Author: Reekay V.
Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.
Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay
Is the Philippines safe for expats? Discover the truth about crime and safety for tourists.
UPDATE: Oct. 18th, 2024, “American Kidnapped From Zamboanga Home”
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/american-kidnapped-from-sibuco-zamboanga-del-norte
State Travel Advisory About Southern Philippines.. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/philippines-travel-advisory.html
— The Only Filipina Dating Site I recommend.. https://bit.ly/christian-filipina-dating
— For Expat Health Insurance in the Philippines, please contact Michael Onstad at;
https://www.facebook.com/monstad1 or email at; [email protected]
— Loctote Flak Sack Ⅱ – Anti Theft Backpack.. https://amzn.to/3tXuBDk
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— How I send Money to the Philippines.. https://remit.ly/1amhoix
— Loctote Flak Sack Ⅱ – Anti Theft Backpack.. https://amzn.to/3tXuBDk
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— My Red-Pill Channel.. https://www.youtube.com/@mgtat.redpill
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There are plenty of islands to visit in the Philippines! Most are safe. Keep your head on a swivel!
A *VERY* good subject!
Never been to the philippines,but when i do I’m going to Zamboanga city. Idk, i just fell in love with the place, and even learned chavacano dialect, similar to spanish. I have watched Sunshine Shoulders take on this matter, and he gives a different perspective.
I feel safe in the Philippines. I’m just always smart about preventing crimes of opportunity. Don’t make it easy to steal something and I do have a few Loctote bags. The only crime I experienced was my shoes got stolen one night I was picking my wife up from the salon and the staff asked me to take off my shoes and leave them outside because of their custom.
Americans asking if another country is safe is ironic.
I’ll be returning to Cebu this December and after two nights there on to Dumaguete or maybe Tagbilaran (not sure really). I am hoping to make some connections and maybe this might be where I retire to in a few years.
I went to zamboanga, no problems felt safe as. People all friendly
First and foremost, just like Reekay mentioned the most important thing to remember is to use caution and common sense. This applies no matter where you travel. That said, the lowest likelihood of an expat being the victim of any sort of crime seems to be in the upscale areas such as BGC and Makati. I’ve been to BGC several times over the years and have never had any issues. I even ran into Lovi Poe in one of the malls in BGC. I was also in General Santos this past May. I had no issues, but the experience is FAR different than what you will get in BGC/Makati. A lot more poverty in GenSan, and more Muslims. Though GenSan is about 10% Muslim, you can definitely notice the difference compared to other parts of the county. (Nothing against Muslims, it’s just that in Mindanao Muslim majority areas are where the extremists are) I actually thought seeing the mosques and hearing the calls to prayer added another exotic element to my experience of the city. It was helpful that my gf ran any plans by her parents/older siblings before we left home. There were a few instances where they outright forbid us from going certain places/or going out at night. GenSan is a (relatively, compared to Manila or Davao) smaller city. Even though there’s 700k people, it seemed to operate similar to an American suburb in that most of the city shut down around 8pm. I was told by my gf’s parents that there isn’t much reason to go out after dark in GenSan, and they voiced concern that as a foreigner there would be a high chance of me being a victim of crime after dark. Not that GenSan is unsafe, but as a foreigner you attract a lot of attention. This is even more pronounced in GenSan since it’s not common for foreigners to go there. In the daytime the attention is no big deal, there is plenty of police/guard presence in most places. But at night it seemed to me that there was less law enforcement and the criminal elements came out. Hence the advice to not venture out at night unless you are going straight from one confirmed safe place to another. All in all, I would say that in Mindanao any Muslim majority area is pretty much off limits for foreigners since there places are where the extremist groups are most likely to operate. Aside from that just use caution/common sense/manners and you’ll generally be OK.
Came here for the comments of all the expats that will blame this poor kid and the Philippines is safe bs. Yet if they learn tag and watch the nightly news here they see its the wild wild west. Learn tag and watch the nightly news. Just because you havent been a victim yet doesnt mean you will never be one.
Regarding beaches… I’m not really a beach person. Every time I’ve gone, it’s been with a group to resort type places in Subic Bay. The downside is you pay (and it’s not cheap). The upside is that everyone has paid to get in, everyone is middle class, theft is very unlikely, facilities and equipment are all well maintained, water is clean, guaranteed shade + drinks + food… and for me, we were in a group so everyone took turns resting in our rented area.
I visited Zamboanga City in 2022. Felt perfectly safe there. Was warned not to go into the mountains with strangers, but I wouldn’t normally do that anyway. The city it pretty boring so I left after a few days.
Any expat living on the Zamboanga Peninsula is asking for trouble, especially if you have a strong presence on social media.
