# Living in Bacolod as a expat



## Chewy

On a recent trip to the Philippines I have met and fell in love with a very sweet filipina girl (well they are all sweet really) and have decided to relocate to bacolod to spend a few years with her and her children . Moving her 2 children who are very young could be a traumatic experience to kids that young . But what an exciting opportunity to live and work part time in the Philippines and experience the culture first hand . While Manila can be a vibrant and exciting city , I find capital cities to be somewhat phoney and way too overpriced .What better way to experience the culture and people first hand than in the provinces. 
So my question to the forum members is . Does anyone have any insight on Bacolod city . Tips for survival and all that . I have lived in a few areas of south east asia and some of them extremely poor and that does not bother me in the least .Sometimes that how you meet the best people I find anyways. So if anyone has ever lived there or visited i would greatly appreciate some tips :ranger:


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## rj.uk

We found it useful to be within half an hour or an hours drive to the big city or to our son's school when we were in the 'Pines. I am from Iloilo which is a boat's ride from Bacolod City so will obviously say go across and live in Iloilo!


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## skeptics_23

Chewy said:


> On a recent trip to the Philippines I have met and fell in love with a very sweet filipina girl (well they are all sweet really) and have decided to relocate to bacolod to spend a few years with her and her children . Moving her 2 children who are very young could be a traumatic experience to kids that young . But what an exciting opportunity to live and work part time in the Philippines and experience the culture first hand . While Manila can be a vibrant and exciting city , I find capital cities to be somewhat phoney and way too overpriced .What better way to experience the culture and people first hand than in the provinces.
> So my question to the forum members is . Does anyone have any insight on Bacolod city . Tips for survival and all that . I have lived in a few areas of south east asia and some of them extremely poor and that does not bother me in the least .Sometimes that how you meet the best people I find anyways. So if anyone has ever lived there or visited i would greatly appreciate some tips :ranger:



Welcome to Bacolod City

The Cleanest and Greenest and the Most Livable City in the Philippines. The capital of the Province of ****** Occidental which is the Sugarbowl of the Philippines. Bacolod City serves as the entrance of the sugar-rich cities and towns of the Province. Visitor’s facilities abound, modern means of in-land transport can take guests for business or leisure to any point in the island of ******.
Bacolod will charm you with the genuine warmth and hospitality of her people in harmony with their lilting melodious accent. The Bacoleños will delight you with food and cuisine that is as vigorous yet as subtle as the legendary Ilonggo gentility and taste for the good life.


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## martin andersen

I found everyone to be friendly, even when I went to some tiny villages close to E.B. Magalona on my own.......I never felt unsafe, quite the contrary, total strangers invited me to have food with them etc.....
The only problem I had in 4 visits to the area was with a store that sold large outdoor water tanks. My advice to you is inspect everything you are about to buy because I some vendors think that because you are an expat you can be scammed. Luckily I did inspect the goods prior to purchase, and yes they really tried to scam me by trying to give me a dented up unit in place of the one I had been sold.
Smiling a lot really opens doors there, so try to relax and take things easy when you find that things are not happening as fast as you would have expected back home.


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## Chewy

Thanks for all the great replies guys and gals . I can say I have already secured a place to live in the city as it is close to my fiancees work and her childrens schools . What I have read about Bacolod is that it is a very quiet place to live . Without the hustle and bustle of the big city I can say when i lived in jakarta I always felt safe . Even walking out at 3 am to get a bite to eat I never felt in danger . I cannot say the same about manila however . Maybe it is the zillion guns stores around . Thought I was in Texas there for a bit haha . I have been told Bacolod is a very green place and welcoming to foreigners and is the head of call center and language education in the Philippines .My fiancee says there are as many koreans there as in korea , so at least there will be somewhat of an international flavor there . 
As for buying anything @ martin. I will most liekly let my fiancee make most of our major purchases and negotiate on my behalf so i can get a hometown discount so to say . At least in phils i can negotiate in english compared to Indonesia where few speak english and buying a soda even can be a hair pulling experience.


