When moving here try to ask people that know a lot about the PI. I’ve been hearing lots of foreigners asking Filipinos abroad of what would they think of the Philippines now? To think a lot of those Pinoys that live abroad never been back here for ages. Then of course their opinions of the Philippines would be the time when they left.
Just like when I was there that’s over 20 years ago. Many Pinays that I knew there had different opinions of the Philippines. Some that wanted to retire here had the positive attitudes. Others really hated even visiting here. Some even made bad comments even though they’ve never been back since going there. It used to irritate me when they made not so true comments about Mindanao. And the one that’s bad mouthing she’s never been to Mindanao in the first place. To be honest the people that bad mouthing about the Philippines are really the Filipinos. Even the Filipino people that live here, they still talk against the other place other than the place they’re residing. As if it’s the competition of every place.
Like me I’m originally from Sarangani Province. To be honest I love my place, only thing it’s not really the place for our family right now. Maybe later in time. When we first arrived here, we settled in GenSan. We liked it there. During the time we just arrived here too many bombings happening in GenSan. Really it didn’t last long for that, now the place is booming. I highly recommend for expat to stay there too. So many malls were built there for the past 5 years. The place really improved a lot.
To be honest I highly recommend living here in Mindanao. There’s just certain area here that I will not recommend. I’m pretty sure you can find that immediately on the internet where that place be. Bob went to those areas a while back. I will not recommend for any of you to go there if you don’t know anybody there or you had no good connections there (I mean people from higher places). It just happens that Bob was invited by somepeople there and was accompanied by a friend that had good connections. I’m pretty sure same thing if any of you will visit to any place here in the Philippines that you’re not familiar with. You will ask person that you know about the place.
If you had the desire to move here for good or part time try to ask the people (either Filipinos that used to lived a long time abroad and retires here and even an expats that lives here already for awhile). Also try to research the place that you want to retire here. With the power of the internet you can now find anything. If people tries to say negative things about the place try to ask around. Lots of write ups now regarding living here.
Today Bob and I met a couple (Malcolm & Jenny) that we’ve known on the internet for a long time. Jen is from Davao and Malcolm is from the UK. They’re really very nice people. They knew Bob through our website. They’re one of the couples that will constantly communicate with Bob. They also love Mindanao.
I hope that sometimes the not so nice opinions of my fellow kababayan will not deter you from retiring to any place here in the Philippines. I’m not saying it’s perfect here, it’s so far from it. Just as I always said here Please carry with you LOTS of “patience” everyday.
“The challenges ” its adds to more fun in living here in the Philippines!!!
Hi Feyma,
Thank you for the very nice input on living in Pinas, I am still considering the idea of going back there for good at a later time, I have close relatives back home, my uncle, my dad’s brother, his family lives in Vista Real, in Quezon City, my one cousin lives in Alabang, my sister/nephew are in Taal, Batangas. A close friend of mine is retiring there in 2 years time in Baguio, where she already bought a house. I am thinking of Baguio, because of the cool climate, good for my asthma, and not so far from Manila also. I agree with you that some Pinoys can be so arrogant, having lived in the USA for a couple of years, and they speak like they don’t know anything anymore about the country. I have lived in the USA for 45 years and always think that Pinas is home, ultimately. Hope you and your family are doing good. Bob’s blogs is very very informative too. God Bless,
Hi Vivien – Thank you. Try to live here for awhile if Pinas is really for you to stay in the long haul. I’ve heard so much good stuff about Baguio especially with the cooler weather. That will be a good place for you then being near to the family too. We also have Bukidnon here, weather wise its similar to Baguio and less crowded.
Arrogant Pinays, Oh yeah, I’ve seen too many while I was there. Not missing them one bit. LOL.
Hey, hope you guys will retire here someday. Have a great day. Take care!
Hi Feyma
This is current from the Australian Government website to travelers. Essentially they say don’t go to a lot of Mindanao, even Davao gets a mention. Australians I know usually just steer clear of Mindanao altogether because of Australian Government warnings. The report states to steer clear of the east, the centre and the west, which in effect is perceived by most Australians, it’s just safer to steer clear of Mindanao.
“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines because of the high threat of terrorist attack and the high level of serious crime.
Violent crime is a significant problem in the Philippines. See the Safety and security section.
Terrorist attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in the Philippines, including in Manila. You should avoid places known to be terrorist targets. See the Safety and security section.
According to media reports of late June, authorities in Davao City and other parts of Mindanao are at a heightened state of alert due to an unspecified security threat.
There is a high threat of kidnapping throughout the Philippines. The threat is highest in the southern Philippines, including coastal and island tourist resorts and dive sites, including in remote locations in the Sulu Sea and along the Zamboanga Peninsula. Groups based in the south are capable of carrying out kidnappings and launching attacks in other parts of the Philippines, including areas surrounding the Sulu Sea such as Palawan, and other locations frequented by tourists.
