Is The Big City A Good Place To Retire? What About Manila And BGC?

Pea travels to Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Metro Manila to interview Evan from The Savvy Expat Channel, a full-blooded Filipino born and raised in Chicago who moved to the Philippines in 2019 at age 15. The conversation covers BGC's appeal for a specific demographic of expats, the real monthly costs of living there, the cultural limbo of being ethnically Filipino but culturally American, and how dating in BGC differs from provincial life.

Evan's background and culture shock moving to the Philippines ​

• Born and raised in suburban Chicago — parents also born in the US — lived a "white picket fence" American Dream lifestyle
• 2019 move to the Philippines was his first-ever international travel; he had never left the US before
• When he told his school friends, their immediate response was "Why would you move to a third world country?"
• He shared that reaction — assumed the Philippines was jungles and coconut trees, had no frame of reference
• Has now lived in BGC for 4 years straight

Why BGC appeals to a very specific type of expat ​

• BGC is NOT for the typical expat who envisions coconut drinks on the beach and stretching their dollar
• It's for people who want the convenience of a modern metropolitan city with Western-style amenities but the "charms of Southeast Asia"
• The appeal: fast internet, almost no power outages (Evan estimates only TWO in four years), top-tier healthcare at St. Luke's Medical Center, high-end nightlife
• Pea contrasts this with her area (Dumaguete/Negros Oriental) where power goes out an average of three times a week, sometimes six times in a single day

Real cost of living in BGC ​

• BGC is the most expensive area in the Philippines for both rent and overall lifestyle
• A single guy living comfortably (not pinching pennies) should budget around $3,000/month
• Rent alone takes roughly half that budget:
  • One-bedroom in the heart of BGC: $800–$1,000+
  • Two-bedroom in a good location: $1,500+
  • $500/month in BGC gets you "a shoe box"
• This budget is for a single man with no girlfriend, wife, or children — adding a partner depends on "how high maintenance she is"

BGC nightlife and the women ​

• Nightlife is higher-end compared to places like Poblacion or Makati's red light district areas
• More "social drinking" oriented, loud music, upscale vibe
• Women in BGC are more Westernized, worldly, and "socially advanced" compared to provincial Filipinas
• Provincial women tend to be quieter and more reserved; BGC women have more exposure to different demographics and financial means to go out
• Pea notes that people often wonder why she speaks the way she does — she says there are "plenty of Peas in BGC" but jokes "not all of them are green"

Evan's dating experience and what he wants in a partner ​

• Evan is 19, currently single after dating a "BGC Filipina"
• He ended the relationship partly because he was bored — his girlfriend wouldn't challenge his opinions or offer her own perspective
• He doesn't want full Western-style combativeness, but he wants "substance" — a partner who has her own opinions and can push back, not just agree with everything
• He describes wanting a balance: traditional Filipino values (agreeable, family-oriented) with a dose of Western independence (having opinions, being her own person)
• He's looking for that balance specifically in BGC because it's a Westernized pocket within the Philippines — "The Best of Both Worlds"
• Pea notes that unlike Western women who might say "I am the table" when asked what they bring to a relationship, Filipinas haven't reached that point

Differences between Western women and Filipinas (Evan's take) ​

• The core difference is values: Western women are more prone to drinking, partying, smoking — not inherently bad, but culturally different
• Traditional Filipinas are more likely to stay home, cook, clean, be a housewife, and prioritize raising children
• Submissiveness and agreeableness are the other major differences

Filipino men's views on foreigners dating Filipinas ​

• Evan has no problem with foreigners "poaching" Filipinas — "there's plenty of fish in the sea"
• He notes Filipino men tend to prefer fair-skinned, curvier women, while foreigners often go for petite, dark-skinned women, so there's less direct competition

The cultural identity struggle of being Filipino-American in the Philippines ​

• Locals are "bamboozled" when Evan speaks English — they assume he's a rich Filipino kid being snobbish by refusing to speak Tagalog
• First 1–2 years were "living hell" because locals couldn't comprehend a full Filipino born and raised in another country
• He's now conversationally fluent in Tagalog but the early adjustment was painful
• Has almost no connection with his extended Filipino family — "like water and oil" — different upbringing means nothing to talk about beyond surface-level topics like food and weather

Evan's long-term plans ​

• Sees the Philippines as home; no plans to return to the US permanently
• Wants to visit Chicago for deep dish pizza — considers it sacred ("pineapple on pizza is a sin")
• Misses American dairy products intensely — used to drink 4–5 glasses of milk a day; Philippine milk is mostly powdered or long-shelf-life cartons that don't taste the same
• Imported cheese and real dairy products exist but are very expensive

Vlogging career and dealing with criticism ​

• Started with a personal vlog nobody cared about; pivoted to providing value after a "Top 3 Places to Retire in the Philippines" video took off
• Channel philosophy: never make a video unless it provides substance or value
• Sees his channel as a bridge — he can relate to both expats and Filipinos
• Pea and Evan note their channels have a similar crossover demographic; viewers comment they could be siblings
• Dealt with heavy age-based criticism in his first year — people said a 16–17-year-old couldn't credibly discuss cost of living and retirement
• His response: the information is the same whether a 17-year-old or a retiree says it — it's all researchable
• Encountered a copycat channel that literally named itself "The Savvy Expat" a year or two after his
• Both Pea and Evan deal with trolls assuming any male guest is a romantic interest — Pea jokes that the comments will say "apparently we're already engaged" and that flicking her hair or wiggling her foot supposedly signals attraction

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe to The Filipina Pea