Mindanao

In northern samar garbage i dig a 6 foot hole burn what we can electric just over a 1k iwe just killed a pig so ive turned the upright freezer on that puts another 700 piso ..we cook with gas thats easy 500 a month we only use fans heard air con like extra 2k a month ..internet i just pay 50 piso with smart for 3 days ....been cdo and davao felt safe in both ...shopping probley 4k but we go local markets for chicken pork fish but people ride pass the house selling evry motning ... my girl grows heaps ..

Some of the things you should consider before deciding where to live, firstly safety, I live in Uptown CDO in a guarded subdivision and I feel very safe here, remember all foreigners are thought to be very rich here in Philippines and can can be targets for burglars and robbers. Rents here vary from around 15k to 25K per month although there are subdivisions in this area where rents are much cheaper, garbage is collected very regularly and the cost is included in the subdivision fees which are around 500 pesos per month. We use quite a lot of water in a month but the cost is never more than 500 pesos.

Another thing thing to consider is flood risk, the area where I live never has floods because its quite high up from the city, although it's only around 5km from the city proper. Something else you might also want to consider is the availability of a decent WiFi connection.

I know some people who have moved here from Illigan because they feel a lot safer here as Illigan is a predominately Muslim area so I personally would not want to live anywhere near there. Also it not generally a good idea to live to close to your gf's family as they are likely to come to visit and end up moving in permanently.

Many thanks for your advice, I will certainly give thought to what you say. With regards to my girlfriends family, her dad has a house that they all currently live in but is in the process of building a small house for my girlfriend and her two sons.

I have set up a resto-inn here in east Mindanao, near San Francisco, Enchanted River etc...and we been running 5 years, and biz getting better all the time...We hardly have any doors or windows but never had security issues at all, and I have ridden my motorbike all around this area, up to Surigao City and all the way down to Davao and Digos...never had problems or very small...from my own experience of traveling around Philippines starting 20 years ago, in places like AC, Manila, Cebu and Bohol, etc etc...I would say that anywhere outside of Mindanao is much more dangerous than INSIDE Mindanao...that is just from reading news reports of foreigners getting in trouble all over outside  Mindanao...I think the reason is because people in Mindanao are just much friendlier and much more helpful...I made 800 videos on my youtube channel about my adventures, so search my name Francois Williams on YT and enjoy and look out for Klub Safari on FB, airbnb etc...cheers and welcome to Mindanao...

Thank you very much for your reply and I will certainly take a look at some of your videos online. Last time I visited we did go to Tinago Falls and had a lovely time for the day. Also my girlfriend does own a small store selling basic supplies.

Cool, cool and welcome...I plan to ride my motorbike to CDO sometime soon...haven't been there for 8years...where u now btw?

At the moment I am in England but my girlfriend is due to give birth to our child in February so am thinking now of when to visit her next

One thing I will say you are not as safe in a guarded subdivision as you think, if I am looking for foreigners that would be the place to go, you will leave sooner or later, the security there work for money, and don't care who they get it from, bank employees have been known to set people up for robbery, I live in a compound of Filipino relatives, no one come or goes that are not from there, we have neighbors  that are police, NPA, also it is nothing to see a few NPA and police drinking beer together, a lot of people wonder why no trouble from NPA when Duterte was mayor, maybe he is more than just the mayor, you will have no trouble if you stay in the mall and resorts, venture out with care

Okieboy wrote:

One thing I will say you are not as safe in a guarded subdivision as you think, if I am looking for foreigners that would be the place to go, you will leave sooner or later, the security there work for money, and don't care who they get it from, bank employees have been known to set people up for robbery, I live in a compound of Filipino relatives, no one come or goes that are not from there, we have neighbors  that are police, NPA, also it is nothing to see a few NPA and police drinking beer together, a lot of people wonder why no trouble from NPA when Duterte was mayor, maybe he is more than just the mayor, you will have no trouble if you stay in the mall and resorts, venture out with care

I have lived in a guarded subdivision here in the uptown area of Cagayan De Oro for 5 years now and as far as can tell, all of the guards work for a very reputable agency that supply guards for all of the subdivisions around here. In the 5 years I have lived here there has only ever been one serious incident and that incident involved a Filipino who was shot and killed (ambushed) in a very well planned hit which was later rumoured to have been planned by a very jealous husband whose wife had been having an affair with the guy who was killed (affair of the heart or crime of passion, nothing to do with money or wealth. Looking around the subdivisions here in uptown Cagayan De Oro it would seem that many of the Filipinos who live in the subdivisions in this area have much more money than the average foreigner, so I don't believe that foreigners are in any more or less danger than Filipinos around here.

I am pretty new on this forum , I am married for the past 2 years with a lovely Pinay . She's close to my age , being from Davao-City  . In my opinion , It's much better and safer to make a living In Europe , my wife share my opinion .  We can travel in Europe ( Not this time , because of the Virus ) everywhere we like's without having to worry about being kidnapped , the NPA , going to a store / mall , without having to show our bags to an entrance guard , same things when you go to some area , you will have a guard , Pay an entrance Fee going to Samal Island ,( + the fee for the boat )  , Pay every time you want to move with public transportation ( Jeepney , Tricycle , taxis )   Facing  , heavy traffic , pollution, facing the storms , typhoon , flood etc...   Visit the Philippines , That's Fine , Leaving there , No thank's ! And I didn't mention some others facts ....

Hate to running around in your brain!

i've been to Samal Island, had good time, thats as far south as i have ever been, i think the kidnappings go in spurts, depends on whos president whos leading the kidnappers etc..safe times..dangerous times..its a flow

Soonretired wrote:

i've been to Samal Island, had good time, thats as far south as i have ever been, i think the kidnappings go in spurts, depends on whos president whos leading the kidnappers etc..safe times..dangerous times..its a flow

Yes , Samal Island Is  a nice place , generally , the beaches  are pretty clean ,  I have been to a place In Samal , called  "Paradise Island "  It's like a beach resort .   My wife and I try to walk out , just to see the surrounding ,  but we have been stopped  by guard ...

In Davao-City , few others interesting's places : Jake Ridge , Japanese tunnel , Crocodile Park , Bone's museum .