Crime-Safety-Advice-Pepper Spray

[NoneYa 73]

I fly to Manila alone. Today another VJ'er told me four kids circled him once in Manila while his fiancee was with him. The one in the back reached in his pocket and grabbed his leather glass holder out while he was fighting off the three in the front.

He also said that the police will even target you and ask for your passport and might ask for 10,000 peso to give it back.

Does anybody have any other stories ?

I want to carry Pepper Spray but I just read you can't take it in Customs or on checked luggage when flying into Manila. Is this true ?

I didn't have any trouble when I was there but safety is my number one goal and I am just trying to learn. Please share your advice.

[Theresa0828 65]

I fly to Manila alone. Today another VJ'er told me four kids circled him once in Manila while his fiancee was with him. The one in the back reached in his pocket and grabbed his leather glass holder out while he was fighting off the three in the front.

He also said that the police will even target you and ask for your passport and might ask for 10,000 peso to give it back.

Does anybody have any other stories ?

I want to carry Pepper Spray but I just read you can't take it in Customs or on checked luggage when flying into Manila. Is this true ?

I didn't have any trouble when I was there but safety is my number one goal and I am just trying to learn. Please share your advice.

Hello Dale,

If you have no trouble before, chances are you will not get into trouble in the future... sometimes it's how you carry yourself, don't even try to open your wallet in the street and do not entertain the beggars on the street, chances are if you give to one, other will approach you and you will have a small mob of kids. Just be in the lookout, if you can see lots of kids on your way... cross the street right away or get in the nearest restaurant...

As for cops, do not go out on your own, if you want to see a lot of Manila, make sure you have your fiancee with you... I have an australian friend who have this experience, he decided one day to walk around manila, alone, on the way to a mall, it was quite a long walk and the police pick him up for alleged "loitering in a known drug area" or something like that... I know this friend... and he does not even smoke... he is a health buff and will never take any drugs... anyways, the police won't let him go unless he pays P30,000... his idiot girlfriend went to the police station and told him in the face... just pay so that we can't get out of here... he was so shocked... now when he is in the Philippines, Manila is just a pit stop... he moves on the another place and the girlfriend... she's history.

I am not sure if you can carry pepper spray on your checked luggage but I know you can buy one in Ace Hardware in Manila...

Hoping for your safety and have fun!

[extremerecluse 32]

I fly to Manila alone. Today another VJ'er told me four kids circled him once in Manila while his fiancee was with him. The one in the back reached in his pocket and grabbed his leather glass holder out while he was fighting off the three in the front.

He also said that the police will even target you and ask for your passport and might ask for 10,000 peso to give it back.

Does anybody have any other stories ?

I want to carry Pepper Spray but I just read you can't take it in Customs or on checked luggage when flying into Manila. Is this true ?

I didn't have any trouble when I was there but safety is my number one goal and I am just trying to learn. Please share your advice.

When you getting off the plane find someone you can stay with the entire time you are going through immigration and customs. Make sure you stay with these Filipinos until you are within ten feet of your loved one. You are asking for trouble if you think you are in the US. I was accosted by airport security and they got me good. I gave then a load for a cell phone, SIM CARD and 500PHP. I was alone, which was a big mistake. Stay with a large group of Filipinos so they can't zero in on you!!!

[NoneYa 73]

I am going to have to hear more of this story in what happened to you. I am so interested. At the same time, I am now checking into paying $ 1,000 more into flying directly into Cebu and bypassing Manila.

[Theresa0828 65]

I am going to have to hear more of this story in what happened to you. I am so interested. At the same time, I am now checking into paying $ 1,000 more into flying directly into Cebu and bypassing Manila.

There are flights from Hongkong and Singapore directly to Cebu...

[NoneYa 73]

Harvey;

My problem is time. I still work and have limited vacation time so a day in another city over night is more precious than money. I found a flight on Cathay that goes from Orlando to Cebu but it has a stop in HongKong. The price I will pay to bypass Manila will be around $ 600 but considering it I will land in Cebu, I will take it. Thank God I make enough money to afford this. It is not cheap to get someone over here.

