There is no way to obtain the legal authorization without employer's assistance, other than getting US residence through family ties. So the best way for you is to first get employers interested in you, enough to apply for a work visa.
A budget of $1000 a month will be a good start, depending on your lifestyle and area where you want to live, said Pinay Mentor in her article, Retiring and Living in the Philippines for expats, non-expats and returning Filipinos.
The cost âper square meterâ estimate, which currently ranges from PhP 23,000 to PhP 35,000, is a rough and aggressive ballpark figure based on prevailing cost of construction in the Philippines. We use it in initial client presentations only for reference purposes, but we do not actually charge based on it.