Is the Philippines a Dangerous Place?

[OnMyWay]

9 hours ago, chris49 said:

Does it matter? The discussion here has been good, above board. Quite a bit of useful information.

Above board from our valid members, yes.  Above board from the OP?  I think not.

While the subject matter may be useful (although discussed many, many times before), the OP is responding to his own question "Is the Philippines Dangerous" with his strong opinion that the Philippines is very dangerous.  So, the only reason for posting the question is to find those who will join him and support him and his negativity.

The OP has shared nothing about himself despite several requests.  He said his objective for posting this topic is to help others, especially newbies.  So what are his qualifications to help others?  We no nothing about him.

Troll

I realize by posting this, I am "feeding the troll", which is what they thrive on, so this will be my last comment.

[sonjack2847]

I went to get a driving licence today.I was waiting for the results of my drug test and I saw somebody smoking well I left my smokes at home but he made me want 1.I asked a girl where I could buy some cigarettes and she said up those stairs so up I go and order some.Whilst I was waiting I was admiring the cactus plants the lady had on her wall.We started talking and she asked where I came from I told her UK she said oh I had a friend in Dubai who was British. She then said you like cactus I said I did and I had some small planters planters with them in.She told me thatif I wanted some of hers she would give them to me Ok so I accepted. She gave me a total of 14 plants which would have cost me anything from 700 peso to 2100 she would not take any money.When I go back in just over a months time I will be taking some of the spare cactus which she doesn`t have for her.

 

Are there bad and good people here yes

Are there people who are honest and dis- honest here yes

Can you get shot or beat up yes

Are there locals who are decent people yes

 

So is it safe in the Philippines yes unless you are unlucky and in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Is it dangerous yes if you are very naive or an idiot

Is this the same as most other countries yes you have be wary of what situations you get yourself into.

Edited July 1, 2016 by sonjack2847
spelling

[Dave Hounddriver]

7 hours ago, Sander Martin said:

Why stay here if you think this place is so dangerous and you might get robbed or murdered any minute?

 

 

5 hours ago, virginprune said:

I concur, if I felt like that I wouldn't be here.

 

I answered that in a previous post (see below) so let me now respond to your question with another question:  Do you think the people who have been victims of crime in Philippines felt safe up to the point they were victimized?  Do you think they would have left the country if they felt there was danger here.

On 6/28/2016 at 6:53 PM, Dave Hounddriver said:

 People tend to feel safe in the strangest of places and we never believe it will happen to us.  Thus, how we feel is a very poor indicator of how safe it is or is not.

Somewhere on this forum I stated my personal position on this a long time back.  Personally, I told my family back in Canada that I believe this to be a more dangerous place than Canada but the excitement and joie de vivre of living here outweighs the desire to live in a secure place.  Thus, I told them, if the worst happens know that I made my choices and accept the consequences.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[Jollygoodfellow]

58 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 Do you think the people who have been victims of crime in Philippines felt safe up to the point they were victimized?  Do you think they would have left the country if they felt there was danger here.

Let's turn that around. If you were assaulted badly on the Streets in Canada. Had you wallet and car stolen at the same time would you leave Canada if up until this incident you felt safe? 

[virginprune]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 

 

I answered that in a previous post (see below) so let me now respond to your question with another question:  Do you think the people who have been victims of crime in Philippines felt safe up to the point they were victimized?  Do you think they would have left the country if they felt there was danger here.

Somewhere on this forum I stated my personal position on this a long time back.  Personally, I told my family back in Canada that I believe this to be a more dangerous place than Canada but the excitement and joie de vivre of living here outweighs the desire to live in a secure place.  Thus, I told them, if the worst happens know that I made my choices and accept the consequences.

I also stated in another thread about where I was settling to build, can't remember which thread, that to date I felt secure. But that if my feelings changed regarding this then I would reconsider my position.

Everywhere can have any and all of the dangers expressed in this thread. If you dwell on them to the exclusion of any of the positivity of life then it is not worth living at all, anywhere!

[Sander Martin]

If I didn't feel safe in a place and i had the funds and ability to move, then yes i would get the hell out of there and fast.

We are not psychic. I might die here in Philippines tomorrow, in a month in Europe, but hopefully 50 years from now in a place i like. There is alot you can do to minimize risk both here and anywhere else in the world.

[Larry45]

Well, Dave Houndriver is probably right.  As much as you want to warn the newcomers about potential dangers, they are most likely to turn a deaf ear and ignore the realities of living here.   The big problem for me is that I don't benefit from living here as much as most guys do.  But that's also how I can give an honest assessment of expat life here.  If I was a divorced 60ish guy, having spent all those year in the west...well, it would be heaven here for me, and I would be trumpeting to the world how awesome this country is and how safe I FEEL here.  Cheers  

[chris49]

Don, others. I didn't think the OP was a troll. A troll will be a first time poster with some agenda? Or are they Spammers? After reading the comments, maybe he was trolling for answers, but that is a bit different.

[virginprune]

2 hours ago, Larry45 said:

Well, Dave Houndriver is probably right.  As much as you want to warn the newcomers about potential dangers, they are most likely to turn a deaf ear and ignore the realities of living here.   The big problem for me is that I don't benefit from living here as much as most guys do.  But that's also how I can give an honest assessment of expat life here.  If I was a divorced 60ish guy, having spent all those year in the west...well, it would be heaven here for me, and I would be trumpeting to the world how awesome this country is and how safe I FEEL here.  Cheers  

Quite a patronising post all in all. I cannot vouch for anybody else but I certainly did not spend 60 plus years cosseted in the west. As a younger man I spent 18 months on active service in the army in Northern Ireland, certainly dangerous and unpleasant. In my 30's, I lived in Antigua for a couple of years, after that sabbatical I spent a year living rough in London. Now that is a dangerous place to be! I have also lived in Thailand for 4 years so not unaware of the realities of SE Asia.

I think what you can do is give an honest assessment of your expat life here. However, that does not make you an authority on all expat life here.

As for heaven, that exists nowhere on this earth and anybody who thinks it does is deluding themselves!

[OnMyWay]

23 minutes ago, chris49 said:

Don, others. I didn't think the OP was a troll. A troll will be a first time poster with some agenda? Or are they Spammers? After reading the comments, maybe he was trolling for answers, but that is a bit different.

It was his first post, and he made statements answering his own question many times with the most negative thoughts available.  Read his post in the topic here:

http://www.philippines-expats.com/profile/6287-fortunefavorsthebold/content/

He is a troll in my book until such time that he introduces himself properly and tells more about his life here in the Philippines, if that is where he is.  If he can do that, I have no problem apologizing and accepting him as a valued member of the forum.