Is it safe in Cagayan de oro for americans?Any subdivisions for Expats

I lived there since 2009 and just returned to the US last week. it is a safe city but just like any other place you must watch the hour and place you are out about..travel by taxi is best ...enjoy the city it is fiesta time now there

Lww

No never met him just seen his post. He's what you call an ugly American. I've been here in Cdo since August 2009 nice here but I would like to move to Angeles City.

hey how are you im my girlfriend is concerned about my safety are their safe places to live

All of CDO is as safe as any other filipino city. Gated subdivisions are the safest. I live in an ungated subdivision for the last 4 years and we have had no problems.

are there subdivions primarily made up of expats

There are a lot of subdivisions but none are primarily expats. There are anumber of subdivisions around SM mall, Upper Carmen. They are on hills looking down on CDO within 15 minutes of downtown, Rental rates of 5,000PHP ($107) up to 100,000PHP ($2,140) per month, Most are small and not what you are used to in the US.

thanks for info

Can you explain what you mean by small pal.Havent made the move yet so i want a better idea of what you meant by small compared to USA sizes.

There is no problem here at all  there are Americans BRITISH German and a lot more it's very safe everyone here is friendly and will all always try to help you there is an expat group here in cagayan de oro and we meet up every Wednesday at the Kingston lodge near SM,on the way to the old  lumbia airport.if there is any thing I can do for you just ask,I have lived here in peace for three years now and I love it.all the best Colin Wright.

I have lived in CDO for the better part of 2 years with no problems. I lease a furnished studio condo across the street from SM mall for 15,000 pesos per month. There are a lot of nice condos for rent near by. Utilities run about 4,500 per month. The complex has 24 hour armed security. I  take a taxi, go to the Divisoria a lot of nites and its been no problem.  Helpful, friendly people here.

Just moved to Davao from CDO because house prices were too high and most are duplex when I was looking for a bungalow. Other than that, CDO is perfectly safe and much smaller than Davao so traffic is not near as bad.

I live in a gated subdivision behind the SM Mall and have had no problems at all.  My wife and I built our home so I can't not comment on rent.  Just like any large city in the world it depends on where you go and what time it is.

Completely  safe no problems here. I have lived here for four years now it's great.

no place is completely safe

What do you consider safe? the breakdown of religions in Mindanao is 20.1 muslim 79.9 christian of which the majority are Roman catholic! CDO is as safe as anywhere. I live in Iligan city maybe 70 km south of CDO

I just read a few of the comments, it would appear you are all looking for little USA/UK< etc. I have no contact with expats, I walk the city at any time I walk in the city 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning, my life, my rules, nobody dictates to me how i live. I have been doing this since 2004. Even I served in Northern Ireland, at the height of the troubles I had the same attitude, I decide not some idiot fanatic.

I have been here 3 years.  Had to smack the hand of one little pickpocket at Carmen market once when he put his hand in my pocket.  Lots of small subdivisions here.  Make sure they have easy acsess to taxi's. To far out it can be a problem.  None are all expat.  So safe here. Yes. Easy to find a nice place to rent.  $500 a month rent you are in high class here Gated subdivisions. You can rent for much less in safe areas.

No part of the Philippines is safe.

TheModerator wrote:

No part of the Philippines is safe.

could u be more specific? what do you mean by safe and have you been to the 7000+islands?

Not all 7,000+ islands but most of the country. If you are a foreigner you are a target, plain and simple.

That is the same in any country nowadays.  You can be killed anywhere now.  Overall I think Cagayan de Oro is overall save but then I don't wander downtown at 2 AM.

TheModerator wrote:

Not all 7,000+ islands but most of the country. If you are a foreigner you are a target, plain and simple.

what parts have you been to back up your statement and then why are you asking if you already said its not safe?

TheModerator wrote:

Not all 7,000+ islands but most of the country. If you are a foreigner you are a target, plain and simple.

id probably be more afraid of going to america than philippines

Like I said, most parts North to South, East to West. I'm asking because I want to know what others think, from the Department of Tourism postcard types, to the honest harsh reality types.

better you stay in america then -if its not safe in philippines

One of the things I like about Davao is that you don't get idiots like that here because they are too afraid.

Nowhere is safe in the Philippines. An American living in the "safest" subdivision here was shot 19 times. The guard who let the shooters in and out said he didn't hear the 19 shots due to heavy rain. Heavy rain or a few hundred pesos?

You sound very afraid. Why do you still live here if you don't mind me asking?

philipperv wrote:

You sound very afraid. Why do you still live here if you don't mind me asking?

Good question.

I am a Canadian and have not been to the Philippines yet and was planning to go early in 2017 but my wife is concerned about my safety since the recent deaths of Canadians who had been captured, offered for ransom (was not paid) and were beheaded.
I would be in the area around Tagaytay where we hope to build a home.

@ Dan Ewart,
The "is it safe in the Philippines" question has been asked and answered in so many ways.  Although I come from California, there are many cities there that I feel are less safe than many cities here in the Philippines. Yes, the USA has many unsafe areas for any human to travel to!!!

