Is it possible to live cheap in the Philippines?

 

By Kenneth Meredith

Retired (2019–present). Lives in General Trias, Cavite.

It really depends on lifestyle and what you consider cheap. We live near General Trias Cavite and do well on under 1000 usd a month. We rent a very decent up and down for only 4500php a month (around 88usd) no aircon but elec fans do OK. Our elec is around 1500php a month (about 30usd) and water is average 250php or less a month. (about 6usd) We don't eat out much. We have gas stove and refrigerator. We also have a Filipino washing machine (common washer and spinner here). We do prepaid Wi-Fi at 1500php every month. We have tile floors and a shower in the tiled bathroom but still a Filipino toilet (flush with a bucket). Our food however can range from 8,000 to 12,000php a month.(150 to250usd) We have a market street right here in the barangay 5 minutes walk. You can buy pretty much any meat or veg you want as well as a lot of other stuff. We also have a pure gold supermarket in walking distance for all the stuff not in the market. We can catch a jeepney or tricycle to all home or to Robinson and SM mall in Dasmariñas for about 60php round trip. Takes about 25 or 30 minutes depending on traffic. There is a BI (Immigration) office at Robinson and that's where I go to do my extensions and such. We are only about 2hr drive to Manila. We don't own a car because I see no need and use public trans. So for me nice no stress living is easily obtained.

Once again depends on your lifestyle and where you want to live. If you choose Manila or Cebu you will pay much more just for basic needs. But further away for metro areas it's a bit less. There are plenty of new construction homes in communities going up everywhere for decent prices if you want to buy. If you eat out a lot you will spend more than what you think even though the prices seem low. It adds up.

I say if you can live a simple life as a couple or even single you can easily do it on 1000usd or less a month but you have to do your homework and set yourself up for success. Having a guaranteed income will also help.

Angeline Quinto makes history as first artist to stage concert at restored MET Theater

by Robert Requintina Manila Bulletin

From being named the next female pop superstar in “Star Power” to becoming the country’s Power Diva, Angeline Quinto has truly come a long way in establishing herself as one of the most important and most bankable musical artists of her generation.

To celebrate her decade in the industry, Angeline is set to hold a 10-part concert series titled “10Q” at the new and improved MET Theater (formerly the Metropolitan Theater) from Oct. 29, 2021 to Feb. 19, 2022.

“There is no stopping me from giving a grand concert experience for my fans and to everyone who supported me since day one. The pandemic may not allow us to do live events but thanks to our streaming partners, we can still make this happen,” Angeline said.

Angeline will be the first music artist in history to hold a concert at the newly renovated and still iconic MET Theater.

“I am very happy to have been given this honor and privilege to perform at the MET Theater. Back in the days, my mama Bob and I would pass by the then Metropolitan Theater and I remember telling her that one day I’ll be performing there before a huge crowd,” Angeline recounted.

Fans are in for a treat because Angeline will have not just one but 10 concert dates with more than 10 celebrity guest stars to join her on stage.

Asked about megastar Sharon Cuneta, Angeline said: “We’re still not sure if Sharon Cuneta will appear in one of the 10 shows because of her prior commitments here and abroad. Sana.”

Angeline was a known “contesera” before she rose to fame in 2011 after winning “Star Power: Sharon’s Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar.” Prior to winning, Angeline was a finalist in “Star for a Night” where she competed with Mark Bautista and Sarah Geronimo.

Since then, Angeline conquered the music scene and in 2012, she debuted her career in acting as she top-billed the romantic drama movie “Born to Love You” opposite Coco Martin. A year after, she also starred in her first primetime teleserye “Kahit Konting Pagtingin” where she’s entangled in a love triangle with Sam Milby and Paulo Avelino.

On her secrets to success, Angeline said: “Kung hindi man nila makamit ang gusto nila, sana huwag silang sumuko or panghinaan ng loob. Hindi naman sa unang sali mo andiyan na agad eh. Suwerte mo kung manalo ka sa unang pagkakataon. Mas masarap sa pakiramdam yung pinaghihirapan mo ang isang bagay bago mo ito makuha. Yan ang natutunan ko sa buhay. Mas na e-enjoy mo yung mga pangarap mo kapag pinaghihirapan mo. I’m sure sa pagkatalo nila, mas marami silang natututunan na technique sa sairli nila at sa pagkanta nila.”

She was later on dubbed the Queen of Teleserye Theme Songs after performing the theme songs of some of the biggest teleserye on ABS-CBN such as “Kunin Mo Na Ang Lahat Sa Akin” from “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin,” “Pangarap na Bituin” from “Princess and I,” “Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon,” from a teleserye with the same title, “Ikaw Lamang” from “Ina, Kapatid, Anak,” and “Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin” from “The Legal Wives.”

Angeline was also recognized by different award-giving bodies, both for her music and her acting. This includes the PMPC Star Awards, Awit Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards, Golden Screen Awards, Box Office Entertainment Awards, and the Asia Pacific Luminare Awards.

Tickets for “10Q” are now available via www.ktx.ph for only P499 (single ticket) or P3,499 (10Q pass). Concert dates are as follows: Oct. 29 and 30; Nov 26 and 27; Dec 25 and 26; Jan. 28 and 29; and Feb. 18 and 19. The show will be directed by Dido Camara with Marvin Querido as musical producer.

Beware of legalism, formalism and political correctness

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WE have to be wary of this common tendency of ours. We are

always prone to show externally what we actually are not internally.

We easily fall into some kind of political or social correctness

without the proper spirit animating it.

          We easily fall into forms of legalism and formalism. Often,

we just want to see things around out of idle curiosity and be seen

and appreciated by others out of vanity. We fail to connect the

material to the spirit, the little things with the big, essential

things, etc.

          All these were somehow bewailed by Christ. “Woe to you

Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,

but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you

should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you

Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in

marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people

unknowingly walk.” (Lk 11,42-44)

          We should always be on guard against all these forms of

inconsistency, always rectifying our intentions and also regularly

editing our life, much like what writers do with their work before

they are submitted for publication. That way, we can monitor how

things are going and can have the chance to make appropriate

corrections, improvements, revisions, etc.

          In anything that we do, let’s see to it that our intentions

are pure. That is to say, that we have to be motivated always by love

for God and neighbor. And by love, we mean that we follow God’s

commandments as clearly articulated by Christ himself: “If you love

me, keep my commandments.” (Jn 14,15)

          And the epitome of this obedience to God’s commandments is

Christ himself, who said: “I have come down from heaven, not to do my

own will, but to do the will of him who sent me.” (Jn 6,38) The secret

therefore of love, which is obeying God’s will, is to have the mind

and heart of Christ. That is to say, to be ‘another Christ’ which we

can always attain because Christ himself has given us all the means.

          We should be most careful nowadays because it is now easy to

stray from God’s commandments and feel convinced that we are still ok.

With our man-made laws that are supposed to reflect the spirit of

God’s will and ways but often fail, at least partially if not

completely, it is now easy for us to hide and justify such anomalies

as greed, pride, vanity, envy, corruption, etc.

          We have to learn how to do a lot of good while passing

unnoticed. Also, while it’s true that we have to take care of the

little things in our life, we should not forget that we are not meant

to get detained there. We should always relate the little ordinary

things in our life to the big and ultimate purpose of our life.

          Christ himself somehow referred to this point when he said,

“Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much,

and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with

much.” (Lk 16,10)

          With those words, Christ somehow was relating and connecting

the little with the big things in life. That is what we should always

do. We should avoid getting entangled and lost in the little things

and forgetting the big and more important things in our life.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com