Philippines is a retirement destination

Forbes magazine has named the Philippines among the 20 best foreign retirement havens in 2015.  "For U.S. retirees, the principal appeal of the Philippines is a low cost of living in a tropical environment full of English speakers and outdoor beauty," Forbes said.  Among the popular locations for American retirees are Tagaytay and Subic.

"Popular locations include Tagaytay, a suburb of Manila, the capital, that is elevated and therefore cooler, and Subic Bay, with an infrastructure from the old US Navy base," it said.

"Foreign income is untaxed, and permanent residency can be had on a minimal showing of retirement income," it said.

Forbes said there are nonstop flights between Manila and US that take an average of 15 hours.

It identified the 20 "appealing foreign countries" based on a review of factors such as cost of living, cultural attractions and scenery, safety, tax matters—especially breaks for retirees—local hospitality, weather, availability of adequate healthcare and prevalence of English.

Other countries included in the list are Australia, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Spain, Thailand and Uruguay.