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## chiucek

Chewy said:


> On a recent trip to the Philippines I have met and fell in love with a very sweet filipina girl (well they are all sweet really) and have decided to relocate to bacolod to spend a few years with her and her children . Moving her 2 children who are very young could be a traumatic experience to kids that young . But what an exciting opportunity to live and work part time in the Philippines and experience the culture first hand . While Manila can be a vibrant and exciting city , I find capital cities to be somewhat phoney and way too overpriced .What better way to experience the culture and people first hand than in the provinces.
> So my question to the forum members is . Does anyone have any insight on Bacolod city . Tips for survival and all that . I have lived in a few areas of south east asia and some of them extremely poor and that does not bother me in the least .Sometimes that how you meet the best people I find anyways. So if anyone has ever lived there or visited i would greatly appreciate some tips :ranger:


i have visited manila long time ago. i visited my friend there. Filipinos are know for being hospitable so living there is not that hard. You must choose who to make friends with because some of them are liars. I just called my friend before arriving there because some places there are really hard to figure out. :ranger:


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## nelrich

Good luck Chewy, I won't be able to retire to the Bacolod area for another year or two. Stay in touch with the forum as you learn things as I will be watching for tips and will probably have more questions as the time gets nearer.


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## Sam-In-Iraq

*Nice response*



skeptics_23 said:


> Welcome to Bacolod City
> 
> The Cleanest and Greenest and the Most Livable City in the Philippines. The capital of the Province of ****** Occidental which is the Sugarbowl of the Philippines. Bacolod City serves as the entrance of the sugar-rich cities and towns of the Province. Visitor’s facilities abound, modern means of in-land transport can take guests for business or leisure to any point in the island of ******.
> Bacolod will charm you with the genuine warmth and hospitality of her people in harmony with their lilting melodious accent. The Bacoleños will delight you with food and cuisine that is as vigorous yet as subtle as the legendary Ilonggo gentility and taste for the good life.


Wow..."Skeptics" Bacolod needs to hire you as their PR guy!! That's a great sales pitch on Bacolod. Actually I will be visiting Bacolod with my wife, who is Filipina, in May & we are going to take a serious look at living there. After reading this response I am even more excited about the prospect. I would like to buy a place near the ocean but not in an area that is too populated or too "big city". Any advice on that?

Thanks,
Sam


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## Asian Spirit

*Bacalod City*



Sam-In-Iraq said:


> Wow..."Skeptics" Bacolod needs to hire you as their PR guy!! That's a great sales pitch on Bacolod. Actually I will be visiting Bacolod with my wife, who is Filipina, in May & we are going to take a serious look at living there. After reading this response I am even more excited about the prospect. I would like to buy a place near the ocean but not in an area that is too populated or too "big city". Any advice on that?
> 
> Thanks,
> Sam


Many years ago when I was first looking and the Philippines as a place to live, my first pen-pal was from there. Never had a chance to see the place. So how bout it guys?--- --- Anyone living or going there be sure to post some photos of the place. I'd love to see the area.

Gene


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## Semper Fi

HI Folks - I have been coming to and working in the Philippines since 1975, when we floated in from Vietnam with shiploads of ARVN families to Subic. My great Uncle was in the Army during the Insurrection in 1900 and built schools in Eastern Mindanao, my Dad (also in the Army) located the Casisang POW camp in Bukidnon in 1942, and I worked as young Marine in Northwestern Mindanao advising the Philippine Marine Brigade on how to handle the Moros from 75' - 76'. Today I operate a charitable foundation that supplies educational equipment, food and clothing to government elementary schools, starting on Mindanao. So, the Philippines is in my family blood.

