I ask these questions then when I start to write I realize how the heck do I answer this? 
There have to be as many answers to this question as there are people moving there. This goes back to the scouting trips I mentioned before. Look through the stores markets and supermarkets and see what is there. Then decide what you didn’t see that you really can’t do without. With imported goods this can be tricky because you might see it on the shelves once then never see it again. 
For sure if you have hobbies or interests that require special items that would have to be imported It wouldn’t hurt to stock up. For those who like cooking I have been told that quality cookware and gadgets can be very hard to find. Most spices are generally available but you may have to learn the local name and acquire it at one of the open markets.
If you like to read there are local bookstores but in many the selection is fairly small. So it wouldn’t hurt to bring along a few extra. Electronic items can be quite pricey especially computer and home entertainment items. If you bring your own remember the local power is mostly 220 VAC so you might need power converters.
The selection of products available is sometimes very limited. I recently purchased a camera for a friend because the model he wanted was either not available or was too expensive. Many online merchants will not ship to the Philippines. If they do you may find you have to pay an import duty to receive the shipment. Sometimes just a small amount but for many electronic items the duty is 100% or more of the value.
Generally most items or a reasonable substitute are available in local stores you might just have to spend some time looking around. If anyone else has some examples of hard to find items I would like to hear them.
26 April 2009
Some other items that it would be a good idea to bring is quality sheets and linens. Good quality ones can be quite expensive and hard to find. The lower quality are still expensive and well… Low quality.
Clothing is usually readily available but if you wear large sizes they can be very hard to find. Clothing can be custom made there pretty cheaply however shoes, socks, and under garments are another story.
Hi Tom.
( you can buy rechargable packs there but for the same price and maybe better quality you can buy at home before traveling.
I dont know about you.. but cause we have to shave more than filipinos do.. i found finding a 3 blade disposal or even just a regular shaver is nearly impossible. next time i come will be bringing or sending ahead a case of them. lol. the 2 blade ones just dont cut it. and bringing a power shaver isnt always available with the brown outs in certain areas.
as for linens.. like bed sheets etc.. I am thinking that buying the material and getting someone to make for you will be the better option than packing to take with you. i found some medications (not all) are cheaper there and can get from pharmacy without prescription.
you mentioned electronic devices such as cameras etc. BRING along a rechargable battery pack.. with extra batteries to charge in case of brown out. Batteries there are not of good quality and the ones that are , are expensive for the use you get out of them. I found using my digital HP camera.. i got 2-3 hours use out of them.
Hi Ron,
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I hope you enjoyed your trip. Yes that’s one of the things I mean about looking around for yourself for what you need. I usually bring my own razors but I use the two bladed ones which work ok for me. You also need to be careful where you plug an electric shaver in because of the power. Don’t forget your convertor. Yes I have rechargable batteries and a charger that works with 110 or 220. It’s a Ray o vac. Most of them I find here are only good for 110.
Thanks for the input. It is always good to hear what others have found.
Tom,
We brought aside from larger summer clothing lots of towels and linen. The textiles you buy here are poor quality or more expensive than at home. Also shaving blades are of a poor quality here.
And what about furniture? I didn’t find the same quality here. Soem people told us before we left Holland: ‘Don’t worry, everything can be bought in the Philippines”. Well my answer after 7 months: NO, not true.
Yes it can be hard to decide what to bring even if you have been there a few times. I know they make pirated razors there that are really bad. fortunately for me my beard is not heavy so I can make them last a long time. I have shipped sheets and towels and I plan to ship more myeslf. An additional problem is you may see something in a store you need then never see it again so you can’t always count on getting exactly what you want.
Yes even the imported furniture is often not of the same quality. The problem is it can be very expensive to ship your own. I know some people do that.
hi
i want to take all my furniture back to phil,,but the 20 ft container are $6500++ that’s only all the way to manila i..it will cost me at least $10.000 to take evrything like 3 bedroom house worth of furniture it is better to do that or just spend that amount of money to buy fur,,ang good fridge i mean 3 door’s i mean i been very stressed out over it idont like to sleep on foam i like my pillowtop bed and my material stuff my question is there any places in the philippines to buy a very good furniture like stateside pls help me out here
thank’s lisa
You have to look around to see what is available in your area. They do sell regular matresses there. (I have one) I have not seen pillowtop but I was not looking for them.
There are western style appliances available for sale they are more costly than what you would pay in the US.
I don’t know where you are shipping from or to so I don’t know if that is a good price or not. Is that inclusive of all the customs duties? If you are a returning resident it is possible you may be exempt from some or all of the duties for your household goods. You shoud contact your nearest Philippine Consulate to ask about that.
Many people decide not to ship their furniture because of the cost. Also you might be able to ship just the stuff you really can’t do without. Then just purchase the rest in the Philippines. That is what I am planning to do.
I have seen western style furniture for sale in several furniture stores in Cebu and Manila. Also due to the economic downturn some furniture manufacturers who previously only made for export are now taking orders locally.
Is it possible to make a trip to the Philippines before you move? Then you could get a better idea what you need to bring and what you can buy locally. I know that is not always possible but your own eyes are the best for that.
The cost of sending your furnitures to the Philippines can buy you a brand new set of furnitures here in the Philippines although they will be a bit expensive. I could not imagine why send them all here when you can just sell them there and add the suppose to be shipping cost to buy you new ones. What sort of furniture are you looking by the way?
I mean you cannot expect to see a holland made furniture or even a look a like here.
An expat who wants to live in the Philippines and expects to find or buy stateside furnitures. What a laugh. lol
As for the shavers, maybe you are looking at the wrong place. There are a lot of em in drugstores, supermarkets, and at 711s.
And towels? linens? Cant help but laugh…all the cost of buying them in your country and sending them here will be able to buy you a cabinet full of them.
I have had people tell me they don’t like the style and quality of the furniture available so they would rather have their own shipped. That is for each person to decide for themselves. Personally I have Native Bamboo and I like it fine but that is not for everyone. I do tend to agree that it is usually cheaper to buy furnature locally. Actually there are several manufacturers in Cebu who export to the US so not totally unbelieveable.
You are correct deedee. They do have regular razors there however they also have counterfit ones that look like the real thing but do not shave like the real thing. Just look at the blades before you buy. You can see the difference. If you are buying in a department store or a chain store you are probably ok. If you buy from sari sari stores or street vender definately look at them closely first.
I have bought towels and bedsheets in the Philippines and I have to stick with what I said before. Ones of comparable quality to the ones I shipped were much more expensive. It is not that expensive to send a few items if you ship by Balikbayan box.
I will give you an example. After we bought our bed we bought some bedsheets in a leading department store there. The price on sale was P1500 for Queen size. This included two pillowcases and one sheet. The lady swore they were cotton but after sleeping on them I am sure there is polyester in them. So when I got back to the US I bought a set of queen size 400 thread count Pima cotton sheets. The set included 4 pillowcases and two sheets. These sheets were also on sale $30. I have bought several sets of these and sent them. We never use the others at all anymore.
There are better sheets available than what we bought but they were much more expensive. I believe around P2500 to P3000. Which is definately more than the $30 I paid.
Thank you for your input deedee. You made a number of valid points that people need to consider. Each person really has to decide for themselves what is best for their lifestyle and budget.
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