We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to eastern Mindanao (including the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur) due to the very high levels of violent crime and the high threat of terrorist attack.
We strongly advise you not travel to central and western Mindanao, including the Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Norte and Sulu Archipelago, due to the very high threat of kidnapping, terrorist attack, violent crime and violent clashes between armed groups.”
Hi Brenton – Yep, other countries too were posting similar like what the Australian country said (Don’t travel to Mindanao). Funny thing most of those people, they’ve never been here to even check out the place first. My gosh, I think the gang area of the US or even in Australia probably are more dangerous to roam around during night time than the downtown Davao city. To be honest I’m more scared walking in some areas of Manila or in Portland during nigh time. I guess use common sense.
Like what I said, DON’T TRAVEL TO SOME AREAS OF MINDANAO. But to generalized the whole place is just totally insane.
Thanks for the comment. Have a wonderful day!
Hi Feyma – I think Governments do that to cover themselves. Especially in countries like Australia, people litigate over anything. The people of Queensland defeated the Queensland Government in the Supreme Court because they didn’t adequately prepare against a big flood a few years back, where 20,000 houses got flooded in Brisbane, the Government was deemed negligent by the Supreme Court. Hence the Government takes an ultra conservative view, they have to or they get it from all angles if Australians die anywhere. Even 34 Australians were killed recently in the civilian plane shot down, Our Prime Minister said “their deaths offend our sense of justice”. Deaths are low in Australia by shooting and in general and if someone dies, then they really want justice, in a sense someone has to be to blame, and that could be the Government if they don’t inform people. I know it doesn’t work that way in the Philippines. I agree it would be way more dangerous in Manila and many many parts of America and Australia than Davao.
Well they should have a warning saying ” Do not Go to the USA ” they have far more crime and gang troubles in any cities.and towns.
I wish we knew someone who lives in Coron, Palawan. My husband and I visited there two years ago and fell in love with it so now we want to move there. We’re planning on visiting for a month this August to see if we really want to move there.
Do you have any tips on what we should be looking out for or things that we should do while we’re there?
I would suggest to search for some blogs that talks about their experiences in Coron. I’ve never been there myself and I have heard a lot of positive things about it. Try marketmanila.com. He’s been there a number of times.
Good luck!
Hi Lou – Thank you for the advice and the comment.
Good to see you here. Take care!
Thanks Lou! I will check it out for sure.
Hi Maria – I’ve heard so much good stuff about Palawan. One of my classmate in high school, she’s from there and she’s really bragging how good the place is. I think Palawan in general really is a good place to live. But I’ve never been there. Living in that part of the country you will experience a little of inconvenience I think, but it added to the fun life of living here in the Philippines.
Like Lou said try to research and see for yourself. Good luck to you and your hubby.
thank you so much for stopping by!
We live in Ortigas and love it! Though I have to say that every time I venture to Cebu I am treated like royalty. Sweet, happy people willing to help a stranger.
Darby
Hi Darby – Good for you. Not everyone likes it there. Never been a fan of living in Manila area, that’s just not for us.
Oh yeah, too many good people too in the other parts of the country. 🙂
Thank you for the comment. Nice to see you here!
Hi Feyma,
Darby is right. Cebu is a nice place to live. Very cosmopolitan tho not as crazy as Manila. You can still cross the city to the airport in less than an hour in off-peak hours. Lots of expats live here because of warm climate, affordable western lifestyle with perks like live-in staff and very friendly people. We live in a rural coastal town, 3 hours from the city and me and my Canadian husband love it so much. I have lived in Canada for 45 happy years and retiring here is like icing on the cake. Mind you living in the Philippines is not for everyone. One has to have their wits about them in day to day activities, lots of patience, open minded and respectful of our culture , and please no superior attitude. The greatest mistake of expats living here is comparing life here to their life abroad and expecting special treatment wherever they go. Before we decided to retire here, we did a lot of research and I travelled the whole country from Luzon to Mindanao only to discover how beautiful this country . Being a true blue Cebuano, Cebu is my only choice for a retirement home. And after 14 years, we have no regrets.
Dessie
Hi Feyma,
I enjoyed reading your article. You are spot on about Filipinos who live here in the United States bashing their homeland. I just had dinner with two filipinas here in Wisconsin and they spoke very negatively about the Philippines.
You’d think by the way they talked I’m in for some serious problems when I arrive there (soon). I was always told stay away from the Sulu Sea and along the Zamboanga Peninsula. Otherwise, Mindanao wasn’t so bad. These two ladies made it sound like I’m heading for nothing but trouble.
If I wasn’t a person who does my own judging; I had canceled all plans just based upon what they say. I mean they are Filipina. After all, they know best, right? In this case, I don’t think so. I can drive 45 minutes down the road and run into all the trouble I can muster.
