There was a thread a while back that mentioned retiring and buying property in the Philippines. Lately I have been reading a lot in the newspapers here about forged and doctored land deeds.  A person apparently could try to buy land here, and then later discover that his deed is worthless.  The phony deeds are the real thing being sold by government employees to con artists.
Also, there are very few laws here regarding zoning.  A person could buy a piece of property, and then the next day discover someone starting a pig farm or karaoke bar next door.
For example, I live in a fairly exclusive neighborhood in the Philippines. There are no jeepneys or tricycles allowed in the entire subdivision. Only taxis and bicycles are allowed. BUT, most of my neighbors have roosters, and those things crow all day and night.
I have one neighbor with pigs, and another neighbor that is a cop that likes to get drunk and fire his gun all night.
My point is this, this isn't America, the cops will do absolutely nothing if you ever complain about anything, and there are no zoning laws that allow you to live in peace and quiet.
My rent is only $120 a month, and I have no desire to buy land here, not knowing who or what will happen in the future.

My opinions only,

Don

I did “almost” find complete peace & quiet when I was staying with my wife’s folks in the province. They have a beach-front home on an island with no electricity, no radios, no TV, no computers, no roads, no jeepneys, no tricycles, no karaoke, no discos, etc… Other than the sound of waves lapping on the beach at night, or the faint hum of a pumpboat in the distance, it was truly restful, peaceful and quiet. EXCEPT FOR THAT DAMN ROOSTER THAT WOKE ME UP EVERY MORNING AT 4:33 A.M.!!! However, I did eat that little prick for lunch on my last day and slept very well that night (LOL!).

There is an interesting article in the Civil Code of the Philippines that ‘sort of’ guarantees your peace. I found some of the other provisions of the article more interesting though, especially items 2 & 3. I always wondered if you would have a case by bringing someone to court over these. It might be worth the cost of an attorney just to find out (LOL). I thought some of this stuff was so embedded in the culture that it was almost funny to find out that it was against the law :-)

Art. 26. Every person shall respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and other persons. The following and similar acts, though they may not constitute a criminal offense, shall produce a cause of action for damages, prevention and other relief:
(1) Prying into the privacy of another's residence:
(2) Meddling with or disturbing the private life or family relations of another;
(3) Intriguing to cause another to be alienated from his friends;
(4) Vexing or humiliating another on account of his religious beliefs, lowly station in life, place of birth, physical defect, or other personal condition.

Ray

Haven’t you ever seen a pro catch a rooster? Filipinos don’t spend half the morning running around in the hot sun trying to catch a stupid rooster with their bare hands. They snare them by the feet. This is the way I’ve seen it done when I was living in the PI: They would use a long piece of mono-filament fishing line and lay out a loop on the ground with a slip knot in it. You either cover the line with dirt or place a few pebbles around the circle to keep it in place. Put some rice grains in the center of the loop and wait for the rooster to step into the trap. A quick pull on the line will snare the little booger’s feet and you gently reel him in (and ring his friggin’ neck!).

I’ve never plucked a chicken myself but some of the Filipinos I’ve watched made it look pretty simple, if not a little messy. Apparently the secret is to first dip the dead bird briefly into a pot of boiling water, which apparently makes it easier to pull out the feathers (?).

We barbecued the rooster and a couple of other chickens, along with some fresh-caught fish on her uncle’s bamboo “floating cottage” anchored out in the bay. It tasted pretty good with lots of Tanduay 12-year-old rum to wash it down. We had about 18 people on the “floating picnic”. Great fun!

Ray

A baptismal certificate is occasionally requested at the visa interview, usually if there is any question of date of birth or parentage. The baptismal cert is good secondary evidence, especially if the birth cert presented was “late-registered”. Some of those gals will assume a new identity, change their birth date, etc. to make themselves appear older or single when they are really married. Usually, they will be baptized within a few months of birth, so the birth dates are more reliable than those on “late-registered” documents. If her birth was properly registered within a month or so of her birth, then she probably will not be asked for a baptismal cert, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a fresh one with her just in case. Once in a while they will also ask for photos of the baptismal registry book in the church.

Ray

Ray

How much time she has to come over once the visa is stamped? The visa is good for 6 months. If you plan to fly over for her interview and then fly back with her, you will have to be flexible. It sometimes takes 1-2 months or more after the interview to get the visa and some guys have even had luck talking the consular officer into releasing the visa the same day as the interview. Better get tickets with open return dates if possible.

Should you let your room mate stay after your wife arrives? I won’t even touch that one. Just make sure that your wife feels that she is in charge of the home. If she wants to redecorate and move all the furniture around, DON’T complain out loud because that’s just a part of being married (LOL!)

Ray

Don