Life Once Centered on City Traffic, Now a $85,000 Island Home in the Philippines

A New Life on an Island

Matthew Straight and April Pasilang left behind the hustle of city life in favor of a peaceful, off-grid home on an island in the Philippines. Their journey began with a dream of living more intentionally, and it has since become a reality. The couple invested around $85,000 to build their property, which includes a guesthouse, a pond, and a vegetable garden. This change has allowed them to reclaim their time and reduce their attachment to material possessions.

Before moving to Bohol, Matthew lived in Cebu City, one of the oldest cities in the Philippines. The constant noise of traffic made it difficult for him to slow down. “We didn’t really ever get to open a window. It was always closed,” he said. Matthew, who grew up in New Zealand, met April in the Philippines in 2016 while working in the fitness industry. In July 2024, he moved from his base in Australia to be closer to her.

The fast-paced lifestyle of the city eventually became overwhelming. Matthew had always thought about living off-grid in the countryside, but he wasn’t sure if April would share the same vision. “When he mentioned it, it was like, oh my God, I wanted that too,” April said. She, a yoga instructor, had grown up on the outskirts of Cebu City, where space was abundant and her family grew their own crops. She longed for that kind of simplicity again.

A two-night trip to Bohol changed everything. They stumbled upon a piece of land in a small town called Corella. Though it was only a 15-minute drive from a large market and mall, the area was quiet, with few neighbors and easy access to the beach. They bought it on a whim, not expecting such a quick transition.

Building an Off-Grid Home

The couple paid 1.3 million Philippine pesos, or about $23,000, for the plot of land, which spans approximately 15,500 square feet. In October, they started construction on their off-grid home. Matthew drew a simple floor plan, and the couple worked with local architects and builders to design their new place.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom main residence features an open-plan layout to maximize natural light and airflow. A separate one-bedroom guest house offers comfort for visiting family and friends. Outside, there’s a pool, a vegetable garden, and a pond — perfect for growing their own food and relaxing.

To ensure sustainability, the couple installed rainwater storage tanks and a solar panel system. “We don’t want to be at the whim of global supply chain issues,” Matthew said. They spent 4.84 million Philippine pesos on building the property, including appliances, furniture, fencing, drainage, and their solar energy system.

They moved in in April and have already begun planting vegetables. “We just picked some eggplants, okra, and chilies in the morning,” Matthew said. They also plan to buy chickens and raise tilapia fish in their pond for their own consumption.

A Strong Sense of Community

The couple has grown close to several neighbors, often sharing extra produce from their garden or homemade treats like Pasilang’s banana bread. One neighbor is a 75-year-old woman who runs a convenience store where kids from the nearby elementary school stop by to buy snacks. Another is an 83-year-old man who is fit and often carries big bottles of water.

The sense of community is unlike anything they experienced in Cebu City or even in Australia, where Matthew lived for over 10 years. “Everyone looks out for each other here. They’re just so kind and thoughtful and generous, even if they don’t have much,” he said. “And you reciprocate that.”

Their friends from Cebu drop by regularly, and the couple has connected with new people through their homestead-focused YouTube channel — a hobby they started when they began building their home.

Living with Intention

Moving away from the city has allowed the couple to live at their own pace. “We wake up, open the sliding doors, put a pot of coffee on, and take a look at the garden. We just decide what to do based on what needs to be done in the garden,” April said.

In the afternoons, Matthew does online nutrition consulting work, and once he’s finished, the couple brainstorms ideas for their YouTube channel. They’re no longer rushing from place to place, worrying about their to-do lists.

This slower pace aligns with their goal to lead a more purposeful life, especially for Matthew. Back in Australia, he juggled multiple jobs, managing a gym, running a taco business, and overseeing a café. He also owned several rental properties.

Losing his mother to pancreatic cancer in 2017 shifted his outlook. He traveled back and forth between Australia and New Zealand to spend time with her while she was sick. “I thought, gosh, I’m having to leave her to go back to a job — where I’m just exchanging time for money, which will come and go — instead of spending time with my mom,” he said.

The experience made him realize he wanted control over his time. After reassessing his priorities, he saw that he could live with less and be happier for it. When he moved to the Philippines, he only had three boxes and two suitcases.

“It was actually quite therapeutic, getting rid of all my stuff and then coming to the Philippines and buying things intentionally — quality stuff that’s not going to just be thrown away in a year’s time,” Matthew said.

They haven’t found any downsides to their new life yet. “We have everything we had in Cebu but with a much easier, slower-paced life,” he added. Apart from being less attached to material things, the couple says their lifestyle change has improved their mental health.

“When you get a text message or you're checking social media, you get that dopamine reaction in your brain,” Matthew said. “But now, we get the same thing by going out to the garden and seeing that the okra has grown an inch in a day.”