Singapore VS Australia VS Canada VS Pinas

xiaolico · February 2017

@pakjo galeng. Medyo yung angle mo is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Thanks

vhoythoy · February 2017

xiaolico said:
@vhoythoy saan ka nag aaliw sa SG? Haha kidding. So in your opinion, Au or specifically Melbourne would be a wonderful place to start a family? If you are in the stage of your life na tapos ka na sa alak, babae and drugs, steady na sa AU? Thanks ha. Big help to. Thanks din sa mga nag private message. You guys are awesome

For family yes, Australia is a nice place to start a family. Melbourne is a nice place too, we stayed there for a year before moving to regional Aueensland kung saan mas mabagal ang takbo ng buhay. Anywhere in Australia is good naman as long as may stable kang work and consistent source of income. If you got a good in job in Sydney and you're happy then you can stay there, same with Melbourne, same with Brisbane, same with other states. Australia is a nice place you will not regret moving here

vhoythoy · February 2017

brnaye said:
@vhoythoy nagsisi ka ba na umalis ka ng SG heheheheheh.. well kakadalawang isip naman talaga umalis ng SG kasi kahit papaano pwede na rin may settle dito, plus kung matipid ka talgang makakaipon ka kasi di kalakihan ang tax lalo't may family ka kasi may tax relief.. pero pag may family ka, mapapa isip ka rin kung okay ba dito sa SG for long term or not. Education medyo malaki na rin ang sch fee diff for citizen and PR at lalo't pag foreigner ka laki ng babayaran mo. Although, PR na kami nag try pa rin kami mag apply OZ kasi we are thinking of a long term plan for our kids. Pero I'm sure big adjustment ang mangyayari pag dating namin sa OZ kaya we should prepare ourselves.. hehehehehehe... anyway still waiting for visa result. hehehehehe

Nope, na miss ko lang minsan ung buhay dun pero dito pa rin pipiliin ko kahit maging citizen ako dun. Feeling ko kasi mas pantay2 ang turingan ng tao dito walang discrimination/ or atleast bawal ang discrimination. Exaggerated lang ung mga balita na may racism/ or if ever man kahit saan lugar sa mundo may iilan na pasaway na tao. Maraming benefits from gov't and may forthnightly allowance pa kami nakukuha sa govt kasi may baby

thegreatiam15 · February 2017

pakjo said:
pwede ba ako makisawsaw sa single/may family + australia/singapore/pinas kahit wala pa akong Visa? hehehe.

ke single o may pamilya ka, it's good to work toward the goal of obtaining a first world country's passport because it affords you the opportunity to travel w/ ease (wala nang hassle sa visa restricted countries). kung single ka at adik magtravel, this is for you. kung may pamilya ka at iniisip ang kinabukasan ng anak mo, congrats, nabigyan mo sya ng mas maraming options kesa PH passport lang ang hawak nya.

ang pinaka-"madali" so far na bansa na makuha yan among the 4 (Pinas/SG/US/Canada) ay Australia. (not sure sa Canada, someone correct me if I'm wrong).

SG vs AU: AU, dahil sa "ease" of obtaining citizenship

AU vs Canada: AU, dahil mas mahirap maging PR sa Canada (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) saka mas in demand trabaho ko (IT) sa AU.

SG vs Canada: Depende kung ano habol mo. Pag citizenship, Canada, tapos pagtiisan mo na lang maghanap ng trabaho.

Pinas: madaling balikan. mas makakatulong ka pa sa ekonomiya nya in the future kung dito mo gagastusin yung pension/kita mo from another country. saka in the event na maging maayos ang Pinas 10/20 years from now, e di masaya ang retirement mo. kung ganito pa din o mas malala pa e di "buti pala andito ako sa AU/Canada/Singapore"

Humirap lang naman sa Canada nung nagpalit nang prime minister naiba din kasi policies

pero kung difficulty level paguusapan mas mahirap ang OZ kasi mas mataas ang english language requirements napakalaking roadblock nito para sa iba lalo na yung mga kailangan nang 7.0 paakyat tapos academic pa

nagapply din ako sa CA pero narealise ko buti hindi din ako natuloy kasi nung andito nako OZ tas naranasan ko winter napaisip ako buti nalang d ako natuloy mas extreme weather sa CA unlike dito pag winter kahit papaano may magagawa kapa e tapos sobrang layo saka kaunti ang job opportunity sa construction kapag nagkataong napunta ka sa mga prubinsya.

