Completion Report
Transnational Geographies of Japanese Retirees in the Philippines:Networks, Engagement and the Production of Urban Space
Arnisson Andre C. Ortega
Assistant Professor
Population Institute
University of the Philippines

This study clarifies the nature, extent, and patterns of Japanese retiree migration in the Philippines, focusing on theexperiences of those who have availed themselves of the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV). While theprograms of the Philippine Retirement Agency (PRA) tend to underscore the investment aspects of retirement in thePhilippines, the Japanese retirees we interviewed were more interested in issues of livability. Similar to othernationalities, Japanese retirees chose the Philippines for its tropical climate, cheaper commodities and services, andwarm hospitality. In Metro Manila, Japanese retirees tend to settle in new business districts (Makati CBD andBonifacio Global City) where condominium developments and high-end gated communities are located. The same
spatial pattern takes place in other parts of the Philippines, where retirees tend to locate in cities with growing realestate markets. Because of their living arrangements in secured residential units, compounded by language barriers,
everyday engagement with Filipinos is fairly limited. Furthermore, retirees tend to go back and forth between thePhilippines and Japan, creating a seasonal transnational mobility pattern. In the Philippines, Japanese networks areimportant to the survival of Japanese retirees. These not only include personal networks, but also formalorganizations and institutions, such as the PRA Japanese Club, various marketing agencies, and businesses that
support Japanese retirees.
During the last few decades, Japanese retirement to the Philippines can be described by two waves of movement.
Prior the SSRV program, Japanese retirees have been settling in the Philippines, most of whom were malebusinessmen working for Japanese companies in the Philippines and/or husbands of Filipinas. For these retirees whowere already in the Philippines, the creation of the SSRV program has facilitated their legal status since it is fasterand relatively cheaper compared to other available visa categories. For the more recent wave of SSRV Japanese
retirees, PRA-accredited realty firms serve as important brokers in bringing in retirees to the Philippines. Several ofthese brokers offer retirement packages that include SSRVs along with the purchase of condominium units in thePhilippines, creating a linkage between condominium real estate development and retirement. To attract more
retirees as investors, PRA reduced the minimum retirement age to 35 years old, and set different deposit requirements
depending on age, which can be converted to investments and/or condominium purchases. But for several older
Japanese retirees, the emphasis on investment goes against the main reason for their retirement in the Philippines,
which is to enjoy a restful life with a high quality of living during their older years. According them, what they needare better facilities and services that address their needs as elderly.
1/2Publication of the Results of Research Project:Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
November 17, 2018, IDEC, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City
4th Philippine Studies Conference in Japan
Transnational mobilities and the production of urban spaces in the Philippines: Reflections on urban
epistemologies, theory-building and praxis
Presenter: Arnisson Andre C. Ortega

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
N/A (in process)Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
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