21 Things to Know Before Moving to the Philippines
If youโre strongly considering moving to the Philippines, binabati kita (congratulations)!
This beautiful, complex, almost uniformly friendly nation is home to dozens of cultures, thousands of islands, and more than 100 million people.
With beautiful beaches, wonderful wildlife, and a fantastic flair for food, youโll always have a new area of life in the Philippines to explore.
Fill in the form at the top of this page to receive up to six free shipping quotes, and see how much it would cost to make the move of a lifetime โ chances are, itโll be less than you think.

The Palawan archipelago is one of many breathtaking Filipino provinces
1. This land is many lands
The Philippines is an archipelagic country made up of 7,640 islands, of which around 2,000 are inhabited.
So if you enjoy exploring, youโll have a lifetimeโs worth of new places to discover for yourself.
Enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Palawan, take in the stunning waterfalls and deserted beaches of Palaui, hike through mangrove forests and surf up a storm on Siargao island, then swim with wild whale sharks off the coast of Cebu.
And when youโre done with that, thereโll be thousands more islands to visit.
2. Prepare for heat and humidity
Itโs hot and humid here, all year round.
January is the โcoldestโ month, with an average temperature of 25.5ยฐC, while May is the hottest, at 28.3ยฐC on average, according to the Filipino government โ but the mercury can soar much higher.
In May 2021, the temperature in the northern city of Tuguegarao hit 40.3ยฐC, while the heat index (which calculates how hot it feels, based on the air temperature and humidity) reached 53ยฐC in Dagupan in the same month.
This emphasizes just how overwhelming the humidity can be, and itโs high throughout the year, with monthly averages ranging from 71% in March to 85% in September.
3. The healthcare system is well below average
There are many compelling reasons to move here โ but the Philippinesโ public healthcare system isnโt one of them.
A 2018 study published in The Lancet and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ranked the Philippinesโ healthcare 124th in the world, out of 195.
Thatโs 95 spots behind the US, which placed 29th.
The Philippines may have a higher ranking if it spent more than a measly 4.4% of its GDP on healthcare โ a lower percentage than struggling nations like Sudan and Yemen.
As a result, around 30% of people in the country use private insurance.
If youโre thinking of moving to the Philippines, itโs wise to think about medical cover for when youโre out there.
4. Set your punctuality to Filipino Time
For many of the people here, the clocks run on Filipino Time โ which is to say, whenever they want to arrive. Put simply, donโt expect people to be on time.
This phenomenon isnโt unique to the Philippines โ there are at least a dozen other countries and cultures which have a relaxed approach to timeliness โ but the reason it exists on these islands is interesting.
Filipino Time seems to have originated with Spanish colonists who wielded their lack of punctuality as a status symbol, to show that they could break social rules without consequence.
Itโs got to the point now where some Filipinos even set an eventโs start time an hour earlier than itโll actually begin, just in case โ so donโt show yourself up by arriving on time. If in doubt, ask the organiser.
5. Youโll get by with English โ but learn some Filipino anyway
The Philippines has two official languages: Filipino and English. In fact, itโs the country with the fourth-most English speakers in the world.
Youโll be able to converse easily with 64 million people in the country, which is about two-thirds of the population โ but nevertheless, you should try to pick up some Filipino.
English is used by the government, the media, and in business, but on the smaller islands โ and even in your daily interactions with waiters, grocers, taxi drivers, and other people who donโt need English โ a few words of Filipino will make your life easier.
Plus, when you realise youโre in a country containing 175 languages and dialects, learning one more wonโt seem like too much to ask.
6. Food is flavorful and fresh
You may be nervous about your move, but if your taste buds know whatโs coming, theyโll be ridiculously excited.
As soon as you physically can, try a Carabao mango. This incredibly sweet fruit is named after the countryโs national animal, a domesticated water buffalo โ and itโs delicious.
In terms of cooked food, Filipino dishes are typically hot, fresh, and meat-based. There are local specialties all over the country, but some meals are available nationwide.
Youโll inevitably try adobo, made by stewing chicken, pork, or both in soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaves, before hopefully moving on to kare-kare, which combines oxtail with a rich peanut sauce. Donโt ignore the fermented seafood paste on the side, either.
If youโre feeling adventurous, see what you think of kamaro, a dish made with sautรฉed crickets โ or just dive straight into the many delicious ways Filipinos find to eat every part of the pig.
Gorge on the decadent lechon โ a whole spit-roasted pig, served with liver sauce โ or enjoy finely chopped pork face, liver, and brain in a sizzling dish called sisig.
If youโre vegetarian, grab a deep-fried banana roll called a turon from the local market, then cycle through all the different fillings (cheese, coconut, jackfruit, mango, sweet potato, and more) to find your favorite.
