Find out in this post the advantages of provincial living and why I would always choose it over city living.
I’m a true blue provinciano. I grew up in a small town called San Antonio
in Nueva Ecija. Provincial life is the only life that I knew of until I went
to Quezon City to study for college. In fact, my choice of school was
dictated by its proximity to Nueva Ecija and its overall provincial vibe
because of the abundance of trees on the campus. Even after decades of
living and working in Metro Manila, I still consider provincial living to be the most ideal especially if you have a family.
The Perks Of Living In The Province [6 Huge Advantages]
Growing up in a small town
For most people, especially those who are from the big city, living in a small
town can be boring. Well, I can understand them because they’re used to the
fast-paced life, bright lights, and the general hustle and bustle of the city.
On the other hand, for someone like me who grew up in a small town, our
day-to-day life is generally slow and consisted mostly of the same routine.
Since we’re so used to that kind of simple life, we’re happy with the way it
is.
In fact, when I was due to transfer to Quezon City to begin college, the idea
of moving around in the city, commuting in jeepneys, and meeting city folks
all petrify me. I guess it all boils down to our stereotype of what city
living is, which is mostly what we see in the news like crimes, pollution,
noisy streets, informal settlers, and so on.
Anyway, when you are from a small town, it feels like you know everybody or
you know what’s going on in terms of current news and events. It also seems
like you are almost always related to, well, practically all the people that
you know of. I mean, you will most often be able to trace a common relative.
Meanwhile, I think it’s fairly accurate when it comes to what other people
imagine life in a small town to be. Townsfolk begin their day early, which
usually consisted of their morning routine before going to work, school, or
the rice fields.
When I was still in elementary and high school, I would wake up at 6:00 AM
prepare for school, go to my classes, and then I’d be home by around 4:30 PM.
Then, it’s lights out by 8:00 PM, at the latest. I believe that’s also how
other people in my town spend their days.
Small children would be playing in the streets in the late afternoon but
that’s perfectly fine. Most streets in my small town are not busy so there’s
really no need to be extra cautious when playing outside.
During summer school breaks, I’d be staying in my grandfather’s house. I’d
spend my afternoons running in dry rice fields with my cousins and friends. I
also got to explore creeks, entered large fields with thick foliage that looked like a forest, and even watched how it is to plant rice.
Life in a small town is modest; you can even call it repetitive. However,
that’s the life that I’ve come to know and I’ll never forget even if I spend
the majority of my days in Metro Manila.
Moving to the big city
During the late 90s, I moved to Metro Manila to begin my college studies. I
was a nervous 16-year-old back then, primarily because of the typecasts
perpetrated by the old folks in my town.
Metro Manila is filthy, they said. Metro Manila will corrupt your mind and
values, they said. Anyway, I soon realized that those were all untrue.
I rented an apartment owned by a family who was nothing but kind and caring.
They treated me like their own relative and I think that’s the reason why I
stayed for 16 years before I moved out and got married.
Life in the city has its challenges and it has its temptations. I think those
are the things that will really strengthen your values as long as you don’t
let the negativities around you get into you.
I went through college and made friends and acquaintances with a lot of fellow
students. I worked after finishing college and started a family after years of
navigating the corporate world. It may seem like I’ve forgotten my life in the
province but that is not so. I regularly visit my parents and would often make
trips out of town for a quick break from life in the metro.
As my children grew up and especially when the COVID-19 pandemic came, the
idea of moving to the province still pops up in my mind because of the
advantages of living outside Metro Manila. I understand though that it’s not
really a simple process and it needs some careful planning.
The 6 top things that I like in provincial living
When I initially moved to Metro Manila, I was missing my small town and I even
wished that I’d never had to go to study in the city. I told myself that once
I finished college, I’d go back to San Antonio with no hesitations.
Life has a
different plan for me though but I eventually realized the benefit of
experiencing both city life and provincial life. What’s more, I reckon that
gave me some authority, so to speak, to compare life in both situations.
Whenever I think about moving back to the province, I always think of the
distinct advantages of living away from the city. Those are the following:
1. Cost of living
Life in the province is easy. In terms of cost, it’s also very affordable to
live in the province. The commodities are priced way lower as compared to
those in Metro Manila. I think it’s because of the proximity to farms.
It’s also true when people say that you can just plant your food in your
backyard and you’d be able to live comfortably. We still have fruit trees and
vegetables in the backyard so that means fewer expenses for us.
At times, you won’t even have to spend on materials that you need for your
home because some people will just give you these for free if they have no
need for them anymore.
2. Life is slow
I like the slow provincial life versus the need to rush in Metro Manila. In my
town, you don’t need to wake up too early in the morning to get to work or
school because we don’t have any heavy traffic to think about.
I still get shocked to see high school students already on the road at 5:30 AM
just to get to school on time. When I was in high school, I used to wake up an
hour before school starts but I was still in no frantic rush.
3. Vehicle traffic is practically non-existent
Even at this age, we still don’t get vehicle traffic in my small town. The
only occasions when there is heavy traffic are during Christmas and the town
fiesta. Other than these, the roads are very quiet.
4. The food is fresher
The food products in the province, at least in my province, is fresher as
compared to those in Metro Manila. I’m confident that the meat and the fish
that I buy in the public market are fresh. It helps that almost everybody
knows each other so it’s their honor at stake when they sell items that are of
poor quality.
In Quezon City, there are situations when we were sold stale meat and fish
even when we shopped in big wet markets. It was never consistent when it came
to the quality of raw items.
5. There is less pollution
I think this is pretty straightforward. Fewer vehicles mean less air
pollution. It’s also worth mentioning that there is reduced noise pollution
coming from cars.
When I was working on my college admission requirements, I was stunned as soon
as I stepped out of the aircon bus because of the noisy streets. It was like
an assault on my senses.
6. My children can spend more time playing outside
Since the streets are not congested with vehicles, I am confident to let my
children play outside. Our daily routine in the province consisted of walking
on the neighborhood road in the morning and in the late afternoon. Of course,
we still accompany our little kids and we make sure that there are also no
other people outside because of the pandemic.
Epilogue
Even after years of living in Metro Manila, I still consider the province my
home. Well, I was born and raised in a small town and I still dream of
spending many days at home and letting my children experience the perks of
living in the province. I’m sure you feel the same way, too, especially if
you’ve experienced life in a small provincial town.
PIN THIS POST
Other similar stories:
This post may contain affiliate links, including those from Amazon Associates, which means that if you book or purchase anything through one of those links, we may earn a small commission but at no extra cost to you. All opinions are ours and we only promote products that we use.
Download a free copy of my Churches of Nueva Ecija eBook HERE!
Relate po ako dadi iv 17 years old ako ng pumunta ng manila but still after 8 years ko sa manila for me the best pa din sa province wala traffic, fresh air at higit sa lahat. Hindi magulo ngayong pandemic naman di gaano problem pag nasa province basta may mga pananim ka may makakain pa din.
ReplyDeleteTotoo po yan. Mas magaan at mas madali ang buhay sa probinsya.
DeleteMasarap mamuhay sa probinsiya
ReplyDeleteLahat presko at sa akin ,laking probinsiya din ako ay the best talaga ang probinsiya kahit minsan medyo mahirap kumita ng pera Araw Araw pero masaya dun
Malayo layo sa ingay