When we were first deciding the buy a house -v-build a house, we looked at sub divisions in Dipolog (my baby's hometown) but to call them over priced shoeboxes is an insult to shoeboxes everywhere. So we decided to buy a plot and build.
Our first foray was a disaster - everytime white face here turned up the asking price was always 1000 peso per sqm so Rebella went looking on her own. Found a beautiful plot , 10,000 sqm 30 mins drive from the centre of Dipolog and agreed 35 peso per sqm!!!! And that's not the best part......the best was seeing the sellers face when I arrived afterwards hehehe.
Building a house comes next, my best advise is to trust your darlings family to arrange labourers, builders, buy materials etc as then it will be "local cost", in other words a fraction of what it costs here to build.
As for security, thats easy, we've arranged with an older brother that when were not there he and his family live in and when we are there they will stay in a guest bungalow were going to build first.
Like any marriage to a Filipino, with the bride comes the family. Its upto you to decide if thats a blessing or a curse. For me, its a blessing as they are all great people
