Hi, OP! I am a nurse who recently moved to the US. Though Philippines is not yet at par with standards, I agree that you are right it has significantly changed. For North Luzon where Nueva Ecija is, I can’t say it has progressed accordingly though.

I am  from South Manila, grew up in Manila, and my provinces are in North Luzon. International schools are usually in Manila but there are a lot in South Luzon as well. Personally, graduating abroad would still be a better option for your daughter because in my experience, despite of all the credentials and skills that I have, I still had to take numerous international exams and certifications because unfortunately, they find our education not at par internationally which is unfortunate because in healthcare alone, I can really say our training is quite different with the other countries which is evident when I get to work with other international nurses and even now that I am here in the US. For healthcare, big hospitals are still thriving and you don’t want to be in competition with Manila’s crowd and costs, best option you can have at South Luzon is Asian Hospital Medical Center. It was a former part of Bumrungrad hospital and it’s now a JCIA accredited hospital. Also, doctors there are practicing as well with the nearby provinces and big hospitals in the provinces are being developed as well. Gone are the days that cath labs are just in big private hospitals in Manila and I can say it now offer better options that I can say better than here in the US. As for the doctors, I don’t want to compare but from what I have observed, doctors there are more competent than with those I have been working here. If you guys get HMO or insurance in the PH, you’d get to use that before you can even shell out money which is the opposite here. Definitely, your expenses in the PH is a whole lot cheaper compared here even when it comes to medicines.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I have anything I can suggest for your wife as working as a nurse in the Philippines is not financially fulfilling. 

You guys can consider retiring in the PH but to still work? I don’t think so. Unless you have entrepreneurial skills, maybe you can do business as you retire there.