Muslim OFWs, Arabs asked: Why not retire in Mindanao?

MANILA, Philippines -- Consider this: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and other European countries invite workers with young children to work and eventually live in their host countries to replace the already ageing population.

But the Philippines is inviting ageing overseas Filipino Muslims and Muslim Arabs to spend their retirement years in Mindanao because the region or the country in general has a young population to take good care of them.

The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) says the Philippines, particularly Mindanao, has a low cost of living. Filipinos know how to speak English and the country is on its way to development sooner than earlier thought.

Retired Colonel Fernando Francisco, PRA General Manager, told Arab News that its “Smile at Life in the Philippines” campaign already has 3,200 enrolled retirees who availed of the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) program of the PRA.

The PRA is an agency tasked by the Philippine government to look into the welfare of senior citizens.

Francisco disclosed that Muslim Filipinos and Muslim Arabs may be given the right to enter and leave the Philippines anytime they want or may live permanently in the country without the hassle of passing through the strict requirements of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.

The SRVV is a special non-immigrant visa that provides senior OFWs, foreigners and their families special privileges once they decide to come home for good or make the Philippines their second home.

Francisco promised that the PRA will help prospective senior OFWs and foreigners to avail of the Alien Employment Permit, exemptions for exit and re-entry clearances, importation of personal effects not exceeding $7,000, and tax-free remittances of their pensions, among others.

Calling the PRA program a “sunrise industry,” Francisco noted that there are 17,580 retirees who are enrolled with the program at present.

The PRA targets to reach the 3,200 benchmark for 2008 to be able to hit the total 800,000 new enrollees by 2015.

Top countries that have accepted the Philippine offer to retire in the Philippines are Korea, People’s Republic of China, United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.

Francisco encouraged OFWs to convince expatriates and Muslim Arabs to stay and live in Mindanao.

“Development and peace come together,” the retired colonel stressed. “We can make Mindanao peaceful while we develop it. One is not a precondition of the other.”

He said efforts are being made to establish the Zamboanga City Economic Zone Authority, and open new ventures for retiring citizens and foreigners in Davao, Cagayan De Oro and General Santos City. - Gloria Esguerra Melencio, Arab News Inquirer.net, April 04, 2008