The Expat in Bacolod monthly newsletter is to be cancelled from February 2019. The updates from my author website will continue as usual. The main reason behind this is I had combined my subscriber list from here and my author website. The newsletter went out with a combined RSS Feed* showing posts from both sites. Sadly, the January newsletter looked a mess owing to some glitch with the RSS Feed. I am unable to fix it. Here’s how it will affect you if you are an existing subscriber to the newsletter. If you see my posts via WordPress and/or WordPress Reader – nothing changes If you only follow this blog via the newsletter, there will be a link back to this site from the author… Read More
Expat In Bacolod
Stephen Bentley - Writer
Yes, it’s that time of year again – a Philippines Christmas. I thought it would be a good idea to re-blog this post as I’m sure many of you will not have read it before. Enjoy! Merry Christmas! Christmas in the Philippines “Maligayang Pasko Sa Inyong Lahat” or Merry Christmas to Everyone! The typical Filipino does not need much of an excuse to celebrate and party. Christmas in the Philippines is no exception. The manifestations of the onset of Christmas start here as early as September. That is when you first notice the street vendors and stalls selling their Christmas lighting and decorations. It is a sight particularly noticeable after dusk when you cannot fail to see the twinkling, flashing lights of reindeers and other… Read More
Crafty Fartsy? Good question. Who are they or what is it? And what does it/they do? Luckily I’m in a position to tell you. It specializes in, and I quote from the Facebook page, ‘Personalized Products Free Personalization! Make any celebration better with personalized party supplies, gifts & more!’ It’s operated by my wife Zabrina. She works closely with good friend Shar Mayne who operates Michs N More Events and Coordination. It specializes in party events and poses this question with the solution: Planning a party and need something unique? We can help you, we are your one stop solution to your events and party. Together, they provide a one-stop solution for all party needs whether a birthday, Christening, small corporate functions etc. They are… Read More
I was delighted to come across a sauce, I mean source :), of British grub here in the Philippines. It’s a website run by another British expat from Leyte. No problem though as he arranges shipping through LBC. Funnily enough, HP sauce can be bought in many supermarkets here. But the guy in Leyte stocks a lot more foodstuffs that all Brits are familiar with. Most of it seems to be from Asda, Lidl, and other UK supermarkets. No matter, it appears to be a good selection right across the board. The prices are reasonable too. I think I’m lucky. I can eat the local food and find most of it delicious. I was the same in Thailand and come to think of it, the… Read More
That’s a good question: will they work? I’m talking about the new Bacolod bicycle lanes project. I hope they do partly because they have cost P62M (about 1.1M USD). That’s a lot of money to spend on some yellow lines painted on the road. However, the main reason I hope they work is to make the roads here safer for all users including cyclists and there are many of them in this country. You see the serious ones every day of the week clad in Lycra furiously pedaling away on their top-end machines. Here is one reason why the good intentions are immediately dismantled by selfish car drivers. Take a look at the picture below. You can immediately see what the problem is and how… Read More
What follows is one sad story of one expat here in the Philippines. I reproduce the tale unedited. I know him and he will remain anonymous. He’s a good man and deserves better. It is a cautionary tale for any who move here. I thank God I chose wisely and have a wife who ensures I am not exposed to any of the shenanigans you will read below. For your information, one British Pound equals about 70 Philippines Pesos (PHP) at the time of writing. One dollar will get you about 50 PHP. I have been here in the Philippines for almost 3 years and can honestly say it is a stunningly beautiful country. We bought land, designed and built our own house in an… Read More
Okay, I admit it, “near death experience” is a tad exaggerated, but it was damn scary! As most of you know, the first book I wrote was about the abysmal driving standards here in the Philippines. It’s available here if you want to read it. And all my other books in digital format may be purchased here at Books2Read. The paperback and audio book versions are only available through Amazon. Plug over! 🙂 So here is the story of the carabou., a big heavy water buffalo type thingy. It all happened on a weekend away. A wonderful trip south to Hinobaan,then onward to Bayawan and Siaton. The last named town is the most southerly point of Negros Island. We meaning me, my wife Zabrina,… Read More
Many murders have an element of tragedy but this is truly a tragic slaying in Silay. Silay City is only a fee kilometers from Bacolod so the entire expat community and thousands of locals were saddened to hear about this tragedy, I reproduce the story below as reported by Lifestyle Bacolod, a Facebook page. Let’s help Erik… Your P50s can go a long way. Erik was shot dead as 5-year-old son waits in vehicle in Silay City. The victim identified as Erik Norman Hendrickson, 57, of Wisconsin, United States, was declared dead on arrival at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, according to Supt. Noel Polines, officer-in-charge of the Silay City Police Station. Hendrickson, who was temporarily residing at Loney Burgos in… Read More
This post was intended to be about Guimaras. However, seeing ninety-nine percent of our time was spent at the wonderful California Coral Beach Resort at Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, then it seemed right to me to blog mainly about the resort. Firstly, a little about Guimaras. It’s a gem of a small island situated between the two larger islands of Negros and Panay. Here is what one Philippines website has to say about the island: ABOUT GUIMARAS PROVINCE Guimaras Island varies from level to steeply sloping, with land elevation ranging from 0 to nearly 300 meters above sea level. Mt. Dinulman, located in Millan, Sibunag, has the highest elevation of 267 meters above mean sea level. A great part of the island’s land area is above… Read More
Another step closer to converting my tourist visa into a 13A Visa. This is intended as an update for all who are contemplating the same 13A visa process and to those of you who have asked me for the information. I hope what follows is helpful. May I say at the outset that there is no need to pay lawyers or fixers to process this application. It is easy if you complete the forms correctly and follow the simple step by step guide below. For the uninitiated, a 13A Visa is to convert from a tourist visa to a Non-Quota Immigrant Visa By Reason of Marriage. If approved, you, the applicant foreigner, are permitted to stay in the Philippines on a one year Probationary basis…. Read More
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