Sharing a car in the Philippines

[Barden]

I will soon be back in the Philippines. My first time was just for a couple of weeks, but  this time I will stay for 6 months, and if everything goes as planned i would like to the same every year.
I 'dlike to drive my own car, the problem is that if buy one, what Am I going to do it the 6 months that I am outside of the country ?
To rent a car for 6 months would be way to expensive ( minimum 35.000 pesos/month)

what if  others expats had  some kind co-ownership with shared used of the vehicle ( 6 monthes each) , and of course with all-risk insurance.

Are there any other affordable options ?
Appreciatte your thoughts

[GeoffH]

If you're on a tourist Visa then you're legally only allowed to drive for 90 days from your entry date.

[Old55]

Welcome to the forum Barden.

I would suggest you put off any major purchases until after your first six months visit.  

[Tommy T.]

I personally have not shared a vehicle when travelling or visiting in other countries. But I know of several people who have done so. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is a disaster. There must be trust and honesty between the co-owners, and those agreements are sometimes set in quicksand and don't work out. I can only suggest that you be super careful and diligent if you decide to engage in such a venture. The risks are high financially, sometimes, and possibly for liability. Think it through and carefully weigh the pros and cons you are willing to risk... 

[Barden]

Actually I totaly agree with you all, it is risky as Tommy said, on the other hand i think of the monthly cost of renting a car  wich is huge.

44 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

 The risks are high financially, sometimes, and possibly for liability.

Certainly financial risk, I can imagine the other co-owner to wreck the car while drunk and the insurance company refusing to pay the damage, but when you say "liability"  do you mean that I would liable for any wrong doing the other driver would cause to third parties ? or would that only affect the driver  ?

52 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

If you're on a tourist Visa then you're legally only allowed to drive for 90 days from your entry date.

GeoffH,

I thought that a 3 months tourist visa , extended to 6 months still would apply the rull of 6 months or less = tourist, and 6 months + 1 day resident. 

I would be driving with an international drivers license valid for one year

57 minutes ago, Old55 said:

I would suggest you put off any major purchases until after your first six months visit.  

Gosh !! I hate jeepneys

[hk blues]

34 minutes ago, Barden said:

Gosh !! I hate jeepneys

If you take into account the cost of having a car you use for just half a year then possibly just taking a taxi would be cost-effective.  Modern jeepneys are perfectly fine as well.  

[manofthecoldland]

People coming here for extended stays, often are from car dependent cultures that have urban and physical layouts built to accommodate a high level of personal vehicle use. Their home countries have infrastructures built and in place to deal with all the ramifications of such.

Can't really say that holds true for most of the PI. Simple things, like parking, towing, house design, etc. often can prove problematic for auto owners.

Many find scooters and motorbikes as more practical, along with the use of buses, trikes, etc.

Some expats find that they do indeed, need a car or truck for their individual situation, but many make do with the alternatives because of the expenses and host of other factors that often make casual car ownership something you really need to assess before taking the leap into it. IMO

[Mike J]

Bad idea.  Use public transportation or taxi.  Probably cheaper in the long run and no risk of losing your investment.

[Tommy T.]

3 minutes ago, manofthecoldland said:

Many find scooters and motorbikes as more practical, along with the use of buses, trikes, etc.

Some expats find that they do indeed, need a car or truck for their individual situation, but many make do with the alternatives because of the expenses and host of other factors that often make casual car ownership something you really need to assess before taking the leap into it. IMO

I will add to this MotCL...

I will not divulge my age, but let's just say I am far south (or is it north?) of 60... When I first sailed and arrived here in 2015, I bought a small motorcycle fairly early on - a Kawasaki 150. I proceeded to have a very nasty crash within 6 months (road rash, banged up hip). Okay... so I healed mostly and rode into the city a number of times and had another crash. Neither was my fault, but I bailed out and didn't want to deal with LTO with a probably invalid USA license...(past 90 day validation).... At my age and ability - even though I used to blast around the Pacific Northwest on my  Triumph Daytona 500, it doesn't make sense for me any more to do this.

So I since bought a rather old mini SUV and can get around... But driving - at least here in Davao City - is problematical.... I hate it. And I pretty much don't drive after dark. I don't need the fear or aggravation of it any more. After saying all that... I still would never consider sharing a car with someone else here. This is only me speaking here.... I just don't want the aggravation or risks. I have already been exposed to so many - people walking around wearing dark clothes wandering across the road, drunks in the middle of the night stumbling in the middle of the road, fools driving who knows where on which lane of the road, motorcycles cutting in and out of traffic with no regard to safety? And, as it has been documented on many other topics in this forum.... I don't need this. 'Nuff said...

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, Barden said:

Certainly financial risk, I can imagine the other co-owner to wreck the car while drunk and the insurance company refusing to pay the damage, but when you say "liability"  do you mean that I would liable for any wrong doing the other driver would cause to third parties ? or would that only affect the driver  ?

I cannot answer that. However, I have observed that, if there is any accident, the locals will be on you and the owner and driver faster than you can say "Holy S***t!"  My experience so far - and much of it learned from the longer term members of this forum - is to keep a low profile and that, if there is any issue between you and a national.... you will likely end up last and paying a bundle to settle things for one reason or another... You are the foreigner with all the money... Does that sound about right, other members? Or am I talking out of school?

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Tommy T.