Lets do the math. How many people were shot and killed in all of the Philippines over the past five months? Now someone look up Chicago and search for the same. Where’s the travel warnings to Chicago?
I appreciate your article because it’s a reminder that violence occurs everywhere. Not just in the Philippines.
I’m excited! I’ll be there soon!
Bill
Hi Bill – Thank you. Ha ha ha, those ladies thought they know better because they used to live here. Well, they’re so wrong.
I’m so glad you’ve done your research good and found the place for you to live here in the Philippines. I’m so happy that you’re not listening to the advice of those ladies. Ha ha ha “the know it all ladies”. Big sigh…
See you soon Bill. Take care and have a great day!
Bill,
I could say similar about New York City. What I usually suggest to people is to follow a New York news website for a few weeks if they want to compare and see what is ” dangerous “. For any number of reasons, every day someone is killed in New York. Taxis crashing through store fronts, manhole covers exploding or electrocuting people, construction cranes toppling over, robberies at gunpoint, transportation accidents, gang wars, drugs, snatchers, rape, people falling or being pushed onto subway rail tracks and so much more, from about as far away from Mindanao as you can get.
For anyone contemplating a visit to Mindanao, learn something about it first. There are many places I would not go there but that does not take away from many of the places in Mindanao that are receptive and hospitable to foreign visitors.
There is an abundance of information about Mindanao in many places on the internet. I spent 2 years researching the place in Mindanao I wanted to go for a vacation, planned accordingly, and had such a fantastic vacation there, I have been back 6 more times. Best vacations I have ever had, Iligan City, Mindanao. Just one of many places that by using some basic common sense and ” city smarts ” just as you would in any other foreign place, you could have a very enjoyable time.
Learn and Know, before you go.
I feel like I have to give my two cents here Feyma. I noticed Filipinos who bash the country are the ones who particularly have nothing much to go back to there and who struggled while living there. Now they are in a different country and they feel they have achieved “the American Dream”.
I have always planned of going home to the Philippines. Friends are surprised with my decision and could not imagine me liking and surviving it there but I couldn’t wait. I am close to my families there and we’ve always helped each other even though we might have conflicts at times. I am still close and in touch with my friends from my town, college friends and new ones I have met virtually and later met in person during my trips there.
I could not imagine living my retirement years here. As Viv said, I have already bought a home in Baguio but I also have a strong desire to give back to the town where my family originally came from. I would probably split my time between Baguio and in the north where we have some properties. There is a lot I would love to do there to keep me busy and enjoy life while I am still physically able.
I am counting the months by my fingers before I could pack my bags and go home with my two cats!
As the gentleman above said, more bad things could happen too in Chicago. I love the US but the pull of family and friends and the culture I grew up in are stronger.
Hi Feyma –
The U.S. has the same travel advisory as Australia’s for Mindanao and Sulu. It has been in effect for many years now.
The warning is not necessarily a knock on Mindanao.
People need to understand that a government bears an enormous responsibility for all its citizens when they are in a foreigh country. They should also understand that in any uncertain situation, governments tend to err on the side of caution.
The intent of the U.S. advisory is to warn and protect U.S. citizens from harm, and by issuing such a blanket directive for all of Mindanao, the government, in effect, also absolves itself from liability, while placing the responsibility on the individual citizen who chooses to ignore the advisory if harm should befall him/her while traveling in the region for which the advisory is made.
The government has no way of foretelling whether that harm would occur in Zamboanga or in relatively peaceful Davao, but it does know the region in which, historically, disproportionately higher incidences of acts of terrorism occur, hence, the issuance of the blanket travel advisory for the entire Mindanao.
At the risk of sounding repititive, this is what I said more than a year ago about the U.S. travel advisory for Mindanao and Sulu.
John Reyes says
March 7, 2013 at 2:33 pm
If memory serves, the travel advisory for Mindanao started around the year 2000, or even before, following a spate of kidnappings of foreigners and nationals in Sulu, Basilan and Palawan. The year 2000 also saw the Estrada government launched a major offensive against the MILF while pursuing the Abu Sayyaf Group who were holding hostages for ransom. Why the advisory remains in effect despite the relative peace today may be seen as the U.S. government’s standard practice of protecting its behind against any potential backlash if there should be another kidnapping in the region, IMO.
I have been to Mindanao with work. I was in Zamboanga, South Cotobato and General Santos (beauthiful place I stayed at the East Asia Hotel). I have also been to Jolo, Sulu. It all depends on what places that you go to and who you know. Will I go back? I don’t know. There was some beautiful places but then again there are beautiful places everywhere. I know that when I am on my transition leave from the US Army I am forbidden from visiting Mindanao or anywhere south or west of there. It all has to do with the US Army still teaching and helping the AFP around those areas.
My wife and I agree that you are 100℅ correct. The most critical of the Philippines are pinoy. My coworkers are mostly pinoy, and they always dissuade from travelling to the Philippines. Its kinda funny,kinda sad.