There are several factors that enticed Texkano to move from the USA to the Philippines, more specifically to Cagayan de Oro, where he now lives with his family. Here he shares things like his monthly expenses in that area of the country, his land-acquisition plans, and his opinion about the locals.	Texkano

-Where were you born?
USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my family

-How long have you been living in the Philippines?
Since October 2005

-What is your age?
55

-When did you come up with the idea of living in the Philippines?
Early summer of 2005. I decided to move to the Philippines because of the cost of living -- and my online girlfriend, who is now my wife.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
21 day visa - automatic. Extend for 39 days. Extend every 60 days after.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
VA is my meal ticket.

-How do you make your living in the Philippines? Do you have any type of income generated?
I am retired and living off my SSA disability and my VA. That's all.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
No, but my little cousins through my marriage teach me Visaya.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
No, never. My daughter (in the USA) has my Harley and loves it as much as I ever did.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Eventually, we want 1 or 2 hectares for some goats and some pigs and a couple cows, some gardens and a bio-fuel generator. A big bunch of fruit trees and a home. I am working on the plans for the home now.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We rent for P7,500 a month. Our house has 3 bedrooms, 2 CRs, living room, dining room, kitchen, indoor/outdoor wash room/plant room.

-What is the cost of living in the Philippines?
Here's an overview:

ITEM COST PER MONTH
rent: 7,500 pesos
electric: 5,000-7,000 (I have AC)
water: 1300
garbage pickup: 50
cable: 700
Wifi internet: 999
cooking gas: 500 (every4 weeks or so)
groceries: 20,000 - 30,000 (I like food and we feed 8)
phone: 4,000 (wife sells load - her business)
Pig feed: 3,000
Dog food: 500
TOTAL 43,549-55,549
divide by 46 (exchange rate is 46.53=$1.00 as of 09 July 2007)
= $936-$1,194

But now there are two paying for this. So divide the totals by 2 and that's what I pay.

-What do you think about the Filipinos?
They are the most inventive and greatest copycats I have ever seen. They can take junk and make something workable out of it. Their ingenuity is unsurpassed, in my opinion.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in the Philippines?
I seriously believe you can live nowhere else in the world, this good. Well, Thailand's cost of living is on the same level with the Philippines. HOWEVER, very few people there speak English. Here, it is taught in the schools.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in the Philippines?
Adapt, improvise, overcome, and above all enjoy.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about the Philippines?
My website is at http://gahig-ulo.com. It's my favorite because, well, it's mine.