Thieves and Bumper Cars
Yesterday while I was writing an article about how awesome the people of the Philippines are I heard a loud noise outside. I thought it was Juliet making noise to scare a cat or one of the neighbourhood kids.
An hour or two later Jessie arrived home from Cebu City. She asked me if I had Juliet out of her cage. I told her I had and she asked if she pulled the metal bar on the steps out of the concrete. I said no. She asked what happened and I didn’t know what she was talking about so outside I went to see what she meant.
There I found that one of the brass decorations embedded into the tile in the steps had been pulled out of the concrete. Well, rather part of it had been. It had been bent upward and broke off. Someone had pulled part of it off. The neighbours told us the thief would be back to get the rest of it, if it was worth anything.
I’m afraid they will come back after Juliet’s cage! Also afraid of what will happen to Juliet. I have a renewed interest in obtaining security cameras for her cage area and the front of the house. What I find on the market though are either too expensive or of dubious quality.
We called the landlady and she came by to check it out. She had her sons rip all of it up and sent a mason around this morning to patch it up and give it a finished look. She commented on her way out that when they came back to get the rest they will be disappointed.
Jessie had taken Jason to Cebu City for his 9th birthday. He had the choice to go to Bantayan Island but he decided he wanted to go see the fancy SM mall in the city. Jessie and Jason took 
a turn at the bumper cars. Knowing Jessie the way I do, she enjoyed it more than he did! Jason had a good time but decided it was too far to go and next time he would go to Bantayan Island. I was really surprised he choose Cebu City.
As for the thief, nothing happened over night. Hopefully they will just go on their way. I’ll be looking for those security cameras. We’ve needed them in the past too. Crime in the Philippines usually is of this kind. Petty theft without injury to anyone. Not always though. Though it is a country full of good people, there are always a few bad people or bad times that make people do bad things. It does not change my view of the Philippines at all. I don’t have a rosy view of the Philippines, I have a full view and its not always rosy. I think I do know what is important though.
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Tagged with: Bogo City • Cebu • Living In The Phlippines
Filed under: Living in Bogo
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maybe you should get a dog(S) if they are entering your fenced in area?
Hi Maria!
RU Filipino?
Dog wouldn’t work. Its not fenced and we live in what use to be a family compound. Their are multiple homes within the compound and people can’t really get to their home unless they walk by our home. Meaning even if there was a fence, the would have to open and close the gates and that would be problematic, especially for a guard dog. The barking would help a lot though. I’d need a dog to keep an eye out for someone trying to swipe the camera. LOL I’m thinking of cameras that I could hide away, not easily seen. I would like the camera to keep an eye on our monkey though and they would be a deterrent only if they could be seen. There would need to be several cameras to make sure if someone took the camera, they would be caught on video doing that. Almost a year ago, I had a wonderful little monkey that was killed by someone.
i am a non texting filipina, LOL. born in the philippines, been living 32 years out of my 39 in the states. my father is waray.
I could never get anyone to text with me in the US. Wait, there was one but she was 18. In the US only the young seem to text and they do it so much they have their own language?
You think you’ll ever make it back for a visit?
Here texting is so common, in part, because most Filipino don’t have a landline and it cost much more to talk. I think I prefer to text but I have a querty keypard on my phone, I don’t think I would do it with a regular keyboard. I don’t do it that much most of the time. I bought a phone card early last month with 300 credits and I still have 224. )
my last visit was 1989. a visit has been on my mind.
Yeah, that was a long time ago. I can barely remember 1989.
Lots of changes for me during that year. 
Wow, that was a long time a go…I left the Phils in 1993 and when I went back in 1996, there were a lot of changes. I ahve been back 7 times and still faxcinated with all the changes -attitude, environment, government,etc.
Hi Rusty, I am back…tired but alive and kicking…LOL got so dark in Wilmington, NC swimming and boogie boarding with my daughter and her classmate Vicky.
Maria, where r u in the states? I do not text either, I do when I go home to PI but not here in the US…it’s mroe of my daughter doing that and she is 14. Rusty was right about texting and who mare doing it..
