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Gingert76
  5/7/2020 13:08 EST

So my girlfriend was burgled at gunpoint last week while she was at home, thankfully they just beat her up slightly as it could have been a lot worse but now i am looking at home security options, i can find a couple of companies but does anyone have anything they can recommend, ideally in or around Davao, i ideally want a cctv and alarm with an actual response from the police or guards.

Thanks

coach53
  5/7/2020 13:31 EST

Oh criminals dare to do that there now. Earlier Duterte had "cleaned up" so Davao had very low crime rate. Only ONE shooting diring long time and that was a police at leave who got crazy.
Or do your place NOT belong to Davao. just close?

I wouldn't trust what you write, other than to get WARNING so can PREPARE defence.
(I aim at building a two storey with the bottom floor as a cellar but above groundvery hard to get in at bottom floor. The main living at the second floor. To get height advantage if they try to get in. There are other weapons than firearms.

But several foreigners living WITHOUT protection have managed to avoid problem by keeping a low profile and LOOK "poor".
(I plan to do something similar dressing as a poor farmer and having an UGLY car and ugly house :)

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Gingert76
  5/7/2020 13:36 EST

Coach, your use of CAPITAL LETTERS is really losing me.

What on earth do you mean "i wouldnt trust what you write"? why the hell would i lie about something like this???

Nowhere is 100% safe, ive been burgled in the UK before as well so i have CCTV and a alarm system here so i would naturally want the same thing there.

She lives in Tagum and we will live somewhere between Davao and Tagum hence why i asked for any recommendations in that area.

even its just for peace of mind i would want a alarm on any house i live in but i would want a alarm where i will get some response not just a noise that neighbours would ignore, really do not understand your response to my message.

Tony

Gingert76
  5/7/2020 13:40 EST

Also why would i want to dress and look "poor"? as a foreigner people will think i have more than i have anyway but im not going to dress and act poor, i want a nice life and a normal car and family there with my fiancee and the children we will have, i know i will not be accepted as a local and that is fine, the same as i will not go around boasting about being a foreigner with money but i will still want a nice house and life etc.

LovePhilly
  5/7/2020 15:18 EST

Gingert...ignore him. I don't have time to read "essays" anyway. Someone else will give you a smart short answer to your question soon.

DavaoDelSur1
  5/7/2020 15:37 EST

My dad died a millionaire, but always downplayed his money. It was mostly because he was cheap. I'm sure becoming an adult during the depression had a lot to do with it.
A dog would help. Your Filipina should be able to own a gun. Just make sure you both learn how to use it. Word will get around your armed and the locals will avoid you. Also proper lighting around the outside of your house would help to deter a thief at night.
.

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coach53
  5/7/2020 15:41 EST

"What on earth do you mean "i wouldnt trust what you write"? why the hell would i lie about something like this???"
I refered to the SOLUTION idea you wrote. I wouldn't trust that SOLUTION to solve the problem.

"Nowhere is 100% safe, ive been burgled in the UK before as well so i have CCTV and a alarm system here so i would naturally want the same thing there."
Well. Haven't you looked at TV where CCTV recordings ONLY did show who did the killing. Not much use of that for the killed...

"i would want a alarm where i will get some response not just a noise that neighbours would ignore, really do not understand your response to my message."
Do you realy expect police/guards would arrive fast enough to stop a shooting??!
That's why I explained how I aim at geting a chance to DEFEND if someone try to get in...

coach53
  5/7/2020 16:16 EST

"Also why would i want to dress and look "poor"? "
Why spend much if can get things cheap? :)
"as a foreigner people will think i have more than i have anyway""i know i will not be accepted as a local"
Well. If you dress poor and act poor then it's much more likely the many "borrowers" believe you if you say you don't have money. My friend is back in Sweden for medical treatment and give the kids better education, but in Phils he got away with claiming he didn't have money to lend to the very common emergencies by he dressed cheap. If he would have given to everyone in need, then he would have BECOME poor... He just gave them a few pesos to travel costs so they could go on trying to get money elsewhere. I suppuse they see him A BIT different than Filipino :) but he is friend with everyone there from richest to poorest. Except his moter-in-law haha He has even managed to influence a bunch of Filipinos there to exersise!!! He did himself and Filipinos are very good at copying :)

FrederickJS
  5/7/2020 16:49 EST

"Word will get around your armed and the locals will avoid you."

