He Moved from Canada to Manila, Philippines — He Found His True Home Here

He gave up everything in Canada — and moved to Makati, Philippines. What happened next says everything about why Filipinos are different. This Canadian has traveled to dozens of countries around the world. He could have settled anywhere. But the Philippines — specifically Makati — is the only place that made him feel like he truly belonged. In this video, we sit down with a Canadian expat living in Makati, Philippines, and talk about what daily life here actually looks like as a foreigner. From the way Filipinos treat him every single day, to finding a running community that changed his life, to the moment he realized he had found himself in the Philippines — this is one of those conversations that reminds you why so many foreigners never leave. My guest's details: IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnnytsunamy Running club: https://www.instagram.com/justshowupclub ► Daily advice and BTS on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calvin_castiel/ ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalvinCastielPage CHAPTERS: 0:00 "I Found Home in Manila" 0:34 Meet Johnny: Canadian-Korean Living in Rockwell, Makati 1:15 Why Manila? Why Not Cebu? 2:00 What Life Looks Like in Rockwell 3:33 How He First Heard About the Philippines 4:06 "I Never Thought Moving Abroad Was Possible" 5:04 What 6 Months of Travel Taught Him About Himself 6:06 Why Filipinos Are His Favorite People in the World 6:50 Running Away or Being Brave? Why People Leave Home 8:21 Cost of Living: Makati vs. Toronto 9:34 The Biggest Misconception About the Philippines (Safety) 10:54 How His Canadian Friends & Family Reacted 11:40 Does He Plan to Stay Long-Term? 12:14 Next Islands He Wants to Explore (Siquijor, Palawan) 12:57 Traveling the Philippines Without Speaking Tagalog 13:49 Is the Philippines Overrated or Underrated? 15:36 Cost of Living Hack: Wet Markets vs. Supermarkets 18:13 His Favorite Filipino Foods (Sinigang, Adobo & More) 19:21 Why More People Are Moving Abroad in 2026 20:20 The Irony of Reverse Migration (Vietnamese-German Story) 22:08 From Tourism to Settling Down — What Changed? 23:22 "I Wish I Came Earlier" — What He'd Tell His Past Self 23:51 His "Semi-Retirement" & The 4-Hour Work Week 25:36 Would He Retire in the Philippines? 26:29 How Happy Is He Living Here? 27:14 The Run Club That Changed His Life (Just Show Up) 29:47 The Foreign Community in Manila 32:03 His Message to the Filipino Friends Who Made Him Feel at Home 32:56 Final Message to the World: "Just Move"