A GERMAN EXPAT IN THE PHILIPPINES: The Music of my Life III

A GERMAN EXPAT IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Music of my Life III

Filipino music in general was introduced to me by my wife Rossana. What does music really mean to Filipinos? It simply tells them where they've been and where they could go. It tells a story that everyone can appreciate and relate to, which is why it's a big part of every Filipino culture.

During the 1980s, Rossana was the lead dancer of the Manisan Cultural Dance Troupe. I got to know about  gong music which can be divided into two types: the flat gong commonly known as gangsà and played by the groups in the Cordillera region and the bossed gongs played among the Islam and animist groups in the southern Philippines. The kulintang ensemble is the most advanced form of ensemble music with origins in the pre-colonial epoch of Philippine history and is a living tradition in southern parts of the country.

Very quickly, it pleased me another popular medium for light classical muse -  the rondalla. Its repertoire consists mainly of native folk tunes, ballroom music as well as arrangements of classical pieces such as opera overtures. Bayani de Leon and Jerry Dadap have written more serious music for the rondalla.  Rondalla is a traditional string orchestra comprising two-string, mandolin-type instruments such as the banduria and laud; a guitar; a double bass; and often a drum for percussion. The rondalla has its origins in the Iberian rondalla tradition and is used to accompany several Hispanic-influenced song forms and dances.

Tinikling and  Cariñosa inspired me more and more. The Tinikling is a dance from Leyte which involves two individual performers hitting bamboo poles, using them to beat, tap, and slide on the ground, in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between poles. It is one of the more iconic Philippine dances and is similar to other Southeast Asian bamboo dances. The Cariñosa (meaning "loving" or "affectionate one") is the national dance and is part of the María Clara suite of Philippine folk dances. It is notable for the use of a fan and handkerchief in amplifying romantic gestures expressed by the couple performing the traditional courtship dance. The dance is similar to the Mexican Jarabe Tapatío, and is related to the Kuracha, Amenudo, and Kuradang dances in the Visayas and Mindanao Area.

In the first few years of my life as an expat in the Philippines, it looked like I had forgotten about my classical music from Europe. I focused more and more on Himig ng Pilipinas - the  musical performance arts in the Philippines or by Filipinos composed in various genres and styles. The compositions are often a mixture of different Asian, Spanish, Latin American, American, and indigenous influences.

Notable folk song composers include the National Artist for Music Lucio San Pedro, who composed the famous "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan" that recalls the loving touch of a mother to her child. Another composer, the National Artist for Music Antonino Buenaventura, is notable for notating folk songs and dances. Buenaventura composed the music for "Pandanggo sa Ilaw".

The leading figures of the first generation of Philippine composers were Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Aontonio Molina, and Juan Hernandez. 

But one composer and his works fascinated me the most:  Francisco Buencamino. He belonged to a family of musicians. He was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, on November 5, 1883.  In 1930, he founded the Academy of Music of Buencamino. His musical styles were Kundimans and Sarzuela.

Francisco first learnt music from his father. At age 12, he could play the organ. At 14, he was sent to study at the Liceo de Manila. There, he took up courses in composition and harmony under Marcelo Adonay. He also took up piano-forte courses under a Spanish music teacher. He did not finish his education as he became interested in the sarswela.  Some of the sarswelas he wrote are: "Marcela" (1904), "Si Tio Celo" (1904) and "Yayang " (1905). In 1908, the popularity of the sarswela started to wane because of American repression and the entry of silent movies. Francisco Buencamino then turned to composing kundimans.  

For a time, Francisco Buencamino frequently acted on stage. He also collaborated on the plays written and produced by Aurelio Tolentino. One of his earliest compositions is "En el bello Oriente" (1909), which uses Jose Rizal's lyrics. "Ang Una Kong Pag-ibig", a popular kundiman, was inspired by his wife.  In 1938, he composed an epic poem which won a prize from the Far Eastern University during one of the annual carnivals. His "Mayon Concerto" is considered his magnum opus. Begun in 1943 and finished in 1948, "Mayon Concerto" had its full rendition in February 1950 at the graduation recital of Rosario Buencamino at the Holy Ghost College. "Ang Larawan" (1943), also one of his most acclaimed works, is a composition based on a Balitaw tune. The orchestral piece, "Pizzicato Caprice" (1948) is a version of this composition. Many of his other compositions were lost during the Japanese Occupation, when he had to evacuate his family to Novaliches, Rizal.  

I would say that the "Pizzicato Caprice" is my favorite. I was so lucky to experience it during an awesome performance with the Manila Symphony Orchestra. 

