| Now that you have made the choice to retire in the | | | | compared to the Urban Cities in elements 2 through |
| Philippines, the big question becomes - Where? For | | | | 5, but rank high in |
| those of you who are being led to the Philippines | | | | 1. Butuan City - in northern Mindanao; population |
| primarily due to a personal relationship with a Filipina, | | | | around 270,000; near a famous top surf spot |
| your initial residence will be where she is located. | | | | 2. Tacloban - capital of Leyte area; population around |
| However, once you get your feet on the ground, or | | | | 180,000 |
| if you are not tied down to a Filipina, you will want to | | | | 3. Cagayan de Oro - university town in northern |
| give careful consideration as to the retirement | | | | Mindanao, population around 425,000 |
| location within the country. | | | | 4. Puerto Princessa - capital of Palawan, more |
| The 7 most common elements of such a decision | | | | remote, but the cleanest place in the Philippines; |
| are: | | | | rapidly growing tourism area |
| 1. Cost of living by location | | | | 5. Dumaguete - capital of Negros Oriental; university |
| 2. International airport accessibility | | | | town, lots of young, hip folks, good nightlife. |
| 3. Healthcare accessibility | | | | Beach Resort Areas: |
| 4. Nightlife and entertainment - gambling | | | | 1. Boracay Island - many Expat owned businesses, |
| 5. Sports activities | | | | overdeveloped like Waikiki and Miami Beach, but one |
| 6. Security | | | | of the most beautiful islands in the world |
| 7. Urban, rural, or resort location | | | | 2. Mactan Island - just a bridge away from Cebu City; |
| Retirees have tended to settle in one in the following | | | | numerous 5 star resorts |
| popular urban, rural, beach resort or mountain retreat | | | | 3. Panglao Island - across a short bridge from the |
| locations: | | | | island of Bohol (near Cebu City) famous for its scuba |
| Major Urban Cities | | | | diving |
| The following locations all rate positively high on the | | | | 4. Subic Bay - big scuba diving area; population around |
| common elements 2 to 6 above: | | | | 220,000 |
| 1. Manila - highest cost of living of all the locations; | | | | 5. Puerto Galera - small population of 25,000 but |
| population over 10 million | | | | something of a haven for foreign retirees who like to |
| 2. Cebu City - very popular retirement haven, lots of | | | | drink; lots of resorts on the north coast. |
| beaches, population over 1 million, capital of the | | | | Mountain Retreats: |
| Visayan islands in the middle of the country | | | | 1. Baugio - favorite "get away from the heat" |
| 3. Davao City - lower cost of living of the three, | | | | retreat, cool weather with lots of pine trees; |
| population over 1.2 million; THE city of Mindanao. | | | | population over 200,000; 14,000 foot elevation, |
| Major Rural Cities | | | | throngs of college students |
| These rural locations find themselves lacking | | | | 2. |