Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

Beware Canadians in the Philippines!

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Yes, my article title may offend some of my Canadian friends, that is not my intention, though.  I like Canadians, but was a bit disturbed by recent news involving Canadians here in the Philippines.

It all started off last month when an Canadian expat living in Cebu went on a shooting spree at a courthouse in Cebu, killing several people.  I later found out that the fellow was talking about me just before he started the killings.  I wrote about that a couple of weeks ago in my article Some Shocking News.

This morning while browsing the local news on the Internet, I saw an article about a Canadian tourist who was visiting Davao and allegedly hijacked a taxi.  He allegedly claimed to be a suicide bomber and told the taxi driver to take him to a nearby Karaoke Bar where he intended to blow it up!  The Canadian tourist, Cameron Richard Harley, is now sitting in a jail cell here in Davao.  As far as I know, I never met or saw Mr. Harley, but this incident happened very near my residence, so I was kind of surprised that I had not heard about it until I saw it in the paper.

So, what’s going on with Canadians in the Philippines lately?  Quite a shock, don’t you think?

Seriously, though, I don’t mean to demean Canadians, it just happens that these two recent incidents each involved Canadians.  But, I also know Citizens of many other countries break laws in the Philippines or get involved in things which they should avoid.  I have seen it many times over the years.

Over the years since I started publishing this site, I have received countless e-mails from people who have been concerned about the safety in the Philippines.  Is it safe to travel there?  Will I get killed?  How about kidnapping?  I get these kinds of questions from people 7 days per week.  You know what, though, how many of these people who ask such questions would suspect that it may be the other foreigners in the Philippines who may be out to cause them harm?  There have been many such incidents over the years.

Pope John Paul II - recently beatified
Pope John Paul II – recently beatified

Some time back, a couple of years ago, I wrote an article about having received some threats against myself and my family. Those threats came from a foreigner too.  I have had incidents where I had to involve the Philippine National Police when I have received such threats.  One such incident even involved me having to go to court and testify regarding the threats made.  But, in all of my years here, I can’t recall a single time when I felt a threat of violence from a Filipino.  So, if it is dangerous here, where is the threat coming from?

Oh, I know that there are Filipinos who are criminals. There are bad things that happen here.  There are killings and kidnappings.  But, we have to remember that those things happen in every country in the world!  How many people have been killed in Chicago along since the start of the new year?  Probably more than in the entire country of the Philippines.

Anyway, when I saw that article about the taxi hijacking and talk of suicide bombing this morning, it really caught my attention.  What do you guys think?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Like you said Bob, there are bad apples in every Country. Some of them do their worst when out of their home country but why is beyond me. I can’t think of a worse fate than to be locked up in a foreign prison. Personally, I feel quite safe here.

    • Hey Joe – you are right, there are good and bad apples in and from every country. Thankfully, the bad apples are few, but they are the ones who get a lot of attention.

  2. Hi Bob. No offence ever taken. Yup, I am a Canadian, married to my dear Filipina wife for 8 years. We recently returned from a month in the Philippines and as usual I always feel safe and relaxed when I am there. My wife worries more than I do. I think country of origin or what passport you carry is no prerequisite for respect or intelligence. We always bump into people of other nationalities, while in the Philippines and take the time to chat with them. %99.9 are nice and pleasant people but on a rare occasion we do bump into those characters that we wish to avoid at all costs. It does not matter the country of origin, but we find it to be more a lack of knowledge and general respect. When I visit, I KNOW that I am a foreigner in a foreign Country and that I should be respectful of laws, culture, traditions and language. But I credit my parents for this upbringing and awareness. My opinion only, their does seem to be people with really distorted values and outlooks on “who they think they are” and “what they can do” and get away with, regardless of nationality. So to those, that I may see as less wise and educated, this is good reading and should be a life lesson for being a respectful member of the human race whether at home or as a guest in another country.

    Thanks Bob

    • Hi Bob – Thanks for not taking offense, as no offense was intended toward my Canadian friends! I really enjoy Canada a lot, used to do a lot of fishing off the western coast of Canada. It’s a beautiful country.

      You are right, how we treat others and interact with others is a matter of our upbringing and the values instilled in us by our parents.

    • Yes, he was originally a US Citizen, we went through that discussion a couple weeks ago when the original article came out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joop.