 In my opinion: outstanding groups include not only the Manila Symphony Orchestra, but also the Filipino Youth Symphony Orchestra, the U.P. Symphony Orchestra, the Manila Concert Orchestra, the  Quezon City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Artists’ Guild of the Philippines, the Philippine Choral Society, the U.P. Madrigal Singers, the U.P. Concert Chorus among others.

These are extraordinary treasures of Filipino culture which one hears and experiences far too little about these days.

(To be continued)

[Nicanor Abelador]

[Francisco Santiago]

[Juan Hernandez]

Always ready to meet Christ

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “BE like servants who await their master’s return from a

wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” (Lk

12,36)

          With these words, it is quite clear that we need to be

always ready for our meeting with our Creator who can actually call us

anytime. We came from him and we are supposed to go back to him who

wants us to be his image and likeness and sharers of his divine life.

          We should never be distracted, much less, forget the real

and ultimate purpose of our life. We are here on earth still being

created and redeemed by God, and we have to do our part in that divine

project. We are here on earth to be trained to be what God wants us to

be, as well as to be tested whether what he wants us to be is also

what we would want to be.

          Thus, we need to be vigilant always, both in good times and

in bad times, and most especially in ordinary times which we still

would not know whether it is good or bad. We should never let our

guard down.

          This is simply because we have enemies to contend with all

the time. First of all, it is our own selves, our own weakened flesh

that will always lure us to do things against God’s will and against

what is truly good for us.

          Then we have the world with all its sinful attractions and

temptations. And, of course, the devil himself. Never discount him.

He’s always around, prowling like a lion looking for someone to

devour. (cfr 1 Pt 5,8)

          In what may seem to be good times, when things are more or

less ok, let us thank God and do our best to make use of all the

blessings and good opportunities made available for us.

          But let’s not forget that the good things can also occasion

dangers for us if we are not careful. We should know where those

dangers lie in the good things that we may enjoy at the moment. In

that way, we avoid falling into complacency that will practically

spoil us, and take away the goodness of the blessings we are enjoying.

          And in what may seem to be bad times, let us never forget to

look for the one good thing in those situations. There will always be

one or two or even more good things on these occasions and turn them

into the vehicles for redemption.

          This can happen if we turn to God in the first place. He

will always forgive us and He knows what to do with whatever mess we

make. In that way, we avoid falling into sadness and bitterness, and

can remain calm and hopeful in spite of the suffering and pain we may

be undergoing at the moment.

          We really need to upgrade our vigilance skills especially

these days when we are living in an increasingly complex world. We

should not take this need for granted. Remember Christ telling his

disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from

carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life…Be vigilant

at all times.” (Lk 21,34.36)

          Let us strengthen our hope that is firmly anchored on our

faith and trust in the ever-wise and omnipotent providence of God. We

should remember that it was God who started everything and it will

also be he who will end, complete and perfect everything. Ours is

simply to go along with him.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

From abandonment to apostolic zeal

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          IT’S intriguing to note that when Christ sent out his

disciples in pairs to prepare his coming to the different towns, he

commanded them to “carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and to

greet no one along the way.” (cfr. Lk 10,1-9) He is actually telling

them not to worry so much about these items because in the end he will

take care of them.

          Such words of Christ can only remind us that we should

always be trusting of the ever powerful and merciful providence of God

who governs all of his creation with absolute effectiveness no matter

how much we mess up things.

          Yes, we may experience some privations, some losses, etc.,

in our life, but if we stick with God, we know that everything will

always work out for the good. (cfr. Rom 8,28)

          With all the things that we have to contend with in this

life, we certainly need to have a healthy sense of trust in God’s

loving and wise providence, abandoning ourselves in his will and ways

that often are mysterious to us and can appear to be contrary to what

we would like to have.

          A healthy spirit of abandonment in God’s hands is necessary

even as we exhaust all possible human means to achieve our goals or

simply to tackle all the challenges, trials and predicaments of our

life. We should never forget this truth of our faith.

          In this life, we need to acquire a good, healthy sporting

spirit, because life is actually like a game. Yes, life is like a

game. We set out to pursue a goal, we have to follow certain rules, we

are given some means, tools and instruments, we are primed to win and

we do our best, but losses can come, and yet, we just have to move on.

          Woe to us when we get stuck with our defeats and failures,

developing a loser’s mentality. That would be the epic fail that puts

a period and a finis in a hanging narrative, when a comma, a colon or

semi-colon would have sufficed.

          We need a sporting spirit because life’s true failure can

come only when we choose not to have hope. That happens when our

vision and understanding of things is narrow and limited, confined

only to the here and now and ignorant of the transcendent reality of

the spiritual and supernatural world.

