72,000 displaced as fighting continues on Mindanao?

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Which part of ComVal if you don't mind me asking? The only area that I stay away from is Pantukan, and that is because the majority of attacks are in that area. The rest of the province is pretty decent as well as can be. My wife's family lives in New Bataan and when I go to Mindanao I spend the most of my time there in that town. I have never had a problem at all, on contrary I have been treated with the utmost respect and friendliness.

[coa24 69]

Mapawa/Maragusan I believe. Will definitely keep you in mind if I do go back in June, depends on many things of course if I can get back soon.

Edited March 24, 2015 by coa24

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Was suppose to go to Compostela Vally this past January. But her mom and family feared for my safety because of a string of murders nears her mom and bus attacks by the communists there. I have always had a good time there and really enjoyed the people and their hospitality. Not only that I have always felt safe when around them.

She has family that lives in Compostela Valley (mom and aunts) and others in Pagadian.

I feel bad for the people there and what they have to endure with the fighting, attacks, and kidnappings. Sad...

Ok, She is from Nabunturan. That is the capital of Compostela Valley and very safe. Please be sure to go and meet the family for your own sake in her home environment. I say this because I have seen scammers try to swindle westerners by acting as a fiance and letting them come to the Philippines, then the westerner goes home none the wiser. I met a woman like that in Bohol when me and my wife went there. Her "fiance" was a soy bean farmer from North Dakota, and she lived in Manila but she was from ComVal.We ended chatting due to being at the same hotel and just chilling at the bar having a beer. I asked him why he never met her family and he told me that she never would take him to meet her family due to it "being too dangerous", but she changed her tune really quick when he told her I was on my way there after leaving Bohol in two days. She then preceded to give me the "Dagger eyes of Death". I told my wife about it and she told me that it is a very common scam where a woman has multiple foreign boyfriends just so they can send her money.

For the record... I am not saying she is that, I am just saying cover your a** and meet the family, before kids come out of the wood work so to speak.

Edited March 24, 2015 by cyberfx1024

[coa24 69]

The nice thing about the past couple trips I have had the opportunity to meet much of her family already, including friends she has in the mission organization she works for. It has been a great experience to meet and gain so many friends there. Sounds like your fiance lives north of Maragusan.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Yeah, her immediate family lives in New Bataan proper. There is a road from New Bataan to Maragusan but it's like 25-30 miles between the two towns. I don't know if the road is still there because when the typhoon came through in 2012, it washed away alot of things. But ComVal is a very pretty province and I have already bought land there and plan to build a house. Please be aware you may be one of the few if any white guys that are in town if you go. So be advised that some women may literally try to throw themselves at you, it has happened to me when I was walking to the bakery. My wife was not to happy when I told her what happened, and it turns out that she knew the woman.

Anyway, Maragusan is still a pretty safe and from what I heard hardly anything goes wrong there. If you take the bus there then take a Davao Metro AIRCON bus, never ever ever take a Non-aircon if you can help it. Non-aircon is extremely slow and almost as bad as a city bus by stopping all the time. While Aircon buses on average are faster and don't stop as much.

[coa24 69]

Another clash between the Army and BIFF was reported in the papers today. Stated 23 BIFF Rebels and 4 soldiers were killed in Cotabato. Also stated that the captured weapons used in the failed SAF operation in January against the Philippine Army in this particular battle. http://www.pressreader.com/philippines/bandera-mindanao/textview

Edited March 30, 2015 by coa24

[rlogan 2,036]

There are a number of reports indicating the "all-out" war is over, and refugees down to 90,000, but the pursuit of BIFF remnants continues.

The Army has announced it is now embarking upon the "peace and development" phase. But it is the Philippine legislature that is in charge of that.