Hi, I'm a newbie expat currently living in CDO which is OK but I do yearn for a quieter life away from the city.
My question, is it safe for an expat to live in the provinces in particular I'm thinking of Bukidnon on the outskirts of Valencia city?
I hear scare stories of the NPA from some locals but most say its safe around there, I don't know what the real picture is like.
Can anybody provide an insight ?

Did you look on You tube?

An encounter with 9 NPAs killed last Christmas Day. So they were around fairly recently. We live in Cavite, which is usually thought of as NPA free, then every few years there's a clash somewhere. Batangas the same, though clashes more frequent there. So perhaps Bukidnon is a bit like them?

Otherwise just some videos about safety on the roads.

Thanks for the info.
I'm planning on visiting the area soon, so I will ask my partner to go around to her old friends and ask them if the area is foreigner friendly or not.

Yes, that's a good first step.

I've been living here permanently for 20 years now and came regularly before that.
Apart from the odd sister and aid worker never heard of any expat affected by NPA activity...

However...are you thinking of buying or building a house ther? If in a city or close by then I am sure no problem.

But 15 years ago my wife and I constructed a beach house in a local seaside resort area in Bicol. I knew beforehand that there was moderate NPA activity in that part of the region but thought they wouldn't affect us as the local area was well populated. Though our house was a little outside the main area and,with hindsight, that may have been a factor in what happened.

When the house was about finished my brother in law, who was doing the construction, was visited by two people who identified themselves as NPAs. Asking for Revolutionary Tax. He referred it to another brother who in his past had known some people in the NPA in another area not far away. It ended up with us agreeing to pay a one off payment of 10k. No more demands came over the next 5 years. Then we sold it.

No hesitation to do that as we had seen a friend of my wife's family there have her gas station in the nearest small town set on fire due to non payment. Speculation, but I think that without the involvement of one of my wife's brothers there would have been a regular payment demanded.

So if you stick out away from an urban area that may be a possibility to be aware of. Otherwise from what foreigners are reporting about Bukidnon online it seems pretty safe. Just maybe, as in some areas of Bicol, the inconvenience of the odd checkpoint.

Very interesting insight thank you.
Our plan is to build an extension on her already big family home which is located very near to the market in a small town of around 15,000 people.
There's also a police station nearby, and as its her childhood home we have no shortage of family and friends around us so I do feel reassured were not alone.
However, I guess until we actually make the move you never truly know what will happen once we live there.
I will keep you informed of how it goes.
Once again thank you for everyone's contribution in putting my mind at rest.

You can't be much safer than that.

And don't expect it be quiet, just doesn't happen in the Philippines.