It says foreigners spend a lot of time in jail if they do something we don't like, sorry I'm being cynical and remember I love the place, but one has to be realistic.
How far are you from family? generally i leave security to the neigbourhood to deal with as they are pretty good. Someone was accused of stealing a motorbike a few days later he was fighting for his life after someone else stabbed him and was lucky to make it with the amount of blood that was lost. Also its more likely to be neighbours and house help than external intruders if your in a large community area. e.g. sub division or a family compound. In both situations neighbours and relatives will sort it. One big thing that helped the area was a CCTV system. Qube sell them for about P12,000 and I believe that includes free installation. That's 4 cameras with night vision and you can remote login over the internet if you wanted.
A long way from family Matt as we've had problems in the past with them "borrowing things" or "oh I thought that was mine? You want it back. Sorry I sold / destroyed / lost it". We're not living on a subdivision (the idea of that leaves me cold) but a fairly quiet (for out here) street in what is a reasonabily expensive part of Olongapo. So neighbours aren't bad and we do have a nighttime barangay patrol that I've just given 200php to for flashlight and biscuits?! Never seen them out and about mind but they have a shirt and a radio so that makes it official. Just thinking they probably only have the one radio so god knows who they think they can call!! Like the idea of the cctv system though. I think that and a taser gun should do the trick
I have to admit i feel safer in the Cebu than i do in the UK. Although know the chances of survival for a thief in Cebu is pretty much zero if caught. In the UK they get benefits and free phone cards as punishment.
