Safety Tips in Dumaguete City

After dinner or about 8PM, my sister and I decided to take a stroll at the park which is across the street from our hotel. Since the park is well lighted and the band show has just finished, we decided to cover the entire length and width of the park.

When we reached the south side, a group of young boys seated on the park's benches looked our way and two boys even followed us after we passed their group. They kept on following us and when we reached the corner, they went on different directions, but we suspect that they intend to "gang up" on us. We walked faster, crossed the street, and joined a group of "senior citizens" who emerged from the church. The boys stopped following us and went back to their group.

When we arrived at our hotel, I recalled the warning tip I read here on VT about the increasing incidence of petty street crimes (e.g. bag/phone snatching, hold-up, etc.) in Dumaguete. And to top it, a friend of my sister who re-visited Dumaguete (she studied at Silliman U) a month after our trip had her bag snatched in broad daylight.

Went to visit the falls yesterday. Took a jeepney from Dumaguete City to Valencia. from there the only option was on the back of a motorbike. My driver managed to get our bike to fall over, with me underneath both him and his bike. I really banged my back, probably on the big pebble we'd skidded on.

Got some really strong painkillers at Holy Child Hospital back in Dumaguete City.

Watch out for robberies, take precautions. On Rizal Boulevard are some bars visited by foreigners. Criminals watch them to follow them after the visit and rob them on a more quiet place. Dumaguete is a safe place, it is your own fault if something happens to you by acting in a wrong way.