@vhoythoy

yung chicks yung pinaka matinding part dun e HAHAH

vhoythoy · February 2017

Ok naman dito sa Australia, I didn't expect na magugustuhan ko ung place na to kasi Canada tlaga ung first priority ko dati di lang natuloy and after ko makakuha ng visa dito, saka lumuwag dun sa Canada hahaha. Pero I think, same lang sya. Australia is a nice place no regrets. Paminsan minsan lang sumasagi sa isip ko tumira sa iba't ibang place (kung possible pa depende sa opportunity, age, etc.) like South New Zealand, Canada (especially Banff area in Alberta) Singpore, US, etc. temporarily (after namin makuha ung Aussie citizenship hopefully late next year) is gusto ko kasi magexplore pa ng konti habang medyo bata pa pero syempre Australia na ang base country ko. Tsaka kasi mahilig ako sa landscape photography. Pero mahirap na din kasi lalo may family na

vhoythoy · February 2017

thegreatiam15 said:

pakjo said:
pwede ba ako makisawsaw sa single/may family + australia/singapore/pinas kahit wala pa akong Visa? hehehe.

ke single o may pamilya ka, it's good to work toward the goal of obtaining a first world country's passport because it affords you the opportunity to travel w/ ease (wala nang hassle sa visa restricted countries). kung single ka at adik magtravel, this is for you. kung may pamilya ka at iniisip ang kinabukasan ng anak mo, congrats, nabigyan mo sya ng mas maraming options kesa PH passport lang ang hawak nya.

ang pinaka-"madali" so far na bansa na makuha yan among the 4 (Pinas/SG/US/Canada) ay Australia. (not sure sa Canada, someone correct me if I'm wrong).

SG vs AU: AU, dahil sa "ease" of obtaining citizenship

AU vs Canada: AU, dahil mas mahirap maging PR sa Canada (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) saka mas in demand trabaho ko (IT) sa AU.

SG vs Canada: Depende kung ano habol mo. Pag citizenship, Canada, tapos pagtiisan mo na lang maghanap ng trabaho.

Pinas: madaling balikan. mas makakatulong ka pa sa ekonomiya nya in the future kung dito mo gagastusin yung pension/kita mo from another country. saka in the event na maging maayos ang Pinas 10/20 years from now, e di masaya ang retirement mo. kung ganito pa din o mas malala pa e di "buti pala andito ako sa AU/Canada/Singapore"
Humirap lang naman sa Canada nung nagpalit nang prime minister naiba din kasi policies

pero kung difficulty level paguusapan mas mahirap ang OZ kasi mas mataas ang english language requirements napakalaking roadblock nito para sa iba lalo na yung mga kailangan nang 7.0 paakyat tapos academic pa

nagapply din ako sa CA pero narealise ko buti hindi din ako natuloy kasi nung andito nako OZ tas naranasan ko winter napaisip ako buti nalang d ako natuloy mas extreme weather sa CA unlike dito pag winter kahit papaano may magagawa kapa e tapos sobrang layo saka kaunti ang job opportunity sa construction kapag nagkataong napunta ka sa mga prubinsya.

@vhoythoy

yung chicks yung pinaka matinding part dun e HAHAH

Uu, kung single ka sa chix palang dito panalo kana. dami din sa SG lalo na kapag Sunday hahaha

TasBurrfoot · February 2017

Nakakamiss pa rin Singapore despite the fact that I already took the oath in front of the Australian flag...

But this is home now, no regrets ika nga ni @vhoythoy

brnaye · February 2017

@TasBurrfoot hahahah ano ba na miss mo dito sa SG.....

greatsoul · February 2017

SG ...
Pros: Food, Transpo, Security/Safety and Sahod (IT)
Cons: Cost of Living.

vhoythoy · February 2017

Currently my comparison between Singapore and Australia and Pinas

1) Singapore (6 yrs 2009-2015)

Transportation - Better than PH/Aus. Mahirap ma beat and standards ng SG sa category nato.

