Hot Water, A Luxury in Cebu
Well at least for me, I hope. Today we finally got a water heater installed and I’ve already enjoyed my first warm shower. The unit is different from what I’ve seen in the past. What I’ve seen in the past included holes drilled
Common Water Heater in Asia
into the pipe. This one has no such holes. Instead the shower head was removed and the heater attached to there.
Jessie loves to do things like that, with the right tools, she could have installed it, even I probably could have done so. Though I doubt I would. My interest if building things seems to have left me a long time ago. Well most things. I think it would be fun to build a sail boat that would actually sail but I don’t think I’m physically able to do it. Oh well, it will be cheaper just get on someone else’s sail boat. That doesn’t have much to do with water heaters though, does it.
Water heaters in much of the world are considerably different than what we took for granted in the USA and probably most other Western countries. None of those 40 to 100 gallon units up in the attic. Instead these water heaters hang on the wall and hold a very small amount of water. The first time I saw one, I kind of turned up my nose and thought to myself, “That’s not a water heater!”
That was also one of my first wake up calls on what I needed to do, I needed to open my mind to what is important. Now nearly a year and a half later, Americans seem kind of wasteful to me. American’s are spending tons of money on things they don’t need. Huge and wasteful water heaters are only one of those things. I intended to write more articles about things American’s are spending too much money on. You might be surprised on some of these.
In Cebu and many other parts of the Philippines, most live without hot water. In Cebu, the water is fairly warm naturally much of the time. In home in Bogo, when its cloudy the water is cold, sometimes it feels very cold. In other areas, I’m uncertain how common hot water is for the Filipino. My good friend that lives in Mindanao explained his water comes straight from the top of a mountain and his water is much colder. When he visited Cebu City he stayed in a pension house that didn’t have hot water in his room and he said he didn’t miss it. I suspect that most of the Filipino in his area, do not have hot water heaters in their homes.
Jessie, my Filipina girlfriend, certainly never had hot water in her home. She lived in Leyte all of her life. She is still not happy with cold showers. She’s thrilled with to have a hot water heater too.
I am enjoying the heck out of my water heater. Oh I paid about $130 for it, including installation. Last time I had to install one in a home in the USA was about 10 years ago and cost me more than $1200!
Filed under: Expats Living in Cebu
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Hey Rusty, Did you buy that heater in Bogo? If you did, could you find out what the name of the place where it was purchased, and where in Bogo it is? I’m not ready to break down yet, but when I do, I’d like to know where to get it. Does the unit come all-inclusive or are there other things you have to buy along with the unit? Let’s say I wanted to install it at the kitchen sink, would I use the same unit? Thanks for the info.
The name of the place is Unihome. Its across from Josphine’s dental clinic and beuaty parlor. LOL
Its on the main road that runs along Rizal Park. I think going north but I wont swear to north. My sense of direction has been turned upside down here. I wonder if its just me of it that happens to most. Probably just me.
I’m sure you’ve seen it. I’ve been in there before.
Just got out of the shower about an hour ago. Sure is nice to be able to take a shower whenever I like without having to worry about freezing.
You going back and forth, I think that would make it even harder!
I”m realy thinking I’m going to get it for the upstairs bathroom. That’s a pretty good deal, and we know someone to install it.
Now you’re getting as bad as I am with directions–is that Cebu City or Bogo? You’ve got to give me better landmarks than that! North of what? LOL
Yeah, I’m glad I have one now.
Those are the best direction.
I said north of Rizal Park but I’d just ignore that as I’m confused about directions here. Send me a GPS so I can give you the exact coordinates. LOL I got it in Bogo at Unihomes. This might help:
If you go to Rizal Park in Bogo, take the road that goes toward the Port of Bogo. Not the small wharf but the one the bigger ferries go to. Sad to say, I’ve never even been over there.
Dang I need some private transportation. Or toward Nagano Pension house, not sure I spelled that right. LOL
I gotta find a way to do maps and I really do need a GPS to help me locate stuff for others.
