Cost Of Living - part two

Doctors: If you're traveling from place to place, try not to get sick. I'm only half-kidding. On the whole, doctors in the Philippines don't have much training. There is a big problem in the Philippines with the selling of certificates and credentials by professor's and officials. If one's grades aren't too good in University or other public and private institutions, more often than not with a little money you can purchase better grades from your teachers. It's a serious matter for concern for both Pinoy and foreigners alike.
The provencial hospital of Palawan is the very last place you would want to go to if you had a serious - beginning with a simple headache - or life-threatening problem. Doctors with good skills and training won't work there, and setup private practices. If you were in dire need of finding a competent doctor, how would you, the traveler, find one? One of the best can be found practicing at the Bio-Chemist drug store and pharmacy in PPC - which he owns. Usually only new doctors and interns would be fond at the provencial hospital, and they are very short on knowledge or skills. And I think I could safely say that that holds true through-out the Philippines.
At the provencial hospital, health care is free. Sort of. I think I would desribe that brand of health-care as health-damage. The big problem with the provencial hospital system, after the incometent doctors, is that they have virtually nothing in the way of medicines, blood, blood plasma, etc., to provide to those in need of it. Before one can have surgery, no matter how immediate the need, you must first go or send a companion to a pharmacy to purchase such things as suture thread. Blood and plasma must also first be purchased prior to surgery.
Adventist Hospital - or any private hospital - is the only place you should give serious consideration to when needing medical help. It's a private hospital in Puerto Princesa City and the standards are quite high in comparison to all other options. All foreigners without exception go there for treatment. The doctors are capable and they have what's needed if surgery is required, and a well-stocked pharmacy.
To be seen by a doctor at a private hospital like Adventist costs P150 ($2.68). Health care is very inexpensive, as is medicines. Prices will be higher in large cities like Manila, but even at four-times the cost it doesn't amount to much.

I'm amazed that I haven't once gotten sick since my arrival. After all the stories and fears of bacteria and germs with shouts of "Don't touch that!" from my mother, schools and TV health programs inundated me with as a child, you'd think I'd be dead after taking two deep breaths upon leaving the Manila airport.
I do get rashes from bacteria many times when resting my arms on a cafe or restuarant table top. Waitresses use the same cloth, dampened with tap water, to smear the bacteria around. I'm prepared to swear they've never used warm water or soap in the history of the business. Within minutes my arms, where they've touched the table, start itching and turn red. Going into most businesses restrooms to wash can be a lesson in frustration and aggravation; there's rarely soap, and hot water is even more rare. Add toilet paper to that "never have" list. And that includes the hospital restrooms.
You will never find toilet paper in 99 out of every 100 places. Toilet paper would immediately be stolen if it were placed in a restroom. Bio-matter, such as leaves, is most commonly employed, as is one's hand, well washed, one hopes, afterward. I always carry those little Kleenex packs of tissues in my waist-pouch, along with packs of moist towelettes that have alcohol in them.
For some reason Antibiotics are prescribed like candy and can be purchased at any drugstore without a prescription. Filipino's take antibiotics for headaches, sore throat. anything, really. Sore throat medicants like Hall's throat lozenges are stocked only on the candy shelves of stores.
Hydrogen Peroxide (Aqua Oxigenada): When I first moved to the Philippines you can expect that, as a westerner with squished-together toes from tight shoes and boots, I ran into problems with foot fungus between my toes. I bought over-the-counter lotions and sprays, saw the doctor and was prescribed pasty lotions. Everything was water based. Some did nothing - others made the peeling worse. As time went on the cracking and peeling became so bad and opened so deeply that it was bleeding, and I feared that I would soon see my toe-bones. I worried about real infections.
Then I remembered that Hydrogen Peroxide was good for infections, so I started using that. Almost over-night the wounds grew smaller. Within a week the wounds were closed. Now I apply a few drops between my toes about two times a week. Result: occasional minute peeling betweebn two toes only (because they're so close together) every 3-4- weeks. It's not a cure, but it's close enough.
Dentists: There's just no way to advise you about dentists. I can't say I've had a lot of experience with them. I'd only had check-ups and teeth cleaning with two different dentists. However, I took my girlfriend to have extensive work done to her teeth. What I saw of her experience was not encouraging. Celine had a bad tooth that needed pulling. When we went to have the work done, the dentist, a young woman, told Celine that she hadn't sleep the night before from worrying and nervousness about the work. She had never done it before! Now, I don't know about you, but that would make my feet fly me right out the door if I heard that.
