My wife and I feel very safe living in the Philippines.  We live in an unusually secure private compound in Iloilo City.  We don’t even have to consider security.  We can leave our doors open if we want to.  We have ridden jeepneys everywhere.  I have literally walked more than a thousand of mile on the streets of Iloilo City and rural paths in the country.  I have never had the slightest problem.  No one has robbed me or threatened me or tried to pick my pocket or done anything but treat me with respect and kindness.  The worst crime we have been a victim of is being overcharged for shrimp in the public market.  Many expats have similar experiences.

Nonetheless, when I read posts by expats saying that there’s no more crime in the Philippines than there is in the USA, I’m concerned.  Americans from LA or Baltimore or Miami might not see much difference. (See this article in the New York Times about the psychology of “lock” and “no lock” advocates.) For small town Americans, the Philippines can be quite different.   Enthusiasm for their new life in the Philippines, thinking that the situation Philippines is the same as life in the US can prevent foreigners from taking common sense precautions to provide for their own safety in the Philippine context.

I’ve been following news of murders of foreigners in the Philippines for several years. There are quite a few, considering how few foreigners there are in the Philippines.  Here are a few observations that might be of help to anticipate problems.  (READ MORE)