Luxury | Living In The Philippines

How High Are Your Walls?

A lot of expats often complain about those who live behind high walls in secure compounds like the upscale Filipinos choose to live. They prefer to live cheek by jowl with their neighbours and really soak up the Filipino color. Such as the roosters crowing all night and day, the little kids forever staring through your windows and watching your every move and of course everyone knowing when you are in or out.

There are some good things about living ‘native’ but for those of us on a better budget, we tend to follow the example of the more well off Pinoys. Walled compounds offer security and privacy and both are not always easily obtained here, especially the privacy. Hordes of kids and locals staring open mouthed gets old pretty quickly. You can;t blame them as they think all of us Kano’s are movie stars.

Security is important because as a Kano you will always be considered to be well off by local standards. Many nice houses are surrounded by squatter encampments that spring up and are difficult to dislodge, even if they are on private property. So having a high wall and a solid gate you can guarantee a degree of privacy and security. Many such houses are offered for rent for less than US$1000 a week, include maid and gardener’s quarters and even a swimming pool, tennis court and manicured gardens.

Once you move up out of the cheap stuff there is a lot to be had for your dollar! If you are going to retire to a place you call paradise, then make sure it is all you want it to be and in the Philippines that is easy to achieve.