Tourists and pinay snatched from Samal Island

[Trefor]

Pretty crap result, unfortunately things like this make me wonder about visiting some places in Ph...

Rose constanty thinks I'm going to get kidnapped, and of course I think I'd be a cross between Macgyver and the A team, but in reality it would be a bit .... to put it mildly.

Meanwhile many people are thinking of voting for the same old same old...

[Terpe]

Pretty crap result, unfortunately things like this make me wonder about visiting some places in Ph...

Rose constanty thinks I'm going to get kidnapped, and of course I think I'd be a cross between Macgyver and the A team, but in reality it would be a bit .... to put it mildly.

Meanwhile many people are thinking of voting for the same old same old...

My personal experience after 18 months living here in Davao City is that Davao City itself is very safe. I'm easily able and comfortable to move around the city alone day or night without any uncomfortable feelings or issues at all.

If I'm going to be honest, it's a different world beyond the check-points of the city limits.

I have many family members and friends in ComVal and I've enjoyed my many visits to some fantastic places, but even a friend who is a high ranking police officer has advised to stay with family groups and not travel around outside their protection.

Even a solo fishing outing to the beach in the town of my family is not advised.

Sad really. Such restrictions can become a real pain and have developed into one of the reasons we have decided to relocate out of Mindanao.
Make no mistake, there are some places of magnificent beauty in Mindanao but in all honesty the feeling of personal safety outside Davao City limits is always in mind.

I've visited family in Cotabato, Zamboanga and Surigao and whenever we go I can sense their feeling of heightened security.

We will leave our current house on Saturday and have a flight booked to Manila the week after.

I love Davao Life and so much will be missed but I need to experience much more of my new home in the Philippines than is practically possible with a freedom of mind than here in Mindanao

[Harry T]

My personal experience after 18 months living here in Davao City is that Davao City itself is very safe. I'm easily able and comfortable to move around the city alone day or night without any uncomfortable feelings or issues at all.

If I'm going to be honest, it's a different world beyond the check-points of the city limits.

I have many family members and friends in ComVal and I've enjoyed my many visits to some fantastic places, but even a friend who is a high ranking police officer has advised to stay with family groups and not travel around outside their protection.

Even a solo fishing outing to the beach in the town of my family is not advised.

Sad really. Such restrictions can become a real pain and have developed into one of the reasons we have decided to relocate out of Mindanao.
Make no mistake, there are some places of magnificent beauty in Mindanao but in all honesty the feeling of personal safety outside Davao City limits is always in mind.

I've visited family in Cotabato, Zamboanga and Surigao and whenever we go I can sense their feeling of heightened security.

We will leave our current house on Saturday and have a flight booked to Manila the week after.

I love Davao Life and so much will be missed but I need to experience much more of my new home in the Philippines than is practically possible with a freedom of mind than here in Mindanao

Firstly i could not live in Manila, spent just 2 days there, and couldnt get out quick enough.

Your points about Davao are spot on, as for the rest of Mindanao well up towards the North Eastern side it appears there are NPA up there, i never felt threatened but i know for a fact that my GFs mother was worried for my safety, and an American guy who was on vacation, never drove around without some form of weapon under his drivers seat. So yes it may be a wise decision on your part, but i will be surprised if you stay in Manila, Panglao and Palawan are worth looking at to settle. Good luck Peter.