I HATE THE PHILIPPINES

Foreigners love the beaches...but hate these about the Philippines.

Here’s my collection of the many complaints foreigners have made about the Philippines—real estate edition.

1. Can’t Open a Checking Account

Welcome to the Philippines, the land where post-dated checks are the gold standard for rentals. The problem? Foreigners can’t open a checking account when they first arrive. Why? Because they’re branded as “flight risks.” Bank transfers? Nice try—most lessors won’t accept them.

2. Death by Signature

Closing a sale here isn’t a simple signature at the end of a document. No, in the Philippines, you sign every single page. During the pandemic, one foreigner in the Visayas was asked to sign 10 copies of a 12-page document over a Zoom call. The lawyer insisted on personally witnessing each stroke of the pen.

3. Embassy Pilgrimages

Need to notarize abroad? Welcome to the Philippine consulate, where paperwork often takes two trips—sign today, pick up another day. For busy professionals or those living far from the consulate, this turns a simple signature into a logistical nightmare.

4. Sale Proceeds: The Myth of “Not Allowed”

Ask a bank teller how to remit sale proceeds abroad, and the answer you’ll often hear is: “Not allowed.” This is misleading. The real issue is the process—banks require extra documents and steps that many front-line staff either don’t understand or don’t want to handle.

5. Contractors and “Philippine Time”

Booked a repair at 9 AM? Maybe they’ll show up at noon. Maybe not at all. Meanwhile, the foreigner burned a day of leave.

6. Paying Real Property Tax (RPT)

Property tax online? Only in a couple of cities. For everyone else, it’s still medieval—show up in person, or pay someone to do it for you.

Takeaway: Foreigners may gripe, but it’s the brokers who take the heat—absorbing the frustrations, explaining the absurdities, and ultimately becoming the punching bag for a system they don’t control.

[Did I miss anything out?]