Interesting take. Do you think their immediate neighbors are most likely to cause problems? Here in US, some do post signs like "protected by Smith & Wesson" and such.
Agree that a good firearm should be part of the security plan for them.

LarryKar
  5/7/2020 18:55 EST

LovePhilly Very good advice. Pay it mind Gingert. Soon as i see a certian dreaded By-Line on a post zip zip scroll scroll. Life is to short.

LarryKar
  5/7/2020 19:02 EST

Gingert76 Get her armed if you think she would be able to shoot smart but most Filipinos are much more afraid of dogs than they are of guns. We have three that roam our property all day and night. Well known for being insane but they know the good neighbors and let them pass. Always trust good dogs they know. We also have lights all around the perimeter of our house. And added comfort of my wifes Aunty next door who will run into the darkest jungle swinging her Bolo if she hers a strange noise at 2am.

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surfingcebu
  5/7/2020 21:49 EST

Home security is going to be an issue going forward . I always said the 'lock downs ' want stop until there is pandamonium and shootings ...as there is too much underground money to be made right now . Once the crime wave and shooting starts the 'lock downs ' will lessen . Imagine the millions of people in Cebu and manila that can't work now . DU30 asks employers to pay the employees anyway - As if , most large employers are Chinese or 'Chinoy' now . SO, you have a population slowly being starved and stopped from working . The Bolo will be back , then things will loosen up ! Too much money to be made in 'Quaritne aid " right now to stop the party - the catch is , crime/robberies are going through the roof !

surfingcebu
  5/7/2020 22:10 EST

Coach - its nasty when you have to "look poor"" in a country to be safe . Things are falling apart in the RP ... Not calling you wrong , just a shame we have to do this - to keep safe these days .
Watch the Police too - each city has its 'foreigner ' file and they keep track of each foreigners. Lets face it some foreigners are NOT the best people ( Very Broken ) - So good for the police in this regard... the paradox is they leave wide open Pinoy frim alone at times .
Best thing a foreigner can do in the RP is keep a very low profile, down break any laws and report to BI office on time . My advise ! Start houring around with the loose women and booze and you will find trouble ....QUICK! ....or eventually .

Gingert76
  5/8/2020 01:07 EST

Thanks for the replies guys, so my thoughts are as follows:

1, i do not wand myself or my family to own or use guns, its illegal for me in the first place i think and secondly i do not want a gun fight.

2, i just want to take sensible precautions to protect myself and my family, ideally more of a deterrent than a sign saying come and rob me!

3, so would anyone respond to a alarm going off? i.e. neighbours or the police?

4, im really allergic to dogs (even worse with cats) so i like the idea but i simple cannot own dogs

5, Would it be possible to have a live in handyman/guard again more as a deterrent and how would that cost?

6, i want to respect Filipino rules and law, i want to stay and make a life there for all of us and fit in as much as possible but at the same time i know i will not be fully accepted which is fine, but i want to respect the country and rules as i am going to live in the Philippines and its only right that i respect i am moving to their country so i am a guest there

Thanks
Tony

tlallen59
  5/8/2020 05:41 EST

I once told the wife that if the rebels come for me I would pile them up at the door with my large caliber hand gun and she said "they have grenades mahal" Whoops! I got a doberman pinscher instead. Seriously though Filipinos are deathly afraid of dogs especially large mean ones. That's the best security you can get.

Gingert76
  5/8/2020 06:29 EST

it may have to be a dog in that case, just dont want the dog not liking me as i cannot even be near it never mind stroke it, my allergy is that bad so that is what is putting me off as it will not feel loved.

i would rather just let someone rob me than shoot at them, they will shoot back and our lives are not worth money or a personal item

LegazpiMan
  5/8/2020 12:37 EST

Hello Gingert76.... I read your post and can offer some solutions....

1. Get some dogs... Not pedigrees, but the so-called junkyard dogs. Barking dogs are the best burglar alarm. Chain them up in the four corners of the property. Being chained up will make them meaner. Don’t treat them like pets... You want them mean............. Remember that these dogs can be poisoned...

2. Get security lights, the ones with motion detectors. They should not turn on for the dogs, but will turn on when people pass by them. The brighter, the better...

3. If you get video cameras, they can only be used to show the police later when reporting the crime. If you have a monitor in the house, you should be able to see them after you hear the dogs barking and the outdoor lights are on...

As for an alarm.... Don’t bother... Filipinos don’t see crimes and won’t be a witness to the police. As for an alarm that will notify the police dept. when the crime is happening... hahahaha... Good luck with that... Filipino police show up when they want to, not when you need them... It could be hours or even days later...

