co-written with Jane Mangalus
A German National Enjoys A Quiet Life in Calapan
“Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to.”
~Harry Emerson Fosdick~
“Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to.”
~Harry Emerson Fosdick~
Go to Boracay, Dumaguete, or just roam around certain areas in Manila and you’ll surely come across foreigners who seem to have embraced a modest living here in the Philippines—as a student, a business owner, or maybe a retiree who have chosen to live a quiet and simple life in the country .
Take, for instance, the 72-year-old German, Wolfgang Hesch who has fallen in love with the way Filipinos acquaint themselves with other races. Although he described Pinoys just like how other nationals would do—friendly and hospitable—there are other pragmatic reasons why the Philippines is a good place for retirees.
Truth be told, most foreigners have longed to live in a tropical country with enchanting landscapes, pristine beaches, navigable mountains—and Hesch is no exemption; this retired German has always had a mental picture of waking up in the morning and facing the salty breeze from the ocean—which ,he said, makes him feel young and vibrant. “In Germany, it makes me feel old,” he expressed. To have lived in a place where autumn and winter seasons could really take one’s patience and drive one to its most solitary state, it is no wonder why Western people would often explore other more health-friendly nations with tropical climates.
“When I was a young man, it's my dream to live in a house near the sea side. So I worked for it. When I was 18, I started to travel in the different parts of the Philippines until I settled here in Mindoro for almost three decades now.”
His good friend for 25 years, Jaime Arabani, a local of Calapan shared, "He chose to retire here because of the customs we have. He loves the way how Filipinos treat their families...”
Germany is known as the “Land of Ideas” because of its resourceful, innovative, and progressive stature. But this retired business man is bleary about the thought of progressions in his place of origin. As recounted earlier, he spent most of his precious time travelling outside his busy country—as if he has always wanted to escape from it.
Hesch now spends most of his time in a bay-view house in Balite, Calapan City, Mindoro. Hesch had been to Cebu, Palawan, Boracay, and most of the tourist spots in the Philippines; it was in 1983 , though, that he first stepped onto the grounds of Mindoro, by chance.
“ (Now) I live in a house near the seaside; I have my orchidarium, my fish pond, a huge bird cage, and tennis court which I cannot have all-in-one in Germany. For me, this place is perfect,” Hesch ended.
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Why Retire in the Philippines?
· Relatively low cost of living compared to other Asian countries
· Cheap health and dental care; affordable medicines
· A Tropical paradise
· A democratic country
· Home of world-class educational institutions like UP, Ateneo, UST, DLSU, Mapua
· Melting pot of different cultures
· Wonderful beaches and mystical caves, marine life, and forestry
· Scenic landscapes in the countryside
· Various hotels, inns, restaurants, shopping malls, resorts, theme parks, movie houses among others scattered in different parts of the nation
· Conserved traditions celebrated thru annual festivals and processions
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