Best City For Expats Is? Cebu Or Manila Or Elsewhere?

[Northernisles]

Hi, New member hereas of today, with same question as CebuJoe but my background differs a bit.  Iam 47, and Army Vet, Stryker Brigade Combat team. Ive spent most of the past 10 years in Thailand, learned Thai, married Thai, had 2 ThaiAmer kids, mover her to USA, and she turned cold as ice before the ink on her visa was dry.  Now divorced, living on 100% VA Service connected disability (about 70,000). Hoping still a chance for a quality lady and a nice beach in my life. Im wary of everything, but Im hoping I will be one of the lucky ones. Happy to hear any advice. Id prefer to avoid kidnappings, stabbings, black widows etc. Ive had my share of close calls in Thailand, and hoping to settle down. Thanks for reading my post. 

[Jake]

Hi, New member hereas of today, with same question as CebuJoe but my background differs a bit.  Iam 47, and Army Vet, Stryker Brigade Combat team. Ive spent most of the past 10 years in Thailand, learned Thai, married Thai, had 2 ThaiAmer kids, mover her to USA, and she turned cold as ice before the ink on her visa was dry.  Now divorced, living on 100% VA Service connected disability (about 70,000). Hoping still a chance for a quality lady and a nice beach in my life. Im wary of everything, but Im hoping I will be one of the lucky ones. Happy to hear any advice. Id prefer to avoid kidnappings, stabbings, black widows etc. Ive had my share of close calls in Thailand, and hoping to settle down. Thanks for reading my post. 

Hello NorthernIsles,

 

This forum is relatively small as compared to the others but it's the best one in town.  Hopefully, you have

some time to read over the many threads regarding the concerns (and anxieties) about moving and living

in PI.  We also have discussions about education for your children and disability concerns for the veterans.  

 

Members here are spread all over - from the central and northern Mindanao, the Visayan island group and

Luzon.  So fire away with your questions, OK?

 

Respectfully -- Jake (USN E-9 retarded)

[JJReyes]

 Now divorced, living on 100% VA Service connected disability (about 70,000). Hoping still a chance for a quality lady and a nice beach in my life. Im wary of everything, but Im hoping I will be one of the lucky ones. Happy to hear any advice. Id prefer to avoid kidnappings, stabbings, black widows etc. Ive had my share of close calls in Thailand, and hoping to settle down. Thanks for reading my post. 

 

I would recommend caution in stating how much you get in disability benefits when using any forum. Also, if and when you relocate to the Philippines, be cautious about letting others know about your financial resources. This is the fastest way to invite trouble.

Edited June 24, 2013 by JJReyes

[samatm]

I am Joe Cluless and I walk around the  Philippines with  a  Ben Franklin glued to my Forehead and  my ATM pin #  printed on my T - Shirt.  I hope meet a good girl in the PH  and avoid kidnappings  can anyone help me ?

[GregZ]

However it is being conservatively over-cautious if it is suggesting that its citizens should avoid the whole island when in fact only the central western and south western provinces are in any way "dangerous".

 

I have to say that it is my impression from some law enforcement folks that live along the coastline (Balingoan)  on Northern Mindanoa that there are more unsafe places than this statement indicates.  During my visits, May 2012 and again May 2013, I had polite conversation with these relatives and friends of my girl.  The area along the coast is 'safe' according to them, but they were concerned that I wanted to live up in the mountains a bit, near Claveria.  Through text messaging within the family I have heard about 'terrorist' activity being a concern for even the locals there in the countryside.  This is not real frequent, but does exist so thought I'd share.

 

Also, my 'family' has expressed hesitation at exposing me to the public markets and such in Cagayan de Oro, but I do avoid those in Cebu City and Manila as well.  It just is not worth all the attention I get.  Soon we will head to Iloilo for a wedding as we do not avoid activities because of terrorism threat.  Ongoing action is a different category or course.  I will remain aware of my surroundings.  I also do not recommend taking unnecessary risk, but this is necessary as I am the photographer for the wedding. :540: 

 

Seriously, I did get a bit of anti-terrorist training in the army when they were trying to blow us up in Germany some time back.  So that gives me a little advantage and some needed false security at times. :thumbsup:  That way I can keep doing what I want and the terrorists lose.

