There are multiple images that conjure up when people think of the Philippines:
– crowded cities (Manila)
– islands
– Jeepneys and trikes
– people
– beaches
I’ve only been to the Philippines one time.
2010.
We spent 5 weeks on vacation on the island of Boracay, which is a really popular beach.
My son is on a mission with the Church of Latter-Day Saints in the Philippines right now. He spent 8 months on Marinduque, which is an island with beautiful beaches.
When my OFS team goes on vacation or talks about working out of their homes, their go-to destination is usually a beach.
But the Philippines also has really cold mountain areas everywhere. It’s an island nation created from volcanos, some of which are really tall.
These mountain places are great to go on vacation if you want to be surrounded by nature. Also, according to Julia, they’re also great places to work.
————
I live close to several beaches (15 minutes away) so working from those places is always an option for me. But sometimes I want to try something different. So when my friend told me she has a coffee shop (Cafe Agripino) and BnB in Arakan a few months ago, I took her up on her offer and went there.
I liked the place so much we’ve been going there every few weeks.
Arakan is a small mountain town in South Cotabato that’s 2 hours away from Davao City. It’s a great place to go if you want to unwind and enjoy its cold climate. Most days, it’s a comfortable 25C (77 degrees), and some mornings it can get as cold as 10C (50 degrees). I’ve been here several times and fully expected to enjoy it as a vacation spot. I didn’t expect it to be a new favorite work-away-from-home destination.
I know this was only possible because of the pandemic. COVID forced the Philippine government to speed up building internet infrastructure all over the place. Before the pandemic, Arakan and other towns like it only had cellular towers.
Now, they have access to fiber and mobile internet. OFS living in mountain towns who moved to the metropolitan areas are now moving back, helping revitalize their economy.
My favorite part about Arakan is getting amazing hot chocolate, buttered bananas, and fresh produce while working.
This isn’t the only place in the Philippines where we enjoy cold weather. I have a close friend (also an OFS) who lives in Baguio City. Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines, known for its pine trees and cool weather. This is me and my family at a strawberry farm on vacation there last year.
There’s also Tagaytay, which is close to the Taal Volcano. One of our OFS team talked about working there in a previous newsletter.
This is what I love about working from home. I can work anywhere and visit amazing places. This makes me really appreciate my work and all that’s given to me and my family.
————
Julia is a great writer. She’s also a great project manager. She’s also just super intelligent.
Jam, her husband, is a great team leader and customer support manager. He’s currently doing QA for us which he’s really good at. Plus, he’s also super intelligent.
Their daughter, who does not work for us yet (we hope she will some day) is also super intelligent and doing exceptional in her schooling.
Want to find people like Julia and Jam?
Start at OFSGuide.com
John