Recently, I came across an article that brought a smile to my face. The Philippines was recognized as one of the best places in the world to retire in 2026. Even more gratifying was reading that Iloilo City, the city of my birth, was ranked as the number one city in the Philippines for retirement.
As I shared this news with some of my fellow senior residents here at The Heritage Downtown (THD) in Walnut Creek, California, one of them asked me a question that I have heard several times before:
"If Iloilo City is such a wonderful place to retire and you also have a beautiful beach retirement home in Marinduque, why are you living here in Walnut Creek instead?"
On paper, the answer would seem obvious. I was born in Iloilo, often called the City of Love. It is a city rich in history, warm hospitality, excellent cuisine, and a relaxed pace of life. Every street corner carries memories of my childhood and my formative years before life took me to many different places.
Then there is Marinduque, the "Heart of the Philippines." Through my beloved wife, Macrine Nieva Jambalos Katague, I became part of one of the island's distinguished families. Over the years, we built not just memories there but also a beach house that we envisioned as our retirement haven. It was a place where we imagined spending peaceful days together, watching the sunrise over the sea and welcoming family and friends.
That was our dream. Life, however, sometimes rewrites our plans.
When Macrine passed away in 2020 after sixty-three wonderful years of marriage, the dream changed. The beach house remained, but it no longer felt like the retirement we had envisioned together. The place was still beautiful, but the companionship that gave it meaning was gone.
As we grow older, we realize that home is not simply where the scenery is most beautiful or where the cost of living is the lowest. Home is where the people we love are.
Today, all of my immediate family is here in the United States. My three living children are here. My six grandchildren are here. My two great-grandsons are here. Their birthdays, graduations, family gatherings, holiday celebrations, and everyday lives are here.
At ninety-one years of age, those moments have become more precious than ever.
Living in Walnut Creek allows me to remain close to them. I can watch another generation of our family grow. I can celebrate their accomplishments and enjoy the simple privilege of being present in their lives.
That is something no retirement ranking can measure.
Of course, I still love the Philippines. I will always be proud to have been born in Iloilo. Marinduque will forever occupy a special place in my heart because it is intertwined with my memories of Macrine and the life we built together.
One can have more than one home.
For immigrants like me, this is often our reality. Our roots remain firmly planted in the country of our birth, while our branches have grown in another land where our children and grandchildren now flourish. We carry both places within us.
I have lived in America since 1960. It has given me educational opportunities, a rewarding scientific career, and a fulfilling life. Yet I have never forgotten my Filipino heritage. Through my blogs over the past seventeen years, I have tried to introduce readers around the world to the history, culture, food, traditions, and remarkable people of the Philippines.
In many ways, although I now live in California, a part of me still lives every day in Iloilo and Marinduque.
Would I recommend the Philippines as a retirement destination? Absolutely.
Its warm climate, welcoming people, affordable lifestyle, rich culture, and strong sense of community make it one of the finest places to spend one's retirement years.
But for me, at this stage of life, another consideration outweighs all the others.
The greatest luxury in retirement is not a beautiful house by the beach.
It is having your family close enough to embrace.
So while my heart will always belong to Iloilo and Marinduque, my home today is Walnut Creek, California, because that is where the people I love most are gathered.
In the end, retirement is not merely about choosing the best place.
It is about choosing the place where your heart finds its greatest peace.
Personal Notes : Timelines and Places of David B Katague Retirement
2002- 2017- Spent 4 to 5 months out of the year between Marinduque, Philippines and Fair Oaks, California. Macrine and I called ourselves the Snowbirds. Because when it gets cold here in the US we fly to the Philippines and stay in our Beach House, Chateau Du Mer.
2018-2023- Fair Oaks, California, (the Eastern suburb of Sacramento, CA)
2023 to the Present- The Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek, California
Finally, My Photo of the Day: My 3-Year Old Avocado Tree in my Bedroom
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