[rlogan 2,036]

I fly to Manila alone. Today another VJ'er told me four kids circled him once in Manila while his fiancee was with him. The one in the back reached in his pocket and grabbed his leather glass holder out while he was fighting off the three in the front.

He also said that the police will even target you and ask for your passport and might ask for 10,000 peso to give it back.

Does anybody have any other stories ?

I want to carry Pepper Spray but I just read you can't take it in Customs or on checked luggage when flying into Manila. Is this true ?

I didn't have any trouble when I was there but safety is my number one goal and I am just trying to learn. Please share your advice.

I travelled six islands of the Philippines for years before I met my wife. Usually on a motorcycle (trail bikes). Only once in a car. Trekked a lot in the Mountain and Kalinga provinces. I was stopped many times not just by corrupt police, but even simple highway workers.

In Baguio City (they advertise themselves falsely as the cleanest city in Philippines) a cop pulled me over and tried to get money out of me for a license plate scam. On odd days locals with odd license plate numbers could drive on the main fareway. On even days people with even day plates could drive. Anyone passing through on the highway was free to drive any car. It was a pollution ordinance. I argued with him and he actually told me to report to police headquarters. He thought I would be afraid to. But instead I did it, and reported him to his superiors.

In many places there are roadblocks to intercept NPA guerillas or illegal loggers and such. Those guys have pulled me over and tried to get money many times. I learned by then you start writing names down and asking what precinct they work for. Then they get in a real hurry to have you leave.

Once there were three cops at this kind of roadblock and when I pulled out my international driver's license two of them turned away. But one kept insisting it was not valid. I started my motorcycle up and left him.

One traffic cop really yelled at me a lot in a larger city. Not even sure what he was saying, but I ignored him too. One yellow-shirted traffic cop had me cold at the ATM. I turned left following everyone else, and pulled into the ATM. A sign saying "No left turn" was hidden behind all the electric wires, advertising signs, and it was too dirty to even see. It was a city next to our house so the family figured out who to bribe in the city office so that the ticket would disappear.

Once some highway workers pulled us over. First trip on a motorcycle with my wife. A big Honda made to look like a Harley Davidson. These were not even people with badges - just some engineer types out inspecting a road. They badgered me, and I refused to give them anything. They told my wife in Tagalog to buy them lunch and everything would be OK. I didn't pay. I left them.

Airport security have asked me directly for money. Brazenly. I would say that my typical experience with cops is that they don't demand a bribe directly, but instead harass you, waste your time, and hope you will pass them some money to have them leave you alone. There are professional gangsters out there too though, and they range from cunning city-slickers that see you coming off a domestic plane with a teen hotty and they target you. They approach to ask if you need a taxi, and they have a taxi guy off-airport that is going to come take you to an alley to be beaten up and robbed. If they are pushy and start grabbing your bags and taking you somewhere, then get your bags back and tell him you are calling the cops. I've done that. Out in the countryside though you have Abu Sayyef, NPA, and other stupid kidnap-for-ransom thugs that will stop buses with assault rifles and kidnap or kill people. These people are just barely above the intelligence of alligators and turtles - reptillian class gangsters. You might be better off keeping a cyanide capsule in your pocket if you are not up to the challenge.

Edited September 28, 2011 by rlogan

[rheanick 42]

I fly to Manila alone. Today another VJ'er told me four kids circled him once in Manila while his fiancee was with him. The one in the back reached in his pocket and grabbed his leather glass holder out while he was fighting off the three in the front.

He also said that the police will even target you and ask for your passport and might ask for 10,000 peso to give it back.

Does anybody have any other stories ?

I want to carry Pepper Spray but I just read you can't take it in Customs or on checked luggage when flying into Manila. Is this true ?

I didn't have any trouble when I was there but safety is my number one goal and I am just trying to learn. Please share your advice.

There are some areas in Manila that even locals would stay away from.

My hubby been out and in of the Philippines from 2000 - 2005. Never had bad experiences in the Philippines. Never been asked for money in the airport or stop by police. In the contrary, one story from him, police would even give his car a priority to pass in the highway or escort him for a awhile to ensure that he does not get caught in the traffic. Btw, hubby always hire a car with own personal driver everytime he was in the Philippines.

