European nationals top the list of foreigners who availed of the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SSRV) to live and stay in Negros Oriental.
Mervin Magbuhat, division chief of Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) here, said their office has registered 447 foreign retirees in the province.
PRA has deemed Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental, as the best place to retire in the Philippines as it scored 87.48 in accordance with the criteria set by international organizations like the United Nations, World Health Organization, and International Living.
PRA and the City of Dumaguete have reinforced their campaign in building up the city as a retiree-friendly area through a Memorandum of Agreement signed Monday by PRA CEO Atty. Bienvenido Chy and Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo.
Under this partnership is the establishment of a PRA Help Desk in the city that will offer services to potential and existing clients, partners, and other stakeholders.
Chy said accreditation of more local business establishments, retirement facilities, and other service providers is also expected as an outcome concurrent with the possible surge of foreign and local retirees.
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“Dumaguete City is the first LGU in the country with whom we have established this significant partnership, the importance of establishing the Help Desk,” 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,” the PRA official added.
Last year, PRA named the Dumaguete City as Retirement Area Deemed as Retiree-Friendly (RADAR).
Foreign retirees cover those who are 35 years old and above who want to stay in the Philippines either for good or for multiple visits, and not necessarily old or sick, but with a deposit fee of $50,000.
As an SRRV grant holder, the foreign national is exempted from paying travel tax, if the stay in the country will not be longer than one year from the last entry date.
The retirees are also exempted from securing the Bureau of Immigration exit clearances, reentry permits and annual registration requirement. (jct/PIA7 Negros Oriental)
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