Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join me on a ride to Bayambang, Philippines! Today’s mission was simple: visit my friend Dave, an American expat, to see how his new Filipino-style bungalow is coming along.
Things didn't exactly go to plan. Google Maps decided to take me on a "scenic route" through dirt roads and endless corn fields. I was officially lost until a group of local kids stepped in to lead the way!
Once we finally arrived, Dave gave us an inside look at the progress of his house construction. If you've ever wondered what it's like to build a home in the province, you don't want to miss this tour.
youtube.com/@DavetheExpat?si=ebtu2uwlIU5Qx0R8
In this video:
0:00 Intro
00:24 Riding to Bayambang
01:12 Province Roads
01:35 The GPS Fail: Lost in the Corn Fields
03:50 Local Kids to the Rescue
04:33 Finally Found Dave's House
07:03 Expat House Tour: Filipino Style Bungalow
11:57 Saying Goodbye
#PhilippinesTravel #ExpatLife #MotorcycleAdventure #Bayambang #HouseBuild #LivingInThePhilippines #FilipinoBungalow
Join me on a ride to Bayambang, Philippines! Today’s mission was simple: visit my friend Dave, an American expat, to see how his new Filipino-style bungalow is coming along.
Things didn't exactly go to plan. Google Maps decided to take me on a "scenic route" through dirt roads and endless corn fields. I was officially lost until a group of local kids stepped in to lead the way!
Once we finally arrived, Dave gave us an inside look at the progress of his house construction. If you've ever wondered what it's like to build a home in the province, you don't want to miss this tour.
youtube.com/@DavetheExpat?si=ebtu2uwlIU5Qx0R8
In this video:
0:00 Intro
00:24 Riding to Bayambang
01:12 Province Roads
01:35 The GPS Fail: Lost in the Corn Fields
03:50 Local Kids to the Rescue
04:33 Finally Found Dave's House
07:03 Expat House Tour: Filipino Style Bungalow
11:57 Saying Goodbye
#PhilippinesTravel #ExpatLife #MotorcycleAdventure #Bayambang #HouseBuild #LivingInThePhilippines #FilipinoBungalow

![I’m Going To Be A Father! 🥚 Exciting News on our Philippine Farm!
Big changes are happening at our home in the Philippines! Today was a massive milestone for our homestead as we discovered our very first silky chicken eggs. In this video, I take you along as we prepare the coop, build a new dedicated chicken yard, and share my secret recipe for the greenest grass in the neighborhood.
We are officially starting our chicken farm journey, and I need YOUR advice! If you’re a chicken expert, please drop a comment below and let me know the best way to handle these eggs so we can hatch some beautiful silky chicks.
In this video:
• The surprise discovery of our first silky eggs.
• Building a DIY chicken yard using scrap materials.
• How to make Chicken Shit Tea fertilizer for a lush lawn.
• My wife Christine’s new garden pots and planting plans.
• The reality of working in the 99° heat in the Philippines.
If you enjoyed this update, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the NOTIFICATION BELL to follow our life in the Philippines!
🕒 Timestamps:
[00:01] - The Big Announcement: I’m going to be a father!
[00:17] - Finding our very first silky chicken egg.
[00:41] - Setting up the nesting baskets with Butchoy.
[01:24] - Fertilizer secrets: Collecting the gold.
[02:16] - How to make and apply Chicken Shit Tea for the grass.
[03:41] - Meeting Pig Pen and the rest of the flock.
[04:11] - Finding a second egg!
[04:58] - Asking for help: I need your chicken expert advice.
[05:55] - Planning the new chicken yard and garden space.
[06:55] - Tour of the new and improved DIY chicken yard.
[07:47] - Success! A hen starts sitting on the egg.
[09:13] - Garden update: Affordable cement pots and planting.
[10:35] - The future of our Silky Chicken Farm.