  4. I recently added the pinoy channels to my cable line up in the states, this was so my wife could watch her dramas, help teach me Tagalog and most importantly to watch the news. I watch TV Patrol everyday and will tell you, I have more confidence in the NBI than I do in local law enforcement agencies in the states, while there is crime in the philppines, I feel it less than I see in Philly on a daily basis. I tend to notice in the Philippines, most killings are against politicians or shabu related. They also seem to kidnap local people or people that will get them media coverage. This is my perception from what I see. Walking the streets of Manila, I always watch what is going on, and have never had an issue nor was I ever scarred. My last trip someone tried to sell my a stolen IPhone, I laughed and told the guy wait that is my IPhone and I want it back, we both laughed at each other and I kept going.

    The bottom line is people need to realize It is the Philippines, not Canada, America or elsewhere. My mom always said be polite at other peoples homes, so I carry that motto when I travel, and will do the same once we move to capiz. My goal in life is to be left alone, so I will say, unless I am helping give back to the children or the locals, I will keep my thoughts and opinions to myself and enjoy life….

  5. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say anything… but it seems to me that a lot of guys who are having a rough time in their home country think that moving to the Philippines is going to solve their problems. Not all, of course. But many I have met are angry and kind of paranoid, complaining all the time about how bad things have become at home, but then this just carries over when things don’t go their way here.
    Only sometimes it is worse because they don’t speak the language and don’t understand the cultural rules. I really think this was the situation with the guy who shot up the courthouse in Cebu. I met a fellow who was have a row with his German neighbor out on some farm land (where he no doubt was looking for a peaceful, idyllic life). He wanted to sue to have the German deported. What he didn’t realize was that every person employed by the German had a financial interest in the German staying in country (however rude he was) and would do what ever it took to keep their jobs. The American didn’t realize how dangerous his position was. I haven’t seen his name in the paper, so I assume he is still alive, but he also was a man with a short fuse and given to heart attacks…
    My point is, people bring their problems with them, but those type of people blame everyone else and are blind to the fact that THEY are the problem. Changing countries only makes things worse because however nice people are at first, they will not play by our rules.

    • Hi AmericanLola – You are sure right. A lot of folks come over here and think “it’s just like back home…” but it is very different. When they come to realize that, some of them kind of flip out and lose control.

      • I agree with Lola. That is why I am coming there with an open mind, and the knowledge that just about EVERYTHING is going to be different than it is here in the U.S. I expect some things I won’t like, but will do my best to overcome my dislikes, or find work-arounds for them. Renting is going to be one way… just move to a new location if there are issues with neighbors.

        I had a whole thing typed up that was going to be an attempt to lighten the mood about the situations, but I think this is a serious issue. Why does it KEEP happening? And why in Davao?

        • I don’t really understand what not mean about why does it keep happening in Davao. As far as I know this has been the only case like this here. The last article I wrote about this was in Cebu.

    • I think you’ve nailed it, American Lola. You folks who’ve lived there for a while seem to have noticed that this type of thing is on the rise. My own thoughts are that the slump in the western economy have sent a larger number of folks like you’ve described scurrying for cheap, tropical havens.

      Take care,
      Pete

  6. Bob,
    The way i look at and the way its always been for me whenever you go to a foreign country you are an ambassador for your country, so you should act accordingly and not bring embarassment to your country or yourself. It embarrasses me when i see an american getting into trouble or disrespecting another person or culture. Respect is the key to safety in most cases.

  7. What i read here about that Canadian was a real eye opener, as what i read on another website was totally different to what was told here, they say he told the tricycle driver to stop, but he didn’t, so he punched the tricycle driver in the face, that was when all the trouble started, but i am more inclined to believe the story that was written here on this website, than what was written in the other website, but it was reported that he had a short fuse, so i think that was where the problem started.
    Also me being an Australian, that quite a few Australians that come to the Philippines do cause a lot of trouble here, and they are not the sort of people that you would mix with, as i know what kind of background they had in Australia,which gives Australians a bad name. I have been here for six months and never had any problems with the Philippine people, i suppose there is always some bad eggs in the basket.

    • Hi Mel – I wonder, what did the other website say? Only the stuff about the tricycle? I only know what was in the paper, which I assume was accurate. Anyway, whatever the exact story was, it sure was out of line what the guy did! He lost it, and he will pay the penalty I would guess.

  8. I find these incidents rather odd as I have worked in Canada for a short time and also worked with Canadians overseas and found them to be a very mannerable and easy to get along with people. I can think of other nationalities that are more inclined to lose the plot and start shooting people – just shows that you can never tell.

  9. Creepy people. Pope was a left wing nut. Now, given his background, could it be that he is in contact with the NPA? I was reading a Filipino defence forum and I remember coming across a thread regarding some foreigners up in the hills with the NPA. This was during the height of the Cold War.

    But then again, it seems to me that “white expats” take the limelight much in Philippine media. If you only hear the local complaints against Korean expats and students.

