● Is General Santos City, Safe?
General Santos City, Philippines – You now decide, you’re coming to General Santos City; ‘Gensan,’ as most refer to it. You and your, “Pearl of the Pacific’, are taking the next step beyond having a web-cam only, relationship.
It is now you begin to ask, “Is Mindanao and General Santos City, safe?”
You’re torn between wanting your sweetie in your arms and your concern about State Department warnings of staying away from Mindanao. This, according to the State Departments, is due to attacks on citizens of your country while visiting or living in Mindanao. Maybe you haven’t heard of these warnings. Now you have.
State Departments don’t get a lot of attention if they hand out good news. We all know, people strive for attention; hence, the bad news. Most likely you’ll read about an attack on a foreign citizen, one chronicling some tragic event of a few years ago, as their excuse to keep you away from this part of the world.
May this writer, a U.S. citizen and a resident of General Santos City, submit to you, if your life is in jeopardy by coming here, how much more is your life in jeopardy when you are in any of the major cities in your country? Is it not true, the murder rate in most large U.S cities, per capita, far exceeds that which current statistics indicate for Mindanao?
Dead is dead. If you were to die here, because you’re a foreigner, or you were to die in Detroit, because someone hard to spot in the night wanted your cash, it is the same. Take your choice.
As laughable as it may seem, the Philippine government holds true, the money sent home by Filipino overseas foreign workers is part of its “Gross Domestic Product”. These type of illusions carry to the province as well, when one reads, ‘Gensan is a tourist destination’.
In both cases, the illusion is, most likely, brought on by self-delusion. If the truth be known, you, coming to see your lady, qualifies you as a member of the largest tourist group to come to this city. From this, we might assume, the beauty of Filipina women stands heads above the beauty of Gensan?
Don’t worry about your safety in Gensan. Try not looking like a target. Exercise caution as you would in any large city.
Unfortunately, some visitors to the Philippines come for reasons that are illegal in this country as well as illegal in their own country.
If you have intentions of coming to Gensan to engage in illegal sexual activity with children, forget it. Furthermore, you can and will be prosecuted if caught. In many cases, in your own country, traveling abroad with the intent of engaging in these illegal activities will land you in prison when you get back home. Pedophile, be warned, after coming here, your next destination may be prison. To save our children and keep you out of prison, U.S. citizens, click here to read the law.
To all who decide to travel to Gensan for honorable purposes, enjoy your stay.
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Author: George D. Mertz
Gensan Relief and Community Exchange, Inc.
General Santos City, Philippines
Posted: 01/20/2010
How would Gen San be for a American to retire. That would wish to own a small sail boat and fish from it?
James,
Off of the subject for a minute, you say you are an American. There are 37 nations on the North, Central and South American Continent. Contrary to popular belief, U.S citizens are not THE ONLY Americans. Each citizen of those 37 nations on the North, Central and South American continent are Americans.
Regarding your queston as to your retiring in GenSan, from the U.S.; that would require a major adjustment on your part.
With regard to your getting a sail boat, you won’t find many sailboats around this part of the world. You are near the equator. GenSan, sits about 1 degree off of that which is known as the ‘Horse Latitudes.’ Or, as it is also called, ‘The Doldrums.’ There is very little consistent wind to push your boat around.
As little wind as there is there is equally, few fish. I have walked the shores of the Sarangani Bay and talked to the fishermen who fish near shore. They speak of 10 years ago when they would catch 40 to 50 lbs of fish in one day. Now they say they only catch 4 to 6 lbs of fish per day. The fish they catch are small.
Sailiing a boat or fishing would not be a reason to come to GenSan.
Thanks for writing,
George