Is Batangas a safe place to go?

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JohnR7

Joined
Oct 15, 1999
Messages
718
Does anyone here know how safe or unsafe Batangas maybe for a American, or anyone with white skin to go. Usually, I send my brother in law or his son there to pick up knives for us. But I am told it maybe a little bit dangerous for an Amerian to go there. I know in some area of the Philippines, they think anyone with white skin is rich & if you live above the poverty level, you are rich to their way of thinking. So there well be people who come up to you begging for money. Usually, they will not leave you alone, untell you give them enough to buy a meal with, because they are driven by being hungry. In Batangas, I am told, that there is a element called the peoples liberation army. They are refered to as the bearfoot solders. I am told that they will go up to people asking for money, and not leave them alone tell they get what they are wanting.

Anyone want to go to Batangas with me? My wife and I are thinking about going over to the Philippines in a few months, after the Christmas shopping season. Thanks, JohnR7 www.BalisongKnife.com
 
What's that.....you wanna take me with you?!? Well, that's fantastic!!! Just as long as you aren't red and I'm not blue
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Cameron

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"It takes a killer...to stop a killer"
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A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album
 
Not sure but I believe that there are travel advisories out for that region!


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"Catch you on the flip side"!
 
When you get there the poor people are after you:
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and when you go to the middle east you don't come back:
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my intent is not to offend anyone in either the Philippines or the Middle East, at least I'm not asking you to suck my "balis"
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Cameron

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"It takes a killer...to stop a killer"
uriel.gif

A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album
 
Hi John,

I assure you that it is safer in batangas than in manila. I have to admit that there are a lot of beggars in manila but only in the downtown area. In batangas, they will just probably stare at you because you look different. Filipinos are typically hospitable and will mostly make you feel comfortable even beyond their means.

The people's liberation army you were saying is called NPA - New People's Army, a communist rebel group. Though they are not really active nowadays, they don't really have a presence in batangas. I think because most batanguenos (people from batangas) have guns and are not easy to push around. The NPA are more common in the other provinces.

I'm actually going to batangas tomorrow to get a few balisongs. When you're here in the philippines let me know and i might come with you.
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-Paul
 
Hey John!

What's a trip run to the region these days?

Sabo29

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"Catch you on the flip side"!
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I have to agree bataangas is probably safer than Manila. Not probably it is light years safer (though I wouldnt let my guard down anywhere just from force of habit). NPA usually is active in the cordillera mountain ranges, Manila, etc... It was strange to go to my lolos funeral because he was a soldier and got a soldiers funeral. But since it was in a small village way in the mountains about half the platoon sent to be his honor guard were busy eyeing the fields for an ambush. And of course the Muslim groups are also mainly active in the south. Anyhoo a guide is a good idea. Theyll for sure keep you on the safe side if you find a good one. I definitely suggest going to bataangaas. Alot of very nice balisong to be had there (no insult to others but the stuff they usually make there is far better than the junky FMHs that are usually seen here). I had a friend commission about a hundred balisongs to be made for him. Each was very ornate, makes them fancy ones you got on your site john look like plain butter knives in comparisson (I got one and I wish i could show you a picture but I aint got no hosting yet) and extremely well constructed. I dont use mine as a utility knife anymore, but for 15 years it was used as a utility/hunting knife. Its still in great shape, no need for new pins or anything. Well the cost for this project was about $100 for the crate. When I was last in the Philippines, ten years ago, I got three nice balisong for about $10 at shoemart, my uncle gave me two swords that cost him ten dollars for both too. Nice stuff, but I regret seattle customs gottem and tookem away from me before I could get home to Minnesota
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. Anyways at that time the 3ft balisong cost about $20 or so at the balikbayan store. Cant figure out how much things cost now, but I cant imagine it to be too much more. Hey if you get anything nice from bataangas please let us all know. Im sure Id like to pick up a couple to keep my other bataangas balisong company
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If you have digital pictures, scans, etc., that are reasonable quality, you can e-mail them to me and I'll put them in the parade on my page.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
I visited Batangas when I was in the islands at Christmas time. If you are with locals, you are quite safe. And like in the US, if you stay away from the inner cities, you are pretty safe from street crime. Career criminals stay where the targets are rich.

At the same time, I would be very reluctant to wander the provinces on my own. If any member of a local underground militia got to know your habits, you might be waving too much temptation under their noses. It made me a little nervous being in my wife's home town for a whole month, but her cousin assured us that since he was a sargeant in the local militia, we wouldn't have any worries. Hmmmmm.

Anyway, we had no problems and the only danger we had to dodge was the marauding bunches of christmas carroling children who expect to be tipped.
 
>> If any member of a local underground militia got to know your habits

Common sense for me, would be to not establish any sort of pattern that they could figure out. One advantage to the Philippiens is what they laughingly call American Time and Filipio Time. If they say lets get together at 7:00 Filipino time, that means get there about 8:30. If you say American time, that means to get that at 7:00 or as close to it as you can.

For me, I figure I will be home again, before they even realize I was there. Sense they go on Filipino time, and I plan to go on American time. Also, I know that a thief, by nature is lazy. That means they will go for a easy target. My best defense has alway been, that I am going to make it hard enough for them, and cause them enough trouble that they are going to go mess with someone else. Also, a criminal will often work on a persons fear. The Bible says, perfect love casts out all fear, and those who have been perfected in love, do not have any fear. So that gives a criminal very little to work with. They like a dog, will sniff out fear, and when they find it, will make that person their victom. If you do not have any fear, they will not know how to control you, and they will most likely leave you alone. Thanks, JohnR7 www.BalisongKnife.com
 
>>Well, i just got back from batangas and i'm still in one piece.

So what did you bring us? How come everyone is going to Batangas and not taking any photos for us. I would love to see a photo of one of those road side dealers! Thanks, JohnR7 www.BalisongKnife.com
 
>>No pictures though of the roadside vendors since i was not able to bring a camera. Next time i go back to batangas i'll take some pictures.

Great, I would love to see a photo of that. I know in the department stores they will have a whole case full of bali's but it would be sort of difficult to photograph through the glass. I thought it would be easier to photograph with a roadside vendor. Thanks, JohnR7 <img src=http://www2.mozcom.com/~batangan/images/city/rosie.jpg>
http://www2.mozcom.com/~batangan/batangas/cities/city/city.html



[This message has been edited by JohnR7 (edited 10-22-2000).]
 
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