More and more people from Russia and the CIS are moving to other countries. What doesn’t suit them in their homeland? What do they want to find there? Have you ever thought about leaving Russia?
Today's heroine of the magazine Reconomica , Vera from Chelyabinsk, thought for several years until she and her husband moved to the Philippines. What prompted them to do this? And why to the Philippines? Vera answered these questions frankly and also told our readers about life in this mysterious country, about the Filipinos and the false rumors that are spreading everywhere. So, over to her.
Why we decided to move from Russia
Hi all! My name is Vera Yuryevna Muravyova, I’m 26 years old, I’m from Chelyabinsk.
Have you ever thought about leaving Russia? I've been thinking about this for several years. I was an ordinary civil servant with a salary of 17 thousand, a carload of responsibilities, and a crowd of offended people in line to see me, and my husband was an engineer who worked at a power plant. We began to notice for a long time that something wrong was happening around us; we could not shake the feeling that our life was not a “ceiling”. We were very annoyed by the politics of our state, we took every change in legislation to heart, and our evenings turned into endless demagoguery on the topic “Everything is bad in Russia...”. And this despite the fact that we were once staunch patriots. From love to hate, as they say...
And we decided: we will emigrate. But where? European countries did not attract us at all.
Russians are treated unkindly there, and visas are not easy there. Plus, I wanted to be warm, I was tired of the harsh Chelyabinsk winters... and autumn, and all seasons, in general, I was tired. I think you know what I mean. Of course, the entire society around us was categorically against it. “Who needs you there?” and “How will you make money there?” - we heard this regularly.
As a result, we opened a list of countries with a loyal visa policy, and the choice fell between the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. My husband does not like blacks for some personal reasons, so we stopped in the Philippines.
Packed your things and went? No!
We understood that we definitely needed to go on reconnaissance. The fact is that information on the Internet is one thing, and personal feelings are another.
Intelligence service
We took a vacation from work and went to the Philippines for a month. What upset us right away was the flight, because there are no direct flights from Russia there. Accordingly, the flight is long, with one or two transfers, and expensive. We immediately realized that if we emigrated, we would not go home to visit often.
We took a vacation from work and went to the Philippines for a month.
The Philippines offers Russian citizens a free tourist visa for 30 days, which can be issued instantly right at the airport. This is very attractive for both travelers and expats who need to take a closer look.
To be honest, when we first visited the Philippines, we were not impressed, and even after returning home, we wondered if we had made the wrong choice. The infrastructure on the islands and in cities other than the capital is not developed, the service is low, there are almost no attractions, and Filipinos live like Russians in the 90s.
The only thing that unconditionally conquers is nature. She delights, evokes admiration and a desire to stay forever.
Before the trip, we established contacts with local Russian emigrants in order to meet them and learn more about life in the Philippines from eyewitnesses. It turned out that despite the mass emigration from Russia, few people make it to the Philippines.
Our meeting with the Russian Filipino ultimately became decisive for us in terms of moving. We had the impression that we had connections, help when needed, and this warmed our souls.
And we decided to move.
How we prepared for the move
For six months we saved money, worked more (although I, as a civil servant, was not allowed to earn extra money on the side), and saved. We had a goal: to save up enough money to live in the Philippines for six months.
The fact is that there is, in principle, little work in the Philippines, many citizens of the country are unemployed, and to provide a place to a foreigner, a work visa is required, which few employers want to bother with.
We understood that we would either have to work online or organize our own business.
To be honest, when we first visited the Philippines, we were not impressed.
How did we prepare for the move?
- They quit their job.
- We sold everything we could except the apartment.
- All documents were translated into English and notarized just in case.
- We bought tickets.
That's all! Asia is not as picky as Europe.
And so, we collected 60 kg of the most necessary luggage and set off. It was sad. At that moment it seemed that everything was in vain and that life in Russia was not good for us, but it was still good. Why did we even start this? I cried out loud when I said goodbye to my parents, but I understood that we were striving for the best, moving forward to a new level.
How to obtain British citizenship
Refugee status is defined in the Geneva Convention, signed in 1951, and political refugee status - in the Dublin Convention of 1990. To obtain status, you must provide irrefutable evidence of a threat to the life and safety of a migrant in his homeland, persecution for political and religious beliefs, on national or racial grounds, etc. Persons with refugee status can become a full British citizen after five years of continuous residence in the UK. At the same time, the UK does not assign status forever, and Home Office specialists closely monitor developments in the refugee’s homeland and, if the situation changes for the better, they may ask to leave the country. If nothing has changed during this time, then the refugee can become a citizen of the United Kingdom. At the same time, he has the right to bring his family with him and not have to take tests for knowledge of the English language and integration into British society.
