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I have traveled to many places in the Philippines and I can say that there are many areas that are safe and many that are not.  You have to do your homework and research the areas by Island, and by province on that island.  For example:  Mindanao has a bad reputation for safety, but doing your research you will find that Davao is the safest big city in the Philippines; but if you travel up to Maragusan or to the mountainous areas of Davao Oriental you may just find yourself in trouble with NPA, although NPA does not USUALLY target foreigners. However, you don't want to get caught in the NPA government shootouts.  Innocent people have been killed there.  Panabo area north of Davao City is risky.  Maguindanao and South Cotabato are also risky.  Its like this, in varying extents,  all  over the Philippines.  Don't be a rube and try to develop some street smarts, and street smarts applies in the provinces and rural areas as well.  Your dream of life in paradise (which the Philippines is NOT!) can  soon turn into a nigtmare if you do not cultivate a sense of smarts about the world around you and conditions that many people there have to live under.

Hi Munawar....Nice comment.  How about sharing some of those scams that the girls used so we can add that to our knowledge.

The Philippines is not paradise?? I've been here 18 times now. Sure seems like paradise to me. Although I don't LIVE here yet....I plan to soon. Everyone seems to think they are too smart to get in trouble. "it will not happen to me".....Sure, there is danger in almost all places. But, if you put yourself in the danger zones.....the entertainment districts, nude dancing bars, regular bars, alley ways, gang areas, terrorist zones, etc. You probably WILL find trouble! Yes, go out and have some fun...but, if you don't drink often, don't order Red Horse all night. Don't leave your drink unattended at the bar, don't fight with the girls, don't argue with the trike drivers,. In other words...don't be the typical American asshole when you drink. Use some manners. As far as where to live...that is something you will have to decide on your own as a foreigner. When you find a place that you feel comfortable, relaxed, the people treat you good, make friends easily, have the things YOU like around you...then there you have it!.

Everyone seems to think they are too smart to get in trouble. "it will not happen to me".....Sure, there is danger in almost all places. But, if you put yourself in the danger zones.....the entertainment districts, nude dancing bars, regular bars, alley ways, gang areas, terrorist zones, etc. You probably WILL find trouble! Yes, go out and have some fun...but, if you don't drink often, don't order Red Horse all night. Don't leave your drink unattended at the bar, don't fight with the girls, don't argue with the trike drivers,. In other words...don't be the typical American asshole when you drink. Use some manners. As far as where to live...that is something you will have to decide on your own as a foreigner. When you find a place that you feel comfortable, relaxed, the people treat you good, make friends easily, have the things YOU like around you...then there you have it!.

@ Kenjee,
Please explain how the offer of a third party attorney and claiming CDO is the safest city in the PI, answers how long a person can stay in CDO?  You are correct, my off-topic reply was to the off-topic post about offering a free atty to the safest city in the PI.

As far as the safety of Mindanao goes, I lived in Cagayan de Oro for two years and have spent extended visits down as far a ILigan.  Cagayan is a nice place, so is ILigan, and I never had a major problem in either place, but let me share with you the public opinions I encountered while there.  I was advised in both places to be careful  about people that I formed associations with and that I should not think of driving out to the countrysides alone.  The general impression of the people is that of vigilance.  They all know that strikes may happen at any time and take the MILF very seriously. In ILigan when I met people, the friendly advice was consistent, keep a low profile and avoid being out on my own in the evenings.  Their is a a definite distrust of Muslims in general there in ILigan.  On more than one or two occasion people expressed a quiet opinion that the Muslims are traitors.  The suspicions are there among the people.  If you want to live in Mindanao, you have to accept the idea that something bad can happen. Do not scoff at the US Advisories!  Mindanao has more than a fair share of beauty, but this can easily put even generally cautious people off their guard.  I had met a very attractive pinays online, two girls with whom I chatted with for over a year, one from Pagadian, and the other from Cotabato.  Friends in ILigan urged me not to go to either place.  They felt that the chances were good that nothing would happen, but that these places carried much higher risks for the unanticipated to happen.  When looking to meet female friends in the Philippines, don't play the odds unless the odds are really really good.  There are so many other places in the Philippines where you can settle down; one can afford to avoid the islands of higher risk.

@ ricardoflores50

To be clear, I look forward to one day visiting Mindanao. I will do such when the travel advisory is lifted and the peace seems reasonably at hand.  Until that happens, I will always speak my mind and advise against any US expat being told essentially to ignore facts/travel advisories and visit the "safest city in Mindanao". 

If I talk to much based on what I 'read on the internet', it is clear you talk to much and can't base your talks on facts or hard data.  Since you don't know or understand the sources of most of what I say, my posts are beyond your current willingness to have a paradigm shift.   

I do feel that my posts are considered by most expats to be informative, helpful and with the good intentions of helping fellow expats. I think the post from Ate1 (Yesterday 22:22:41), speaks to the truth and real meaning of living in or near places like CDO in current 2014.  I agree with all of his post and just make a special note of; 'Do not scoff at the US Advisories!'

Your responses on this topic seem to be those of anger (towards the truth) because it seems like I have interrupted an actual or believed entitlement based revenue stream (from unsuspecting/uninformed US expats) for you and select others in CDO.   It should be a goal for all contributors here to try to help each other with informative posts and not major ploys to gain income, even if some consider it off topic.