💬 Questions for you:
1. Should I leave all the chickens in the pen or let them free-range during the day?
2. What’s your best tip for a first-time chicken father?
3. Do you want to see us sell or keep the silky chicks once they hatch?
🔗 Follow Our Journey: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFzdRAk2h2QOhzJG_NOzs1lxu1Rb7HyR&si=UOn5dbZ4OFmzS8cE
• Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@KuyaJason?si=pD0Vph3GnzlEhgdM
• Join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/share/18WTJWRGFT/?mibextid=wwXIfr
#Philippines #Homesteading #SilkyChickens #FarmLife #ExpatLife #DIY #PhilippineGarden #ChickenFarming #OurLifeInThePhilippines I’m Going To Be A Father! 🥚 Exciting News on our Philippine Farm!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jLWpHHq01Mw/mqdefault.jpg)
![DO I REGRET IT? 🇵🇭 I Tried to Save Money on Landscaping & Painting
Landscaping 1,000sqm in the Philippines is harder than it looks! In Part 2 of our property transformation, we ramped up the labor to 4 workers to tackle the perimeter wall and the yard. We used Davies Mud O’ Pie and Russet Brown for the pillars, and things were looking great... until the dirt arrived.
What started as a simple order for 6 mini dump truck loads of topsoil turned into a total landscaping nightmare. From hard clay chunks to mystery sandy soil, we learned a very expensive lesson about the difference between cheap materials and quality results.
In this video:
• Painting Progress: Applying Davies Mud O Pie and Russet Brown.
• The Soil Saga: Christine vs. the local Hardware Store.
• The Result: 2 piles of clay, 4 piles of sand, and a lot of frustration.
• The Big Question: Is it actually cheaper to hire unskilled laborers, or should I have paid the outrageous professional fees?
If you are building a house in the Philippines or planning a garden,
Timestamps
• [00:01] Project Overview & Budget: Jason explains his experiment of hiring four laborers for ₱600/day ($45 total per day) to handle painting and landscaping, rather than paying professional quotes that ranged up to ₱320,000.
• [01:40] The Game Plan: The crew begins painting the perimeter walls with Mud O Pie and Russet Brown (a roof shield paint) while others rake the 1,000sqm lot.
• [02:55] Driveway Strategy: Jason shows how they are using debris, gravel, and broken concrete from the yard to reinforce the driveway grade before the rainy season turns it into a mud hole.
• [06:34] Shopping at City Hardware: A trip to the hardware store highlights the limited paint availability in the Philippines (choosing from dots on the wall) and the costs of Davies Sun & Rain paint.
• [12:04] The Soil Disaster Begins: The first mini dump truck arrives. Instead of topsoil, it’s filled with massive stones and shale-like fill.
• [14:34] The Topsoil Struggle: The second load arrives, but it is heavy, hard clay rather than the loose soil expected for a lawn.
• [16:36] The Garden Soil Upsell: After complaining, Jason pays an extra ₱250 per load (₱1,000 total) to upgrade to garden soil, only for it to look and feel like 50% brown sand [18:46].
• [19:39] Assessing the Damage: Jason surveys the backyard where they’ve had to dump the clay chunks and realizes the project has become much more complicated than planned.
• [20:21] Final Thoughts: A frustrated Jason ends the day in 95° heat, questioning if the professional fees might have been worth the lack of headache.
WATCH THIS BEFORE you order your soil!
Materials Used:
• Wall Paint: Davies Sun & Rain (Mud O Pie)
• Accents: Davies Roof Shield (Russet Brown)
• Labor: 4 Unskilled Laborers (₱600/day)
#PhilippinesRealEstate #HomeConstruction #LandscapingFail #DaviesPaint #ExpatPhilippines #BuildingADreamHome #ExpectationVsReality #GardenSoil DO I REGRET IT? 🇵🇭 I Tried to Save Money on Landscaping & Painting](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/je0zUpAJ0zY/mqdefault.jpg)

![Philippine Hospital Cost Breakdown: What I Paid for Bursitis Treatment 🇵🇭
In today’s video, I’m sharing a complete, transparent breakdown of my hospital visit in the Philippines. Dealing with Bursitis can be painful, but how much does the treatment actually cost?
Whether you are an expat living in the Philippines, a digital nomad, or just curious about healthcare costs abroad, I’m detailing every expense from my recent clinic visit.
Video Chapters
• 00:00 Dealing with water on the elbow (Bursitis)
• 01:44 Breakfast at Jollibee: The No Pancake mystery
• 04:29 Visiting the public hospital in Camiling
• 05:10 Back home: Breaking down the diagnosis and treatment
• 07:55 Public Hospital Experience: Consultation and 1940s X-rays
• 10:14 Cost Comparison: Public Hospital vs. Private Hospital
• 11:01 Pharmacy Run: Mercury Drug vs. Hospital Pharmacy
• 12:27 Prescription Price Breakdown: Steroids and Spray
• 13:15 Future Healthcare Plans: PhilHealth and Expat Insurance
• 14:02 Final thoughts and Jollibee No Stock rant
Key Takeaways
• Hospital Comparison: Interestingly, you found the private hospital to be cheaper and better equipped (modern X-ray machines) than the public one, though the difference was only a few hundred pesos [10:34].