Your wife could own a gun... Not sure if that is wise though...

Best advice... Maintain a low profile. Showing off your wealth will make you a target. My wife always makes me dress up when I go out. I would rather dress down and not look rich. Dressing up should be on Sundays to go to church.

You said you wanted a car... Just wait until you have to park it somewhere and will have to pay someone to watch it will you are away from it...

Hopefully my advice helps... I am curious to hears what other expats think about it or maybe they can add something that I might have left out............

Good Luck

LovePhilly
  5/8/2020 13:33 EST

Gingert76, told you the good advice would come! Take it! Surf, Tlallen and others are super smart. Skip the guns (from a retired cop). She will end up accidentally shooting you when you come home late one night!

coach53
  5/8/2020 15:12 EST

surfingcebu
"Coach - its nasty when you have to "look poor"" in a country to be safe . Things are falling apart in the RP"
My friend moved there 35 years ago and he has solved things by act friendly to everyone and keeping not low but "poor" LOOKING profile. The villagers know he bought some land.

" Lets face it some foreigners are NOT the best people"
Yes. Many bad foreigners move to Phils because of
/it cost much less to get drunk
/and/or they misstreat women so they have problem get any in their home countries. (I know several Filipinas, who want serious relation, but find only such. I mean single foreigners,)
/Criminals wanted in their home countries move to Phils to get away.
I know rather detailed about three cases, 1 Swede (drugs) and 2 Americans (One pedophile who was so stupid through so he posted on Facebook he went on with such and told where he was! hahaha So American police found him and Phil police took him and send him to USA: I knew a Filipina related to a close to top wanted in USA. She didn't tell me why, but told he lived open in Phils, bribed the police to let him. Somewhere at north half of Luzon. Before Duterte.)
/Plus Phils is a "magnet" for SCAMERS, so some foreign scammers move to avoid get jailed in their home countries and GO ON with scams in Phils. (E g one Norwegian and one Britt (investment scams) and one I'm not sure if he is American or Australian but he is tiny scamer comparred to the other two.)

coach53
  5/8/2020 15:44 EST

Ginger
"5, Would it be possible to have a live in handyman/guard again more as a deterrent"
Well. Some foreigners who DON'T keep low profile have guards. Low profile - and treating people nice - normaly don't need any (although some depending of where living.)
It can even be DANGEROUS to HAVE a guard. E g (all before covid)
/a German got shot dead by a guarded subdivision guard just "because" the German was at his OWN yard after dark!!!
/a Swede, who had assisted many after Yolanda, had a guard for his diving shop. Once the guard came drunk to work and the Swede told him to go home. Then the guard emptied the gun into the Swede!!!
/the bodyguard of a very bad Canadian were involded both in the very bad behavings as arsenage and made people invalid by beating. Then the bodyguard was involded in the planned murder of the Canadian.

- -
tlallen
"I once told the wife that if the rebels come for me I would pile them up at the door with my large caliber hand gun"
muslims or NPA?
I'm affraid of muslim guerila, but not for NPA. I have never heared NPA attacking any civilians except working for government or very missbehaving big mining companies. Although in some places they want "Revolution tax".
NPA is different organisations so I suppouse there are local differences, but I know foreigners who LIKE NPA. (At Samar many find NPA doing much better police work than the police. Not sure if the other ment Cebu or before when he lived at Negros. Some say NPA is dangerous for foreigners in Agusan del Sur. I don't know, They have realy reasons to be angry at foreigners there by how "foreign" mining and palm oil companies have behaved there both scaming and made people killed whenthey forced people away from their land...

- -
LovePhilly
".ignore him. I don't have time to read "essays" "
So you find it better with answers without examples, so the readers don't get better chance to judge themselves...? :D

LegazpiMan
  5/8/2020 17:28 EST

Hey Gingert76.... Get yourself a few of these and place them under those motion detector security lights...

BC57
  5/8/2020 19:28 EST

Gingert76

I have a couple of these here in the PH. You can also check your home when away and be alerted of someone enters when you aren't there. Very easy to set up. https://blinkforhome.com/products

LovePhilly
  5/8/2020 19:40 EST

I would also like to recommend pepper spray. I've used it at least 200 times and it has always been effective.

