Whats the best place to retire in the Philippines for a Fil-am?

Anywhere would be good except Mindanao I actually wanna live near other Filipinos and not foreigners. Even though I am a FIL-am, I still speak tagalog fluently(as well as english and some spanish).

Public Comments

1. If you have a bit of Money, Pampango has some very nice subdivisions about an hour outside of metro Manila. If you like to live for less, there is always Cebu or upscale Mactan Island (also Cebu) if you want to live even nicer.
2. Down South of Manila. Sta Rosa has nice villages, near Tagaytay and malls. The place is nice and cool. You can also go to nice cities nearby, it is 1hour drive from Makati. House and lots are not so expensive but you can experience suburban living while in the midst of rural surroundings.
3. Baguio City. The weather is cool, lots of fresh produce, the beaches are 1hr away, lots of places to exercise, has its own airport. There are several malls, good night spots, and friendly people. Lots of foreigners around, they have their own groups.
4. Batangas... breathtaking scenic view of Taal volcano away from Manila's air pollution.
5. You should go to Baguio.As that one girl said...the climate is pretty cold.There are many big houses there if you want to retire.Fruits and vegetables are pretty fresh.There is entertainment everywhere,and many places to hang around.My dad lives there,and whenever I go to the Philippines I spend it in Baguio.It's the summer capital of the Philippines.There's a little bit of everything there.There are also many festivals.Most people are also nice.In my opinion Mines View and John Hay are the quietest places to live in Baguio.Other than that,there are many foreigners there,many Koreans and Americans.
6. I would love to go back to Baguio when it's time for me to retire. I simply love the weather, it averages 63 F on summer days. Baguio is a mountain city, quite similar to the Smokeys in TN with lots of tall pine trees. John Hay is the prime real estate of the city and best place to have a residence. The neighbor province, Benguet, has farming and cut flowers as its industry and Baguio City is its market. There is no shortage of fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers. Tourism is the city's main industry. There are malls, plenty of coffee shops, restaurants that serves int'l and local cuisine, steak houses are popular, bars, spas, massage clinics, hotels, three major hospitals, golf course, and parks. Crime rate is really low, people of Baguio are peace loving and sincerely hospitable. Taxi drivers will give you exact change unlike cab drivers in Manila. Btw, flat rate for taxi in Baguio is $0.50, costs me $1.50 for a ride from John Hay to city proper. Driving in the city is not a hassle at all except for downtown traffic during rush hours. There's not much of driving rules, no speed cameras or red light camera, no real speed limits. There's a number of foreigners (Koreans) and expats (most are retired US soldiers) and the Red Lion bar is the most popular hangout.
7. any part of the philippines is good depending on your roots, goals and finances. i would agree with tagaytay b/c of its unique geography, good food and proximity to manila. the angeles city-san fernando area of pampanga is also good because by expway its only 30 mins to manila and connects by new highway to subic--very central, small towns with plenty of shopping and night life but near some farming if you are into that. if you really want a simple but enchanted place to live--may i suggest bohol--beaches, culture, good roads, safe, good people, pristine and uncluttered but not too isolated. please dont omit mindanao. the davao area is safe and beautiful--friendly people. bustling, progessive, beaches,bargains, good nightlife
8. subic, tagaytay, baguio, lingayen, cebu, bohol, camiguin.
9. my vote goes to bohol if you want somewhere quiet and provincial with beautiful scenery and access to beaches. if you still want access to city based amenities i'd be looking for somewhere on cebu within easy distance of cebu city. plus, cebu city is only a 2 hour ferry ride to bohol.
10. I'd get a small condo in Makati or The Fort, depending on what kind of finances I had. In the early years, I'd rent out the condo. Then I'd get a house in the province because I want to be near trees and the sea. Later, when I need medical attention (old age), I could go to Manila and stay in the condo instead of with relatives or a hotel. Of course, by then, I would not take tenants anymore.