29 August 2013 - The Philippine Consulate General in New York co-sponsored with the Philippine Department of Tourism a forum entitled “Why Retire in the Philippines,” which was held on July 29 at the Philippine Center. The forum featured Mr. Veredigno Atienza, General Manager and CEO of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), as guest speaker.
Mr. Atienza discussed the main attractions of the Philippines as a retirement destination, the various types of Special Resident Retiree Visa (SRRV) that foreigners can apply for when retiring in the Philippines, and the benefits that SRRV holders enjoy in the Philippines.
At present, there are about 22,000 SRRV holders in the Philippines, including Americans, Koreans and Japanese. This number does not include foreigners married to Filipinos who have become permanent residents in the Philippines and Filipino dual citizens who have retired in the Philippines.
The Philippines, according to Mr. Atienza, is one of the top retirement destinations in the world, ranked no. 15th overall by International Living’s Global Retirement Index. He expressed optimism that the Philippines would continue to improve its ranking in the near future given the many improvements planned for the Philippine tourism industry, including infrastructure development. He urged foreigners to consider retiring in the Philippines and enjoy the country’s affordable and yet comfortable living conditions, the friendly and hospitable people, and world-class educational and medical facilities.
Among the benefits and privileges that SRRV holders can enjoy in the Philippines are the following: multiple entry privileges; exemption from income tax over pension and annuities; exemption from customs duties and taxes (for importation of household goods and personal effects up to US$7,000.00); and exemption from travel tax (if one’s stay in the Philippines is less than one year from the last entry date).
Interested retirees may go to www.pra.gov.ph to get more information about the PRA program. END