If You Have the Means to Leave, Why Would You Not?

Dreaming of Moving to Spain?
Need Help Applying for Spain Digital Nomad Visa or Other Residency Options?

We highly recommend BUREAUCRACY ES — a legit, reliable immigration consultancy that personally guided us through our own DNV journey.

Use our referral link to get 10% OFF: https://www.bureaucracy.es/myjseven

Life Back Home: “We Were Doing Okay”

We didn’t leave the Philippines because we were desperate. In fact, by many standards, we were “doing okay.”

We had a house. We had stable jobs. We weren’t rich, but compared to where we came from, we weren’t struggling either.

On paper, life looked fine. But if you’ve lived in the Philippines long enough, you know there’s an invisible weight that comes with the daily grind — the politics, the endless corruption scandals, the sense of hopelessness that maybe, just maybe, things won’t get better even after decades.

Filipinos are resilient. We work hard, we smile through hardships. But after 40 years of living in the Philippines, I started asking: Until when?

The Breaking Point: Stress and Hopelessness

It wasn’t just about money or comfort. It was about mental space, peace, and dignity.

Every time a Filipino tries to leave the country, we’re reminded of how weak our passport is. The endless hoops — visas, piles of documents, and sometimes even overzealous immigration officers questioning your intentions — can make the whole process feel like an interrogation. There are even reports of officers demanding things like old school yearbooks or diplomas just to prove you’re not planning to overstay. It’s exhausting, and honestly, humiliating.

And then there was the political scene back home. For decades, it felt like the country was spiraling downward, and the cycle just kept repeating. People keep electing “TRAPO” — short for Traditional Politicians. Funny enough, in Filipino, trapo also means a dirty rag.

Corruption isn’t new. It exists everywhere in the world. But in the Philippines, it often feels so obvious, so in-your-face, like nobody’s even pretending to be ashamed of it anymore.

The problem? The number of people who are easily manipulated will always outnumber the wise voters. So election after election, rally after rally, Senate hearing after Senate hearing… the results stay the same. The faces might change, but the system doesn’t.

You work hard, pay your taxes, and hope the money goes to better roads, hospitals, schools — only to see it lining the pockets of the powerful or funding benefits for able-bodied people who refuse to work but live off the system like it’s their birthright.

It wears you down. It makes you wonder: Will this ever change? Maybe not in my lifetime. Maybe not in a hundred years. Maybe not even in an alternate universe.

All of this — the political frustration, the weak passport, the endless stress — added weight to our daily lives until one day, it just became too much.

Why Spain?

When the Spain Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) opened up, we saw it as our only chance — and the one we could actually afford.

It wasn’t just about working remotely in Europe. It was about the possibility of citizenship after 2 years. Imagine that: in just a couple of years, we could gain the freedom to travel almost anywhere without begging for visas.

It was hope in the form of a visa. A way out. A chance to breathe.

Finding “Freedom” in Spain

Spain is not a perfect country. We don’t believe any country is. But after a few months of living here, we’ve experienced things that constantly make us ask: “Why can’t we do this back home?”

Simple systems that actually work.

Healthcare that feels accessible.

Daily life that isn’t always a battle with traffic, heat, or bureaucracy.

Maybe freedom isn’t about luxury or riches — it’s about escaping the endless political chaos back home and finally living without that constant weight of stress.

Final Thoughts

Someone once asked us on our YouTube channel, “Why did you leave?”

Our short answer was: Freedom.

But the longer answer is this blog. We didn’t leave because we hated the Philippines. We left because we loved ourselves enough to want a better life.
We left because we were tired of waiting for change that may not come in our lifetime. We left because, for once, we wanted to know what it feels like to simply live, not just endure.

So I’ll leave you with the same question:

If you had the means to leave your country, why would you not?

Dreaming of Moving to Spain? DIY?
Grab Our DNV Starter Kit!

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) can feel overwhelming, especially for first-time applicants — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. This downloadable PDF guide is crafted specifically for Filipinos based on real-world experience and firsthand research.

With this kit, you'll get a simplified, step-by-step roadmap to help you confidently apply, prepare the right documents, and start your digital life in Spain.