possible to survive?

[Mike_56]

Maybe its not a right place to ask it. Most expats are in the Ph for tourism/marriage purposes and receive income from high gdp home countries. However its not that sweet all over the world, and Ph has visa free policy with many places, this means it may be an option for those especially desperate citizens of our planet. Would coming there without money equal to committing suicide in any other location in the world? Would it still be the same if a foreigner legalized his presence there? The cruel system of detention and deportation is not news. However in its history there are rare cases known when it gave hope to some people, for example it accepted boat migrants. Where and how they live? Despite extreme poverty people still manage to survive and even have families with 8 children; their homes may be poor but they have some expensive items such as motocycles and have money for petrol. How is it possible?

[scott h]

2 hours ago, Mike_56 said:

Would coming there without money equal to committing suicide in any other location in the world?

Mike, are you referring to yourself? Or is this just a general question about todays world refugee situation? What I mean is, are you asking if the folks from Syria and sub sahara Africa could come here instead of heading for Europe?

[bows00]

The Philippines with no money would be a brutal place to live, especially for foreigners.  Heck, if I was a true homeless, I would try to scrape up enough money for a one way ticket to Oahu, Hawaii, where the weather is great year round. 

[virginprune]

48 minutes ago, bows00 said:

The Philippines with no money would be a brutal place to live, especially for foreigners.  Heck, if I was a true homeless, I would try to scrape up enough money for a one way ticket to Oahu, Hawaii, where the weather is great year round. 

Anywhere and homeless is a brutal place. I can say this from experience having spent a year homeless in London many years ago. Regarding foreigners in the Philippines in this situation, I would surmise that the observations from the local population would be an added humiliation to the, perceived rich man's, fall from stature.

[robert k]

Theoretically possibly but grueling. There was an article about a foreigner collecting garbage and making money off it and living on 200 php a day. I actually met a foreigner who lived on the beach and collected bottles and he was clean, not mentally ill that I could tell and he didn't ask me for a handout. He might well have been giving the locals competition beach combing for food. He was very thin. I would much rather be homeless in the US.

As for a motorcycle in the Philippines as you greatest possession? I wouldn't ride it because a wreck that might not otherwise be fatal, might be fatal for you as a foreigner because medical treatment would be cash and carry or charity and many Filipinos die for lack of charity. Filipinos who have a few "expensive" items have jobs, relatives who send money home from abroad or get hand me downs from relatives who are more well to do.

I had a friend who hired a foreigner (under the table) to be his driver because the foreigner who was a longtime Philippines resident was destitute. Paid him 500 php a day which is a fairly high wage for a Filipino. Problem was it turned into 500 a day and all you could beg and steal and trying to cage a commission from the sellers of everything my friend bought. The guy was always "broke" but was always doing something that cost money, too. Not saying that would be you, but that nobody wants to be that guy, looking for new to the Philippines people to see what might fall out of their pockets.

A guy on youtube who I am not very fond of but he was certainly right in this instance said, don't come to the Philippines and then try to figure out how to make money, do it in your home country for at least 6 months and see if it works there before coming, whether it's work online or collecting bottles, I think this would be a good idea. Youtube also has some vids on broke foreigners in the Philippines that would probably be worth watching and ask yourself, do I really want to be that guy?

I figure a man could live in a beach shack, deep in the provinces, have a 35k php motorcycle and smartphone, beer and a GF who is a cheap date for about $400- 450 a month and keep his visa up to date. It would be better if you could marry for money! I mean immigration/visa is going to be a large part of that budget, roughly equivalent to how much some girls make as a maid. Then too, if you have the motorcycle, you may well die if you have an accident that would not be deadly in another country. Many Filipinos drive slow so that an accident will hopefully just be pain and not death. I think a good bicycle would probably be more valuable than a motorcycle to a person in such a situation as they don't need expensive fuel.

This is my take on the best you can hope for. I won't even go into why you want to keep your visa current, you don't want to end up in a Philippines jail.

[Old55]

The only instances I know of that Philippines has accepted refugees was because the UN or another agency made it profitable for them to do so. Refugees were not given citizenship or rights only a temporary place to be held. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

7 hours ago, Mike_56 said:

Ph has visa free policy with many places, this means it may be an option for those especially desperate citizens of our planet.

Well not sure its an option at all as it's against the law, 5 and 6. 

