Living/Working in Manilla

[ara2312]

Hi all,

An opportunity has arisen for me to spend the next couple of years working in Manila. Was wondering if anyone has any experience of the place working, traveling or living there? Any views would be appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

[XJSJohn]

doing what?

Have you much experiance in Asia? I ask this because you will either love it and never want to go back to UK or hate it and be on a flight within 1 week.

Manilla is definitely getting into "serious asia" with some big culture shock.

Its a great city though!

[ara2312]

XJSJohn said:

doing what?

Have you much experiance in Asia? I ask this because you will either love it and never want to go back to UK or hate it and be on a flight within 1 week.

Manilla is definitely getting into "serious asia" with some big culture shock.

Its a great city though!

I'll be moving operations teams out there and being the main contact point, never been to ASIA before though so will have to see what the culture differences are like first.

[XJSJohn]

i would recomend that you get your company to send you out on a few business trips / fact finding trips before the full on move.

Do you have a wife and dustbin lids?

Also make sure that you get advise on the package that you negotiate, i am not that clued up on that side of things as i am a PR here and work self employed but i know things to factor in

Accomodation allowance
School Fees
Company Car
Minimum one set of (business class) return flights to uk for holidays fot you and family
Shipping costs
Repatriation costs

etc - i gather that you don't necessarily get all of these these days, but there is a long list of expat "requirements" to start working off.

[ara2312]

XJSJohn said:

i would recomend that you get your company to send you out on a few business trips / fact finding trips before the full on move.

Do you have a wife and dustbin lids?

Also make sure that you get advise on the package that you negotiate, i am not that clued up on that side of things as i am a PR here and work self employed but i know things to factor in

Accomodation allowance
School Fees
Company Car
Minimum one set of (business class) return flights to uk for holidays fot you and family
Shipping costs
Repatriation costs

etc - i gather that you don't necessarily get all of these these days, but there is a long list of expat "requirements" to start working off.

Thanks for the advice, hopefully getting out there at the end of the year for 2 weeks business and a free week fact finding. I've only me and the OH to worry about and as we work for the same company hopefully they will find her a role out there. I'll let you know how i get on.

[Big Rumbly]

I worked over there a few years back in quezon city. There are a lot of ex pat communities, and the more well to do locals are very friendly. However it is a land of opposites and extremes, from the very rich to the very poor.You will need local knowledge to know where to go and where not to,and what time to do this. There is a lot of violence in certain areas.It was, however, an experience I would not have wanted to miss

[XJSJohn]

so, did you take the job?

[Wanchaiwarrior]

perhaps it a little early to send out a search party to look for him lying in a gutter with his kidneys removed but with a very very large grin and look of sheer pleasure on his face ????

[GlenMH]

I wonder if he forgot to check in his weaponry when he was going in to a nightclub?

[XJSJohn]