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TomAmerica
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Posted: Fri Dec 12th, 2008 10:26 pm |
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Hello, What is the safest major city in the Philippines. I plan to travel there in 09 for about a month. I am studying the country to get a good idea of where to go, or not to go as a American. I have been told to stay out of Zamboanga city for sure. Most have told me Cebu city, is the place to go. Any information would be valuable to me, thanks very much in advance.......Tom
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Patric THEPHILS.COM
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Posted: Sat Dec 13th, 2008 09:56 am |
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Welcome to ThePhils.com !
I believe it´s always good to be as prepared as possible before going to another country....so, your question is valid...especially considering the times we live in with different extremist muslim terrorist groups more or less active around the world.
There are small active muslim terrorist groups in the sothern part of the Philippines....in certain few parts of Mindanao. But, there are several very nice destinations in Mindanao that are as safe as any other... & definitely worth a visit.
Haven´t been to Mindano myself yet but perhaps those members who have... can give some advice to what hotspots you must not miss .
However, the good news is that the Philippines is actually very safe. I´ve never felt worried (& that´s not cause i´m stupid & not aware of my surroundings).
The chance of getting mugged is higher at night in most Swedish or US cities than in any of the popular destinations in the Philippines.
There are a few simple things we as foreigners can do to minimize the risk of getting in any trouble (we do stand out for obvious reasons...not much we can do about that) & here are a few examples:
¤ Do not flash money around, leave your $ 10k watch at home & just try not to stand out too much. If you make $ 200k or more a year ...don´t tell anyone... if anyone asks...tell them you drive a bus for a living.
¤ Do not get into a fist fight with the locals...just swallow your pride & walk away.
¤ Do not act as a jerk ! If you know that you´re a happy drunk...by all means...drink all you want. BUT, if you know that you can´t handle your drinking...then you might want to stick to Gatorade
¤ Remember, if in a legal jam of any sort.... YOU will ALWAYS loose.... as a foreigner you left your "rights" at home. I know some will say; "How is that statement promoting tourism?" Well, it´s not...but it´s how it is...no need to sugar coat it.
Conclusion: Just use common sense & be as friendly to the filipinos as they are to us.
You are going to have a wonderful visit in 09  , there´s a reason why most of us keep returning to the Phils....again & again  .
Cheers!
Last edited on Sun Dec 14th, 2008 04:21 pm by Patric THEPHILS.COM
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Thu Dec 18th, 2008 11:46 pm |
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Hello TomAmerica....I too would like to Welcome you to this very nice Forums/website - ThePhils.com!
I guess my first question to you would be, what are YOU calling a major city? Above population 50,000 - above 100,000 or above 500,000?
You have Metro Manila, this includes many of the largest cities in the Philippines, Davao City in southern Mindanao - a very diverse city of 1.3 million people, Cebu City with nearly 800,000 people and Zamboanga City with 775,000 people.
It basically depends on what you want to do. I enjoyed Cebu. I really liked Cagayan de Oro City with 550,000 people in Northern Mindanao, and also Butuan City in north western Mindanao with about 270,000 people. I think you will find all 3 of them safe.
If you settle on Cebu, I recommend you fly down to Cagayan De Oro City for a week or so and from there, take a bus (long ride) over to Butuan City for a week.
Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will enjoy the Philippines.
1 last point, the further south you go, as a general rule, the more conservative the people are, and in my opinion, a bit more friendly.
Good Luck & Wish you the best!
-Mabuhay-
Kevin
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bradders
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Posted: Fri Dec 19th, 2008 03:02 pm |
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Hi TomAmerica
Firstly - I do not have a fraction of the experience of the other posters but, for what it's worth, I can share my limited experiences of the Phils in regard to your question of safety.
I visited Davao in July 08 and whilst a LOT of expats there like (love) the place a great deal it was not for me and after a couple of weeks I moved onto Cebu (City) where I stayed for around 3 months.
Davao is located the South where there are reported 'problems' related to the activity of the NPA (New Peoples Army) which sadly has resulted in the loss of lives. (and sadly is likely to continue that way). However, I never had any problems and I felt quite safe and secure during my short stay. Members of this Forum and other related Forums have resided for many years in Davao and other Southern Cities and they confirm they enjoy a perfectly normal and peaceful existence there.
Kevin's reply confirms the 'Southern' areas are quite safe, in fact he states the further the South you go he considers the people more conservative and friendly.
