Are there any special programs/arrangements for foreigners that want to live or work in the Philippines?

• There is a Special Retirement Residence Visa (SSRV): If you are older than 50 years, you can acquire an SSRV when you make a minimum deposit of 20.000 dollar at one of the accredited Philippine banks. They will also assist you with attaining a work visa; it is considered a very good alternative for people that wish to stay for a long time. There are more options for SRRV applications. 
• Are you planning to invest and start-up a business in the Philippines? The country runs an Invest Philippines program with attractive investment incentives that include the following: income tax holiday, a special low tax rate, duty-free regulations on importation of equipment and supplies, simplification of customs procedures and on employment of foreign nationals and expats.
• Museum Volunteer Philippines arranges yearly History Courses, that may help you to understand and appreciate filipino culture and customs. 

What are important factors to consider in regards to Social Insurance laws in the Philippines?

• Foreigners working for a Philippine company can sometimes have access to social benefits of the Philippines Social Security System (SSS) through their company. These benefits are:
  • Sickness benefit
    • The sickness benefit is a daily cash allowance paid for the number of days a member is unable to work due to sickness or injury.
  • Maternity benefit
    • The maternity benefit is a daily cash allowance granted to a female member who was unable to work due to childbirth or miscarriage.
  • Funeral benefit
    • It is a cash benefit given to whoever pays the burial expenses of the deceased member or pension.
  • Disability benefit
    • The redesigned SSS Disability Benefit program adopts the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes and takes into account the medical management of illnesses and injuries and their corresponding impairment ratings.
  • Retirement benefit
    • The retirement benefit is a cash benefit either in monthly pension or lump sum paid to a member who can no longer work due to old age.
  • Death benefit
    • It is a cash benefit either in monthly pension or lump sum paid to the beneficiaries of a deceased member. The primary beneficiaries are the legitimate dependent spouse until the person remarries, and the member's dependent legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted, and illegitimate children who are not yet 21 years old. In the absence of primary beneficiaries, the dependent parents shall be the secondary beneficiaries. In their absence, any other person designated by the member as beneficiary in the member's record.
• Disadvantages of these benefits:
  • In most cases they cover less than what you are used to in the Netherlands.
  • Registration can be complicated.
• As a foreigner it is quite difficult to register for local benefits, that is why most foreigners choose to align health care and social security under different institutions, for example by arranging health care on an international level.

What can you do to learn more about your insurance?

• I have arranged my insurance here. For more information, explanation and ask free advice concerning international healthcare for yourself and your family through JoHo Insurances.

Why register with your embassy after arriving in the Philippines?

• It is important to register yourself with the Embassy of your country of origin, in the Philippines.
• That way the Embassy can inform you about the latest news and whenever there is a disaster, they will be able to find you.
• Embassies usually offer other benefits as well like promotions or special holiday celebrations.

Other things to consider

• Always double check information and rules and regulations. Procedures and policies often change without notifications.
• Often institutions will ask you to Notarize your documents at a Notary Public. Most Memorandum of Agreements or other official documents state at the end: A Notary Public needs to witness it and the document needs a Notarial Seal. A Notary Public is a legal person who will stamp your documents and seal/sign it. Depending on the kind of document, it will cost you from PHP 100 to PHP 500. 

How do you pay taxes in the Philippines?

• Income tax ranges from 5-32%.
• In most cases your company automatically withholds the income tax.
• Consultants only pay 10% tax; it can be beneficial to be considered a consultant in your official contract for this specific reason.
• Ask advice from an expert to become aware of the latest developments regarding tax rules and regulations.
• Read more about fiscal concerns when staying abroad for a long time in the general.

What are important factors to consider in regards to recognition of professional qualifications in the Philippines?

• Attained professional certifications and diplomas are not automatically valid in the Philippines.
• Certain professions for example in the fields of nursing and medicine require specific certification by local authorities.
• Employers may require original or notarized copies of diplomas. Always bring these with you when you travel to the Philippines for work.
• The application for a work visa and other legal documents is made easier when you bring your official documents and diplomas. A copy or scan will not suffice in most cases.

What requirements or regulations are in place for foreigners that want to start an enterprise in the Philippines?

• It is important to ask an expert for advice, as the regulations are dependent on the type of business that will be initiated. Considerable rules and regulations are in place. 
• A foreigner cannot form a solely owned business in the Philippines without a heavy investment. For a corporation, you are looking at USD$200,000).
• A foreigner can have up to 40% ownership in a corporation – minimum capital to start a corporation is only Pesos 5,000 (approximately USD $ 100).
• The best way to be in business in the Philippines is to be married to a Filipino who holds ownership of the proprietorship, or form a corporation with a Filipino spouse with you owning 40% and he or she is owning 60%.
• You also enter into a corporation with 40% ownership with a Filipina girlfriend or a Filipino friend – but consider the risk of having no control over other stock owner(s).
• Depending on the purpose of the corporation (purchase of a real estate – land or house), it might still make sense that when the property is sold you would be entitled to your share of the proceeds.
• There is one exception whereby you can become a 100% owner of a corporation and that is if the corporation is formed to purchase land, or your other shareholder is your spouse, and he or she dies. Under this arrangement, as the heir to your deceased spouse, you are able to retain 100% ownership of the property.