Duterte's Intentions

[BobP]

Hi All,

Been a long time since I posted, but I wanted to throw this out there just for your takes.  It has already been discussed a good bit here in the forum, but I think it will be a topic of ongoing conversation.

Duterte seems intent on keeping US tourists from considering the PI.  Here is a link I saw on FB concerning Duterte:

http://www.rappler.com/nation/150303-duterte-tells-worried-foreign-businesses-go

I know it is still early in his administration and many Filipinos and Filipinas on the local level probably think he is nuts for being so blatantly anti USA and pro China.  (Maybe not.  I don't know, but I think, mainly based on your comments here in this forum, that the "regular" Filipinos like their Joes from the US).

My personal situation may involve a trip to and possibly moving to the PI.  As I see more of Duterte's comments, the more I am thinking that this situation will only get worse for potential US expats in the future.

I realize that only the future will tell, but I am curious to the comments of the veteran PI ex pats and specifically the US expats.

Thanks ladies and gents.

Always enjoy reading your comments!

Cheers!

BobP

[Ram1957]

Heres my take on the whole situation. I was stationed at Clark in the 70s under ML and Americans that where expats here had no problems at all. So fast forward to today. The current administration is trying to clean up what pass administrations have failed to do. Since FM was overthrown the Presidents that followed him did nothing for the Filipino people, and the current President is trying to change all of that. The drug problem is bad and if no one stepped in it would have gotten worse. Corruption has always been a problem here and now people are being held responsible for their actions. One problem I see is the jails here are old and need to be rebuilt and expanded to hold the drug suspects, the legal system needs to be completely overhauled, people are waiting years to go to trial. There is no real drug rehab so that needs to be fixed.

As for the current President, he like to talk aloud to himself and the news media picks that up as policy change. So everyone panics over that. Most of his talk has not resulted in any changes, but of course that could change. One thing that has changed over the years is that the Senate and Congress has become more active on changes in the country. ML just can't be put into place just because the President wants it. The Senate has the say now on any ML matters.

The Filipino people are still Pro-American and I don't see that changing anytime soon. One has to remember there has been three people movements (EDSA) that resulted in the ousting of two Presidents and the people know that it will work again should the situation warrant that.

[robert k]

1 hour ago, BobP said:

Hi All,

Been a long time since I posted, but I wanted to throw this out there just for your takes.  It has already been discussed a good bit here in the forum, but I think it will be a topic of ongoing conversation.

Duterte seems intent on keeping US tourists from considering the PI.  Here is a link I saw on FB concerning Duterte:

http://www.rappler.com/nation/150303-duterte-tells-worried-foreign-businesses-go

 

Not a single word against American Tourists or retirees in that article. That article is about business. I am not in Business so it's none of my... Business.

I think a large part of the problem is people stretching to invent problems that for the moment at least do not exist. Maybe if you keep working at it they Will exist though? Why not? If someone is already enduring the slings and arrows, they may as well do what you are accusing them of doing?

Anybody noticing the pool water getting slightly more yellow?

[Happyhorn52]

Just to be safe I would lease not buy until his intentions become more clear.

[robert k]

36 minutes ago, Happyhorn52 said:

Just to be safe I would lease not buy until his intentions become more clear.

I would lease and after the lease agreement ran out go month to month if possible. This was good advise under Aquino, it doesn't matter who is in office. Unless you have a huge property, it can matter who moves in next door, across the road and so on. I wouldn't want to own anything in typhoon alley, sure you might have built to withstand it but do you want to have the only standing house in an area that looks nuked?

[OnMyWay]

39 minutes ago, robert k said:

I would lease and after the lease agreement ran out go month to month if possible. This was good advise under Aquino, it doesn't matter who is in office. Unless you have a huge property, it can matter who moves in next door, across the road and so on. I wouldn't want to own anything in typhoon alley, sure you might have built to withstand it but do you want to have the only standing house in an area that looks nuked?

On the other hand, if you are in an area popular with nervous expats, maybe prices will fall and it is a good buying opportunity.

[BobP]

1 hour ago, robert k said:

Not a single word against American Tourists or retirees in that article. That article is about business. I am not in Business so it's none of my... Business.

I think a large part of the problem is people stretching to invent problems that for the moment at least do not exist. Maybe if you keep working at it they Will exist though? Why not? If someone is already enduring the slings and arrows, they may as well do what you are accusing them of doing?

Anybody noticing the pool water getting slightly more yellow?

Robert, my point is that Americans thinking of visiting or moving to the PI will most likely see this article and others showing his dislike for the USA period.  At least that is my take on the articles I have seen and/or heard of.  Don't you think Americans will think twice before going to a country where their leader has these beliefs?

 

[robert k]

1 minute ago, OnMyWay said:

On the other hand, if you are in an area popular with nervous expats, maybe prices will fall and it is a good buying opportunity.

My offer of 5 GBP or it's equivalent in Canadian dollars still stands.

[robert k]

7 minutes ago, BobP said:

Robert, my point is that Americans thinking of visiting or moving to the PI will most likely see this article and others showing his dislike for the USA period.  At least that is my take on the articles I have seen and/or heard of.  Don't you think Americans will think twice before going to a country where their leader has these beliefs?

 

I think Americans will flock to the Philippines so they can feel morally superior. We (some) Americans are funny critters. Not to mention the exchange rate is excellent at the moment. Americans like a bargain.

Edited October 26, 2016 by robert k

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, robert k said:

I think a large part of the problem is people stretching to invent problems that for the moment at least do not exist. Maybe if you keep working at it they Will exist though? Why not? If someone is already enduring the slings and arrows, they may as well do what you are accusing them of doing?

That's easy for you to say, last night I was at the Hawaiian BBQ place in the IT park, now i'm Aussie but everyone thinks we are all American but anyway this place is rather crowded with young Filipinos, within 5 minutes of sitting down about 4 guys and 2 girls jumped me yelling American, l got off the floor after they walked away and took my seat just as my food arrived, waiter spat in my food and said American. My beer arrives but only half of it as the rest was poured over my head while another waiter said American.

Not hard to tell a story and now hopefully I can buy a cheap mansion that some escaping expats is giving away.

Now to the truth, sitting in this BBQ place not one person batted an eyelid, nobody cared I was a foreigner and been the same every where I've been over the past 5 weeks.