I’m checking in from VibePinas "Checking Up On Our Land In Ronda, Cebu", and we’ve had a busy day heading over to Ronda to check on our property and handle some necessary paperwork. Before we got to work, we stopped for a quick snack of chicken feet—only 5 pesos each, and honestly, they're quite good! We also grabbed a traditional Filipino lunch at a carinderia, where I always recommend trying the local soups. They are cheap, filling, and delicious.
One of the big wins of the day was finally getting my own bank account at the Philippine National Bank. For any foreigners watching, take note: PNB is often the only bank that will allow you to open an account, even on a tourist visa. It’s a huge relief not having to rely solely on Jessa’s accounts for everything. We also spent some time reviewing quotes for our land processing; we’re looking at a few different offers and trying to decide whether to go with the cheaper option or the more "ready" one. As always, Jessa is the one doing the hard negotiations!
Once we got up to the land, I was reminded of why we love it so much. The view is incredible, and the quietness of the mountains is exactly what we need. However, we have a bit of a security issue. It seems people have been coming onto the property while we aren't around, taking coconuts and cutting leaves. They even killed a whole bush! To deal with this, our priority before we head to Norway is getting the fence up and installing some motion-sensor surveillance cameras. We want to make it very clear that the land is private property and no longer abandoned.
I also spent some time testing out the existing fence posts. It turns out the previous work was a bit of a "quick job"—the posts aren't very deep and were mostly just held up by some poorly mixed cement and rocks. On the bright side, that means it’ll be easy for us to pull them out and move them to the correct perimeter. Jessa even showed me up by proving how easy they were to wiggle loose!
We’re also planning out the structures. We have an old building on-site that we’re going to convert into a washing and storage room. I’m planning to fix the roof and get electricity installed soon, which will make the actual house construction much faster next year. The total living space, including the balconies, will be nearly 200 square meters when it's all finished.
Little Liam was with us, and as usual, he was more interested in playing than land surveying. He’s even started "decorating" our current rental house with markers and crayons—something I definitely remember doing as a kid, much to my parents' frustration!
We ended the day a bit earlier than planned because Jessa wasn't feeling her best, so instead of a sit-down barbecue, we just grabbed some fried chicken to take home. It was a productive day overall, and it feels great to see the progress, even if it's just clearing weeds and moving fences for now. The dream is slowly becoming a reality. See you in the next one!