Quote

EXCLUDED CLASSES
Sec. 29. (a) The following classes of aliens shall be excluded from entry into the Philippines:chanrobles virtual law library
(1) Idiots or insane persons and persons who have been insane;
(2) Persons afflicted with a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease, or epilepsy:chanrobles virtual law library
(3) Persons who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude;
(4) Prostitutes, or procurers, or persons coming for any immoral purposes;
(5) Persons likely to become, public charge;
(6) Paupers, vagrants, and beggars;
(7) Persons who practice polygamy or who believe in or advocate the practice of polygamy;
(8) Persons who believe in or advocate the overthrow by force and violence of the Government of the Philippines, or of constituted lawful authority, or who disbelieve in or are opposed to organized government, or who advocate the assault or assassination of public officials because of their office, or who advocate or teach principles, theories, or ideas contrary to the Constitution of the Philippines or advocate or teach the unlawful destruction of property, or who are members of or affiliated with any organization entertaining or teaching such doctrines;
(9) Persons over fifteen years of age, physically capable of reading, who cannot read printed matter in ordinary use in any language selected by the alien, but this provision shall not apply to the grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, wife, husband or child of a Philippine citizen or of an alien lawfully resident in the Philippines;
(10) Persons who are members of a family accompanying an excluded alien, unless in the opinion of the Commissioner of Immigration no hardship would result from their admission;
(11) Persons accompanying an excluded person who is helpless from mental or physical disability or infancy, when the protection or guardianship of such accompanying person or persons is required by the excluded person, as shall be determined by the Commissioner of Immigration;
(12) Children under fifteen years of age, unaccompanied by or not coming to a parent, except that any such children may be admitted in the discretion of the Commissioner of Immigration, if otherwise admissible;
(13) Stowaways, except that any stowaway may be admitted in the discretion of the Commissioner of Immigration, if otherwise admissible;
(14) Persons coming to perform unskilled manual labor in pursuance of a promise or offer of employment, express or implied, but this provision shall not apply to persons bearing passport visas authorized by Section Twenty of this Act;
(15) Persons who have been excluded or deported from the Philippines, but this provision may be waived in the discretion of the Commissioner of Immigration: Provided, however, That the Commissioner of Immigration shall not exercise his discretion in favor of aliens excluded or deported on the ground of conviction for any crime involving moral turpitude or for any crime penalized under Sections Forty-Five and Forty-Six of this Act or on the ground of having engaged in hoarding, black-marketing or profiteering unless such aliens have previously resided in the Philippines immediately before his exclusion or deportation for a period of ten years or more or are married to native Filipino women;
(16) Persons who have been removed from the Philippines at the expense of the Government of the Philippines, as indigent aliens, under the provisions of section forty-three of this Act, and who have not obtained the consent of the Board of Commissioners to apply for readmission; and cralaw
(17) Persons not properly documented for admission as may be required under the provisions of this Act.cralaw
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, the Commissioner of Immigration, in his discretion, may permit to enter any alien properly documented, who is subject to exclusion under this section, but who is:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
(1) An alien lawfully resident in the Philippines who is returning from a temporary visit abroad;
(2) An alien applying for temporary admission.cralaw
Sec. 30. Any alien seeking admission into the Philippines may be required to testify under oath on matters relating to his admissibility. The burden of proof shall be upon such alien to establish that he is not subject to exclusion under any provision of the immigration laws. 
 

 

[mogo51]

I am glad Scott you could sort out the post, as I did not have a clue what he was alluding to!

[Jack Peterson]

28 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

I am glad Scott you could sort out the post, as I did not have a clue what he was alluding to!

 

 

8 hours ago, Mike_56 said:

their homes may be poor but they have some expensive items such as motocycles and have money for petrol.

 Well I got totally Lost but 10 cents worth from me, It is like so many places, No pot to p...s in yet yes they have Motorcycles and can buy Gas. (Not Forgetting the latest Phones) But and don't you just love the But's, it is all about Face. Must have. Now I remember the Dole Scroungers in the UK. No work and on benefits yet can have a Cortina (Ford) and be in the Pub every session. Here of course it is the Family Food money that goes on these things. Goodness knows what we would encounter if there was a benefit system in the PI. Maybe More refugees on the Streets.

Survival is a Strange word, one I don't think anyone here on PEF would really know where to start. We had a middle aged local commit Suicide only last month as the Debt his wife built up ( Betting) and other things ( Bills not paid) just go so on top of him, he took the easy way out? for him maybe but daily I see the Children Dirty, hungry, Crying because no school No money, No transport the Finance company snatched it back ( Finance, How on earth) He left a mess but, His wife Still goes on betting. What can I or any of us say when we see and hear this. The family of these people will act one day but who of us here can say the same thing especially when we talk about it so much, Do people heed the words? NO! For Anyone coming here we have always said, you must have a plan"B" If not I really think any Foreigner is going to have a big bad experience with that Word Survival.

 Now this is how I see the main issue in the Topic, I just hope I am on the right Lines.

 BTW we had a Barangay Whipround for his Burial

 Refuges here NAH! They would not last 5 mins.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Jack Peterson
Spelling and a little addition

[Jack Peterson]

 Just a slight bit of Humour here on this. How would a refugee Cope with this from earlier; Flash floods in Cebu. No wellingtons on sale and if they were who would pay for them, In the UK they would get shoe tickets, here Ha! Nope They would just not Cope so my guess is they Won't come, even if invited. Sorry for the Little Digression but................