Q.  How about typhoons and floods? 
         A. Flooding is not a problem because we are located in a high mountain valley with plenty of drainage away from our community. Typhoons only cause elevated levels of rain for a few days. Negros Island is the most protected island in the Philippines from typhoons because it is the fourth largest island in the Philippines and it is located inside a close circle of other large islands which sometimes get heavier typhoon impact, compared to Negros Island. Our large, in the mountains, Mabinay municipality is also protected from severe windstorms by being entirely encircled by a ring of high mountains. 

        Q. How do we contact or visit Econotel?
        A. Email us  at econotelbooking@yahoo.com or call us through the following number 035-226-3154 or 035-226-3219  Landline Philippines +63-35-226-3154 or +63-35-226-3219 Outside of Philippines  09263574333 Cell phone Philippines 
(63-926) 3574-333    Outside of Philippines Email: Econotel. For travel instructions from Dumaguete, please read one of the travel questions further down this page.  For travel instructions from Bacolod, whether you are at the Bacolod Airport [south side of city and which is on the national highway going directly to Mabinay] or from the south Bacolod Ceres bus terminal, you will want to get on a Ceres [yellow or green] bus going to either Kabankalan [only a half hour from Mabinay, but you will need to change to a Dumaguete bus at the new Kabankalan bus terminal], or, better yet, directly to Dumaguete City [via Mabinay]. Make sure that your bus is going to Dumaguete via Mabinay and NOT via San Carlos, a route that does not pass through Mabinay which takes twice as long to travel from Bacolod to Dumaguete because it goes around the large island, rather than diagonally across the island.

        Q. Is English widely spoken in the Philippines or does one need to know the local Cebuano and Tagalog  languages?
        A. English is widely-spoken throughout the Philippines. Econotel has English-speaking management and maintenance associates. The Philippines is the fourth largest English-speaking nation [in number of English speakers] in the world [after USA, UK, and India]. Almost all signs and advertisements are in English. The newspapers and magazines are published in English. All legal contracts must be in English All court papers, court proceedings, and government forms are in English. City, provincial, and the national government operate using English. English is also spoken to a much lesser degree but definitely in use in many radio and TV shows. Filipinos often combine English with a local language when talking with one another. You can watch on your home or apartment dream satellite dish: CNN, Fox News, National Geographic, HBO, Cinemax, ESPN, AXN, and many other American satellite cable programs, plus other foreign satellite services such as BBC, France's Channel 5, Germany's DW, Australian channels, and channels from India, Taiwan, China, and Japan.. Satellite services costs you less than US$18 per month [890 P-pesos]!

        Q. How can we as an American married couple live year-round in the Philippines?
        A. You can initially enter the Philippines as a visitor on a FREE 21 day automatic visa [for visitors from first world countries such as Canada, USA, Germany, UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc.], which can then be renewed with small fees for up to one year [about US$30 total in a year]. Many foreign residents of the Philippines stay in the Philippines year after year by getting a new series of visitor visa each 12 months [requiring that they leave the country for a few hours, days, etc., once every 12 months, such as flying for a low-cost vacation to Hong Kong which is only 2 hours away and costs about $300 for airfare and hotel room for 2-3 days You can live in the Philippines year-round in at least two other different ways as an American couple. The easiest, low-cost way is to acquire permanent resident alien status [about $300 with all related-expenses]. More complicated and much more expensive [and very rarely used by foreigners] is to obtain a Retirement Visa [one per married couple], or an Investor Visa.  Spouses married to a Filipina or Filipino have even more opportunities for permanent year-round living, such as a free balikbayan visa. For more information, visit: Philippines-Retirement-Visa.

          Q. What is the population of Mabinay?
          A. Mabinay is one of the largest municipalities in land area in the Philippines, but because it is a rural, agriculturally-oriented area, its population is only about 150,000. The population of the metropolitan Dumaguete City area is over 300,000.  The population of Negros Oriental Province is over 1.2 million. The population of nearby Kabankalan [Negros Occidental] is about 300,000. Kabankalan is only a 45 minute drive on an absolutely top-knotch road with park-like scenery all along the way. A large new Gaesano Mall opens in Kabankalan in mid-2006.

          Q. Where does one go for shopping?
          A.  A major mall Gaesano Mall opens in Kabankalan during May, 2006---Kabankalan is about 30 miles or 45 minutes car travel time. The largest shopping community in Negros Oriental is Dumaguete City, a 90-120 minute car trip from Econotel. It has several hundred retail stores, including the large Hypermart [like a smaller version of Wal-Mart] and the large Super Lee Department Store. Only two hours by car from Econotel is the the fourth biggest city in the Philippines---Bacolod, in the adjoining province of Negros Occidental, which has 2 very large, modern, American-style shopping malls [Gaesano Mall and Robinson Mall]. A very large SM Mall is scheduled to open in Bacolod sometime during 2006. A large Robinson's Mall is also under construction in Dumaguete, but it will not open until 2007.

          Q. Do I need to own a car or pickup truck for living in an apartment at Econotel and in the Philippines?
          A. You don't need to own a car or pickup truck when you live at Econotel which is on the national highway connecting Dumaguete City and Bacolod City [4th largest city in the Philippines], and thus has 24 hour, 7 day, high-quality bus services, low-cost [$1 to $1.50 per one-way trip] to both cities. Both the Dumaguete Airport and the Bacolod Airport are on the national highway. There are also low-cost local jeepneys and tricycles to take you anywhere in greater Mabinay [about US ten cents per trip].