As my own son will be headed for college next year, I have been planning on relocating permanently to "somewhere" there in country directly thereafter. Interestingly, the only area I have never been to is ******, which, from what I am now being told, is potentially a "garden spot" amidst all the chaos. I know Davao, CDO, Clark, Subic, Metro Manila, Baguio, and Cebu very, very well, to the point where I rent cars and drive myself without maps, and have freinds spread out all over the archipelago. Bacolod is completely new territory for me, however. 

I'm an entrepreneur with 3 successful companies that I operate from wherever I happen to be in the world via the internet. Profits from those firms are dedicated to my foundation, where I put them to use when in the Philippines, which is usually 3 - 4 times a year, for 1 or 2 months during each stay. Although most of the work I do is on Mindanao, I didn't necessarily want to be right on the island, as white guys tend to attract too much attention there lately, a' la NPA, AS, etc.

Am planning on making my first trip there in late June / early July. Anyone have any suggestions on who I should contact to show me around?


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## BrianO

Chewy said:


> On a recent trip to the Philippines I have met and fell in love with a very sweet filipina girl (well they are all sweet really) and have decided to relocate to bacolod to spend a few years with her and her children . Moving her 2 children who are very young could be a traumatic experience to kids that young . But what an exciting opportunity to live and work part time in the Philippines and experience the culture first hand . While Manila can be a vibrant and exciting city , I find capital cities to be somewhat phoney and way too overpriced .What better way to experience the culture and people first hand than in the provinces.
> So my question to the forum members is . Does anyone have any insight on Bacolod city . Tips for survival and all that . I have lived in a few areas of south east asia and some of them extremely poor and that does not bother me in the least .Sometimes that how you meet the best people I find anyways. So if anyone has ever lived there or visited i would greatly appreciate some tips :ranger:


I am originally from Seattle,WA (U.S.) and have made my home here in Bacolod City since 2006. What would you like to know about the City of Smiles?


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## Pete Wolves

Hi, I have lived in Bacolod for short periods and would consider moving as we own a house there. I am currently teaching English in Taiwan and have tried before to find work in Bacolod to no avail.
I have tried contacting the call centres, IELTS and TOEIC training schools but no joy.

Has anybody any advice or contact details?
Thanks in advance!


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## SunshineBarley

My husband and I looked at retiring to the Phillipines until we looked into the huge pitfalls, such as having a return flight on arrival, now why would we do that if we are staying, the red tape and hoops we would have to jump through, invest money into an account of their choosing and they get the interest - er I dont think so, so my question is - how on earth do you manage to get to retire in the Philippines if you dont marry/go out with someone who is native to the country and you are not going to work and are not going to employ someone to work for you and are just happy to enjoy their country - seems they dont want people like us out there - someone please prove me wrong 



Gene and Viol said:


> Many years ago when I was first looking and the Philippines as a place to live, my first pen-pal was from there. Never had a chance to see the place. So how bout it guys?--- --- Anyone living or going there be sure to post some photos of the place. I'd love to see the area.
> 
> Gene


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## Asian Spirit

SunshineBarley said:


> My husband and I looked at retiring to the Phillipines until we looked into the huge pitfalls, such as having a return flight on arrival, now why would we do that if we are staying, the red tape and hoops we would have to jump through, invest money into an account of their choosing and they get the interest - er I dont think so, so my question is - how on earth do you manage to get to retire in the Philippines if you dont marry/go out with someone who is native to the country and you are not going to work and are not going to employ someone to work for you and are just happy to enjoy their country - seems they dont want people like us out there - someone please prove me wrong


Because it is the law to have a return or onward ticket coming here. Airlines in any country will not board you without one.
Easy answer on cost of visa's etc; just renew every two months and at the end of two years you must leave and return to start the process over again. Round trip to Hong Kong or Singapore is dirt cheap and it makes a fun day of shopping etc...


