And now for some good news

I’m deliberately taking a break from all the grotesque goings-on in our world; actually just one part of our world, but what they’re doing there is awful enough to infect nearly everything around them. So I’m taking my mind off all the shame and scandal at the “See-neet” (to borrow a term from my columnist to the right) to focus on positive things.

The past week I’ve been poring over reports of CSR projects undertaken by members of the League of Corporate Foundations, a network of 94 operating and grant-giving corporate and family foundations in the country.

I’ve been on the judging panel of the LCF CSR Guild Awards for four years now – suki na, as they say – but I must admit the task is no less challenging this fourth time around. In fact, this year it’s near overwhelming, as there are about a hundred projects submitted for evaluation. I’ve had to break them up into groups, by category (there are eight categories), so that I won’t get information overload and OD on projects. I take little breaks – play with my dog, get a glass of water and some chichirya or just look out the window at the sky (I have this thing about clouds and the shades of blue the sky takes on at different times) – after reading four or five projects, so I can return to the other entries with a fresh rather than a tired mind.

What I’ve been reading is in direct contrast to what’s happening in the “See-neet.” Rather than subterfuge and histrionics, these projects are real endeavors – no ghost projects here – that directly touch and positively impact the lives of real people – fisherfolk, farmers, teachers, students, mothers, kids – in communities all over the country. Many of the projects are in far-flung villages, in what are referred to as GIDA – geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, where many of our national leaders not only have never been to but don’t intend to visit and probably don’t even know these exist.

When the judging is over and the winners are announced and there is no embargo I will write about some of these projects that particularly touched me – innovative, impactful, illustrating what service really is.

Unfortunately our panel of five hardworking judges has to narrow down the entries and the process will finally come up with winners in each category, but it’s not a cliché to say that each entry is an award winner, with tangible, measurable results, as well as intangible benefits to the lives they have uplifted and continue to uplift. Going through these entries has been an uplifting experience for me too, realizing there is, in truth, a lot of good happening in our country.

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He wanted to live in the city, but not in a big mega-city. And he wanted to be near the beach, and the mountains too. Following a successful career as part of a three-man mellow-voiced singing group (we Boomers will know the group), he found his retirement paradise…in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental.

He is just one of 61,000 foreigners currently living out their retirement years in the Philippines – happily so, enjoying what many of them cite as the warmth and friendliness of the people, the warm climate (really warm these days!), the bountiful beauty of nature and the relatively lower cost of living (compared to their home countries). Many diplomats and expats who have tasted the way of life here choose to stay. My former neighbor, a Japanese couple (he was with the Asian Development Bank), retired in Cebu. A diplomat who recently ended her tour of duty has indicated intention to retire here after her final stint at the home office.

STAR Business editor Iris Gonzales and I recently sat down for a chat with Bob Zozobrado, general manager of the Philippine Retirement Authority. I’ve known Bob for years, from when he was GSA for Northwest Airlines (before it was bought by Delta). He’s now flying high enticing foreigners to find a home in our shores, and many have done so, from Pangasinan to Palawan, Ilocos to Iloilo, Subic to Siargao. It’s been so successful the PRA won the 2025 TripZilla Excellence Award for Best Retirement Destination in Southeast Asia.

The PRA was established by Marcos Sr. in July 1985 to “promote the Philippines as a top retirement destination in Southeast Asia.” The PRA grants SRRV – Special Resident Retiree’s Visa – to qualified foreign nationals and former Filipinos (dual citizens don’t fall under the PRA) which gives them permanent residency in the country, multiple entry without the need for exit/re-entry permit and exemption from having to get the ACR card, a yearly hassle for foreigners.

Retirees now no longer mean 60 or 65 years old. In this age of digital nomads, those 40 years old and above can qualify, which means this guy Marcus – who has a YouTube video “I’ve been to 43 countries, here’s why I live in the Philippines” – can now qualify for an SRRV and continue to live in Dumaguete (his home for the last few years) without the hassle of doing so on a tourist visa (constantly renewing his visa, getting an ACR, etc.).

There are, of course, requirements and fees, documents to submit and a personal interview (in person or by Zoom). There’s a special category for former Filipinos, and another for retired diplomats, military officers, high achievers, philanthropists.

It seems they’ve learned the lessons from past experiences of those who come in as dependents of retirees then mysteriously/miraculously become naturalized or even natural-born Filipinos (like a certain ex-mayor and piggery farm owner).

Amidst all the things going haywire, it’s heartening – yes, uplifting – to know that, as the PRA slogan says, one can “Love to Live in the Philippines.”