And when Christmas rolls round, pick up a bibingka from a roadside stall. These coconut rice cakes truly make it the most special time of the year.

Kare-kare is delicious; we couldn't recommend it more strongly
7. Living costs are low
Life is cheap in the Philippines, particularly if youโll be earning money at US levels.
Rent, transport, and restaurants are gloriously inexpensive โ though you wonโt find the same kind of bargains when it comes to popular consumer items like jeans, stylish trainers, and smart shoes.
Even the capital, Manila, placed 78th in Mercerโs 2021 Cost of Living Survey, making it cheaper than 14 American cities โ and it was the only Filipino city to make the list.
8. Catholicism is king
This is a deeply religious country, with 99.9% people belonging to a faith โ a considerably higher proportion than the US, where 26% are unaffiliated, according to Pew.
92% of people in the Philippines identify as Christian, with Catholicism alone accounting for 81% of Filipinos. This is part of the legacy of Spanish colonists.
The Catholic Churchโs influence in the country was shown during the bloodless People Power Revolution of 1986.
Manila Archbishop Jaime Sinโs appeal to protest President Ferdinand Marcos brought millions onto the streets, leading to the dictatorโs peaceful overthrow and the restoration of democracy.
9. The country recently gained independence โ from the US
In global history terms, 1946 wasnโt that long ago โ and thatโs when the Philippines gained independence from American rule.
Before that, Filipinos had to endure hundreds of years of Spanish imperialism, until the US took over following the 1898 Spanish-American War.
Filipinos started an armed struggle for independence against their new colonist rulers, leading to the three-year-long Philippine-American War, in which at least 200,000 Filipino civilians died.
Japan occupied the Philippines during the Second World War, resulting in the deaths of at least 500,000 Filipinos. The US liberated the country near the end of the war, before signing the Treaty of Manila to recognise the Philippinesโ independence.
10. Filipinos love the US…
The good news, however, is that Filipinos feel extremely positive about the US.
80% of people in the Philippines have a favorable opinion of the US, according to the latest Pew survey.
Though this number has dropped since 2016 โ when Donald Trump and the Philippinesโ autocratic ruler Rodrigo Duterte were both elected โ it remains higher than any other country in the world, apart from Israel and the US itself.
11. …even if the president isnโt always on board
In 2016, the Philippinesโ autocratic ruler Rodrigo Duterte told the audience at Beijing's Great Hall of the People: โIn this venue, I announce my separation from the United States.โ
He later said that โAmericans are loud, sometimes rowdy,โ adding that their vocal chords were โnot adjusted to civility.โ
Duterte has made various attempts to distance himself from the US, which the Philippines has long considered a close ally, so his country can remain neutral in any future US-China conflict.
In 2021, Duterte admitted in a speech at Clark Air Base that his friendly overtures to China were part of this strategy, designed to avoid a โconfrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time.โ
12. Duterteโs โdrug warโ has killed tens of thousands
The Philippinesโ president has repeatedly urged civilians and the police to kill drug addicts.
In 2016, he said: โThere's three million drug addicts. There are. I'd be happy to slaughter them.”
Duterteโs so-called โwar on drugsโ has caused tens of thousands of extrajudicial civilian deaths, according to a United Nations report.
As a result, the International Criminal Courtโs chief prosecutor has asked for authorisation to start an investigation into crimes against humanity under Duterteโs rule.
The president has also threatened to murder or justified the killings of corrupt officials, violators of COVID-19 quarantine protocols, human rights activists, and journalists.
Duterte was also linked to the extrajudicial murder of more than 1,400 alleged criminals and homeless people by vigilante death squads while he was Mayor of Davao City.
13. LGBT people have very limited rights
Gay sex is legal, and LGBT people are allowed to serve in the military โ but thatโs about it.
Thereโs no legal protection against violence or discrimination, either, which particularly affects transgender people, who also arenโt allowed to change their legal gender or name.
President Duterte has made numerous contradictory statements about LGBT people and their rights, seemingly changing his outlook based on who heโs speaking to.
In 2019, he told Filipino expats in Tokyo that he โused to be gayโ before his second wife โcuredโ him โ so donโt expect the country to become a safe haven for LGBT people any time soon.
There are green shoots of hope, however. Manilaโs 2019 Pride March attracted a record 70,000 attendees, and in 2016, Geraldine Roman became the first trans politician to win a congressional seat.
14. You donโt have to tip as much
Forget everything you learned about tipping 20%.
Most restaurants will include a 10% service fee in your final bill, and a 10% tip will also suffice in salons, spas, and other similar businesses.