After a bit of travel here in the PI, I am very pleased with my selection of Tagaytay City as the place to retire.  There will be cultural differences from US/Canada life styles and some will target a foreigner with inflated prices for sure.  This practice is reported to be common place but does not register as unsafe. Your wife will be (or should be) the one to deal with prices in most private/mom-pop shops anyway. 

I feel the regional language your spouse speaks (i.e., Bikol, Cebuano, Chavacano, Hiligaynon, Ibanag, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Waray, etc.) can be more of a factor in a provincial location decision (out of Southern Luzon) and could have a factor on how some locals will respond to you as a couple.  This does not mean you will be more safe or unsafe, it could mean that how locals accept the couple can make a difference in your daily life.  For sure, you need to do your own research to become an informed retiree that makes smart decisions here in the PI.

In summary - Based on your wife's province/language, your budget, your retirement goals, your sensitivity to brownouts, sensitivity to water shortages, your need for a decent internet speed, future medical needs, airport proximity needs and weather needs, there are many "safe as ______" locations to select here in the PI.

Example of facts & needs I considered important for country/location selection: 

Legal System and language norms - The Philippines is the only Asian country where the "legal language" is ENGLISH and all laws, local to SC rulings must be published in ENGLISH.  Even the signage is mostly in ENGLISH and even the published PNP handbook is also in english.  The official language is filipino (TAGALOG) and ENGLISH although TAGLISH or ENGLOG is widely used.

Power & Water outages - Here in my place in Tagaytay the average power outage is 3 times/year, lasting no more than 45 minutes.   The water gets cut 4-5 times/years based on storm severity (Tagaytay water department cuts the power to the pump stations during heavy lightening episodes). 

Internet speeds & reliability - My DSL based internet speed is 8 Mbps and it is now stable. 

Proximity to major airports - I am about 75 minutes from Manila Airport (NAIA).

Proximity to quality food shopping outlets where American products are available - I am about 25 minutes from S&R Nuvali, located in the Nuvali area of Santa Rosa (the Philippine's Costco) where quality American meat and dairy products are plentiful if not a bit pricy. 

Car ownership and traffic - I bought a used car (a must have in Tagaytay) and other than weekend traffic nightmares, enjoy light traffic M-F.

Sub-division vs. other living communities - Although there are plenty of partially completed sub-divisions in Tagaytay, I choose not to live in a sub-division.  So, I live in a small 2 bedroom/2 bath house (100% screened with water heaters and a car port) on a private compound at P10K/month.

I'm sure others have equal or better stats on their locations here in the PI.  As a minimum, keep Tagaytay as one of your possible choices as you evaluate your retirement options.

Of course, The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to the Philippines, in particular to the Sulu Archipelago and the island of Mindanao.  This should be part of your individual assessment for location selection, regardless of all the others that may or may not choose to live there.

Best wishes on your hunt for a location that works for you.

I live in Mindanao but in Iligan city. It has had trouble in the past and no doubt in the future but I feel relatively safe here. I do not go too close to Marawi but apart from that I go anywhere,

I shop at the markets with the locals, walk the streets down town, never had a problem in C,D,O.  Except 2 try's at pickpocketing me by kids. In 3 years. One at the market one out on New Years. I feel safe here. Much safer than in America by far.  One reason I live here.  With the New President.  He did say no more Ransoms would be paid here.  As for kidnapped.  Well there are some Taxi drivers who like to run up extra on the meter. So learn town were you live.

James, Which are some of the better subdivisions,

Out just past S&M Mall is safe.  If you wish to rent a home.  But do not get to far back in subdivisions as to far back getting a Taxi can be a problem.  Unless you plan on buying a vehicle.  But they are safe. or more town house living I would suggest  Tusscannia.  Know that is spelled wrong but way said.  Very safe area there. Closer to town, taxis easy to find.  For condo living New one near the S&M mall. Several down town that are nice.  Out of town there are some nice places going towards Batamis. But U.S.$4 for a taxi to town.  It is not that the town area is not safe but Auto pollution & noise can be a problem.  I live just past the S&M mall never a problem here close to were I live.  I use to live close to Tusscannia never a problem there.  Getting further out side of town & taxis can be a problem.

I was out to Marawi once.  With a Philippine friend. Very shallow soil very volcanic rock just under the soil.   Only got one dirty look.  Young Muslim girl feeding her fathers fighting cocks gave me a big smile & wave. I took her photo. Her Mom Did Give Me A Look for that.  I do go to Nawawan often.  Have friends there.

Might mean in cloth sizes. I wear a 38.  They are a little hard to find in the discount bins. A size 40 every now & then. So bigger people would need to buy cloths at the regular stores. Cost much more. But I am a on the cheap side.  Bought a nice shirt  here last week I know would cost me $40 in America from a discount bin here for U.S. $2.

Hi!
  I had read the comments here and it's good to know that some find it good and safe to live in CDO. I must say there are really things here happening like that of people doing pickpockets, heavy traffic, a crowded city, pollution, flood, beggars, accident etc. But despite that, I can say that CDO is a good place to live in. Rich in culture and history. People are hospitable, welcoming, cheerful, resilient. You can see nature (sea/beach, trees etc.) and city in one. Everything is affordable too. I guess all places in the world you may go there's always both safe and not safe, good and bad people, right and wrong and more. That's just how the way it is. One needs to visit/come and see it for themselves. Everyone's welcome!