1993 was like another life time to me. That was a very bad time for me, can’t remember much of it, don’t want too. hard to believe I’m that same broken person.
Yeah, I’m sure its changed a lot since 89. I don’t think they even had electricity in Northern Cebu in 1989.
Or was it all the way back to the 70′s. Seems like I was in college when he got tossed or later which would have been the 80′s
hi terry
i reside in florida. what kind of attitude changes have you noticed? where are you in the philippines?
I’m here in Sryacuse, NY. what I mean wiht attitude esp with the teenagers, they are now equal or almost the same with the western kids esp the city kids probably because of internet, movies, cell phones, in other words technology changed these kids. The outfits are also patterned after the westerners – brand names. with drugs, yeah there are a lot of drug addicts now in PI…mostly likely with shabu etc.
I come from Bohol. Where are you in florida. We’ve been to Orland, Tampa and lately (last December) in Miami. i want to see the Key West but I don’t know when. It’s probably hot now in Florida. We have the perfect weather for summer but not in winter time.
Hi Rusty,
I understand what you mean with regards to have a dog within compound area, gonna be hard to teach a dog the discipline it needs to be a guard dog…I don’t think camera will solved the nuisance but might be the hot spot object…if ever keep it between you and Jessie…Having a boy around the compound, (which we did it out here, in Makati) will be a big help..Owner provided the security after it happened to the other apartment unit.
sorry to know to what happened to your other pet..respect to animals is still in limbo here..I remember many times before how furious Bob, my husband whenever he saw how cruel other people with their dogs…thnaks God, now a days its getting less and less… ( I am active member of PAWS and PETA)…when we get down under wanted to be part of RSCPA….
I wanna see one day the changes of Manila zoo..Have you been there?..Wonder if Manila city hall and Manila zoo were next to each other, whether we can tell the difference..( I really feel sorry for the animal there)….
Lyn
No, I have not been there. I couldn’t find why PETA was protesting it. What are the problems? Smells bad?
I take it you’re Filipino, if so, you can protest pretty much as you wish or be critical. Of course, you know the potential risk in that too. Not such a huge problem for the every day Filipino or someone that is not famous.
Doesn’t sound like Ii want to go to the zoo? I just had another reader talk of holding the monkeys at the zoo? Not sure if I understood him. I’m surprised they allow that. People can pass TB to monkeys. It happened at a Zoo in the US were I grew up.
Putting a dog on a chain is common here. No way I would do it. I mean put it on a chain and leave it outside on the chain 24/7 or a small cage. Gives me the chills.
They wouldn’t have to be guard dogs just a couple of dogs that make noise when people come around. You are right though Rusty it would be hard to fence them properly where you are.
Motion sensing lights might help at night. Most importantly next time you hear a noise go look. Just be sure to take a stick or a bolo with you.
Most noises are Juliet throwing her bola at the kids or a cat.
Being in a compound, its not unusual to hear things but most of the time it is Juliet.
The next day I heard noises and went racing out the door.
I may try a cheap camera from X10. They’ve been around for years but I recently read a site where people were complaining about the quality. I wouldn’t be out too much if it doesn’t go work. Shipping things back usually isn’t a good thing to do.
The lights with motion sensors wouldn’t be a bad idea, Juliet might keep the neighbors up though. LOL
For now I’ve been leaving more lights on, both inside and out.
Hello Rusty,i’m new to your site.My fiance Ivy lives in Cebu.I will be visiting her for 21 days at the end of july for her birthday and our 1 year annv.This will be my 3rd visit.We are in the process of our k-1 fiance visa.I work as a captain in the oilfields on a crewboat.I live in Saucier,ms.My question to you is:Ivy’s parents doesn’t speak any english-only cebuano.What books or cds would you suggest?Rosetta stone doesn’t have the cebuano cd.2nd question:I’m wanting to move there within 10 years and retire.I am 38 and Ivy is 22.What would $75,000 buy between Cebu and Argao?Not looking for nothing to fancy…….Thomas
That would buy a very nice place if that is what you mean. I’m talking about right now. Who knows 10 years from now.
I saw a place for sale on Bantayan Island with beach front and a big house for $110,000, basically a mansion.