During my much longer stay in Cebu City I never once felt intimidated or threatened. I met many long term expats from various Countries and not one had any tales of woe! That said, I'm sure they, as I did, followed the guidelines - 'rules' if you prefer - provided by Patrick's (Admin) excellent and balanced reply. I'm sure if you apply the same disciplines to whichever region of the Phil's you visit, or possibly live one day, you will have no problems. Just prepare yourself for a whole new way of living a happy and contented life!
I will be returning next week to Cebu City for the New Year and then I'll return to take up residence there in early March 09. Once there I plan to explore other parts of Cebu and other Islands to see if I can find somewhere preferable to drop anchor. If not I will have no problem in living in Cebu City!
I find the people of the Phil's more friendly, loving and helpful than any part of the world I've visited and lived. I left my home Country (England) over 20 years ago and with all due respect to those who live there I have NO desire to return. To be honest I felt LESS safe there (rudeness, muggings, theft, violence etc) than I've EVER felt in the Phil's.
As stated, compared to others, my time spent there is limited but I never experienced any of the above 'nasties' and I sincerely believe I would have to be very unlucky, or have to do something pretty stupid - such as Patrick's post clearly outlines - to fall victim to anything bad in the Phil's.
Hope this helps and here's wishing you a great time when you make the 09 trip! I have a feeling you will not be at all disappointed and suggest you prepare yourself for a happy and most pleasant experience!!
Merry Christmas!
Cheers! Bradders
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Patric THEPHILS.COM
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Posted: Fri Dec 19th, 2008 05:21 pm |
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Welcome to ThePhils.com Bradders !
Happy to hear you are planning to become a Phils expat .
As you know there are a whole lot of very helpful expats in Cebu & i guess you´ve met some of them already.
Wish u the best of luck during your search for "your" favorite spot to settle down at.
Please keep us updated on how it goes.
Cheers!
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bradders
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Posted: Sat Dec 20th, 2008 04:14 am |
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Patric THEPHILS.COM wrote: Welcome to ThePhils.com Bradders !
Happy to hear you are planning to become a Phils expat .
As you know there are a whole lot of very helpful expats in Cebu & i guess you´ve met some of them already.
Wish u the best of luck during your search for "your" favorite spot to settle down at.
Please keep us updated on how it goes.
Cheers!
Hi Patric!
Thanks for the welcome and your good wishes for my future 'destiny' in the Phils!
I think we all accept there's no place in the world that can be described as perfect, or is perfect, and one must be prepared to make allowances, adjust to and accept different cultures and laws. 20+ years living in the Middle East has taught me that! "When in Rome" as they say!
Challenges lay ahead but my experiences of the Phil's to date - especially the wonderful people who's hearts and friendliness belie their poverty and constant struggle - somehow assures me I will be happy seeing out my life there ......
Here's looking forward to swapping business suites & shiny shoes for jeans, shorts, trainers and flip-flops!! I can even let my hair grow long
Will keep in touch Patric and share good & bad ......
Cheers!
Bradders
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TheSwede
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Posted: Fri Feb 6th, 2009 11:26 am |
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Some nice posts here. Like Kevin said, what is a major city in the Philippines? I have some new favourites citiesby now, although many of them were just a few days visit. One late favourite is Iloilo which I liked a lot. It felt very cosmopolitan and the population should be somewhere just above 400 000. I also went to Bacolod which I didnt like as much as Iloilo. Bacolod probably has 100 000 more inhabitans. To me it felt a lot dirtier than Iloilo. These two places felt very safe. The only cities I felt unsafe sometimes and a bit worried in, is General Santos (400 000+) and Iligan (300 000+). Both are in Mindanao and those are generally quite safe also. Another city I liked was Dipolog (100 000+) and also Dapitan not far from Dipolog. At first when I looked at the map those seemed to be dangerous but I was totally wrong. All the locals I talked to all over Mindanao had an easy answer to the difference in terms of safety, between for example Dipolog and Iligan, and that was the number of muslim percentage living in each city. Iligan has a large muslim population and is close to Marawi with an even larger muslim population. Personally I am not sure that it is this easy to explain, but it surely is one component. I want to point out though, that I have never felt unsafe outside Mindanao, i.e. Luzon and Visayas. Just "marginally" unsafe in a few places in Mindanao, which I myself chose to visit although I knew it was not safe. If something had happened to me, I was warned before venturing there!
My number one city?
If I was asked which city I would live in right now, if moving to the Philippines tomorrow it would definitely be Dumaguete, whick I have been to a couple of times by now!
Last edited on Fri Feb 6th, 2009 11:29 am by TheSwede
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