Round up your cab fare to the nearest 10 pesos, and do the same at bars.
In general, if you tip someone with a 20 or 50 peso bill (equal to 40 cents or $1, respectively), theyโll receive it with surprise and gratitude.

Taal Volcano in Batangas is active, so its beauty is best appreciated from a distance
15. Volcanoes, volcanoes, volcanoes
The Philippines sits on a seismically active area of the world known as the Ring of Fire, meaning you may have to deal with volcano-related evacuations, depending on where you live.
The Philippines has 24 active volcanoes, according to the government, and one of them, Taal Volcano, has erupted in both 2020 and 2021.
The 2020 eruption led to 39 deaths, with a six-week-long mass evacuation avoiding more fatalities, as entire villages were covered with ashfall.
In 2021, another explosion released more than 14,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air.
However, there are hundreds of other volcanoes where youโre free to hike, picnic, and explore to your heartโs content.
Just make sure you know which ones are dormant before choosing where you settle down.
16. Earthquakes are common
Earthquakes are also a large part of life in the Ring of Fire, as the Philippinesโ islands lie on top of five separate fault lines.
At the time of writing, the past 30 days have seen 1,916 earthquakes.
Most of these were between 2.0 and 3.0 on the Richter Scale, but six were above 5.0, at which point cars can rock, windows can break, and poorly made buildings will almost certainly be seriously damaged.
During 2020, there were 88 earthquakes above 5.0 โ so ensure you choose a home with strong foundations.
17. Basketball is huge here
The American influence on the Philippines runs deep, as shown by the nationwide obsession with basketball.
The Philippine Basketball Association is the second-oldest continuously running professional basketball league in the world, behind the NBA, and the country has the most Olympic wins of any Asian team.
The national teamโs relative success โ particularly regionally โ is a source of pride, and means the game permeates every part of Filipino society.
From inner-city courts and backyards to prisons and cemeteries, basketball is played all over this nation.
โItโs often described as a religion,โ NBA Philippines managing director Carlo Roy Singson told The New York Times.

The awe-inspiring Batad Rice Terraces are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
18. No-one uses the internet like Filipinos
Think you go online a lot? Chances are, you donโt hold a candle to your new neighbors โ but then again, nobody does.
People in the Philippines spend a globally unbeaten 10 hours and 56 minutes online every day, on average, according to the Digital 2021 Global Overview Report.
The US doesnโt compare โ in fact, its daily average of 7 hours and 11 minutes is only just above the world average.
And this pattern repeats for social media usage as well, with people in the Philippines spending 4 hours and 15 minutes scrolling through posts every day.
In contrast, folks in the US dedicate just 2 hours and 7 minutes per day to social media.
19. Get ready for karaoke
Whether youโre walking down a street in the city center or visiting a friendโs place, you should prepare to be bombarded with karaoke.
Most Filipino homes own either a karaoke machine or a Magic Sing microphone, which transforms your TV into a karaoke screen.
Millions of Filipinos are in poverty, but these machinesโ fairly expensive price tags donโt matter when theyโre a near-daily necessity.
Karaoke is a go-to for everything from birthday celebrations and family nights out to corporate socials and community events.
So get ready to sing for your life โ and watch out for videoke, which will score you on your performance.
20. Jeepneys are everywhere
When you arrive at your new home, youโll see vehicles painted with psychedelic patterns and cartoon characters providing transport to around 18 people each.
Welcome to the land of jeepneys. These vehicles, which get their name from a portmanteau of โjeepโ and โjitney,โ were born from the US army jeeps left behind at the end of the Second World War.
There are now around 200,000 of these vehicles in the country, making them the most popular form of public transport. Jump on board, give the driver a mere 8 pesos (20 cents), and ring a bell when you want to get off.
Their varied, kitschy designs have formed an important niche in Filipino popular culture, but the government is currently trying to phase them out, in a plan which drivers say is โanti-poorโ โ so ride one while you can.
21. Politeness permeates the public, permanently
If youโre called โsirโ or โmamโ as soon as you land in the Philippines, donโt worry: practically all foreigners will receive this treatment, no matter their age.
Depending on where you come from in the US, this may be a shock or a welcome reminder of home โ and the politeness doesnโt stop there.
Younger people will respectfully call relatives and friends who are slightly older than them โkuyasโ and โates,โ which literally means brothers and sisters, respectively.
Seniors are referred to as โpoโ for the same reason.
Young people will also kneel down, take an elderly personโs hand and touch it with their forehead in a show of respect called โmanoโ that often occurs upon entering a home.
And if youโre elderly, pregnant, or have a disability, youโll have your own queue at banks, restaurants, and taxi queues.