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## ILoveAFilipina

SunshineBarley said:


> My husband and I looked at retiring to the Phillipines until we looked into the huge pitfalls, such as having a return flight on arrival, now why would we do that if we are staying, the red tape and hoops we would have to jump through, invest money into an account of their choosing and they get the interest - er I dont think so, so my question is - how on earth do you manage to get to retire in the Philippines if you dont marry/go out with someone who is native to the country and you are not going to work and are not going to employ someone to work for you and are just happy to enjoy their country - seems they dont want people like us out there - someone please prove me wrong


To be fair most countries have some 'restrictions/red tape' on people just turning up to retire. I can't just travel to the US (or any other random country) and simply decide to retire there. Most countries have to control their immigration and retirees can be a burden. The investment is to demonstrate that you have the means to support yourself and will not be a drain...

The SRVV process PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority is not gigantically more exacting or complicated than the requirements that many other countries. For example if you decided to retire in the UK (a non-UK resident) you are required to demonstrate that you have an annual income of at least $40,000 per annum guaranteed. In the USA you have to be sponsored and also make large investments...


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## richardsinger

The onward flight requirement (not return flight) is quite a trivial thing - don't let that put you off the Philippines as a retirement destination. And you don't have to go for SRRV if you don't like the terms and conditions. There are other ways to stay here without a residents visa, but personally I prefer the advantages that come with SRRV.

BTW, another advantage of SRRV which I just found out (from PRA ad in newspaper) is that you can get Philhealth coverage for hospital in-patient treatment. I am going to apply for this soon and will report back whether it is real or not.

Richard


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## Asian Spirit

richardsinger said:


> The onward flight requirement (not return flight) is quite a trivial thing - don't let that put you off the Philippines as a retirement destination. And you don't have to go for SRRV if you don't like the terms and conditions. There are other ways to stay here without a residents visa, but personally I prefer the advantages that come with SRRV.
> 
> BTW, another advantage of SRRV which I just found out (from PRA ad in newspaper) is that you can get Philhealth coverage for hospital in-patient treatment. I am going to apply for this soon and will report back whether it is real or not.
> 
> Richard


Hi Rihard,

That's good information on Philhealth insurance. hope it proves out to be correct. I'm on Philhealth thru my wife's employment and actually had to use it last year and all went smoothly for us.



Gene


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## Annat789

Chewy said:


> Thanks for all the great replies guys and gals . I can say I have already secured a place to live in the city as it is close to my fiancees work and her childrens schools . What I have read about Bacolod is that it is a very quiet place to live . Without the hustle and bustle of the big city I can say when i lived in jakarta I always felt safe . Even walking out at 3 am to get a bite to eat I never felt in danger . I cannot say the same about manila however . Maybe it is the zillion guns stores around . Thought I was in Texas there for a bit haha . I have been told Bacolod is a very green place and welcoming to foreigners and is the head of call center and language education in the Philippines .My fiancee says there are as many koreans there as in korea , so at least there will be somewhat of an international flavor there .
> As for buying anything @ martin. I will most liekly let my fiancee make most of our major purchases and negotiate on my behalf so i can get a hometown discount so to say . At least in phils i can negotiate in english compared to Indonesia where few speak english and buying a soda even can be a hair pulling experience.


ZILLION gun stores??? Where? I live in Makati (Metro Manila) and have yet to see one! Shooting ranges yes, but a zillion gun stores? Seriously??.


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## Asian Spirit

*Back To Topic*



Annat789 said:


> ZILLION gun stores??? Where? I live in Makati (Metro Manila) and have yet to see one! Shooting ranges yes, but a zillion gun stores? Seriously??.


Guys, this thread was started on or about living in Bacolod area. Lets get it back on topic------- :focus:


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## pippozzi

Hi guys, just arrived in Bacolod and going to work with an US NGO called IPA (Innovation for Poverty Action). I am going to spend a few months here so it would be nice to meet other expats and share some beers together.


