Hello to all

[Koala]

Hi to everybody here just joined this forum.....I am currently living here in Dumaguete Philippines be nice to hear how other people are getting on living in Phil

Koala

[alanmf1]

Hello and welcome here

[Englishman2010]

Welcome to the forum

[Farmerg]

[Terpe]

Hi there Koala, welcome to the forum.

A few members here have already made the move to Pinas.
Many others are planning to make the move at some time.
(Including me.)

Would be great to learn what took you there and how you find life now that you're there.

[worthingmale]

hello and welcome

[Koala]

Hi Terpe

Thanks for the welcome.....What brought me here to PI......Long story I will keep it very basic don't want to bore everybody.

As you can tell I'm a Aussie (Koala)....I do hold a ancestral visa with the mother country.....The relatives live in Maidstone in Kent and in Cornwall and Norwich, but I was born and breed in Perth West Aust. My mother and father who are now deceased and their parents are from the mother country.

First came here in 1984 and loved it. Been coming back here every year since. decided to sell up everything and move here permanently.....Been here now for over 10 yrs....I am living in a defacto relationship for over 3 yrs....Hold a 13 quota Visa...

Keep pretty busy as I have a building company in Dumaguete (dgte). At present I am building 6 two storey apartments.....Yes I do swing a hammer along side the boy's......but mainly do all the finishing to the constructions. The constructions are built to western standards as I don't or will not build to philippine standard.

At the moment we are install PVC window frames which is imported from England as a British guy has his own business in Cebu.

It takes a lot of time to build up respect here but once you have done that...I love it.....You do have to go thru a lot of bull .... and it takes time to learn the ropes.

Wouldn't live any where else.

As I get familiar with this forum I hope I can help and also receive some good advise on matters here in PI

Koala

[grahamw48]

Hi Koala, and welcome to the forum.

I have spent quite a lot of time living in the Phils, and I did actually design, and then had built for me a restaurant/shop/4 bed house over there.

Most of my working life here has been spent working in the insulation industry, and I always found myself thinking how much money could be saved in the Phils (plus the increased comfort) if only buildings were insulated in some way....both new-build and retrofit.

Do you have any views on this ?

I'd have thought there would also be a market for some of the latest renewable technology. I'm thinking particularly of more isolated places with no mains electricity...small wind-turbines, or water turbines in mountainous areas.

Then again, we know just how expensive electricity is EVERYWHERE in the Phils, as well as unreliable.

[Terpe]

Koala,
Wow, great post. Thanks for sharing that.

You know, I'd always wondered if there were any builders in Pinas who worked to western standards. Now I know. Wonderful.

Having lived over there for so long I'm sure you'll have plenty of tips and advice for others.

[Arthur Little]

Hi to everybody here just joined this forum.....I am currently living here in Dumaguete Philippines be nice to hear how other people are getting on living in Phil

Koala

Hello, Koala ... to the friendly, online filipino/uk community.

[Moy]

warm welcome Koala

[stevie c]

welcome

[driftersthought]

hello koala

[ConfusedMe]

[ConfusedMe]

[Koala]

Hi grahamw

Thanks all for the welcome, great to be here.

Regarding insulation industry.....There is many companys opening up with roof insulation. I have seen a product in Manila which is very similar to what we call Pink bats which is layed between the ceiling joists but it is still very itchy. They also have the foam which goes under the colour bond metal roofing. Not many people are using timber in the roof anymore its all steel. Clay titled roof is available here they insulate under that also......The tiles are very expensive.

Just about any product you want is availabe here now if you go to Manila or Cebu but some times you really have to hunt for it......Twice a year they hold a Internation Building trade Show.....one in Cebu and one in Manila.....Its mainly the same companys but if some new product has just been released its a good time to be able to go straight to the supplier.

Regarding renewable technogoy I am using solar hot water system from Perth Aus there is a company here in Cebu who imports that product......Only once or twice a year I ever have had to switch on the heating booster for hot water......Many resorts are converting over to solar hot water systems from Aussie.

In Cebu they are planning to put wind turbines down the spine of the island and to connect to the power grid.......They are planning alot of things but don't expect to see it happen in our life time.

[grahamw48]

Hi Koala.

Interesting stuff.

I was aware that one or two Aussie companies had got in there already.

The building I had built had no timber in it at all, to avoid the usual termite and other vermin problems (flat roof).

Reinforced concrete and steel throughout, with roof garden on top....bit like you see in the middle-east I suppose.