Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Hey Springsteen,

This issue you are having is one that's been flying around my head as there is a few blogs or forums elsewhere talking about crime and violence. I am not in the Philippines but I am planning a vacation there and with a small income from rented property in the UK I am thinking and looking into the possibility of relocation to the Philippines so I have been taking an interest in issue like this.

I find myself often when talking with friends using the term "the Wild West" when talking about Manila and Angeles but I thought the provinces were a little more laid back and sociable.

I guess like anywhere in the world if you don't stand up to people that try to test your boundaries they will keep pushing for a weakness. Now I suspect you wouldn't let that happen to you in the UK and the reason why is you know you have as a last resort the back up of the police. I understand the Philippines is a little different with the police and there oath to protect and serve but let me ask you. In the UK when you don't let folk walk all over you it normally ends there and the police don't need called do they.

I think your concern is not having a reliable last resort and not actually the situation of intruders. But stand up for yourself - if ya see anyone who has been trying to push you buttons don't turn away if there on a street your on - walk by then and let them know you've seen them. You don't have to make a big fuss but if your eyes catch just nod your head a bit but don't break your stare. If they don't break there stare stop walking and approach them and ask what they want. Nothing will happen. And if they get drunk one night and have the Dutch courage of booze in them. Grab a big **** off stick or cricket bat and if they don't **** off whack them with it hard. Once one goes down the rest all run anyway.

Not that I condone violence but self protection as your topic was titled I do agree with.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Hi Kevin,

The Uk is different to the Philippines. Yes, your principle may work there but not here. The druggie who pesters us has mates and they know where we live. Saw him the other day and he made a lewd comment which my gf understood. We just walked on by and ignored him. Now, if I decked him with a cricket bat or whatever, he will be around here with his mates. But armed with something more deadly than a cricket bat.

As far as burglaries are concerned.... they do not come in with masks or hoods. They will kill to avoid recognition. If there is a female in the house....she could be gang raped. I have more concern to her safety than mine. I need her to feel safe and will do all in my power to do so.

Best regards

Pete

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Western bravado in the Philippines can only end one way. That is definilty one of the many attitudes you should leave at home when you come to the Philippines.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Hi folks,

Don't get me wrong I am not advocating western bravado as in going out looking for trouble it is I am more advocating not being a push over. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here.


Anyway, I think your solution has presented itself in your last post Springsteen.

If he's the local druggie I thought drugs were highly illegal in the Philippines? Labours cheap also. Why not get someone from out of town and pay them to plan on this guys car or bike or home a small quantity of some substance and get another person (not you) to tip the local police off about it.

If the law as on drugs I am hearing about are as strict as I am reading - problem solved.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

You're still thinking like a westerner. Yes drug laws in the Philippines are very strick but....like many if not all laws in the Philippines they are rarely applied, unless there's some money to be made. If you know he is a local druggie don't you think everyone else knows. The police are probably in the loop with the local suppliers so anything to do with drugs is well worth keeping well away from if you value your health.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Lol wow - steep learning curve right enough this place.

From the answers I am getting it starts to put into perspective why family is such a tight bond in the Philippines. And that leads on from your other post Springsteen. If the family relationship you spoke about regarding money and the family bleeding you dry and now you've stopped paying out as much can you rely on there back up if the time came.

I don't like saying this but I think it's time to get out of dodge. Moonlight flit so to speak.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

KevinTREvans, please familiarise yourself with Site Rule 3. I'm not going to delete your posts because other member's replies to your suggestions are very helpful in explaining how things are in the Philippines. But any future posts of this nature will get zapped.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Pete
I have lived in some pretty rough/dangerous/unsavory places in Europe, Africa and South America but I had an advantage that I was a lot younger and only looking after myself.

I hate to tell anyone how to live their life "BUT". With local druggies on the prowl that are acting like that I would seriously think about where you & gf want to live in the near future. Open druggies here are often from connected families, albeit the black sheep of and what ever they do they will think that they will unlikely be arrested for it.

If you really do not want to move then do as I do and that is at Xmas and fiesta time I give a party for about 150 poorer kids ( and their parents ) from the village. Kids get P50 plus a small toy/doll/small present, something to eat and drink, parents get food and Tanduay/beer/coffee. You invite the ones you like as gf ( as my wife does ) will only look at family, I have great fun as does my wife. They are fiercely protective of their twice yearly do at our house, even my wife gets jealous occasionally because she says sometimes they like me more than her.

What ever you decide to do I would seriously consider where I lived, especially with a gf/wife and potential kids involved. You are relatively new here ( but have managed to get a 1000 times more advise than I did, via this site ), I would take gf out for an evening, away from any family, and discuss family, location, priorities, worries etc, maybe overnight.

When Persia was the best military nation in the world they claimed that any strategy made while being drunk and still made sense the next morning when sober was the one to follow.

Good luck with what ever your choice.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Hey Stokkevn.

Did I read correctly on another board that you were from #snipped#?

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

KevinTREvans, please read site rule 5. You may not ask members for personal information. In fact please read all the site rules so that you do not, inadvertently, break any more :fingerscrossed:

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Lol - hey am only quoting a comment the user made on another post. Can't remember asking for personal information.

Is there a site rule regarding inadvertently exposing personal information?

And to assist your policing of the site rules someone posted earlier in this thread a photo from goggle that am sure breaks the copywriter infringement mentioned in the site rules. Got to all play by the same rules now. :-)

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

If the member has disclosed this information in another thread on this forum then you can use the search function yourself to find the relevant post. If you think a post breaks any site rules you can report it to the moderators by pressing the report button below the post. Not all photos on Google are copyrighted and, in any case, references to content is not, in itself, a copyright infringement.

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Kevin ......regarding your comment moon light flit. I have dealt with that in the "Sipalay" forum.

Stokkevn.... The kids in Sipalay have not seen a Santa Claus here in living memory. On Xmas Day, they will see their first one. Complete with small gifts and sweeties etc. I have planned that some time ago.

Regards

Pete M

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Also, as far as druggies are concerned we see just the one who bothers us. We have seen him 5/6 times since we arrived late March. When he is spotted my pepper spray comes out of the pocket and ready to go. Doubt if I will ever need it with him. But my gf is now happy which is key.

Had barbed wire installed over the low wall at the back of the house plus extra lighting. Extra locks have been fitted plus 2 CCTV signs have been installed. GF now feels safe and her parents are happy I have taken these extra precautions to protect ourselves. If they are all happy and she at last feels safe.... then I am happy too.

Regards

Pete M

Re: Personal and Home Security in the Philippines
 

Good on you. I have been doing it for the last 15 years and here they still have not seen Santa, the closest they have come to that is Mother-in-Law in a Santa hat, that was until she had one too many and put my underpants on outside her shorts and pretended to be superwoman, it sort of went down hill from there.