Cebu is it! You've finally found it, that island paradise you've been looking for all your life. Cebu is that sunny Pacific island, warm all year round, where tropical flowers abound. There's plenty to savour, see, and enjoy. Local society is anglophone, friendly and welcoming; you'll fit right in. On top of it all, Cebu is a hip place fast becoming the most happening city in Southeast Asia: cutting-edge IT companies are moving in, and the party scene is fast becoming legendary.
It is about time to lay old stereotypes to rest. True, a lot of expats in the Philippines are still men who have married local girls, and the majority of them could be said to have found love by dint of economic clout. But this unbalanced situation of yesteryear is changing, and it's changing fast. Cebu is well on its way to realizing its potential as a truly cosmopolitan city, where the foreign population interacts naturally with the local population. I see more and more foreign hunks on the streets every day; their dates are typically college grads from well-off families rather than girls from families in economic need.
In addition, I see more and more foreign women with their Filipino dates. Their numbers are still small, but the women of the West - like their male compatriots - are quickly realizing that Filipino husbands embody those lost values they've been looking for. Sexy. Romantic. Sensitive. Caring. Now, I hear that some foreign women are using their money and wordliness to lure younger Filipino guys into marriage and a life of dependency, but I'm sure these are the exception.
Perhaps you'll come here for the girls, or the guys, but you'll quickly realize that the lifestyle is just as much as an attraction as the attractive local population. You can make Cebu your island paradise if you only so choose. And that will be good for Cebu, too: the expats bring world-class standards and international flavor. In fact, some of the best restaurants in Cebu are run by expats who found paradise, and made it better. Now that's real synergy.