Jessie doesn’t know the name of the road. I’m not much of an artist, to say the least. I really need for someone too create a map for me. YOU KNOW anyone that does that cheap? I need a map of Bogo to do that.
Thanks Rusty, That’s enough information for us to find it. I’m not super familiar with the layout of Bogo, as I don’t get there too often, and have really come there with some purpose for shopping and maybe to eat lunch afterwards. You guys are out mostly in the late afternoons and evenings and we usually arrive there early mornings and are back on our way after lunch, so our schedules don’t always jive.
There seems to be a lot to discover in Bogo though, and even in a vehicle there is a lot of territory to cover and know about. I wonder if the Bogo City Hall or any Bogo websites would have a street map that someone could follow? I’d like to be able to study one too. I read on a Filipino website recently called LANGYAW.com about a roadtrip the writer took through northern Cebu that had some cool trivia about Bogo that you might want to check out. Thanks again for the info Rusty, I’m going to follow up, and if you find a map, let us all know.
Take care, Queenie
I have a picture of the dental clinic and beauty shop and will put it up soon, I’ll try to direct you to that picture once its up. I’m working on several months worth of pictures now.
Hey Rusty
The link you gave me led me to the story about the death of your monkey George. So I reacted to that. Only afterwards I found out that that happened quite some time ago and that meanwhile you have acquired another monkey.
Congratulations with your water heater. When I was living in Cebu I often took a shower later in the day. By that time the sun had heated the water pipes (that are mostly lying on the surface).So we got hot water free of charge.
But a heater leaves you free to take a shower whenever you want to.
You chose to live ‘up country’. Does Bogo have a decent hospital? My main objection to living away from Cebu City is the lack of decent medical facilities elsewhere. But, though very healthy (thus far), I am considerably older than you.
Hi Adrian,
Sorry so long to approve your message. I formatted my PC and forgot to add the email address back to my email client so I hadn’t downloaded any emails from the address that I get alerts from on this site.
Our water was warmer early than in the afternoon but not always. Sometimes it is very cool in the shower but yea, problem solved now.
There is a hospital here. For anything serious they would transport you to Cebu City. It is common to see ambulance headed south with lights on.
Hey Rusty,
My room mates here are from Puerto Rico originally, and say they use to use those types of water heaters. In fact when they first come over, they looked very hard to find that type of water heater to install in the house. To help save electricity, and there use to not using hot water from the faucet.
But from what they have told me, and not sure this is totally true, they couldn’t find them here in Florida, said it was illegal to have them here, and were told they weren’t safe to use…now I am not sure of this..but may be true.
Salamat kaayo,
Danny
Yeah its all about what you’re use too.
I don’t miss hot water at the time too much at all.
I’m sure the water heaters don’t meet American safety standards but illegal? I doubt it but who knows. They are used in many places of the world and they do just fine for me.
Hi Rusty,
I am a 64 year old guy living in Texas. I am thinking about visiting the Philippines this year with the thought of moving there in a year or two. My social security will provide me with about $2300 a month and with savings think that will provide a comfortable life. How did you meet your girl friend? I want to find a very attractive girl when I live there, but am a little apprehensive. I have young girl friends here, but they are americans. I communicated with several girls from Cebu over the internet and they turned out to be scammers. Any advice appreciated. rob
I did meet my girl online. I use to own a video chat room on Camfrog. There are a ton of Filipina on there. We were friends for a year before any thing more became off it. A bit more than a year. I wasn’t looking, had really given up on the idea. Figured I’d just be alone. Of course, once a guy starts acting that way the women seem to come out in droves.
I’ve met a lot of Filipina scammers online. Some might come around to be honest if they think you are for real but most of the time they don’t think you’re for real either.
I met several girls here
that appeared to be promising, one an 18 year old beauty that was quite upset at me for staying with a 29 year old. She still looking, I think. She might be too demanding, I’m not sure.
You have to assume they are going to be scammers online as there are many online. In person though, you’ll find a lot more good women. Very loving and caring. I see it all the time.