LovePhilly
  5/8/2020 19:41 EST

Not effective against a gun though.

surfingcebu
  5/8/2020 21:13 EST

Ginger, the boys are offering some good advice. The Philippines is no playground for the faint of heart. You have to have some tactical knowledge and your head on a swivel at times. There are much easier countries to live in. I have many relatives in the Philippines, and I love many aspects of the Philippines. It certainly is not for everyone though. A friend of mine lives in Costa Rica, he has half the challenges that a foreigner has in the Philippines. Remember you’ll never be considered a local, you will always be a foreigner excluded from owning land, houses, and many other things. Yes you are a bit of a Christmas tree, and attraction, but that wears off real quick when there is pain.Because find, low profile, and make friends in influential positions. That’s how you survive longer term.

Earnestndeavor
  5/8/2020 22:26 EST

“ low profile, and make friends in influential positions.”

Excellent advice Surf.

Earnie

Gingert76
  5/9/2020 03:08 EST

Firstly thank you for the replies, all useful info and the reason i asked on here was to get replies from people with knowledge.

have spent a few months over there already so im not that much of a newbie and lived in india for 8 months as well so i know what people mena when they say keep a low profile and that is exactly what i will do but i want to protect/deter theives as much as possible at home.

i didnt say i will get a car, we may get a car in teh future but even then i will employ a driver, no way will i drive over there and grab is perfectly fine, i cant fit in jeepneys being over 6ft tall (ive done it a few times!)

im not a flashy or label type of person and i know not to carry large sums of money or large not denominations so cheaper the better for clothing

Def not going down the gun route, if she fires a shot they will fire back, not my cup of tea at all.

like i said, i want to come and enjoy the country and people, there are better and worse places to live but i can see a nice life there for us

Thanks BC57, i have a similar setup here, again this is more of a deterrent than anything and that is exactly what i want.

LovePhilly, pepper spray is a good shout, how comes you ave used it over 200 times?

Fully agree Surfing, hoping the golf course will be a good place to meet people as well!

Thank you all again.

Tony

coach53
  5/9/2020 04:18 EST

surfingcebu
"you will always be a foreigner excluded from owning land, houses, and many other things."
Well. As I have said
/one of my Swedish friends has been "co-owner" of land around 35 years, They got a very good offer 1.5 years ago so she want to sell but can't without he sign too. (She left their kids and him many years ago and they are divorced abroad but not in Phils. The other land he put in eldest daughter's name so there can't the wife do anything at all now when the daughter is grown up.
/40 % of real estate through company.
/whole house if at leased land.
/condos.

/And foreigners can own businesses. Max 40 or 100 percent depending of type. Small businesses too, not demanding big minimum investment as some other countries do.

That's why I changed my mind TO Phils Thailand is much harder against foreigners who want to settle there, It seem Thailand only want tourists...
Visa and other permits to stay are much nicer in Phils too.

surfingcebu
  5/9/2020 11:44 EST

Coach - you are correct , there ARE certain situations where a foreigner can own a business or a home with land ... but they are few and far between. ALSO , remember if you are a foreigner and you show up in court and yoru chances of winning a land, loan or other civil matter is slim to none .
I Know a ton of RP lawyers though a friend of mine ...they all tell me , part of a deal of winning a case is to leave the country ( to save face to the pinky loosing) ... but its rare , most Pinoy usually win in civil court . there is a perception of laws and stuff but bribes and nationhood( being Pinoy) still take top spot ! . SO , lesson one - Never end up in civil , or god forbid criminal court , as the "Americano/JOE ! " will loose terribly . :) ...but I agree with your pints Coach - there are great aspiring exceptions to the rule !

God bless you guys ! Dont forget its mothers day coming up in North America soon ( Sunday !) . Give you mom yoru thoughts a hug ! , and a phone call if she is still around ! :)

BTW - was surfing in Dugapan North of LAPAZ a moon ago . Such a great beach . One Guy on this site lives near there - sorry we did not meet up ! Also did PTO Galera , Mindoror- Fabulous spot for a mix of swimming and night spots !

Surf !

coach53
  5/9/2020 18:03 EST

surfingcebu
"yoru chances of winning a land, loan or other civil matter is slim to none ."
You are corect. But that's not a reason to do as many foreigners do, puting everything in gf/wife's name so they don't need to take it because legaly it's theirs allready :)
If being "co-owner" the Filipino have to make fraud to sell it.
If shares in a company, and if the Filipino shares are spread between several, then a scamer will annoy Filipinos too if trying to take the company.

If can avoid to get problem with any rich Filipino, but poor, some chance is added by the poor have problem to afford a fight in court.

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