By Minerva Newman
DUMAGUETE CITY — Europeans make up the biggest number of foreign retirees in Negros Oriental.
Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Mervin Magbuhat, the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) division chief for the province, said 447 foreigners were given Special Resident Retiree’s Visas (SSRVs) to live and stay in Negros Oriental.
Magbuhat said Dumaguete City is considered by international organizations like the United Nations, World Health Organization, and International Living as the best place to retire in the Philippines, with a score of 87.48 percent.
Last year, PRA recognized Dumaguete as the Retirement Area Deemed as Retiree-Friendly (RADAR).
Recently, the PRA CEO Beinvenido Chy and Mayor Felipe Remollo signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to reinforce the campaign to make both the province and city as retiree-friendly.
The partnership calls for the establishment of a PRA Help Desk in the city that will offer services to potential and existing clients, partners, and other stakeholders.
Dumaguete is the first LGU in the country to have such a help desk for foreign retirees, Chy said.
“With your city of gentle people, with your walkable land area, beautiful ocean front, less traffic compared to Manila and low crime rate, all these are reasons enough for retiree to move in your local city,” he said.
According to PRA, foreign nationals with SRRVs are exempted from paying travel tax, if they stay in the country not longer than one year from the last entry date.
SRRV holders are also exempted from securing the Bureau of Immigration exit clearances, reentry permits and annual registration requirement, Magbuhat said.
Foreign retirees who are more than 35 years old can apply for the visa if they stay in the Philippines either for good or for multiple visits, if they pay a deposit fee of $50,000.
Accreditation of more local business establishments, retirement facilities, and other service providers is expected as a result of the possible surge of foreign and local retirees in the province.