Every year the number of foreigners who seek to become part of British society increases. The government periodically publishes statistics on the number of applications for citizenship of the country. This is required by the Freedom of Information Act 2021. Data are provided over a period of fifteen years. From the beginning of 2021 to the middle of 2021, more than 2 million 177 thousand applications were submitted . The main petitioners were Indian nationals, Pakistanis, Nigerians, Filipinos, South Africans and Chinese.
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Life in the Philippines
So, we leave the plane in jackets in 30-degree heat. We were met by local acquaintances who bought us a bike in advance and settled us until we found our own place to live. We are happy, because there are palm trees and the sea around. What else is needed?
How to earn money?
And then life began. We found an apartment and began to think and wonder how to earn money.
My husband is a mechanical engineer and software engineer, so proposals for cooperation on a partnership basis immediately appeared, that is, we open a business together and develop it. One proposal seemed attractive to us, namely the construction of mobile homes. The fact is that a foreigner does not have the right to buy land in the Philippines. He can only buy a house and rent land, but this is unsafe, because the lease may expire. What to do with the monumental house? Therefore, the idea seemed brilliant to us, and we set to work with great enthusiasm.
Philippine Residence Permit by Investment under the SIRV Program – Documents
What documents are required to apply for a SIRV residence permit? To successfully obtain a residence permit, the following documents are required:
- Application form, completed and notarized, accompanied by recent photographs
- A completed Personal History Statement Form (PHSF) from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), along with permission from the central government of the applicant's country of citizenship or previous residence competent to provide information regarding any criminal records the applicant may have. , duly certified by the Philippine Embassy. An alternative to such permission may be a certificate from Interpol, which indicates that the applicant has not been convicted of committing a crime against morality.
- A medical certificate from the Ministry of Health, any government hospital or medical facility, or any licensed and accredited hospital or medical facility in the applicant's country of residence, certifying the physical fitness of the applicant. The medical certificate must be certified by the National Quarantine Office of the Department of Health within 10 days of arrival in the Philippines if the person has obtained a temporary SIRV visa from a Philippine diplomatic mission abroad. Others need to do this when applying for the SIRV scheme with the Philippine Board of Investments.
- Certificate from Bank of the Philippines (LBP) or Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) regarding the applicant's deposit of the required investment amount and its conversion into the local currency: Philippine Peso.
- A certified copy of the certificate of temporary deposit in pesos with a minimum withdrawal period of thirty (30) days.
- Birth Certificate/Family Registry Extract/Household Registry Extract certified by the Philippine Consulate or Embassy located in the applicant's country of residence or the embassy of the applicant's nationality/previous residence in the Philippines.
- If applicable, a prenuptial agreement certified by the Philippine Consulate/Embassy located in the applicant's country of residence or the embassy of the applicant's country of citizenship/previous residence in the Philippines.
Where can an applicant wishing to participate in the SIRV scheme obtain an application form and other supporting documents? At the Philippine Foreign Service Post or SIRV Office located in Manila (address: 2nd Flr., Board of Investments, #385 Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila Philippines). They can also be downloaded from www.boi.gov.ph
Pros of living in the Philippines
I'll tell you about the advantages of the Philippines:
- Good climate. For example, according to eyewitnesses, in Thailand and Vietnam it is difficult to cope without air conditioning, but here it is quite bearable, and in winter, after adaptation, it is even cold. And the humidity is not so pressing.
- Local residents. No matter what horrors they say about the “criminal” Phils, it is no more dangerous here than in Russia. And the locals captivate you with their good nature and smiles.
- A simple attitude to everything. Didn't register your bike? Okay, do it when you have time. Did you drive in oncoming traffic unknowingly? Here's a fine of 200 pesos (or maybe not), be careful. Do you smoke, but is it prohibited here? Sir, please don't. Have you come to the bank? Employees can talk, laugh, use the phone and there are no fines.
- Obviously good attitude towards you as a European: friendliness and hospitality. At the same time, here they are not yet trying to make money on you, as in other tourist countries.
