Ozamiz City

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

I am moving to Ozamiz City, are there any Xpats there from America?

1 member reacted to this post

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greenetravel Serial expat

329POSTS

12 years ago

Hi聽 ,a bit聽 of a difference between聽 pattaya and ozamis聽 , i dont know of expats in ozamis聽 but there are several in cagayan de oro聽聽area聽聽-can let you know聽 how to contact them by pm聽聽.

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

I decided to change my relocation plans to Ozamiz City. I will be there up to a year than move to cagayan de oro.

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

Abu Seyif is active in the area...You must be very careful there...Big radical Muslim population

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

welcome to the Philippines. I don't live in ozamiz, but im in Cagayan do oro (cdo)

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

Thanks Tommieboy. Looking forward to Cagayan de Oro and we will visit there often. I'm not looking looking forward to Ozamiz but will make the most of it. Hope there is beach property available for either renting or purchase in Cagayan.

Allanna Active member

50POSTS

12 years ago

vetretreat wrote:
Abu Seyif is active in the area...You must be very careful there...Big radical Muslim population

I lived there for a year no problem at all. Its not a big muslim area at all. Yes you have to always be aware of your surroundings. But I never felt threatened or in danger at all, ever.

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

Thank you for the encouraging news about Ozamiz City.

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

If you are American, Mindinao is definitely not safe; even in DAVAO...

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

#10

ive lived in a few cities in mindanao and never felt unsafe here. zamboanga and a few other places are off limits, but most of Mindanao is just as safe as Luzon or Visayas

1 member reacted to this post

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#11

tommieboy999 wrote:
ive lived in a few cities in mindanao and never felt unsafe here. zamboanga and a few other places are off limits, but most of Mindanao is just as safe as Luzon or Visayas

That's why the US Embassy recommends limited travel to anywhere on Mindinao..

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

#12

that's because they use the entire 'Mindanao'聽 to cover all their bases.. but im sure people that live here will tell you the same thing as me.. most cities in Mindanao are as safe as anywhere else in the Philippines. maybe you just have a problem with muslims.. if your not looking for trouble, you will be fine here

1 member reacted to this post

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

#13

I do not have concerns about living in Ozamiz City and look forward to meeting聽 as many new friends there as possible. Most cities in the USA are full of different races of people and religions so that will not be a factor with me. The services such as banks, medical, medicine, immigration and necessities will be of importance. Also if Blue Cross Blue Shield of Philippines will be widely accepted there. It is understood that trips to larger cities might be required if I cannot find something or have a service in Ozamiz. Also, I understand about the brownouts there and that will not be pleasant. I will just have to make the most of my new life. I am looking for new friends in Ozamiz and in the Philippines.

greenetravel Serial expat

329POSTS

12 years ago

#14

vetretreat wrote:
If you are American, Mindinao is definitely not safe; even in DAVAO...

who says ?聽 what info do you have to back this up?聽聽have you ever been there?聽聽btw聽 -name of island is mindanao

1 member reacted to this post

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

#15

you will be fine here in Mindanao.. try not to listen to the negative expats on some blogsites. I have many expat friends that live here and none of us have ever had problems with muslims or n.p.a. or abu sayyeff.聽聽however I don't drink or go to clubs/ bars so I tend to always stay away from聽 trouble areas.聽聽the best hospital in the Philippines is St. Lukes in manila.. im not sure about how good the hospitals are elsewhere because I have not had first hand experience (thank goodness).

1 member reacted to this post

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

#16

haha.. yes! if you cant even spell it, you probably have never been here!

1 member reacted to this post

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#17

greenetravel wrote:
vetretreat wrote:
If you are American, Mindanao is definitely not safe; even in DAVAO...

who says ?聽 what info do you have to back this up?聽聽have you ever been there?聽聽btw聽 -name of island is mindanao

The info to back it up is posted by the U.S. State Department which means it only applies to American Expats..You can check it online....Not from other countries...Americans are targeted by Abu Seyef and other radical Muslim groups opposed to the USA...There has been US Citizens already kidnapped on Mindanao and killed in previous years and with the ever growing hatred by these Al Queda backed groups I myself would be concerned...My advice is be extremely careful if you are American and never flaunt your wealth while living there...

tommieboy999 Contributor

192POSTS

12 years ago

#18

south catabato.. zamboanga.. jolo and a few other places in Mindanao is where the trouble is.. but you shouldn't say that all of Mindanao is unsafe for expats.聽 its just not true.聽 of course we all need to be catious no matter where we go in the Philippines.聽 my advice would be to speak with other expats that live in Mindanao and you can get a sense of the safe areas as well as areas to stay away from.

1 member reacted to this post

greenetravel Serial expat

329POSTS

12 years ago

#19

there have been americans killed in america too ,does the usa have a warning for foreigners not to go there?聽聽,most countries have warnings against聽 the affected parts of mindanao聽聽,there are dangerous places all over the world聽聽,doesnt mean we cant travel聽聽-u need to have some proper information聽 before you can say聽聽its unsafe to go somewhere聽聽.

1 member reacted to this post

Vaneejane60 Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#20

There are only a few expats in Ozamiz City. It's such a small city that you can just tour around for 30 minutes and that's the end of it. I have to say...it's a dangerous place for foreigners. Robbery/Drug rate is very high. I prefer going to neighboring city [Cagayan de Oro/CDO] which is a 4 four hour drive from Ozamiz.聽 Expats are overflowing there.