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## GetnShort

*Expat Group in Bacolod*

Hi all....I'm new to this site & tell you the truth new to forums as well so forgive me if I 'stumble around' this site a little at first.
Anyhow I am planning on visiting Bacolod & that area in Feb or so & wanted to try to find expats that might meet as a group there once in a while. I've been to the east side of the Philippines a couple years ago but didn't really care for it much so I wanted to get some insight on the Bacolod area & there's no better way to do it than over a beer or two .
I traveled to the Philippines with someone the last time & had no issues (dress poor & people ignore you  ). Is it is wise to travel solo to Bacolod & the nearby area? 
Anyhow the real reason for this first post is to try to make some contacts in Bacolod so anyone that likes beer & English is their first language  chime in.
Please let me know if there is a better place in the forum to put this kind of post.


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## Asian Spirit

GetnShort said:


> Hi all....I'm new to this site & tell you the truth new to forums as well so forgive me if I 'stumble around' this site a little at first.
> Anyhow I am planning on visiting Bacolod & that area in Feb or so & wanted to try to find expats that might meet as a group there once in a while. I've been to the east side of the Philippines a couple years ago but didn't really care for it much so I wanted to get some insight on the Bacolod area & there's no better way to do it than over a beer or two .
> I traveled to the Philippines with someone the last time & had no issues (dress poor & people ignore you  ). Is it is wise to travel solo to Bacolod & the nearby area?
> Anyhow the real reason for this first post is to try to make some contacts in Bacolod so anyone that likes beer & English is their first language  chime in.
> Please let me know if there is a better place in the forum to put this kind of post.


Hi Getin' and welcome to the site,

Seems like there were some members down that way but not sure about now. I do know there are a fair share of expats in that general area though. Hopefully you'll hear from someone here before long.

Traveling solo is usually not a problem. I would hesitate going out alone at night but that's about the same there at home.
Plenty of nice areas in the country to explore or live but would stay completely away from Mindanao.

Visit the US Citizens Services page of the Embassy site in Manila for any and all travel advisories and warnings.


Have a good time in paradise...

PS. I have a feeling that getting into the provincial areas, you'll be too busy and have too much fun to wory about meeting with other expats. Hahaha..


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## esv1226

Bacolod is the capital of ****** Occ one of the islands in the Visayas, less than an hour plane ride from Manila, or 15 minutes to Cebu and a nice ferry ride to Iloilo.
Golf courses, beaches, natural springs, active volcano, decent schools, call centers, sugar cane plantations can all be found in the island. What are you looking for?


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## overmyer

GetnShort said:


> Hi all....I'm new to this site & tell you the truth new to forums as well so forgive me if I 'stumble around' this site a little at first.
> Anyhow I am planning on visiting Bacolod & that area in Feb or so & wanted to try to find expats that might meet as a group there once in a while. I've been to the east side of the Philippines a couple years ago but didn't really care for it much so I wanted to get some insight on the Bacolod area & there's no better way to do it than over a beer or two .
> I traveled to the Philippines with someone the last time & had no issues (dress poor & people ignore you  ). Is it is wise to travel solo to Bacolod & the nearby area?
> Anyhow the real reason for this first post is to try to make some contacts in Bacolod so anyone that likes beer & English is their first language  chime in.
> Please let me know if there is a better place in the forum to put this kind of post.


I've made my home in Bacolod City since 2006. Overall, its as safe as any city anywhere provided you use common sense. I have never gone out of my way to hook up and hang out with other expats here but there are quite a few of us and there is a group that gets together the first Saturday of each month (lunch time) at Nature's Village Resort in Talisay (just to the North, between Bacolod and Silay where the airport is located). If you hit one of the local McDonalds for breakfast, your sure to find a few as well. One of the draws, in addition to familiar food, is the free newspapers!


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## cvgtpc1

overmyer said:


> If you hit one of the local McDonalds for breakfast, your sure to find a few as well. One of the draws, in addition to familiar food, is the free newspapers!


I'm amazed how good the egg sausage mcmuffin is, might even be better than State-side.