 

I don't know much about Australian government (someone made the statement that they recommend not visiting the entire island), but I guess they just write the whole island off as a matter of policy for now.  Unfortunate as Davao sounds like a great place.  I have heard that on this forum and also from the Filipinos I talk to.  It is on my list to visit as soon as someone I know there is having a wedding and needs a photographer.

[Thomas]

Hoping still a chance for a quality lady and a nice beach in my life. Im wary of everything, but Im hoping I will be one of the lucky ones. Happy to hear any advice. Id prefer to avoid kidnappings, stabbings, black widows etc.

I'm not interested in beaches myself (but in calm water for canoe or small sailingboat) so others can tell much better about beaches, but with over 7000 islands there are a lot of coastlines and many of them are beaches, so it's rather good chance you can find one  :)    E g Bohol island has beaches. I have heared they are some muddy, but I have even seen coast land for sale for prices you could afford if counting costs for AMERICAN loans, BUT it's a problem Philippines loans are very expensive normaly. (Plus the land owning restrictions.) But sure you can find something nice to rent if looking around.

This forum is relatively small as compared to the others but it's the best one in town.

In TOWN*?! Perhaps in the world  :)

 

(*Back when I lead a club, I made a club shirt saying "Worst in town."    - It was only ONE such club in town   :lol:    - And it had a text in Russian meaning "I don't know" so the answer suit when someone asked what it ment   :)     These shirts screw up the head of many opponents, soecialy at young boys opponents, so they thought of the text instead of concentrating at the match against us  :lol:

The area along the coast is 'safe' according to them, but they were concerned that I wanted to live up in the mountains a bit, near Claveria.

But isn't that NPA, NOT a muslim guerilla?  I know NPA attacked a POLICE station NorthEast of that mountain rather recently. NPA normaly DON'T attack foreigners (can attack multinational companies.) SOME say they demand "rebell tax" but I don't know if that's true or just false propaganda. In some regions the neighbourhood is MORE SAFE BECAUSE of NPA, they doing a BETTER police work than the police... 

I have just a litle local knowledge from there, but that's one of the regions I think of as possible alternatives settling at rural  (OK safety I BELIEVE, land type I like, and low land prices.)

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I am Joe Cluless and I walk around the  Philippines with  a  Ben Franklin glued to my Forehead and  my ATM pin #  printed on my T - Shirt.  I hope meet a good girl in the PH  and avoid kidnappings  can anyone help me ?

 

 

That i need to put on a t-shirt ha ha!  :tiphat:

[Jollygoodfellow]

I have every respect for the Australian government who have seconded AFP officers to work with the local PNP here in Davao and elsewhere on Mindanao. However it is being conservatively over-cautious if it is suggesting that its citizens should avoid the whole island when in fact only the central western and south western provinces are in any way "dangerous".

 

 

The US and UK give out the same warnings and have so since the beginning of time, maybe bit later than that but they probably always will.

I believe governments do this to protect their own bottoms incase something goes wrong and someone says you did not warn me. I have spent a week in Davao and would certainly consider it as a place to live. Jolo real estate is a bargain but will give it a miss. :)   

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5734.html

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/philippines

 

UK advice map  

[Thomas]

 

I am Joe Cluless and I walk around the  Philippines with  a  Ben Franklin glued to my Forehead and  my ATM pin #  printed on my T - Shirt.  I hope meet a good girl in the PH  and avoid kidnappings  can anyone help me ?

That i need to put on a t-shirt ha ha!  :tiphat:

I'm thinking of making a t-shirt saying something like:

"I'm puti

but sorry I'm not idiot"

to point at joking style, when someone try to get much high "kano prices" from me  :)

[Jake]

I am Joe Cluless and I walk around the  Philippines with  a  Ben Franklin glued to my Forehead and  my ATM pin #  printed on my T - Shirt.  I hope meet a good girl in the PH  and avoid kidnappings  can anyone help me ?

Hey Joe Clueless,

 

I am a Filipino Borg, drop your shields and prepare to be assimilated.  Resistance is futile.

 

An illegal alien of the turd kind -- Jake