I also know a guy that married a girl he met from the above site. I met a lot more scammers there than serious women. Sometimes they are fooling themselves. They think they are sincere though. Many men think they are too, but when its time to show up, they never do.
I’d just look for friends on that site, several of them and see if any of them turn into something real once you’re here. Can’t really blame them for asking for small amounts of money. If a girl is over 25 and does not have a job, she probably can’t get one. If she has a child, almost no chance. And when they do work, its common for them to earn about $100 a month. I wouldn’t let that be the only criteria in deciding if they are scammers.
Ten bucks can help them out a lot and if they are scammers, ten dollars will usually tell you that by the way they react afterwards. If you do send it, don’t send it Western Union, that’s too expensive. use Remithome. Its probably best not to send it, especially if you haven’t met her in person. I still use Remit Home to get my money.
if you can attract younger women in the States, they should be flocking to you here and some of them will be awesome women.
I recently found this site, I’ve never had a membership there. I’m sure it will be loaded with scammers too.
Basically you have to move slow. Most girls wont work out. Some would tell you not to even look online but you can find good women online and having a Filipina to show you the ropes when you get here really eases the transition.
Your income is enough to have a good life here. At least, I find it to be enough.
Hi Ron,
You can find more ladies looking for friends in the friendster.com. This site is the favorite destination for Filipinos who are looking for friends.
I recommend this one. She is our neighbor here in Cebu. http://profiles.friendster.com/100493364
Hi Lance. Is she the girl in the red dress in the album with 17 photos. She is gorgeous. The other girl is cute, but I like the staight narrow roman nose. Maybe I am too picky.
Do you live in bogo city? That looks like a great place. Thanks. rob
Hi rob heuel,
agree with Rusty totally.. best advice is to come here but one thing I would never disclose is what your real income is to anyone. You can live on a lot less than that and stockpile a little for trips away etc. Also something I realised quite quickly is there is a lot of opportunity in the Philippines although the average person is earning around P6,000 a month a small business venture with invested capital (rather than a loan) a partner could be earning P10,000+ and you aswell from the same venture without even having to do any work except the initial setup. I monitor things from time to time but all my bills etc are paid from a business with the family so they are self-sufficent and so are me,my wife and daughter.
Seriously just get on a flight.. and make a decision then really hard to do anything over the net.
Getting back to the main topic.. is it your house rusty? couldnt you add a hotwater tank to the roof?
Hi Matt, what type of business endevor. I am a retired CPA. Will not be able to sit still and not have my finger in something. Appreciate the advice.
Hi Adrian,
If your have some worry about medical facilities, you can ask the local government to improve municipal hospitals. Bogo have been qualified to become city so i think they can afford to have better facilities.
Bogo lost its status as a city. However, I don’t think the people are accepting it.
There is a surgeon at the hospital only one day a week!
Hi Rusty,
Good day. I seldom visit your site since i am busy with my work but now i notice you have not posted any updated since the last time i visit you.
Hope you are fine when you read this. When will be the town fiesta in Bogo. I dont have news in my co-teacher there.
Last trip to Bogo I had to use the Munical Hospital, that was in 2007. I came from Connecticut and the Doctor who saw me asked me about Connecticut becuase he, his wife and daughter were all leaving for the US to work as Nurses. He could make a better life working for in a inner city hospital in New Haven than as one of the few Doctors in Bogo.
Lucky you! I wish I have water heater installed in my home. I hate taking cold showers. I live in a mountain barangay here in Danao City, Cebu. Water here is cold because it comes from a cold spring.
What happen to you? Your last post was August if I am correct. Are you back in US?
Hey Lance, I’m still in the Philippines.
I’ve taken a break from writing. Check out http://heyjoe.ph for more current articles. I’m not writing every day but I write some.
Ever since I have been here to Cebu for our business, I usually prefer Bathrooms with hot and cold shower. The weather here is so great, so hot. Unlike when I was back in US. The people are nice to.
We just bought an Hot and Cold shower for our new home. It cost around 4,000 pesos.+