Crime/Security - Better than PH/Aus. No need to explain, madalas lang na crime dito eh nanakawan ng bike or away magsyota dahil sa selos. Tsaka umiwas sa pagbili ng electronics sa lucky plaza/ simlim

Cost of living - 1000 napagkakasya ko sa isang buwan (since magisa ako). Sa Australia, hindi bababa ng 3000 gastos sa isang buwan, pero family naman kami. pero tingin ko mas mura pa din dito (except accommodation kung kukunin mo ung buong flat).

Travel - Hard to tell, pero in SG you can travel to different asian countries easily and cheaper. Sa Australia, mahal kasi malayo sa lahat, travel within australia pwede pa.

Quality of Life - Depends. Kung single, mas ok dito cguro daming pwedeng gawin, daming bars/ ktv, mura massage parlors, mura pagupit, mura ang coke, mura ang kape, mura ang nasi lemak, better shopping, basta madaming pwedeng gawin ang isang single na tao. Pero medyo stressful ang work and madalas Ot ako sa work ko dati jan. Pero parang routine and buhay ko dito kaya parang nagasawa ako after 4 yrs, parang nakakasakal at nakakasawa na din plus hindi naman ako maging PR/ Citizen

Savings - Easier to save compared to PH and Australia based sa experience ko due to lower tax rates, cheaper foods, cheaper accomodation kung madiskarte ka, bonuses in most companies.

Food - Mas mura food dito, daming hawkers, daming pinoy restaurant (may tapa king, happy v, jollibee), etc. Mas lamang to sa Australia para sa akin. Dami din sa australia pero grabe sa mahal un lang. Sa melbourne madaming restaurants, generally mas maraming variety ng global cuisine sa australia pero mas maraming resturants/ stores sa SG tska maliit lang kasi na lugar madali makaikot.

2) Australia (1 yr Melbourne, 9 months Queensland)

Cost of living - Our quality of life here in Australia is better but cost of living is a bit higher than Singapore (also kasama ko na din kasi family ko). Example of expenses, Car rego 700/yr, car insurance 1000/yr, private health insurance 250/mo. (optional), mobile post paid plan and Internet Telstra (350/mo), grocery including visit to asian store (500/weekly), coffee 4.30/cup, coke 4.50/600ml in bottle, electricity/pub 500/3 months, rental 300/weekly, swimming lesson ng anak 80/mo., childcare, petrol, etc. basta mabilis lumabas ang pera dito, masarap ang buhay at pero parang mahirap makaipon (bihira nagbibigay ng bonus kung meron man konti lang, sa singapore 3 months bonus kami every dec almost tax free). Depende sa tao din kung parehas nagwork, type ng work, etc.

Transportation - Sa melbourne ok naman pero di kasing ok ng Singapore (sa west suburb kami so matao and madalas may faulting system sa train, may na hit ng train, may ano-anong prob.). Nung bagong salta ako 45 mins ako naghihintay ng bus sa 2-5 degrees na temperature sa winter kasi nga bagong suburb palang ung sa west at madilim pa. Sa Singapore, 1-2 mins kung rush hour, kapag hindi ako nakasakay sa mrt and ung susunod na mrt eh 3 mins lang naasar na ako, ganun ka efficient dun. Dito need mo ng "kotse" kasi malalayo ung bibilhan mo. Dito sa regional queensland, non-existent halos ung public transpo so kotse is a must, pero buti nalang malapit sa lahat at walang traffic.

Crime/Security - Mas safe dito kesa sa Pinas pero hindi kasing safe compared sa SG. May mga adik din dito, may mga lugar na hindi safe, may mga lasing/ topak din pag minalas ka. Pero overall safe naman.

Effeciency - Ok naman sila compared sa pinas, pero di kasing efficient ng Singapore pero hindi naman nagkakalayo halos.