          It’s only when we are properly detached from the things of

this world and trust in the powerful providence of God that we can

develop the ideal apostolic zeal. To develop our zealous apostolic

concern surely entails sacrifice. We should not be surprised if in

pursuing it we are challenged, faced with difficulties and asked to do

self-denials and other forms of sacrifice.

          We just have to hold firm on our Christian conviction,

together with the continuing petition for God’s grace and the generous

discharge of our human effort, that to do apostolate is the will of

God. He is bent in accomplishing it. It’s his first concern to contend

with the difficulties. Ours is simply to cooperate.

          We have to continually ask ourselves if our thoughts and

desires bear an eminently apostolic character. If not, let’s

immediately do the necessary adjustments and corrections.

          We have to embark also on a life-long effort to acquire

apostolic skills—how to make friends and deepen that friendship, how

to pursue full blast the supernatural apostolic goal of our life while

respecting our natural conditions, etc.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines thanks IATF for reopening cinemas

by Jonathan Hicap, Manila Bulletin

The Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) thanked the Inter-Agency Task Force for allowing cinemas to reopen in Metro Manila under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. 

Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16 to 31 after the IATF approved the recommendation. 

Under the updated guidelines issued by the IATF on Oct. 13, cinemas and movie houses are included in the list of establishments “allowed to operate or be undertaken at a maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50% outdoor venue capacity.”

“Provided, that all workers/employees of these establishments are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and MPHS [minimum public health standards] shall be strictly maintained. Provided further, that there is no objection from the LGU where these activities may take place,” according to the guidelines. 

In its statement CEAP noted that “it has been over a year and a half that we had to close our cinema doors to our dear moviegoers.”

“The entire film industry is extremely grateful to the IATF for finally allowing us to reopen under Alert Level 3. Sincerest gratitude goes to those who guided and supported us – Go Negosyo Team for paving the way to be recognized as an industry appealing for its reopening, the MMDA for the much-needed guidance, the DTI for always assisting the film industry and the LGUs for their utmost support,” said CEAP. 

It added, “It also pays to recognize the cinema workers and employees who stood by us on this journey. We know that you are all excited as we are to watch on the big screen.”

“However, we must do our due diligence by coordinating with the LGUs where our cinemas are located. This is to ensure that we comply with their detailed guidelines. We are also coordinating with the other stakeholders as they prepare content for the cinemas,” it said. 

According to CEAP, “As we get ready to open our doors, please know that we are doing so with the highest dedication to the health and safety of all our patrons and employees as we bring back the cinematic viewing experience you have all been waiting for.” 

We will be seeing each other again very soon to enjoy the latest movies and blockbusters that we may have missed,” it said. 

What our intention should be

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WE have to be most careful with our intentions because they

play a crucial role in our moral life. Our intentions can determine

the state of our life in relation to God and to the others. Together

with the matter or object, and the circumstances surrounding our acts,

our intention can referee whether our human acts are good or bad.

          That gospel episode about the brothers James and John

wanting to be seated at the sides of God in his kingdom (cfr. Mk

10,35-45) reminds us that while it’s good to desire what is best for

us, we have to make sure that we are ready to do what it takes to

achieve such intention, desire or ambition.

          Again, while it’s nice to hear from the brothers that they

were willing to “drink the cup” that Christ would drink, and to be

“baptized with the baptism” with which Christ would be baptized, that

is to say, that they were willing to suffer with Christ with their

bold response of “We can,” Christ somehow corrected or purified their

intention by telling them they should rather have the intention of

serving and not to be served. That way, they can share in the glory of

Christ himself.

          Reinforcing this point, Christ told them clearly that

“whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever

wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of

Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a

ransom for many.”

          I believe that these words are most relevant to us today,

since we need to be reminded of a basic attitude we ought to have if

we want to be truly human and Christian, with love supposedly the

driving principle of our life.

          To serve is the language and the action of love. It

authenticates any affirmation of love we do, converting it from

intention to tangible reality.

          This is the attitude meant for us, with Christ himself as

the exemplar. Imagine, Christ served us by dying on the cross. Before

that, he shocked his apostles when he insisted that he be allowed to

wash their feet. That was to give example to them, and us, so that

what he did we would also do.

          The angels too, superior to us in nature, are made to serve

us, following a divine law articulated by Christ himself when he said:

“Let him who is greatest among you become as the youngest, and him who

is the chief as the servant.” (Lk 22,26)

          We need to be more keenly aware of this law. This is truly

what is good for us, providing us with the basic source of strength

and consistency we need as we grapple with life’s endless challenges.

