Where to Find Safest Place to Live in the Philippines

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In buying your permanent settlement location, affordability and convenience are the most important factors to consider. It is advised you look at a very beyond the beauty and price tag and see if it can hold your family comfortable and secure for the whole time you will be living there. Here are some considerations you may want to think about.

Is it safe from earthquakes?
Earthquakes are caused by active faults moving. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) advised a 5-meter buffer from the fault lines in the country especially since there is possibility of “The Big One” occurring within our lifetime. According to the PHIVOLCS’ detailed Valley Fault System map, the East Valley fault line traverses the municipalities of Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal. The West Valley fault line, which runs from Angat Dam to Cavite, touches parts of Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, and Muntinlupa, as well as certain areas in the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna. The Marikina VFS is composed of the East and West Valley fault lines and can generate an earthquake of a 7.5 magnitude. However, even with the distance from fault lines, factors such as a structure’s age, ground stability, and building code adherence should also be considered.

Davao_city

Is it safe from floods and heavy rains?
Philippines lie in the typhoon belt and gets regular destructive storms from months of July to October. Northern and Eastern Luzon and the regions of Bicol and Eastern Visayas, and the National Capital Region are the most affected areas from damages of heavy rainfall and flooding. Mines and Geosciences Bureau under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) created a geohazard map which is available for public viewing in the internet. It displays the risk levels of flooding of different areas of the Philippines. Some cities that have a low risk of flooding are large parts of Caloocan, Quezon City, Manila, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Taguig, and Muntinlupa. Aside from having higher level of elevation compared to other cities, local government units of many of these locations have flood control programs to keep rain waters from rising to dangerous levels.

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Is it safe from crimes, criminals and criminal syndicates?
The PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management had recorded a total crime volume of 509,924 for January to June of 2015, a 15.36 percent decrease compared to 602,449 incidents in the same period in 2014. In the same research, the PNP noted that Metro Manila had the highest crime rate with 116,347 incidents, while the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao had the lowest at 2,096 incidents.

Numbeo, a community-driven statistics site, has recorded a “crime” survey; visitors describe a city’s crime rate through concerns like level of crime, worries about robbery or being attacked, and problems regarding corruption and bribery. The survey recorded Makati at the top with the highest safety index of 75.66. According to contributors, Makati has a “low” level of crime at 22.81, and its residents feel a “very low” level of worry of being attacked for their ethnicity. Valenzuela in Metro Manila ranked second with a safety index of 74.6, while Davao City is in third place with a safety index of 73.16. Fourth and fifth on the list are Cagayan De Oro City (53.52) and Cebu (51.10), respectively.

Is it safe for foreigners?
The Philippines is a regular on the lists of retirement-friendly countries for foreign nationals wanting to retire in another land. While Philippines may be in the bad light because of crimes against expats, there are many locations where foreigners can safely while away their days, whether as senior retirees or as young individuals. For those who seek residence in the country for leisure and retirement, Tagaytay City, Subic Bay, and Baguio City offers certain degree of acceptance and safety. Websites also suggests Dumaguete City as an ideal retirement place for ranking well in categories such as crime and existing expat community. For younger expats, some of the places with a large foreign populace where they can feel safe are Makati, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, and Cebu City.

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