Quality of life - Mas may work life balance. Ako 845am pumapasok, 1.5-2 hrs lunchtime, 5pm sakto uwian na. Pwede mag off 2-3 hrs without deduction sa annual leave kung about sa family, doctor visit, impt appointment, 28 days annual leave (pero syempre depende din sa company di naman cguro lahat). Masarap mag long travel, road trip, nature, beaches, etc.

Savings - You can live a better life pero need nyo magwork magasawa kung gusto mo talga maka saved and stick to budget. Basta maraming mga gastusin kaliwat kanan magugulat ka nalang

vhoythoy · February 2017

@TasBurrfoot yup, no regrets. Atleast dito kasi after 4 yrs almost sure na magiging citizen ka sa SG, twice denied PR ko dun and ayokong maging forever OFW or makick out anytime kung maghigpit. Sarap din dito mag long drive, road trip, fishing, photography, relax. And its a big country, parang hindi nauubusan ng lupa. May benefits from government. Ganda pa magiging english accent ng anak mo. Nakakamiss lang buhay sa SG or atleast magbakasyon ng matagal tagal, pero babalik pa din dito

greatsoul · February 2017

@vhoythoy thanks for sharing... nakakaexcite mag big move jan!

TasBurrfoot · February 2017

brnaye said:
@TasBurrfoot hahahah ano ba na miss mo dito sa SG.....

the overall convenience of life siguro but the fact that feeling mo mayaman ka (although mas malaki sweldo ko dito sa Australia), dahil siguro low tax regime ang Singapore and previously we didn't have this mortgage commitment yet...

thegreatiam15 · February 2017

TasBurrfoot said:

brnaye said:
@TasBurrfoot hahahah ano ba na miss mo dito sa SG.....
the overall convenience of life siguro but the fact that feeling mo mayaman ka (although mas malaki sweldo ko dito sa Australia), dahil siguro low tax regime ang Singapore and previously we didn't have this mortgage commitment yet...

atleast paps yung pera naka commit na sa banks hindi sa tao nakakabenefit yung eco nang oz plus inyo na yung bahay.

pero agree ako dito mas malake din sahod ko dito OZ kesa SG tapos sa SG kawawa pa ako sa workload maangas lang ako sa ginagawa ko in general kasi by work exp nagagawa ko yung mga extraordinary na diskarte pero hindi worth it sa oras at sa pera.

dito naman lesser responsibilities tapos mas malake sahod ko (NASAAN ANG HUSTISYA?!) lol

anyway yun lang naman overall mas gusto ko dito sa OZ no regrets.

kesa bumalik ako sa sablay na pinas nang consumerism/politika/showbiz o kaya traffic or sa sandbox nang sg dito ko pa rin pipiliin manirahan.

orengoreng · February 2017

@xiaolico i am already here why not make the most out of it. mataas ang tax dito and the housing price is so impossible to for a single employee I am here to save and beside the citizenship can be a passport to work in other country. the prices here is driving me crazy. If you got a job paying you 5K per month net nun is like 3K plus tapos bayad pa ng bahay, kuryente, and everything all in all hindi naman ganun din kalaki ng savings. Mali lang ako siguro ng expectation na mataas ang sweldo sa AU kasi malaki per hour pero may catch mapupunta sa tax at pambayad sa bahay. If better sayo na, walang traffic at you feel happy being with your family at home mostly wala na mapuntahan after work siguro AU is for you. Security wise i don't feel safe walking at night may mga balita rin ng nakawan dito at snatching mas marami ganun case sa blacktown.

orengoreng · February 2017

@xiaolico i am already here why not make the most out of it. mataas ang tax dito and the housing price is so impossible to for a single employee I am here to save and beside the citizenship can be a passport to work in other country. the prices here is driving me crazy. If you got a job paying you 5K per month net nun is like 3K plus tapos bayad pa ng bahay, kuryente, and everything all in all hindi naman ganun din kalaki ng savings. Mali lang ako siguro ng expectation na mataas ang sweldo sa AU kasi malaki per hour pero may catch mapupunta sa tax at pambayad sa bahay. If better sayo na, walang traffic at you feel happy being with your family at home mostly wala na mapuntahan after work siguro AU is for you. Security wise i don't feel safe walking at night may mga balita rin ng nakawan dito at snatching mas marami ganun case sa blacktown.

