Where to go if the Philippines goes to the dogs

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It is no secret that there's a lot about living in the Philippines that we don't like, moreso in the present circus... I mean, socio-political situation. So much so that a number of my friends have quipped, either in jest or sarcasm, about leaving the country and settling in less stressful territories.

New York-based Mercer Consulting annually surveys the world's cities and draws up the "Best Places In the World To Live" list, based on myriad factors including political and social, economic, health, housing, and natural environment. For 2009, Filipino favorites Canada and New Zealand figure prominently with five cities landing in the top 20, namely: Vancouver (4), Auckland (tied at 4), Wellington (12), Toronto (15) and Ottawa (16). And if Australia entices you, Sydney (10) and Melbourne (18) sit comfortably in the top 20.

If living in Asia is still your thing, Singapore has the 26th spot. Incidentally, if city infrastructure (traffic, public transport, telecom facilities, water and electricity) is particularly important to you, Mercer ranked Singapore as the best in the world as of 2009 and 2008.

What of the Philippines? According to PinoyMoneyTalk, Mercer ranked the Philippines at 131 as of 2008, down from 127 in 2007. With all the crap that has happened here in 2009, it's prudent to assume we slipped further down the rankings.

But on a lighter note, we could have been worse off--like hitting the bottom of the list at 215, where Bangladesh sits.

Hmmm... I have three friends in Canada and three friends in New Zealand...

For the top 50, visit the Mercer Consulting website. If you want the full list with analysis, Mercer sells the report for US$390, or over P17,000.

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