Home Security In The Philippines

[sjp52]

This latest robbery murder has got me thinking about home security and how I can combat against it happening to me or prevent it from having bad results.    I would like to invite one and all to share your thoughts and your doings on your own house security. The more detail about what you have in place or would like to have in place would be very helpful to us all.

 

I for one am thinking of getting motion detectors and cameras for outside and have a secure room in the house that We can go to if some one tries to break in while we are home. The motion detectors can be bought for $20 each and the cameras you can get for $50 and up. Those cameras can be hooked up to wifi and have motion detection that when activated can send the video to your phone so that if you were away and the camera was activate you could call the guard in your subdivision and have him check it out 

 

I am also toying with the idea of having my wife buy a gun. If I decide to go this route I will put it in the secure room in a safe so no kids can get at it.   I/m hoping that if it ever happens to me you will read in the paper or on the news the next day " Two  thief's shot dead while attempting to rob foreigners house ".  Now that would send a message to all those criminals out there

[Methersgate]

I think that given the number of cats, dogs, etc. and the incidence of high wind and heavy rain, ,motion sensors might drive you nuts, but it is certainly worth  a try.

 

A regular supply of presents to the guards, and a smile for them, may help a bit, too. 

[sjp52]

I think that given the number of cats, dogs, etc. and the incidence of high wind and heavy rain, ,motion sensors might drive you nuts, but it is certainly worth  a try.

 

A regular supply of presents to the guards, and a smile for them, may help a bit, too. 

The sensors would cover the area inside my fenced in yard where there are no animals

[intrepid]

I have always been a firm believer in alarm system.  But not the kinds most of us usually think about,... the dialier kind.  Even the ones sjp52 mentioned with going to the phone or computer is okay.  The problems with these type is the intruder may continue until confronted by the securty guard, or worse, yourself.  These types are okay to help protect your property when you are not home.  But for me and with many personnal experiences, I prefer a local alarm which is wired or even now wirelessly connected to a LOUD fire bell type alarm.  This system can be attached to doors, windows, glass breakage, and also montion dectors, (which I do not prefer) The system should be installed with no delay announcment.  As soon as an intruder trips the system, the lights come on and the bell so loud that it draws the attention and scares the bejesus out of them and they are out of there.  If you have this type of system you should carry a reset button or have several resets installed around the house.  In my years on the job I have never experenced this type of loud bell alarm fail to scar away the intruder within seconds of it sounding.  The silent type may be a help in catching the intruder, but many times it is too late.  Property was already removed and worse the victim is dead.  I would prefer to scare them away and hope they find an easier mark.  The one problem with this type of system is you will set it off yourself many times until you get used to it and even then there will be times you forget.  If you live in a subdivision or with close neighabors, they may not like your alarm.  But if you don't have many accidentals your neighabors will end up being good witnesses for you.  Anytime someone hears that loud alarm it will attract attention from anyone within ear shot!  Also if you keep the system simple, it is very cheap to buy and install.

[Jumper0155]

I am also toying with the idea of having my wife buy a gun.

While I feel the decision to bear arms to protect life and property ultimately should be up to the individual making the choice. I will say however, that people should remember that doing so will ensure that every conflict that occurs in the residence, becomes an armed conflict when a weapon is accessible and even the best trained individuals (military/law enforcement) are often times killed with their own weapons during an altercation.   

 

While no plan will be perfect for every situation, at least having a plan is better than no plan at all.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Jumper0155

[cebu rocks]

Security is a major concern when i build a house here is what I will do

 

1 a tall fence with electric wires on top 

 

2 trained dogs in the yard 

 

3 barred windows with strong doors 

 

4 fire arms and pepper spray 

 

5 is a option a panic room  

 

If you can beat the electric fence and alarm , dogs ,and a strong door with pepper spray being used out the window a couple of warning shots (45 is really loud) 

 

The panic room is a last safe retreat

[FlyAway]

I would also suggest being on friendly terms with the local police. Last time in wifes home town in Mindanao, theifs jumped the glass and rusty nail embedded wall and stole father in laws motorscooter chained to the tree.

 

Scooter theft is a big problem there. Theifs have even taken the police cheifs personal scooter. He told us they are wanted criminals and if on your property.... shoot them! Just repeating what he said, so take it as you see fit.

 

We have small door wedge alarms. If a door is opened then it makes one heck of a loud noise. Cheap, easy and portable. Aside from the mini alarms, we will neither confirm nor deny presents of any firearms. We just leave it at that.

[MikeB]

I also have door contact alarms. When the alarm is set and the contact is broken by opening the door the 120db siren alarm goes off. I put them at ear level. It's not going to stop a professional but it's going to wake me so at least I know there's an intruder. The ones they usually sell here have an off switch to stop the alarm, I prefer a combination. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014A4JWU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Hey Steve]

For a decorative touch to the landscape, I would suggest planting beaugainvallia, Japanese rice palm, or agave around your first line of defense (perimeter). These 3 plants grow well in the tropical heat and will certainly tear someone up if they get caught going through it.

[scott h]

You know Scott, I have thought long and hard about this, both since reading your post and while building our house here, so forgive the long post. I have set up security ranging from electronic monitoring with motion activated lights all the way to concertina wire covered by intersecting fields of fire with M249 machine guns laced with claymore mines and trip flares. In my view a security system  is all about making a target either to dangerous or just plain to much trouble to defeat. I believe here in the Philippines if you have something someone else wants bad enough............they will get it. Case in point: Once, years ago while fixing the water tank on my Mom-in-laws house I found a long pole with a hook on it laying on the roof. I asked my Bro-in-law what it was and he said a "fishing pole". Someone climbed on the roof and was using it to reach through the neighbors louvered windows and "fish" for stuff. It is also well known here that  lot of the cat buglers are kids under 16. Since they can not be prosecuted by law (just released to the parents) street gangs use them to go over the walls of housed etc.

 

So, when building out home, we planned it so as to make it to much trouble to break in. 8 foot wall in front and our front yard covered with a stylish crisscrossing of flat bar to form a covered front yard like a trellis that will be covered soon by vine type plants. Out back between the house and the fire wall, we put triple strand concertina wire so to preclude someone lowering down by rope. (we live in the city where the houses virturly share walls lol). Other than that, we just do not display things that might TEMPT someone to break in.

 

Securing your house also depends on where you live I believe. Security measures can vary widely if you live on a piece of land in the province, in a subdivision or cheek by jowl like I do in the city. But some of the things we are used to IMHO most likely wont work here.

Such as an alarm system, I have seen bank alarm systems go off here and no one pays any attention. Kind of like car alarms in the west. Everyone just assumes that there is a malfunction or more than like just don't want to get involved. Electrified fences? with the cost of electricity, after awhile you will end up paying more in electric bills than you would replacing your stuff and unless you set the strength to kill, once they know its electrified they will figure away around it. Dogs are good but if you notice most folks keep them on very short leashes in their yards here, so a burglar can get around them. They do make a lot of noise but like the car alarm everyone usually ignores them, but they do make great door bells.

 

Bottom line is IMHO this is one of the few areas that we really don't need to reinvent the wheel. There is a reason why almost every Filipino house has good bars on the windows and heavy doors, they work. :)