Vaneejane60 Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#21

by the way...I should know coz I'm from Mindanao. Born and raised in Ozamiz. I traveled to Davao, Zamboanga, Basilan...etc. The more you go to the west part of mindanao, the more dangerous it is. I still remember going to聽 General Santos using Cotabato route..a lot of military posts and camps. They would seize the buses and let all the men inspected for bombs or any other form of weaponry. The worst experience I had was when my family was confronted by the Abu Sayaf [known terrorist group in the Philippines]when we got lost in the fields. My dad could speak muslim so we were let go. Ozamiz is situated in the northern west of Mindanao. It's a safe place but I would not recommend it to a foreigner. It's a bit聽 close to the danger zone. I knew some American business men who got killed in my city before. A bombing occurred in Ozamiz port before. Our Mayor is a drug lord. He was very hard to removed from office.聽
-

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

12 years ago

#22

Thank you for the insight. Think I will not move to Ozamiz after all. My fiancee will join me in the US for a while and then we move back to the Philippines. I think we will live somewhere else away from the danger zone.

James M B Active member

28POSTS

12 years ago

#23

No but several Countrys now warn there citizens to avoid American police if possable.聽 Do to sudden pain & death's that have happened. I belive Germany did so just last week after one of there citizens was stopped here.

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#24

greenetravel wrote:
there have been americans killed in america too ,does the usa have a warning for foreigners not to go there?聽聽,most countries have warnings against聽 the affected parts of mindanao聽聽,there are dangerous places all over the world聽聽,doesnt mean we cant travel聽聽-u need to have some proper information聽 before you can say聽聽its unsafe to go somewhere聽聽.

Where are you from Greentravel and are you yourself of the Muslim religion...That may be the reasons for your responses as they are...Sure there are many Americans killed in America but most of those are drug related...The majority of American who travel to the Philippines do not fall into that category and with that being said they are not wanting to be killed by some radical ideological religious terrorists group...

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

#25

gworsham wrote:
Thank you for the insight. Think I will not move to Ozamiz after all. My fiancee will join me in the US for a while and then we move back to the Philippines. I think we will live somewhere else away from the danger zone.

Good move gworsham...I used to talk to a girl on FilipionCupid from Ozamiz and she told me if I came to see her there I would have to be very careful because of the large Muslim population there with some of which have ties with Abu Seyef...

greenetravel Serial expat

329POSTS

12 years ago

#26

vetretreat wrote:
greenetravel wrote:
there have been americans killed in america too ,does the usa have a warning for foreigners not to go there?聽聽,most countries have warnings against聽 the affected parts of mindanao聽聽,there are dangerous places all over the world聽聽,doesnt mean we cant travel聽聽-u need to have some proper information聽 before you can say聽聽its unsafe to go somewhere聽聽.

Where are you from Greentravel and are you yourself of the Muslim religion...That may be the reasons for your responses as they are...Sure there are many Americans killed in America but most of those are drug related...The majority of American who travel to the Philippines do not fall into that category and with that being said they are not wanting to be killed by some radical ideological religious terrorists group...

Dont think it matters where in from or what my religion is聽聽,聽 was 9/11 drug related聽 or all the school shootings etc聽 that happen?聽聽as i mentioned have been to mindanao several times聽 and you would have more chance of being killed聽 in a road accident聽 or some other incident聽 than by terrorists聽聽as the many expats that live there would tell you聽 but since you have never been there聽 or probably dont intend聽聽to -better stick to those places that聽 girls on filipino cupid tell you that are safe

greenetravel Serial expat

329POSTS

12 years ago

#27

i have been to ozamis聽 -even if it was only for a short time聽聽-it isnt too far from illigan聽聽,here is a blog by an american that visited illigan several times聽聽聽聽聽聽,聽聽some filipinos from聽 manila are probably as relucant to go mindanao as foreginers are聽聽because聽 they havent been informed聽聽properly聽聽.

adamsmole Active member

55POSTS

12 years ago

#28

Davao is the safest city the entire region unless you have wrongdoind then for sure you are not safe in Davao even in daylight.

adamsmole Active member

55POSTS

12 years ago

#29

It is very safe in Ozamis my friend. We have Robinhood type of group there. I used to travel the whole Mindanao it is only Maguindanao that is not safe. Expats are all around the country anyway volunteers, priest, missionaries and tourists. People can speak English even children and they are warm and friendly. Big cities of the entire country are Metro Manila, Davao, Metro Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. Come and mingle with the people and you will be at home with hospitality.

mugtech ViP

4730POSTS

12 years ago

#30

tommieboy999 wrote:
south catabato.. zamboanga.. jolo and a few other places in Mindanao is where the trouble is..

Add Sulu to the list, especially if you are a marine.

Blevine Member

1POSTS

11 years ago

#31

May be moving to Ozamiz soon. My wife is from there
Interested in meeting any Americans or other expats living there
On FB under Bill Levine or email bbass8280@yahoo.com
Currently living in Cebu

Mialena64 Member

2POSTS

11 years ago

#32

No matter where you go not only ozamis just be carefull.

vetretreat Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#33

Mialena64 wrote:
No matter where you go not only ozamis just be carefull.

Being American and if any radical Muslims are in the area and they know you are from the US you can bet your bottom dollar they will be monitoring you and your family...If not from the US probably no real concern unless you are rich and flaunt it...

Mialena64 Member

2POSTS

11 years ago

#34

You did right!
I was born in Mialen near Ozamis . Moved to NZ in 1977. I go for a holiday in my birthday place 4x a year. I don't have any fear of going back and fort there. Like what you said if you showing you got lots of money for sure they are after you.

gworsham Active member

39POSTS

11 years ago

#35

I tend to keep a low profile and do not give an indication of having money. I think Ozamiz is an enjoyable place with a lot of hard working people. Comparable with the USA, people tend to not want to work hard and rather rob and steal. It is dangerous聽 where I live and people have to be careful.