There are bad and good part of Manila. You just need to know where to go.

[NoneYa 73]

I love the stories.. anybody else ?

Some of you are lucky to be alive it sounds like. I posted this thread. I doubt I will be sight seeing in Manila.. I might go to the Embassy if I can get there with her but for the most part, I don't travel alot around there. It seems to be just too dangerous for me. My fiancee is from Zamboagna City.. so you don't have to tell me abou Abu Sayyaf and no I am not visiting her parents there. It's amazing that the sweetest girl in the Philippines grew up in an area with the most dangerous people.

If I was ever kidnapped.. they would have to kill me right there because I wouldn't go.

[Camilo Osias 2]

I've been to the Philippines twice since I got to the USA in '74 and I have not encountered any safety issues when I was there. Perhaps because I am not Caucasian and any thug who might see me might fancy that I'm just a lower middle class Juan de la Cruz.

[TeapotGirl 66]

My fiance and I live together in Manila for 3mos. I knew that he will be very very prone to bad elements but I never thought I'm gonna be that stressed.

1. AIRPORT GUYS, Day 0 at NAIA- It's his first time in the Philippines, his baggage went somewhere else and he got "lost" in the airport. Someone tried to "assist" him, called my cell and brought him to the waiting area. To my surprise there's already a car waiting for us, but I was just thinking to use the yellow taxi which is only $5 to the hotel. Guy asked for $20, I gave what I got and got nothing else to give the driver. We figured out that $20 is just a tip for helping him out, luckily I got nothing else in my pocket to I said to the driver to just find the guy and ask his share from that $20.

2. day 1 GUARD in the HOTEL- I came out of the mall restroom, and saw my man talking to some guy. I usually keep the money to keep him from spending and get fooled. He told me that that guy is the guard in the hotel we are staying from, it's his off and wants some money for the birthday of his kid. As ever nice as he is, he told me to give him some birthday treat. I stared at him "#######??! Did we talk about this before? Don't talk to strangers without going through me?". I gave the guy $3, verified the hotel if that guy works there it turns out negative. I was livid. I bitched at him for hours because if he can't filter those "poor me" looks right away, he's putting me on the spot to make decision in front of people making me 'the villain".

3. Day 3 NAIA DRIVER- we are on our way to pharmacy when somoeone approached me that he is the driver that picked us up in the airport. Im kinda pissed off because he's been following us around then he said that his kid just died and asking some money. I don't recognize the guy because I picked up my man 12mn, we're both tired and all that. I asked when did he picked us up and what time-he got a wrong answer. Anyway, just to push him away, I have him a $1. H ecame back asking if I could add flowers.

4. Day 7 SUBIC BAY- My beau collects coins. There's are these vendors hustling you around in front of the resort. I don't socialize much and stay most of the time upstairs of the resort. One morning he came up to the room asking for $22. He said he's buying MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS. I asked why it's that expensive. he said it's $300 way back in the US but plans to sell it when he's back. I said "Ok, but just buy one and make sure it's not fake." He said no because theres CC (Carson City) and there's no way it can be fake. The following morning, the guys are there again hustling him he is insisting to buy an wants his money. I refused to give it to him but he's adamant and he's begging. He wants to buy as much as he can but I just gave him few bucks. He bought 2 more for $9 each. On his 3rd month in Manila, I just remembered that there's a collecting shop in Megamall. I brought him there but he saw the Silver Dollars he bought in Subic. He just got an idea to bring what he's got just to check if it's real. IT'S FAKE.

He also learned from other visitors there that don't ever go out with 2 girls alone because you may be set up for rape. Since you are scared, you will just let yourself to pay the police and later on that money will be parted by the girls and the police. Also, don't ever tell it's your first time.

Telling them you've been in the area before makes them think what are the things being up to here.

5. Day 20 HOTEL PEOPLE- We just stayed in one hotel; all throughout his stay in the Philippines because of the accessibility to MRT (Train). He started befriending guys in the hotel. i warned him to keep it as a guest and service man relationship but he didn't listen. Without my knowledge, people are loaning from him. One guy quit the job before paying him back.