Even my teeth cleanings were bad. The dentist used some mideival instrument of torture I'd never seem before. Three small prongs, like thin nut-picks, protruded from a metal tube. When the air was turned on the prongs rattled and stabbed at my teeth like miniature jack-hammers. It was completely ineffective.
I was finally referred to an excellent dentist, but only because the one that I'd been to was moving to the U.S. to start a practice there. The dentist, Dr. Acero, is highly trained. He first learned to speak Japanese so he could go to Japan to study. After six years of learning advanced dentistry techniques he was awarded a Ph.D and the title of "Doctor." No doubt, the man knows what he's doing, and I would go so far as to say he's more qualified and talented than most American dentists. So you never know what you're going to find, good, bad or ugly. As we say in America, "You lays yer money down, and you takes yer chances."
Dr. Acero charges no more than the worst dentists. I once spent four hours in his chair simply having my teeth checked and cleaned - the proper way, by hand with a pick, then rotory-polished. He charged me P400 ($7.00). Celine got some fillings in her teeth at a cost of P200 ($3.50) each.
I filed a case for an annulment from my Filipina wife 3-years ago. We never even lived together. It was strange. It was an Internet affair. Dangerous stuff, that. I think it was just a game for her - get online, say whatever you want, lie, pretend to be whomever, whatever you want, play, see what happens. Online relationships are not WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Far from it. And you need to be very careful if you decide to go the Internet Personals route. Many girls send other girls' pictures, so the young, beautiful, skinny girl with the model's figure turns out to be, after an expensive flight to the other side of the world, 45-years old and with the figure of a 55-gallon drum. The college-educated young woman who's working as a computer programmer is suddenly revealed to be a dancer/prostitute with a grade-3 elementary education and working in the bars at infamous Angeles City.
I wasn't deceived in that way. My wife was college educated, as were her parents, and it is a respectable family. But, she was just playing. Although she denies it, I believe she just wanted to find a (rich) American to foot the bill for her to go to America and provide the means for a green card. She was the one to propose marriage to me after a 9-month email relationship.
When I told her I was moving here to retire and live permanently, she offered to come and help me take care of my mother. When already in the Philippines, her mother and other family members gave her heck for showing signs of not wanting to go through with the marriage. So it was easier, apparently, just to marry me and get everyone off of her back.
On our wedding night, rather than kiss, and hug and laugh, and consumate the marriage, she wanted to sleep in separate beds. Then she spent a half-hour or so telling me what she would and would not do because she didn't really want to be married. I retired to the lounge to sleep on a couch, leaving her with the statement that, "I don't want to be married to anyone who doesn't want to be married to me." What more can one say when faced with that sort of future connubial bliss?
The next morning I was on a plane bound for Manila and San Francisco. Four months later, and after obtaining a 13(A) permanent resident visa, I returned to Puerto. At the house she'd rented for me I was presented the keys, and she left. So much for marriage Filipina style. I filed soon afterwards. Last October, 3 and 1/2 years later my attorney rested the case and I currently await the courts decision.
Well, as life mysteriously goes, it was the best thing that could have happened. I have my 13(A), which I otherwise couldn't get and I found the most amazingly wonderful woman I could have ever hoped to meet - Celine. Much more on that later...
I received a phone call from my wife not long ago in which she asked for my help so she could move to the U.S. "Why do you want to got to the States," I asked, "I thought you never wanted to live there?"
"Well..., I just thought it might be fun. What is there to do here?" Mm-hmmm.
Okey-dokey. My attorney is supposed to be one of the best on Palawan (he represents large clients like the University of Palawan). The man's an idiot. But for informational purposes, his fees are P150 ($2.67) for a consultation; (P500 ($8.90) to go to court; P1000 ($17.85) if he has to address the court on your behalf. The bad news is, if you find you need an attorney in the Philippines to represent you on a serious charge, you'd be smart go to Manila and find a more competent, more costly one. What fool won't do whatever necessary to save himself to save a little money on costs? The good news is that it won't cost you your life's fortune as it would in the USA.................