# Foreign Office Advice for Mindinao



## redharry (May 17, 2013)

Recently I am reading that advice from UK,US and Australia Foreign Office suggests " to reconsider traveling to Eastern Mindanao and strongly advice against travel to Southern and Western areas"
I believe quite a few expats live all over Mindanao and wonder what it is really like on the ground. Does the threat of extortion and kidnapping effect everyday life ? MILF, MNLF,NPA and other separatist rebels seem to be running riot around the place, according to the PhilStar...
The point is a western man, we stick out like a painted blue cow in a market. I would not want to endanger my wife's life because I am white and a potential target for extortion. Am I over reacting by being informed of the current threats, would anyone suggest The Foreign Offices are over reactive , because that is a safer stance ? Sitting on a bus going through the mountains coming across rebel road blocks, is that a reality ?


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

redharry said:


> Recently I am reading that advice from UK,US and Australia Foreign Office suggests " to reconsider traveling to Eastern Mindanao and strongly advice against travel to Southern and Western areas"
> I believe quite a few expats live all over Mindanao and wonder what it is really like on the ground. Does the threat of extortion and kidnapping effect everyday life ? MILF, MNLF,NPA and other separatist rebels seem to be running riot around the place, according to the PhilStar...
> The point is a western man, we stick out like a painted blue cow in a market. I would not want to endanger my wife's life because I am white and a potential target for extortion. Am I over reacting by being informed of the current threats, would anyone suggest The Foreign Offices are over reactive , because that is a safer stance ? Sitting on a bus going through the mountains coming across rebel road blocks, is that a reality ?


There are protective measures in place based on past and present threats. A bus is NEVER an option for a white male to be travelling ANYWHERE in Mindanao. Buses get held up frequently and/or blown up when the bus company doesn't pay their protection money. In the case of a robbery, you as a white guy will definitely be grabbed by the robbers and "sold" to the NPA/ASG/MILF and then "put up for ransom". Western Mindanao from Pagadian south is not a place to be residing permanently. The Cotabato region is equally dangerous as, is the Compestella Valley (just north of Davao). Daylight travel and/or flying are your safest bets.

If you have never been in a high threat area you have no business even travelling there for a day. 

I am basing this on my 5 years on the ground. You can live there safely, but to do so you have to protect yourself constantly (armed and living in a heightened state of awareness). To me that is not living and I moved on because of that. There are quite a few expats living in Davao, Iligan, Cagayan De Oro, Dipolog and even Zamboanga City. 

Any perception of you having any type of value will make you a target.

You are wise to ask and why put your wife's life in danger? The only places that I would feel 90% safe in Mindanao is Davao or Dipolog. Would I bet my retired life on it? No.. But that is me.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

What Jon is saying here is true no matter what *ANYONE* says to the contrary. Dont know about your embassy, but visit the US embassy site in Manila and look for travel advisories. 
Many expats live down there and do just fine. Others don't. It only takes once to be dead. I live north of Manila and personally would not consider going to the Southern Philippines myself for any reason---period.


Gene


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

redharry said:


> Recently I am reading that advice from UK,US and Australia Foreign Office suggests " to reconsider traveling to Eastern Mindanao and strongly advice against travel to Southern and Western areas"
> I believe quite a few expats live all over Mindanao and wonder what it is really like on the ground. Does the threat of extortion and kidnapping effect everyday life ? MILF, MNLF,NPA and other separatist rebels seem to be running riot around the place, according to the PhilStar...
> The point is a western man, we stick out like a painted blue cow in a market. I would not want to endanger my wife's life because I am white and a potential target for extortion. Am I over reacting by being informed of the current threats, would anyone suggest The Foreign Offices are over reactive , because that is a safer stance ? Sitting on a bus going through the mountains coming across rebel road blocks, is that a reality ?


There's many reasons why embassy's send out this alert, someone has lost their life or criminal behavior, gangs or terrorist groups, kidnappings, Mindanao has been pegged for decades. I'm almost positive the area would look friendly, possibly lower cost of living and very exciting but? It's when you get trapped in a bad situation then its to late. 

I performed a simple search and came up with some bad stories from other boards of Westerns that still live there, these stores don't seem to make the headlines or the news, I wonder if our embassy would have that sort of information and open to the public.


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## redharry (May 17, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. Better to be safe, rather than sorry, seems the tone....


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## seram (Oct 12, 2011)

Jon Has summed it up perfectly.

My house is still being built in Zamboanga City but it will never be a full time place for me to live in.

I spend 8 weeks a year in Zaboanga City and have never felt threatened but I stay in a Hotel and never venture out after dark. I also have the protection of my Girls family.

If you just wish to visit some of the bigger cities in Mindanaou I would advise you to fly to them. 
If you need to travel by bus do not get on the rural busses. They are like jeepneys and stop when ever a person hails them down. Get an express bus and keep out of the lime light. Stay hidden away so you will not be noticed.
These Government warning are accurate. Right now in the Southern Philippines there would be around 10 foreigners still be held for ransom. These include chinese, belguims, Italians etc.
They dont care where you come from. You will be targeted.

In saying all that you can have a decent holiday in Zamboanga City or Dipolog. I would not live there.

Davao appears to be the safest place for Foreigners in Mindanao but how safe is safe when you have a target on your back...cheers


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