Personal Safety
Written by admin on November 12, 2009.
To my knowledge, most developed Nations State Departments maintain travel advisories discouraging their citizens from visiting Mindanao. Mindanao is a large island, and some areas of this island remain in turmoil. Butuan is far away from these tumultuous areas.
Briefly, Butuan is not any different than most cities. Safety issues are directly related to personal behavior. If you are out boisterously whoring and drinking at 1am, the odds of you getting mugged increase dramatically. I have been out to the wee hours with the boyz as well as with my bride/friends, and we have never had a problem. Most establishments will take very good care of you and your safety, for it is not in their best interest to have an Expat get ‘rolled’ near their establishment.
As to traveling around the region, there are some unwritten rules that can be discussed privately. Here are some thoughts;
- A group of Expats like to go dirt-biking in the mountains. We enjoy stopping in the small villages and stores. We go on boat/jetski rides upriver and along coastal villages. Manobo tribesmen often stop by our marina when they bring their wares to town. I donate 1 pig a year to a group of NPA guerillas. We smile and treat every person equally and respectfully. I am not aware of any negative issues instigated by locals against Expats. There have been issues wrongfully instigated by Expats against locals however, and we do assist the local authorities in quietly handling these situations.
Try to avoid wandering around by yourself.
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