Not with this corrupt and incompetent administration.
When in doubt, ask the locals. If they try to discourage you from going to an area, tell you it’s dangerous, believe them. Same goes with the US, or any other country. Local knowledge is key.
If your government tells you not to go somewhere, there is a reason. Stay away. There are 100 million other Filipinas in Luzon and the Visayas.
Hey Reekay. Quick question: what are your feelings on Cebu city?? I have met a Philipina online and I want to come to Cebu to meet her in person. The person herself I trust. Its getting from the airport to where she lives that concerns me. She only lives 20 minutes from the airport in light traffic.
Not all crimes are reported to the NBI, just like not all crimes are reported to the FBI. So you can’t trust stats alone. There are safe areas and dangerous areas in all large cities. I live in Davao it is safe, but I don’t live in the slums, there is no crime in your normal daily life at the mall or main areas of the city. This guy who was kidnapped was 26 yrs old, married a muslim girl in a remote area so that he was the one foreigner who I bet didn’t practice the local faith, and if he did it wouldn’t be radical enough for the hardliners. This was about money of course, that is why he was kidnapped versus being shot to death in his home. If you watch some of his youtube videos he mentioned he was loaning out money for a profit. Keep a low profile and you will be safe, don’t live in a remote area, live in a condo with security and not worry be happy.
Objective and thoughtful content. Thank you. I agree with the points you made.
I visited the Philippines in October through November of 2024. I did not stay in resorts, rather I stayed in less expensive places and traveled multiple islands, I had no troubles at all. A wonderful experience, I look forward to returning.
pacsafe is best
Hell no . I lived here 1 years and have been attacked outside a mall amd haf to fight , 2 ttempts on a roadway head on that person me n a stupid shit scooter run me off the road . A dog I hit run me off into a ditch , split my head open to the bone . about 2 weeks ago a pickup pulled out on the highwat blocking both lanes I hit the brakes went to the outside lane , when we got next to him he turned into us hitting us , konckes us off the road and into weeds . The bike was ok , me a couple small bumps but the wife went to the hospital for xrays . Nothing serious but soe damage to her. I will never take her on the bike again . Hell yes this place is dangerous . I kive in Gensan , nor good here if I could move north I would .
Abu Sayf the terrorist group operate in this area carrying out kidnap for ransom and are on the lookout for targets and opportunity…in this case it sounds planned out They took an American male in his twenties yesterday and a heavily armed group shot him in the leg and bundled him in a boat…he’s probably in Sulu now….Abu sayf has been inactive for a while the last kidnapping prior to this was in Dipolog a wealthy Italian a Pizza restaurant owner.
Your embassy has advised no travel to this archipelago, but foreigners continue to put themselves and others at risk. There’s an incident every couple of years.
Yes there are some of the most beautiful girls in The Philippines in Mindanao and you probably met her online. The answer is simple fly her into Cebu city to meet and maybe take her to Boracay for a vacation.
The threat is for real and you just need to be in the wrong place at the right time for them so minimise your risk.
It’s the Muslim Autonomous area you need to be careful of. The stats that count are areas that are of higher risk for foreigners.
Philippines Travel Advisory
May 16, 2024Philippines – Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Updated to reflect changes in the country summary and information on the Sulu Archipelago, Marawi City.
Exercise increased caution to the Philippines due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Do Not Travel to:
The Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and civil unrest.
Reconsider Travel to:
Other areas of Mindanao due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
Country Summary: Terrorists and armed groups have carried out kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks targeting public areas like tourist sites, markets, and local government facilities in the Philippines. Violent crimes are also common in the Philippines such as robbery, kidnappings, and physical assaults. Protests happen in the Philippines and could turn violent and/or result in traffic jams and road closures with limited capacity of the local government to respond.
ref; https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/philippines-travel-advisory.html
Henry, i live in Mindanao and close to Zamboanga del Norte, i feel safe. There’s are bloggers deep in Zamboanga and living there lives. Philippines is safe just use common sense.
I have been staying there for 5 years i stay in Davao, Butuan, Dipolog and Zamboanga I find no problem is ok quite peaceful. I travelled the whole Mindanao no problem
THis german guy visited Marawi :
https://youtu.be/jKnk3OFZWas?si=zj3gy8t9i-6ltzuX
I got these water proof bags that are good for upto 5 meters depth, and out a couple of wuid in there, you can get a phone in some, there are really good and cheap
GOOD VIDEO
Main problem is developed in the area with the most Muslim population. I have been in Butuan city 5 years now, never felt unsafe. Out of place, maybe a little but not unsafe. I did have a girl friend from the Zamboanga area, and just recently. Told me she did not want me to go there,it is not safe for foriegners. I can back Henry up on this video.
Wow