I suppose you know you can’t buy land in your name, at least not under current law. There is some talk of changing that, if they do, the price of land here will sky rocket beyond your wildest dreams.
You can buy a condo though. It might be a very good investment, it certainly will be if they do change the Philippine constitution to allow foreign ownership of land.
BTW, I grew up in Jackson, Ms.
I’d like to hear more about your K1. How long ago did you file for it, if you have. I’d like to know how long it takes.
It is very hard to find language corses in Bisayan. You can find a few dictionarys if you look around.
A lot depends on where you want to live. You will get a lot less for your money in the city than you will in the provinces. So a lot depends on where you really want to live. You should take some time and look around a few places before you make that decision.
i failed to answer your question about learning the language. I found some CD’s put out by a Professor in Manila. I’ll have to look around for the links.
Ask around you might be able to find a teacher that will give you lessons. I have found one but I have not been able to put them to use yet..
Thomas, with the current exchange rate right now, your 75,000 USD will be more than 3M pesos. This would buy you a big house and lot in the province but not in the city. If you wait to buy it in 10 years, this will not be enough i think. A lot of properties are being bought by Filipinos abroad to own and retire in the Philippines. This has been going on in my town and it is in the province. If I have my money now, I would have bought lands now while it is still 2,000 pesos per square meter in my town…cheaper in the barrios or out of the town proper. In 1996, a friend of mine was selling half of an island for 1M pesos but I did not have money to buy the place. He was a realtor. I do not know how much it costs now. As Tom said, it was a good thing that you bought them the pump boats to earn a living instead of being dependent on you. Just a warning, do give too much because the time you say no, you will be a bad perosn to them. I saw a lot of these happening, so be careful. Staying with the family for a while will let you learn the language little by little. Goodluck.
Thanks Terry for the info.I will be visiting Cebu at the end of july for 21 days.I plan on looking for property while i’m there.As far as the money that i give my fiance’s family,Ivy is always getting on to me about that.I really enjoy doing things for people to help them out.I’m slowly learning about their ways and culture.She controls the money now why i’m there…….lol
Rusty,thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.I will give you all the details of our K-1 fiance visa as soon as the process is complete.I would like to meet you in my next visit if thats possible.In my last visit i bought Ivy’s parents 2 canoes with out riggers and 2 sets of gill nets.I believe i spent $700 on them and now they have a way to buy their rice and catch small fish to eat in Argao.Its amazing how such a small gift can change someones life………..Take care and hope to talk with you soon
THOMAS
$700 is not so small to me.
Yes, money go much further here.
They sell some of the fish so they can buy rice?
I enjoy meeting others. I don’t get down to the city too much. Its kind of amazing how many people I know that are headed to Cebu in July.
If I come down or you come up, by all means!
Yes if you want to help that is the way to do it. Just giving money causes them to become dependent in many cases. Giving them a way to make their own money is a better way.8-)
Thank you also Tom for your input…..
Hi Rusty,
sorry to hear of the problems your having.. I find that not saying everything is going well is the best answer.. because as soon as you open your mouth something happens to contradict all previous thoughts lol..
I would take a look at maybe ordering online via Hong Kong if you cant find a good camera locally. Im looking at adding a couple of IP cameras which run on sensors that only record on movement so they dont take up too much harddrive space. But also means you can run it all from your computer. My brother has 5 cams on his place you can even view remotely across the internet.
I think in general though the majority of people I come across in the Philippines are great. A lot better than around 80% of the people I meet in the UK.
That issue was no big deal, just kind of funny while I was writing a message talking about the good people of the Philippines someone was ripping the brass out of the steps. Its not big deal.
I’m not in the market for a camera. When I do buy the camera I want, Cannon IV I think is the name of it, I will probably get it from the USA. .The camera cost $2500. I bought this one because I wanted something to take under water. There are cheaper DSLR cannon’s but this one has the best processor and is much faster. That means more pictures quicker. The quality of the cam is indisputable. By the time I can afford it the price will have come down. LOL
I think Matt was referring to a security camera not one for photos.
Yeah Tom, I think I misundertood.
I could probably find it in Cebu City. Maybe cheaply on Colon St.