          Before we worry about the big and destructive enemies of our

soul, we have to realize that our most insidious foe is right within

us, when this attitude of serving others is not firmly established in

our mind and heart.

          This eagerness to serve really has to be worked out, because

with our fallen and wounded nature, every pore of our being tends to

go against the law of love expressed in service that God meant for us.

We need to come out with some strategies for this attitude of wanting

to serve to be incorporated into our lifestyle.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

What do non-Filipinos dislike or hate about the Filipino people?

By David C. Maness

In my experience, there are many funny and quirky things about Filipinos. They point with their lips. They sing karaoke like superstars. They start Christmas at Labor Day. They tend to be warm, talented, hard-working, studious, and down-to-earth practical people who are loyal to their friends and devoted to faith and family. When times are tough, you want to be around Filipinos. When times are good, you want to be around Filipinos.

Filipinos operate well in a hierarchy. They are respectful, even obsequious to authority. They are cabable of extraordinary sacrifice and suffering. They are quick to forgive, even when abused and exploited.

One negative manifestation of these virtues is the generation-after-generation reelection of the same traditional politicians from the same families, over and over and OVER. These oligarchs steal everything they can from the other 99.99% of Filipinos, especially opportunity. Then Filipinos thank their oppressors for the chance to be used.

The need for transparency and sincerity

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor

secret that will not be known.” (Lk 12,2) With these words, Christ is

clearly telling us that there is no point hiding things from God since

he knows everything. Neither should we be hiding things from others,

unless due to proper discretion we may have to withhold certain

things.

          To be sure, our life would be much lighter and happier that

way. We would unload ourselves from unnecessary burdens. What is more,

we would keep our good relations with God and with others. Our life

would be much simpler and properly focused on its true ultimate

purpose.

          We should really work on our need for transparency and

sincerity. We cannot deny that many are the elements nowadays that can

undermine that need. Signs and even structures of hypocrisy, deceit,

corruption and the like are all around us. Sad to say, they seem to be

the mainstream culture today.

          Consider again what benefits a good sense of transparency

can give us. It will help us develop and sustain our integrity in

life. It means that everything that we do is good, that is, morally

good. Of course, this sense of transparency can only take root when it

is based on our faith in God who sets all the laws in our life, and

therefore, all that is good for us.

          We have to realize more deeply that before God, nothing can

be hidden. We therefore have to adapt a lifestyle that would make us

do everything in his presence. In fact, we are not simply meant to do

things in his presence. It is more to do everything for God’s glory.

Thus, when we do things without God in mind, let us be warned that we

are already doing things wrongly.

          We should not base our sense of transparency on human,

natural and worldly criteria alone. These latter standards do not

capture all the good that is proper to us. At best, they may just be

silent about the finer nuances and consequences of what is generally

good for us. We have to remember that many mysteries shroud our

understanding of things.

          But what is bad nowadays is that our human laws and worldly

standards have started to go against God’s will. This, of course, can

be due to our limitations in truly understanding God’s law. But it can

also be due to our sinfulness and malice. Nowadays, I believe it is

the latter that has led us to make laws that are openly against God’s

law. We need to do something drastic about this predicament.

          And we can start by being sincere in our confessions and

spiritual direction. It is indeed necessary that we be brutally

sincere when we go to confession and to spiritual direction. We have

to learn to lay all our cards on the table so that the human

instruments used by God to help us in our spiritual life, can truly

help us.

          We should not be afraid or ashamed to do so, because in

these occasions, it is indeed God who is acting through the human

instrumentalities. We have to approach confession and spiritual

direction with a strong supernatural outlook, because it is only then

that we can deal with our misplaced sense of fear and shame.      To

be truly sincere is not only to say facts and data. It is to probe

into the motives of all our actions, especially our sins and misdeeds.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Is Manila really dangerous when you go to crowded places?

 

By Michael Burden

lives in Nottingham in the East Midlands of England

Being British but married to a Filipina for over 20 years I must have been to Manila about fourteen times now, and walked around the crowded streets, the busy markets, and ridden on the Jeepneys and LRT and MRT trains, but I have never had anything stolen in this enormous city where there is so much poverty. However I am always very aware of my surroundings in the streets and public places, and I always keep my wallet and money well out of sight.

Whenever I visit a new place anywhere in the world there are two things that forewarn me to be careful and watch my belongings and my step. One of these is when I see people, especially youths and young men, just aimlessly loitering around and looking as though they are doing nothing except watching passers by in an unwelcome kind of way and seemingly scoping them out. Although I have encountered this in some places I have visited, and experienced an unpleasant feeling because of it, I always notice that in Manila everyone seems to be going about their business or at least trying to earn an honest living of one sort or another, and are therefore not paying so much attention to passers by, even though I am sure they must be curious about a foreigner like me.