  10. Speaking of foreigners moving to the Philippines and complaining about it, you guys out to check (deleted by admin)

    Over there they rant about Western women, and they rant about Filipino women being this and that, they rant about the Philippines, they rant about Filipino middle class women not going after them (majority of whom I presume are sexpats or sex tourists)….

  11. Even in jest, if you mention ” The “B” word ” especially around airports can cause trouble for yourself and I have seen this posted on signs at NAIA and I believe here in New York as well. The individual mentioned in this article must have been having problems of some kind to bring something like that up to a taxi driver while taking over the taxi. I have to admit, just as must happen to most all of us foreigners who visit or live in The Philippines ( or for that matter other foreign countries as well ) there are and will be certain situations that come up that may at first appear to be quite out of the normal from our own experiences in our home country. The few times this has happened to me so far I try to remember that what may seem quite different from what I would expect are normal to Filipinos and it is me that is different. I think one of the key factors in getting along with others in The Philippines is, at times, having a higher degree of patience than might be needed at home.

    • That’s true, Bob. Certain things are “no-no’s” and people should keep that in mind. I think you are right, things here may have gotten the best of him, and he snapped. Patience is certainly a key!

  12. Hi Bob, usually in the news you hear about foreigners from so many other lands besides Canada committing crimes and as one of your readers said Canadians are pretty laid back. Again, there are always bad apples in any group of people, I think the news media likes to bring “Canadians in trouble” to the forefront as it happens so rarely it is a newsworthy event. Myself, being Canadian as you know, I always respect my country and also respect the people of the countries i have visited.´

    This guy that shot up the courthouse (I won’t mention his name to give him any respect) was one of the bad apples that brings Canada into the news. I imagine police files here in the Philippines have bad apples from all over the world. It is the same in any country. The best advice is to just forget the idiot and carry on with our wonderful life here in the Philippines.

  13. It seems that many of the white foreigners who move to the Philippines are some kind of misfits. I’m Hungarian and since there are a only a few Hungarians living in the Philippines (out of curiosity) I visited the Hungarian man and his family in Sipalay. With his Filipina wife they are operating a successful scuba diving resort. I was so surprised hearing him talking about how he worries about his life and the influence of the local and Chines mafia. He was telling me about how terrorized he feels. At first I thought he was exaggerating until I did a research about his place. I found out that an expat just like him probably his neighbor was gunned down. I live it up to you guys to decide. Here is the link:
    http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2010/10/british-hero-gunned-down-in-philippines.html

    • You mentioned a Hungarian man and his family who lives in terror in Sipalay, Negros Occidental. For what it’s worth, I thought I’d mention that the same island province (Negros Oriental) is home to American, Tedd Lear, who regularly posts a series of videos in youtube detailing his idyllic life called, “My Life in the Philippines”. He seems to lead a happy life there with his wife, Bhem. Ted is 69 years old as of 2012. I can only hope for the best for this kind man and his Filipino family. A sampling of his video:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=lzAsePYZSTM

      • I had never heard of Tedd before, so I went and checked out some of his videos. That guy has really gone native! It seems like he is enjoying life, though, and I wish him well. Interesting guy.

        • How I wish to be in Tedd Lear’s shoes living in a place like where he lives in the Philippines, Bob, but the chance of that happening, as much as I want it to happen, is slim to none. My wife had been to the Philippines only twice and would only visit in the future, but not to live. LOL

          • I love living in the Philippines, but I could never live in a payag/nipa hut as he does. I enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, but it takes all kinds, and we are all different. Nothing wrong with that.

        • John,
          I’ve been watching his videos for quite awhile. Really enjoy his “table talk” videos. He really roughs it, living in a nipa hut on the side of a mountain. Have to agree with Bob, i don’t think i could do that on a permanant basis. Take care.

    • Hi,I was worried that there are no Hungarians in Philippines,just about to move there in Cebu hope to see some Magyart there,cheers

  14. Have been coming in the Philippines for about 20 years now. Great country. I have always felt safe there. Admittedly, I avoid certain places after dark, but I do that back home too.

  15. I saw the reference to Me on a google search. I live with me wife. The way her family does.Our take on it is very different than most. I live a simple life out of respect of those around me. It’s different. But, I feel comfortable here. In the mountains it’s cooler. I have tried to change not having running water. That has been a problem for all. I have shown that we can do some interesting things. Thanks for your sharing also. Tedd & Bhem Lear

    • Tedd, I might want to take a look at your beautiful bamboo house when I get there in December. Like you, I love the simple life in the province. Thankfully, through your “My Life in the Philippines” videos, I live that wondrous life in an idyllic setting from thousands of miles away! LOL