Island Advice

Hello all,  :cheers:
Now I work and live in Makati, Manila. I wanted to know if anyone can advice on a smaller island  to live and find work. What can you tell me from your experience, or someone else's from living on smaller islands, for example: Siargao, Leyte. I don't look a place very popular, like Palawan, with a lot of tourists.

Appreciate your time and response!
:)

i have the pefect place for you.. camiguin island. its a one hour ferry ride to cagayan de oro.. cheap rent.. no fast food restaurants.. fresh air.. no taxis or jeepneys allowed. i been here for a year and i love it. want more info? let me know

Thanks :)
And can you tell me if i can find a job there? What places is there in town?
Except the resorts, they are everywhere :)

Other than the resorts and fishing, does Camiguin Island have anything else?

not sure about work here for you.. i guess the best thing to do is come for a visit and look around. bring a few resumes.. one thing for sure.. you dont need to make alot of money to live here. there are some italian restaurants owned by italians..  your cute,, maybe you can be a server and make good tips?

if you enjoy drinking all day and night and looking for nightlife and cheap girls.. this is not the place for you.. but if your looking for rest and relaxation and fresh air.. this place is great

Thanks  :D
Well maybe..I have experience in that.
I guess it's good idea to go and look for myself :)

Maybe this is a stupid question and not the right place to ask it but do people get kidnapped in different places in the Philippines? 

It's not as if that's never happened, but I have no idea of the relative risk, or if it varies by location.  I saw a television show about tourists getting kidnapped off an island resort once, so I guess this thread reminded me of it. 

I'm not sure if it's related but I don't think my wife would ever vacation in the Philippines, much less live there, because it seems dangerous to her.  Surely statistically there is next to no risk, but sometimes it's not just about that.

bkk tea blog wrote:

Maybe this is a stupid question and not the right place to ask it but do people get kidnapped in different places in the Philippines? 

It's not as if that's never happened, but I have no idea of the relative risk, or if it varies by location.  I saw a television show about tourists getting kidnapped off an island resort once, so I guess this thread reminded me of it. 

I'm not sure if it's related but I don't think my wife would ever vacation in the Philippines, much less live there, because it seems dangerous to her.  Surely statistically there is next to no risk, but sometimes it's not just about that.


Hey bkk, not really. it doesn't happened every day. maybe you were referring to islands near malaysia.

but i want to point you to a website www dot becomingfilipino dot com. the guy lives in Cagayan de oro (near Camiguin), in Mindanao. View his video adventures (in youtube) around the Philippines and get the proper information based on his experience. he loves the island life.

From the Philippines Media: According to the latest NYA International survey, Asia is now the world's top kidnap for ransom and extortion hub.

The Philippine National Police released figures showing that from January to August 2014, Chinese or Hong Kong citizens account for 17 of 51 individuals kidnapped.
In Metro Manila, seven out of 10 kidnap victims are Chinese-Filipinos.

It seems to say that if you are rich, and maybe Chinese, then Kidnapping is a risk.
But most is done for ransom, and they probably select targets based on profitability...

If you look like; if you have family that will pay a lot to get you back, then you could be a target.

51 kidnappings in eight months, just 6 per month. Compare that to being on the road, 1,000 deaths per month.

In most parts of the Philippines it isn't even thought about by most people, but if you go to the southern islands, then you should consider the risk a bit higher, and act accordingly. I've been here most of the last three years, and haven't even thought about being kidnapped.  Lost a couple of phones from pickpockets though. Avoid crowded trains...

and now that obama has approved paying terrorists to get your loved ones back, im sure this will entice more terrorists to kidnap americans.. thanks obama!

tommieboy999 wrote:

and now that obama has approved paying terrorists to get your loved ones back, im sure this will entice more terrorists to kidnap americans.. thanks obama!


All he has done is say that those who choose to pay a ransom will not be charged with an offence.  It is up to individual families to make that decision to pay or not.

It is really immaterial anyway, as no family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying ransom for their loved one. 
Obama said at the White House: "The last thing we should ever do is to add to a family's pain with threats like that"

The reports state that European governments routinely pay ransom to win the release of hostages. The US government will still NOT pay.

but now that its front page news.. of course this will embolden them further.. nothing this president has ever done has been a well thought out decision.. no wonder his approval rating is below what george bush's was at this same time during his presidency..

tommieboy999 wrote:

but now that its front page news.. of course this will embolden them further.. nothing this president has ever done has been a well thought out decision.. no wonder his approval rating is below what george bush's was at this same time during his presidency..


It's a pity the media, of all types, chooses to push the negative aspects of things, instead of the actual facts.

ie:

The USA does NOT pay ransoms
The USA will NOT pay ransoms
The USA will NOT change its stance of NOT prosecuting those individuals who choose to pay ransoms
The USA will take military action as appropriate.

European Governments DO pay ransoms..

etc etc

plausible deniability....
once you make this a rule.. and show everyone that your allowing families to pay ransome..
this will embolden them..
and if you dont think this is in the minds of terrorists, your dead wrong my friend..
keep spinning this the way you want, but most sane minded people will see it my way

6 kidnappings a month is not insignificant.   1000 vehicle deaths a month sounds really high too, and it's only so much comfort that the roads are so unsafe compared to being taken hostage for ransom.  I guess to really get the whole picture about road safety one would need to compare numbers with other countries' stats.

tommieboy999 wrote:

plausible deniability....
once you make this a rule.. and show everyone that your allowing families to pay ransome..
this will embolden them..
and if you dont think this is in the minds of terrorists, your dead wrong my friend..
keep spinning this the way you want, but most sane minded people will see it my way


The problem is that if most 'sane' people want to push the point that makes Terrorists do the kidnapping, it will of course happen.

I still feel it would be better if the message could be sent that deters the terrorist instead. 
Maybe I am in the minority, or just don't care about making political points regardless of the outcome.  Not having a political point of view makes it easier for me I suppose.

bkk tea blog wrote:

6 kidnappings a month is not insignificant.   1000 vehicle deaths a month sounds really high too, and it's only so much comfort that the roads are so unsafe compared to being taken hostage for ransom.  I guess to really get the whole picture about road safety one would need to compare numbers with other countries' stats.


One Kidnapping is scary if you are the one involved...

But statistics are always "interesting", for example the Road Deaths in Philippines being high:

From some official publications:

Road deaths per 100,000 population
38.1  Thailand 4th Highest
11.6  United States  122nd place
9.1 Philippines 143 place
9.1 Greece
7.4  New Zealand
5.6  Australia

there is no 'message' that will ever deter a terrorist....
as long as there are christians, jews and all other religions
the terrorists will continue to push for a world of just one religion .. Islam

Looks like it's pretty dangerous in Thailand,  not so bad in the Philippines,  similar to the US. We do make adjustments here given the risk is high.  No way we'd be out driving on rural roads at night; it's not safe.   Riding a bike on the roads isn't safe.  Funny how some low risks seem more real even when you know the percentage is low.