Let me tell my own story first. I am of Dutch origin and I live in Cagayan de Oro City since 2004. And you know my current opionion? I think Cagayan de Oro City is one of the safest cities I've ever been to.

I have traveled all the world and I have seen many countries and visited many cities, large and small. And to me Cagayan de Oro City is just a quiet provincial city in some country where nothing much happens, the 'nothing much' including crime.

Of course there is theft and there are robberies and even people are being murdered. But is that so different from any other city in the world? I don't think so.

So is Mindanao safe? In my opionion, yes, very.

So what do governments say

Well, governments just say what they're supposed to say, that certain areas are not safe to go. So are there areas in Mindanao that are not safe? Yes, there are, so better not go there. But the same is true for many other areas. Ever thought about:

London?
Madrid?
Amsterdam?
Johannesburg?
Rio de Janeiro?
Manila?

Well, I think I don't have to continue. But would you not make a visit to London or Rio because there is a similar warning about those cities as there is about certain areas in Mindanao? I don't think so.

So please, just visit Mindanao if you like to go there. I guess cities like Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog City, Davao, Butuan and many other cities in Mindanao are much safer than the cities mentioned in the list above.

We wish you a safe trip and a safe stay wherever you go. And if you're not familiar with a certain place just be careful, but that applies to anywhere in the world.