xiaolico · February 2017

@orengoreng new reply? Parang nabasa ko na to. Anyway Baka sa iba galeng yun. Thanks sa feedback. I hope once you make the most out of your stay there, sulit Sana and no regrets. One advice I can give you, if there is something na ayaw mo, there is no point to continue it. Not unless the rewards in the end balances or exceeds your sacrifices, then just keep your eyes on your goal. If ganun, sulit na

orengoreng · February 2017

@xiaolico disregard it wala naman ako pinopost anyway baka system glitch dati ko pa reply to sayo. thanks sa advise, maybe i am just passing by AU or maybe God has his own purpose why I am here. goodluck.

xiaolico · February 2017

@orengoreng oks. nagulat nga ako eh. Wasn't sure if sa yo or sa iba galeng yung message dati. Medyo sa laki ng group natin, nakakalito names hehe. All the best bro

GSW · June 2017

@lester_lugtu

Umuwi ka ba ng pinas bro?

GSW · June 2017

null

Umuwi ka ba ng pinas bro?

lester_lugtu · June 2017

@GSW

Im going back this aug. Hopefully for good na though plan ko talaga to stay in PH for a while.. Iba pa din talaga sa pinas. Mahirap na masarap na mahirap. Ehehe

GSW · June 2017

@lester_lugtu

Totoo yan bro there's no place like pinas. Ako din eh uuwi at uuwi pa rin. Once nakaipon ka pde mo invest yan at syempre ok na may fall back ka pa rin bumalik aus in the future kung kakailanganin. Good luck bro

jomski · July 2017

@pakjo

pakjo said:
@orengoreng

May questions ako. Programmer din kasi ako, baka makapag-bigay ka lang ng idea sa kung ano ie-expect ko sa Australia/Sydney.

1. Nung ininterview ka for software development (ina-assume ko software developer ang role mo ngayon diyan), ano mga tinanong sa iyo? Meron bang hands-on programming exam (or kahit pseudo-code sa papel) o puro theoretical, concepts and past experiences lang?

2. Yung size nung company mo ngayon, less than 100 employees pababa ba o malaking kumpanya na established na? Kaya ko tinatanong ito, kasi curious ako kung meron bang malaking kumpanya na grabe magpa-overtime sa field ng programming kahit diyan sa AU. Kasi isa ito sa gusto kong takasan sa Pilipinas.

Ang mga kakilala kong programmers (iilan pa lang silang andiyan), ang consensus e, mas relaxed ang timelines/deadlines sa Australia pag medyo malaki-laking kumpanya ang napasukan mo, pero kapag maliit na start-up/software house ang naging trabaho mo, may chance na patayan pa rin ang work.

3. Anong programming languages ang gamit mo diyan saka ano usually ginagawa mo pag stuck ka sa code or debugging? Me napapagtanungan ka bang senior programmer o talagang bahala ka sa buhay mong humanap ng solution? Isa sa stressor kasi sa trabaho e kung wala kang support group (sa Pinas, meron namang ganito).

Salamat.

To answer your questions.

1. With the dozens of interviews I had, some of them are online coding exams (HackerRank, Codility, etc.), some are just technical questions you need to fill out on an online form. After that, sometimes there's a skype interview (I did my job applications while I'm still in manila) and then a final interview. Some interviews doesn't have any code exams just technical interview and have general questions about your language of expertise and other OOP questions.

2. Depends on what firm ka mapunta, always ask if they are project based company (meaning they accept job from clients on a project to project basis) if this is the case then deadlines after deadlines ang norm dito, mataas ang perks ng ganitong companies, mataas din ang stress. Best bet is to look for a company that has their own product and sets their OWN release dates.