           Q. Is it economical for me to ship my recreational vehicle and car from the States to the Philippines?
           A. No. Bringing a motor home, car, or pickup truck, or any vehicle [other than a motorcycle you already own] to the Philippines would probably cost in transportation and import duties more than the vehicle  is probably worth. It is much better for you to sell your vehicles where live, whether in North America, Europe, or Australia/New Zealand, and then buy new or used replacement vehicles in the Philippines. The Philippines government just substantially reduced the tax on small, new pickup trucks.  I know many foreigners who live year round in the Philippines, and none I know have ever being willing to spend the huge transportation cost and import taxes involved in bringing a vehicle to the Philippines. New vehicles [same or similar brands and models] in the Philippines usually cost less than new vehicles in the USA and Europe.

           Q. On my first visit to Negros Island, is it possible to rent a car to explore Dumaguete, Mabinay, Bacolod, and Negros Island?
           A. Yes. You can easily rent an international-branded rental car, or a less expensive local rental company car at the Dumaguete Airport or the Bacolod Airport if you have a major credit card with which to secure and pay for your car rental. Car rental in the Philippines usually requires that you have the rental vehicle be driven by a rental car company driver because you [as a new visitor to Philippines] would find it both difficult and unsafe to drive yourself among the undisciplined and untrained Filipino drivers. The cost of having a company driver is low and the benefits to you are wonderful, especially since the driver will know how to find all of your desired destinations and get you there safely.

           Q. When I live year-round in the Philippines, what would be the cost to own my own car, utility vehicle, or motorcycle?
           A.  If you are living in the Philippines year-round, you can buy a good condition, pre-owned Japanese utility truck ["easy-ride"] for less than US$3,000.  A new Japanese motorcycle will cost you less than $1,000. You can buy a smaller-size, NEW Japanese pickup truck or NEW small sedan car for about $10,000 to $12,000. A NEW  luxury sports utility vehicle or full scale, full-featured pickup truck [such as Ford F150] will be in the $25,000 to $30,000 range or more. Americans and Canadians appreciate the important fact that Filipinos drive on the right hand side of the road, just like the USA and Canada. Car/truck steering wheels are on the left hand side, just like the USA and Canada.

           Q. We are flying to Dumaguete to see Econotel . How do we get from Dumaguete to Econotel?
           A.  Take a pedicab tricycle to the Ceres bus terminal (8 peso fare) and then take a Ceres bus going to Bacolod via Mabinay. Get off the bus at Econotel in Bulwang Mabinay.  The guest inn is on the right hand side of the highway 6 km before Lumbangan proper. Watch for the many billboards advertising the guest inn as you travel toward the guest inn.

           Q. How can I travel from Cebu City and Cebu Island to Mabinay, Oriental Negros?
           A. Follow the detailed advice at How To Travel from Cebu.

           Q. Where can our young child attend school now and in the future [e.g., college]  if we live in Econotel?
           A.  Filipinos are very school-oriented. When family finances permit or with government scholarships [post high school only], many bright and ambitious Filipinos go to private [non-denominational, Catholic, and Protestant] elementary and secondary schools, and take post-high school training and education at the many vocational schools, colleges, and universities in the Philippines.  Most classes are taught in English. Dumaguete is very famous in the Philippines for its top-notch, high-achieving colleges and universities: famous Silliman University [founded in 1901 and the only Protestant university in the Philippines], Central Visayas Polytechnical College [CVPC, a state-owned, low-tuition fountain of learning], St. Paul's College [over a century in existence and now a university], and Foundation University [a small but good quality university]. Dumaguete also has several post-graduate computer training schools: AMA, STI, and Acsat. You can also enroll your children in USA distance learning, accredited schools for home study in the Philippines, resulting in your child receiving an American high school diploma from an accredited USA high school.

           Q. What about  insects, mold, rodents, and snakes?
           A.  The primary insect problems you need to deal with are mosquitoes and ants. The mosquito problem is small---plus each home has screens on all windows, plus screen doors. From time to time, you will need to spray ants trying to enter your house. Major brand U.S. and European insect sprays will be for sale in Frymart. As to snakes, please note that Negros Island is NOT a home to poisonous snakes, just harmless snakes that feed on rodents and insects. As to rodents and insects, your condominium at  Econotel is rodent, insect, mold/mildew and dry rot resistant because the condominiums are built entirely of masonry and steel with the only wood being the high quality hardwood doors. All windows have screens. The front door is protected by a screen door. As to poisonous snakes elsewhere in the Philippines, the deadly cobra lives in the dense jungle areas on at least two islands: Mindinao and Leyte. People living in developed areas of those two islands do not confront cobras in their daily life. It is the cobras who live in fear because some Filipinos on those islands like to hunt and kill cobras for sport and food. If you want to know more about mold and health, mold inspection, mold remediation, and mold prevention, visit the internet's top mold websites: Mold Inspector, Mold Inspection, Mold, and Mold Store.

          Q. What about tropical diseases and drinking water?
          A. Malaria is not a common problem on Negros Island, but it is a risk if you ever visit the beautiful jungle Palawan Island in the Philippines. Denque fever is a small and relatively rare problem [easily handled medically] if you are ever bitten by a mosquito carrying that tropical disease. Having screens on your windows and doors of your Village home, and wearing OFF insect repellant if you go outside at night time is always a good way to avoid mosquito bits in the Philippines or USA or anywhere else. The drinking waters is  safe at the Econotel.

          Q. What is the electric voltage in the Philippines?
          A.  Like most of the non-US/Canadian world, the electric voltage is 220. If you are moving USA/Canadian 110 volt electronics, appliances, lamps, etc. to Econotel, you can purchase at low cost in the Philippines small step-down transformers that convert 220 electricity into 110 at each electric outlet in which you wish to plug in a 110 volt item.  You can also pay [low-cost] to have your appliances converted from 110 v to 220 v.