PH still an attractive place for expats

The Philippines remains an attractive place for expatriates, majority of whom find themselves happier and see their children enjoying better quality of life since relocating to this part of the world, based on the latest Expat Explorer survey commissioned by British banking giant HSBC.

Based on the research, 52 percent of expats globally said becoming an expat had improved their quality of life.

For expats based in the Philippines, 54 percent said they were happier since moving to this country while 56 percent said their children’s overall quality of life was better. Furthermore, 58 percent said that quality of childcare was better in the Philippines compared to their home country.

Another 48 percent of expat respondents from the Philippines said they had a more positive outlook in life after their relocation while 41 percent said work-life balance was better than in their home country.

“Expat life entails adjustment and can sometimes be stressful, but over here in the Philippines, more and more expats enjoy immersing themselves in the local culture (54 percent) and are integrating well with the local people and Filipino way of life (73 percent),” Kris Werner, HSBC head of retail banking and wealth management for the Philippines, said in a press statement yesterday.

“More than half (61 percent), in fact, say that the Philippines is more welcoming than their home country regardless of an expat’s background. This is not surprising given the general happy disposition, strong family ties, work ethic and innate hospitality of the Filipino people that make more expats agree that working in the Philippines offers a good place to improve one’s well-being, bring you closer to your partner, provide quality of life for children and have a more positive outlook of life,” Werner added.

For expats here in the Philippines, more than half (55 percent) said that moving to this country had brought them closer to their partner.

HSBC’s Expat Explorer survey, the world’s biggest and longest running study of expat life, found out that the desire for a better quality of life was the second most common reason people move abroad and expat life usually didn’t disappoint.

Despite the challenges of moving abroad, just 23 percent of expats said life abroad had made them feel more stressed.

Moving to a sunny climate seems to have a particularly positive effect as expats in Portugal (62 percent), Thailand (62 percent), Spain (60 percent) and Mexico (59 percent) were the most likely to feel happier.

Children are also seen to benefit from the expat experience. Fifty-nine percent of expat parents globally said their children’s overall quality of life had improved. The Netherlands stood out in this metric, with 76 percent of expat parents saying their children were healthier and happier and 72 percent saw an improvement in their children’s quality of life.

Apart from 56 percent of expat parents in the Philippines saying their children’s quality of life had improved, 42 percent said making friends for their children was also better in the Philippines.

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