3. Same scenario anywhere I think. You ask and ask. This shows your colleagues that you can leverage your communication skills and not just your programming skills. Australia's main culture (mateship, giving everyone a fair-go, and collaboration etc.) extends to it's corporate culture. People will be there to support you as long as you ask for it.

chocolatepink · July 2017

orengoreng said:
@xiaolico disregard it wala naman ako pinopost anyway baka system glitch dati ko pa reply to sayo. thanks sa advise, maybe i am just passing by AU or maybe God has his own purpose why I am here. goodluck.

This is a good one, we may only understood all the sacrifice in God's time.

It's winter time, I'm in Melb, the weather is dragging my mood. I miss the rays of sunshine in my 2 previous homes Manila (though it's rainy season) and Singapore.

Why I got fascinated reading all your comments @orengoreng? because it's the truth, it's raw from the heart. I respect your views.

I'm with my family and probably wait and see after 4 yrs, the stark differences have been enumerated here; and Singapore for me is quite exceptional in all aspects except the immigration rules.

I'm writing today somehow to remind me and hopefully in few months or years time my heart has changed towards our move here. It's hard to get on your feet from scratch but I'm doing it for my child.

Megger · July 2017

@TasBurrfoot , @thegreatiam15 , hope you wont mind. Ask ko pang kung IT din ba field of work nyo..

TasBurrfoot · July 2017

Megger said:
@TasBurrfoot , @thegreatiam15 , hope you wont mind. Ask ko pang kung IT din ba field of work nyo..

Nope... Investment Management po ako.

Am not smart enough to be an IT dude...

GSW · July 2017

@chocolatepink
Totoo yan iba talaga ang sg at pinas mas masaya pa rin dun pero kelangan iwanan ang comfort zone para sa future ng family. You will never know whats behind the wall unless you jumped to the other side and see for yourself. Kelangan ng time talaga

bookworm · March 2018

I am going to add my 2 cents to this thread, pero instead of Singapore, Taiwan ako.

Back story, I worked in Taiwan for about 8 years, for a MNC and puwede na mag apply to become a citizen, and Single at the time.

Anyway, when I first contemplated moving or migrating, I was still in Pinas. I was working for an MNC, but lived with my parents and didn't pay rent or contributed. Still, what I earned wasn't enough. I thought, when I grow old, how will I survive? I have no kids and I do not want to rely on my niece or anyone else. I had to think of a long-term plan. And so, I compared the big 3, US, Canada, and Australia.

US, I had family there and plenty of work in my field. BUT... I felt that there was too much crime there and it was too materialistic. So I scratched it off my list.
Canada, I had family there as well BUT...not a lot of work in my field.
AU, plenty of work in my field BUT...no family there.

I looked and did my research and found that Australia has a good quality of life and they their priority is family. So I decided to apply to migrate there.

Na delay ako several years as I worked in Taiwan for the same company in Pinas, and because I was relocated, I had good salary, good pay, lifestyle was good and low tax.

But I still wanted to move to Australia. Finally, I had to pray. I asked God what His plans for me were. I had 2 options then, file for migration to AU or stay and file for Taiwan citizenship.

His answer was AU. So I did.

When I moved here, I could NOT find a job in my field. It was really frustrating. From working in the tech industry with salary bonuses, a lot of perks, and so near the Philippines that I went home about 4-5 times a year, here I was, unable to find work, or found work as cashier in Woolies.

My parents could NOT understand my decision.

Anyway, fast forward 2 years and I finally got a job in my field, even if its just junior. Been in this company for more than a year now so its been ok.

I still sometimes look back on that job that paid a bit more, Government health plans were way better than there and I had way less tax and less bills to pay. I was able to save a lot more then. But the way I look at this, I am here long-term.

I know that if I stay here, I will be able to provide for myself when I am old. I know that I can work 2 jobs (I still work as a cashier at woolies casually) and save even more.

Though, maybe, it is also because I am in Canberra where life is a lot less stressful than Sydney or Melbourne.

I see the trees and the lakes and the parks everyday and it makes me smile.
I see the sunset or the sunrise and it makes me smile.

These are something I could not see in Taiwan or Pinas, as they were full of skyscrapers.

These are life's little pleasures, and I love it.

PS. Sorry kung ang haba