Dangers on the Islands

BIKO 3

Tenderfoot
Aug 21, 2019
7
14
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I post this for those especially going first time to the Philippines as a heads up on some things to be careful of.

1.Health--mosquitoes can carry dengue fever which has no medication to prevent it so sleep if possible under a net.Many roaming dogs have not been vaccinated against Rabies so I kept my distance whether in rural or urban locations.Watch out in eating fruit with broken peels or anything having crushed ice--like halo halo-I was not careful and had 2 stays in hospital-- 4 days and 5 days----one bug I got was salmonella--from restaurant halo halo.
2.Beaches--if walking especially on beaches--detecting or not-- having fishing boats on them.I twice found large barbed fishing hooks buried in the sand at shallow depth which would have gone into a bare foot.They were very hard to see.
3.Scams--when some people see white--skin--they see green--a way to make money.It does not matter what title they may wear--I was scammed by a lawyer--as it is easy to become a target by those very good at what they do.Some helping you look for treasure may be after a different treasure--in your wallet.
4.Roads--prepare for the unexpected --like dogs or chickens in rural areas or being passed on either side.
5.Weather--many typhoons--sometimes 20 a year--some can go up to level 5-- hit in the rainy season especially Luzon
6.Armed locals who might make you a target for robbery--especially if alone-- or for ideological purposes--ISIS,NPA. As I write this ISIS--beheaded 2 captured Canadians taken from a resort in the past-- has been extending its recruiting efforts to new islands beyond Mindanao and other southern islands--to Negros,Luzon; and part of Negros--Negros Oriental-- is at this writing under threat of martial law because of 17 killings--=4 police officers--by NPA- in July 2019.

To quote a famous saying--forewarned is forearmed.
 

Welcome. It sounds as if the Philippines haven't improved much in the 45 years since I visited on Uncle Sam's dime. At that time, there WAS martial law.
 

Welcome. It sounds as if the Philippines haven't improved much in the 45 years since I visited on Uncle Sam's dime. At that time, there WAS martial law.
And the streets were paved with mud, at least in Olongapo
 

The Philippines could go back to martial law on different islands depending on the activities of ISIS and the NPA. There is growing influence by China regarding proposed infrastructure projects--despite those seized Spratly Islands.More mini buses--jeepneys are planned to be phased out,SUVs and motorcycles on the roads plus increasing land prices, so the economy is improving.
 

My nephew is working in waste water management for the military there. Surprised at how undeveloped parts of it are according to photos.
 

Since starting this new thread an NPA camp and bomb factory was raided by government troops--300 new troops on the island now-- in Sipalay City ,Negros Occidental, and 20 NPA fighters took over a village hall in Negros Oriental.
 

yes-- some parts of the Philippines are very undeveloped and other parts are developing fast
 

The people are industrious, smart, and honorable. Their condition reflects the impact of absolute corruption from the top down. Until that is eliminated, their lot will not improve.
 

its more dangerous in the big cities and all the mass shootings in the USA then here ....... your biggest fear here is the weather 10s of thousands dead in the 20 years ive been here and treasure hunting here been a waste of time so far
 

Life is interesting in that sometimes treasure is found when not looking for it--as in myself finding old coins in the ground in 18th century towns while gardening,or being in the right place at the right time--after a storm,or meeting genuine people sometimes by chance who have obtained or been passed knowledge that leads to treasure.
 

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