• No-Insurance Reality: As an expat without private insurance, you pay out-of-pocket, but the costs remain relatively low (under $40 USD for an ER visit and treatment) [12:53].
• PhilHealth: Youre in the process of being added as a dependent to your wifes PhilHealth coverage, which is the baseline government insurance in the Philippines [13:32].
• Diagnosis: After your hard work with landscaping and concrete, your elbow developed a swelling the size of a golf ball [06:45]. The doctor opted for a conservative treatment of oral steroids and a topical spray rather than draining the fluid [09:46].
• The Jollibee Paradox: You were told Jollibee was no stock on pancakes, yet they were able to serve you pancake sandwiches using the exact same pancakes [03:21].
If you found this breakdown helpful, please LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE for more updates on life and costs in the Philippines!
#PhilippinesHealthcare #MedicalTourism #ExpatLife #Bursitis #HospitalCosts #LivingInThePhilippines #HealthcareCosts Philippine Hospital Cost Breakdown: What I Paid for Bursitis Treatment 🇵🇭](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kY-a6zqnrLo/mqdefault.jpg)



![An Honest Contractor Reveals the Truth About Building in the Philippines
Thinking about building your dream home or retiring in the Philippines? Finding a trustworthy, reliable contractor is one of the biggest challenges expats face. In this video, I sit down with Jeremiah Castillo from JLC Builders—the actual contractor who built my 115sqm bungalow right here in Tarlac.
Jeremiah opens up and shares the honest truth about the construction industry in the Philippines. We break down the biggest surprises foreigners face, how to protect your budget from hidden costs, and the exact materials you need to ensure your home survives tropical weather and heavy typhoons.
If you want to avoid getting ripped off and learn how to successfully work with a local building crew, this insider advice is an absolute must-watch before you break ground!
If you enjoyed this interview, please hit the LIKE button, SUBSCRIBE to the channel for more honest expat life content, and drop a comment below!
Connect With Us:
Subscribe for more Philippine Expat Life: Our Life In The Philippines
Contact JLC Builders: https://www.facebook.com/share/1TD1NioaBB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
[00:00] - Introduction: How Jason Found Jeremiah on Facebook Marketplace
[00:54] - Meet Jeremiah: Education, Background, and Becoming a Contractor
[02:09] - Q1: The Biggest Surprises for Foreigners Building in the Philippines
[03:13] - Choosing Quality Materials: Machine-Made CHB vs. Handmade Blocks
[04:23] - Handling Building Permits and Local Government Paperwork
[05:08] - Q2: How to Avoid Hidden Costs & Protect Your Building Budget
[07:20] - Adding Extras to the Contract: Perimeter Walls, Carports, and Driveways
[10:25] - The Foreigner Skin Tax and Avoiding Overpriced Square-Meter Quotes
[12:35] - Q3: Important Materials and Practices for Typhoon-Proof Homes
[13:45] - Dealing with Rainy Season Drainage and Quick Post-Build Adjustments
[15:44] - How to Find a Reliable Local Contractor
[17:07] - Q4: Working as a Team and Managing Project Timelines
[18:31] - Managing International Cash Flow & Sending Construction Payments via Remitly
[19:57] - Handling Design Changes and Trusting Local Contractor Advice
[21:03] - Q5: The Number One Piece of Advice Before Breaking Ground on Empty Land
[22:17] - Securing Power, Water, and Drilling a Well Before Construction Starts
[24:11] - The Importance of Clear English Communication & On-Site Monitoring
[26:16] - JLC Builders Service Areas (Manila, Pampanga, Pangasinan) and Smaller Projects
[28:12] - Offering Free Build Cost Consultations for Expats Across the Philippines
[28:57] - Outro & Wrapping Up
#OurLifeInThePhilippines #BuildingInThePhilippines #ExpatLifePhilippines #PhilippineHouseBuild #MovingToThePhilippines #RetireInThePhilippines #ConstructionPhilippines An Honest Contractor Reveals the Truth About Building in the Philippines](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lXCg7RoNPo4/mqdefault.jpg)