- English language. It is taught at school and all inscriptions and documents are in English. And even for those who do not know it well, it is much easier to learn than any other language.
How much does it cost to live here? The Philippines offers a paid tourist visa for Russian citizens with the opportunity not to leave the country for three years. The visa is renewed every two or six months. What is needed for renewal? Only a foreign passport and about 400 dollars for two months per person. True, they oblige you to make an internal ID card for $800 and change it once a year.
Isn't it wonderful here?
The Philippines is not for everyone
But you need to be careful, the Philippines is not for everyone. I'll tell you about the disadvantages:
- In medium-sized cities, the infrastructure is in trouble. There are few or no parks and entertainment complexes.
- Internet. It is here and, according to long-term expats, it has become much better over the past couple of years, but it still does not reach a good level. Wired Internet cannot be connected everywhere, and the speed is low for us, although over time you get used to it. If you were denied a wired connection and you decide to connect to the Internet via an LTE router, then don’t expect much and be glad that it exists at all. And most importantly, it's all expensive! We pay about 2,000 rubles for the Internet, which is several times worse than in Russia for 400 rubles. And the terms of the contract with the provider are simply monstrous if you suddenly want to disconnect.
- Few good beaches. The islands are not developed and there are not enough beautiful white sand beaches.
- English language. It seems to exist, but the locals say something different. The Spanish colonizers still left their legacy in their dialect and accent. Many locals speak only Filipino Visayas and Tagalog - these are those who either did not attend school or were truants.
- The innocence of the locals. Filipinos are very kind, simple as three pennies and often do not understand what you want from them.
- Frequent lack of professionalism of locals. Has your car broken down? You may have to go through a dozen services and specialists until you find the right person. Came to the store? The seller most often looks for prices in five minutes, you can forget about qualified consultation, do everything yourself. Do you want to find workers for repairs? Be prepared for surprises, you've never seen anything like this before. Do you need a lawyer? I'm afraid to imagine, look through your friends. We know the story of how a dentist worked with a patient under the illumination of a phone flashlight. You quickly get used to it if you are loyal. There are professionals, it’s just that there are few of them and you need to look for them, sometimes for a long time. The main thing is to make new acquaintances and listen to recommendations, they are really useful here.
- Garbage and unsanitary conditions. This is different in different cities. Our city is already clean and pleasant, although there are still not enough garbage cans. After all, this is Asia in the classical sense.
- Lack of wow effect. In the capital, of course, it is, but in ordinary cities there is nothing amazing: nothing sparkles at night, there are no large-scale parks or temples.
- Heat. Not everyone can adapt to such a climate.
- There are no usual online stores and services like Avito here. Do you want to buy something? Be more careful, look at the signs along the road or search on Facebook in strange message groups where there is no organization.
Many of the emigrants, after a short life in the Philippines, go back and cannot stand it. Although, it should be noted that there are a lot of Europeans and Americans here - they often find themselves Filipino wives (often half their age) and live happily ever after.
About rumors
There are rumors that the Philippines is dangerous, that there are murders on the streets and that there are many disadvantaged sections of the population. This is due to the resonant, tough and bloody policy of President Duterte against drug addiction that has not left the whole world indifferent. But this is a myth! We live in the mid-sized city of Dumaguete and it's absolutely peaceful. All the upheavals in the country took place a couple of years ago, but now everything has stabilized.
Personally, I feel very comfortable and calm here. Many people wonder how I can live in a foreign country, in an area with possible typhoons and volcanoes (after all, the Philippines is located on the dangerous Pacific volcanic Ring of Fire) and feel great! Yes, I can, because around me there are happy people and a state that is loyal to both its citizens and emigrants.
There is beautiful nature around me, and if I were again faced with a choice: to move or not, I would answer without hesitation: “Yes!”
Can Filipinos have a second citizenship?
A few years ago, Jim Rogers (a famous financier, billionaire, one of the most influential investors in the world, creator of his own international commodity index RICI. Graduated from Yale and Oxford universities, taught finance at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University) predicted that by 2021 year for wealthy people, the so-called High Net Worth Individuals, having only one passport would be simply reckless. We think that judging by the developments in the world, it is already reckless not to have a legal second citizenship and a passport.
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Obtaining a second passport is a goal that reasonable and prudent people set for themselves. Realizing the real situation in the world, possessing one passport, even in the most advanced country in the world, is more of a limiting factor than a liberating one.