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## mookie12

why is it the expats on this site never seem to answer questions?
post are soooo old...


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## cvgtpc1

Au contraire I'd say. Example?


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## overmyer

cvgtpc1 said:


> Au contraire I'd say. Example?


I agree with you, cvgtpc1!


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## Asian Spirit

mookie12 said:


> why is it the expats on this site never seem to answer questions?
> post are soooo old...


Hi Mookie,

Lots of info in here but just need to dig around a bit. There are times unfortunately when threads have to be closed and even deleted. When that happens some things can be lost.

What can we help with??? Toss out a few questions and put our rusty ol' brains to work here..


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## mookie12

Jet Lag said:


> Hi Mookie,
> 
> Lots of info in here but just need to dig around a bit. There are times unfortunately when threads have to be closed and even deleted. When that happens some things can be lost.
> 
> What can we help with??? Toss out a few questions and put our rusty ol' brains to work here..


I'd like to know if there is a storage facility for storing household goods while i'm away for a year or so.


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## Asian Spirit

mookie12 said:


> I'd like to know if there is a storage facility for storing household goods while i'm away for a year or so.


That's something that I too had need of several years ago when I went back to the States. Never could see anything advertised anywhere.
But since then and all the years I have been here I came to realize it would not be possible to have or use such a thing here in the islands. There is so much crime and theft here that it would be impossible to keep safe. Hiring security for you unit would be useless as you would then have to hire security to guard the other security guards etc.
Even people having a decent house that is locked up tight end up getting ripped off while gone either by unknown or family getting in to take what they want.
It really is a whole different ballgame living here.


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## PogiBaby

*Mambukal*



GetnShort said:


> Hi all....I'm new to this site & tell you the truth new to forums as well so forgive me if I 'stumble around' this site a little at first.
> Anyhow I am planning on visiting Bacolod & that area in Feb or so & wanted to try to find expats that might meet as a group there once in a while. I've been to the east side of the Philippines a couple years ago but didn't really care for it much so I wanted to get some insight on the Bacolod area & there's no better way to do it than over a beer or two .
> I traveled to the Philippines with someone the last time & had no issues (dress poor & people ignore you  ). Is it is wise to travel solo to Bacolod & the nearby area?
> Anyhow the real reason for this first post is to try to make some contacts in Bacolod so anyone that likes beer & English is their first language  chime in.
> Please let me know if there is a better place in the forum to put this kind of post.


I didn't stay in Bacolod, just visited through the day. I recommend visiting Mambukal resort. It was nice and has hot springs. Sounds good to me as I'm nice and cold today in a rainy Baguio. It is very cheap to stay there, too. I was told that there are a lot of rebels in the mountains on that island, but doubt it is much of a problem in the city.. but you might want to be careful if you are wandering around by yourself. 

Have fun!


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## overmyer

PogiBaby said:


> I didn't stay in Bacolod, just visited through the day. I recommend visiting Mambukal resort. It was nice and has hot springs. Sounds good to me as I'm nice and cold today in a rainy Baguio. It is very cheap to stay there, too. I was told that there are a lot of rebels in the mountains on that island, but doubt it is much of a problem in the city.. but you might want to be careful if you are wandering around by yourself.
> 
> Have fun!


True, there is an NPA presence on ******, as on all of the other major islands. True, what NPA are present are primarily hold up in the hinterlands/mountains. False, there are not that many. The NPA's ****** totals amount to about 100-200 total with maybe a third active and armed. The NPA had a couple of major internal ruptures here. The first being a split which resulted in a very large amount declaring themselves independent (now calling themselves RPA) and entering into peace negotiations with the government in exchange for economic aid. They actively assist government forces on ****** in ops against their former NPA comrads. Then the remaining NPA command split in a power struggle. Even so, those active restrict their activities to raiding corporate farms/plantations who decline to pay protection money and hitting (or attempting to hit) remote police outposts in search of weapons. The "risk" is highly overstated!


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