The second thing that I have experienced in some places other than the Philippines which tells me to be careful is when I am approached or accosted by fit and able bodied youths and young men, who are begging in an aggressive or even intimidating manner or who claim to be selling drugs or able to procure women, etc. By contrast in Manila, the beggars are relatively few in number despite the poverty there. And then if you do encounter any beggars in Manila, they are not young men, but invariably only children, frail and infirm elderly people or visibly disabled people who are blind or have limbs missing. I do not mind being approached by people like that as opposed to the “sturdy beggars” (to use an Old English term) that are part of the street life in some other places. I am happy to give these inoffensive beggars some change, though of course I always have a bit of change in my pocket for this purpose and would certainly never take out a wallet full of cash and flash it in front of them.

For these reasons Manila does have a reasonably "safe" feel to me, indeed a safer feel than you would expect of a city like it, though of course you are more at risk of being pickpocketed whenever you are in a crowd, however "safe" the crowd feels.

This brings me on to my final point, because when I last visited the Philippines (in August 2017) I was the victim of a theft for the first time in the country, though not in Manila. I visited Antipolo Cathedral, pictured above, just about 25 kilometres or 15 miles out of Manila, where I had just a cheap digital camera taken from my pocket inside the cathedral, though fortunately my wallet, cards and cash were safely in a securely fastened pocket elsewhere on my person. Actually the big churches and pilgrimage churches in and around Manila, such as Quiapo and Antipolo, are often crowded and you should be especially careful here. You are probably much more risk of being pick-pocketed in a busy or crowded church than any other public place because of your diminished "situational awareness" - that is to say, you are or at least should always be in a state of relaxed alertness in crowded markets or public transport to reduce the risk of theft, whereas when you leave the hectic streets to walk into the supposed sanctuary of a church, you tend to "switch off" so to speak, and your head and your senses are then in a different place that makes you much more vulnerable. So I am not at all surprised that the only place I have ever had something stolen in the Philippines is inside a church.

Fighting self-righteousness

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THOSE gospel episodes where Christ bewailed the

self-righteousness of the leading Jews of his time remind us that we

really need to be aware of this common anomaly, called

self-righteousness, and do everything to fight it.

          Self-righteousness is a common disease, since all of us have

our share of pride and arrogance. We may not acknowledge it—a more

insidious situation to be in, since pride has a tremendous blinding

power—but we can fall into it from time to time, especially when we

make rash judgments, easily jump to conclusions, stereotype people,

making a habit of finding fault at others, etc.

          What is worse is when it is not only quiet and secretive,

but rather open and loud, and can even get physical, or when it

defines the very character of a person. It is shown in the way he

carries himself, how he looks at others, how he speaks and reacts to

things. He oozes with over-self-confidence, with a tone of voice that

cannot be other than bossy and strident.

          The source of their problem are the gifts given to us, when

we would not know how to handle them properly. Instead of being

humbled by them and always aware that the gifts are meant for God’s

glory and the good of others, we make these endowments a source of our

pride. We become highly opinionated. We like to dominate any

discussion. We would want always to have the last word.

          We have to be most careful of this spiritual virus. The

moment we see the slightest signs of its onset in us, we have to react

immediately and strongly, deepening our humility and strengthening our

desire to always glorify God and to be at the service of others.

          We should reflect the attitude of Christ who said that “the

Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his

life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20,28) We have to learn how to pass

unnoticed even as we are determined in carrying out our tasks and

duties in life.

          The awareness of our gifts or special charisms should also

intensify the awareness of the great responsibility we have to fulfill

because of them. Because of this, we should always feel the need to go

to God, convinced that it can only be with him that we can do things

properly. We should never think we can simply rely on our own powers.

          And then let’s start to figure out how to reach out to

others and serve them the way God wants them served through those

God-given gifts. When we see a self-righteous bully, let’s pray for

him and offer sacrifices for him, and do everything to help him

discover his proper place and use his gifts rightly.

          We should never think that our talents, gifts, blessings and

other privileges and advantages we can have in life are a right to

lord it over others, or to be proud and vain, or to expect more

privileges. They are never meant to make us feel superior to others,

turning us into conceited persons.

          If ever, these things should only make us more aware of the

greater responsibility we have to contribute to the common good. That

consideration, which we should try to be with us always, should sober

us and stop us from making fantastic, baseless ideas of ourselves.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

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.