was noticing how nice people were.
16:35 And I remember asking my friend, 'Is this normal? Am I getting the celebrity treatment here? Did you ask people to roll out the red carpet for me?' I was even suspicious to some extent. I asked him, 'Are people normally like this, like friendly and providing good service and smiling at me and wanting to talk to me, get to know me, actually wondering what I think about the Philippines?'
16:56 It's just such a different atmosphere than the US, where people are rude as heck. In the US, especially big city America, if you make eye contact with somebody, that's grounds for a fight. If I make eye contact with somebody here, typically they're going to smile at me. They might come up to me and talk to me. We might exchange telephone numbers even.
17:15 It's really, really a cool feeling to be in a place where the people actually like you and want to talk to you, want to get to know you. They don't perceive you to be a threat. They're not so hyped up and angry like back home in America. People here are generally very nice, and it's the thing that's probably this one is just competing with number one for me.
17:33 Number one and number two are really side by side. I remember when I visited Camiguin Island, and people would be standing in their front yard doing work, and they'd stop and smile and wave at me. It was almost like if you've ever seen a documentary of being in a tropical paradise or something like that, that's what it reminded me of.
17:51 I'd never been to a place like it, and the Philippines is really unique in that regard. I think people in much of Southeast Asia tend to be nice, but it's especially pronounced here in the Philippines. There's nothing quite like Filipino hospitality. The people are really putting this country on the map.
18:08 I think the Philippines has this outsized online presence and is only going to get more and more tourism in the coming years because people are finding out about it. People are finding out about it.
18:18 About it, people are finding out about the beautiful islands. I mean, look at this, and I'm just here at a normal public beach. So, the final one, like I said, number two and number one are tied. That is the nature. This is the most beautiful country in the world. It's absolutely stunning. You have the most beautiful islands I've ever seen in my life, and that much is obvious, right? It's obvious the Philippines has beautiful islands. Anybody who googles a picture search of the Philippines will see beautiful islands.
18:47 But for me, part of what's underrated here are the mountains. I recently spent some time in the mountains south of Cebu City, and it was amazing. I mean, just absolutely stunning, dramatic chasms and canyons. These reviews I'll never forget, I'll share some of those with you here. But these are one-of-a-kind, in my opinion, not just having the beautiful mountains, but having the mild weather to be able to explore. I lived in Colorado for several years, and it's too cold and not really safe to be exploring half the year. Here, you can explore year-round. You can visit these islands year-round.
19:18 It's really a beautiful country. I'm looking at Siquijor across from Tagbilaran right now, and over there, I've heard has the best beaches in the area. But the bar is high here. I mean, the bar for best or top-notch is so high. I think you can't go wrong here in the Philippines if you're looking for stunning nature. It's like being in another planet. The old-world architecture, the friendly people, the interesting cityscapes, being able to look out at the ocean while you're dining in a nice restaurant. It's really a one-of-a-kind experience.
19:47 And I think that the nature is the, I think that the people and the nature are the two easiest sells on the Philippines. Some of the other things, maybe I'm a nerd and I like some of those other points I made because I'm just a nerd, a nerd guy. But I think most people will find the Filipino people easy to get along with. I think most people will find the nature here to be stunning and beautiful, gorgeous, incredible to look at. I still get a huge thrill out of it.
20:13 I came back here to do MTI from Siquijor Island, and I remember seeing us approaching Dumaguete and seeing the mountains in the backdrop with the ocean below, and it's mind-blowing. I mean, it's just an incredible country. I mean, just to see these islands, and all the ones I've been to are beautiful. I mean, every single island I've been to has had different shapes, different volcanoes, different mountains, different kinds of layouts, and you have that here in the Philippines. That's the biggest one for me personally, but you can't go wrong with any of these reasons.
20:42 Let me know what you think down in the comments below. Are any of these reasons an appeal to you to come to the Philippines? Which reason is your favorite of these reasons I mentioned? Maybe there's one I didn't list. Let us know if there's a reason that you love the Philippines that I didn't mention here. Give us a thumbs up if you enjoyed this content. It helps with the YouTube algorithm. Finally, subscribe to the channel down below if you want to see more content like this, and we'll see you soon.
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