6. KIDS ON THE STREET- I told him to give food to the kids if he wants to because they may be used in a mafia or it's just their parents are pushing them to work. One day, I left him to go somewhere. He told me he have 5 pesos to one kid next thing he knew, there's kid popping out out of nowhere asking him money. It is everywhere and yu can't just be Sta. Claus to everybody. If you want to help, give it to foundation or just simply give them food, not money.

7. TAXIS- This is what I anticipated most..everyday. If they see a foreigner, they quickly set you on a "contract". Meaning the meter won't be turn on and you will pay a fix amount that the taxi guy will tell you. Never bite into this. My guy had The meter is there for a purpose and it should always be in use. If they refused, get off or get the plate number and report them.

8. Day 190 AIRPORT PEOPLE... AGAIN- I told him that if somebody hustled you again in the airport out of tips, say "What's your name? Can I talk to your supervisor?" Soon after he stopped over at MN, he told me that those guys who helped him out of his baggage wants more tips. He did what I told him to say and it worked.

Lesson learned, Life is hard here in the Philippines, just swallow it but no one's allowed to fool people. If someone introduced themselves that you worked with them and asking some money, think right away that they can be fired soliciting from the guests. "What's your name? Can I talk to your supervisor?" Works so use it. Always have someone with you to filter these stuff. A feisty and fiancee helps to keep you safe.

Generally people are nice but beware of those "poor me" looks, strangers that are too nice and some relatives of the fiancee.

[TeapotGirl 66]

Try to do things all by yourself without bothering anyone. To fiance's please listen to your girls. Things that are told you isn't intended to make things unhappy for you just because she wants to. We live here, so you listen.

BTW, if you ever get mugged, just give it to them, they won't hurt you, there's no money that's ore important for your safety. Try to remember their faces. Just don't fight it specially if you are not in a crowded area. Some may see what happened but scared to help. Go to the police station right away. Most likely they're repeat offenders.

[A and T 82]

I live in Manila, and I walk around all the time without any issues. Even by myself, but i am careful of what areas I go to.   I haven't had any issues with police, or i rarely even see them.  The security guards at local businesses are always nice and helpful/friendly. <br><br>People will take advantage of you if they think you are clueless, but that just takes time to get used to things (prices) .   I get kids that surround me sometimes but none have tried to steal from me or rob me.  But then again it might depend on what area you are in. <br><br>Attitude is everything, always be friendly and try to learn some tagalog. Blend in, take safe travel mostly cabs and the LRT if you are in manila, watch your pockets , buy a shoulder bag with lots of buckles and zippers. <br><br>Dont carry a wallet and dont flash a lot of money around

<div><br></div><div>You can buy pepper spray i think at the ace hardware store here , so just buy it when you arrive if you feel you need it</div>

Edited September 29, 2011 by Adam and Thet

[TeapotGirl 66]

travel mostly cabs

If you're are taking cab, choose it well. Once they see non-tagalog speaking foreigner, they quickly assume you got a lot of money. Get R&E, MGE, D'Avis...Why? Some taxi company meters "got magic". Make sure that the meter is on if not, you will 100% overpay. I brought my fiancee to hospital. The driver already told me to set the payment to $2 after hearing where we would like to go. I said to turn the meter on..twice. The meter was $1. When we are about to get off in the hospital, he told me "What's $2 for you? You don't act like a Filipino." I said "I am not a millionaire and even if I am, you don't have a right to do what you;re doing. Being a Filipino is different from a cheater. If people wants to give a tip, then it's up to them. You don't tell them what to pay because you have a meter to do that."

If they won't turn the meter on, get off, take the plate number and report. Some waiting area will give you taxi's plate number or use your cell if you don't have a pen.

Don't forget to always lock the door.

[NoneYa 73]

This is some good advice. I will review it before I leave for my trip again next time. THank you all. By the way, I do listen to my fiancee. She pulls me around. It's her domain. I follow her. When she gets to America, she will follow me. We have already discussed this. I think these post will help keep me safe. It is my second time and I had no trouble on the first time there but I did get hustled on the taxi ride once. That doesn't bother me. It's getting robbed of everything I got or something worse that would.