Bob Martin at the Del Monte Clubhouse in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon
Hi, my name is Bob Martin, and I am the owner/writer for the Mindanao Blog! Thanks for coming by for a visit, sit down for some pineapple and let’s talk about Mindanao!
Yes, I am an American, but I have been coming to Mindanao regularly since 1990. In addition, I have lived permanently in Mindanao since early 2000, and I love it here. The thing that I hear all the time when I tell people that I live in Mindanao is that I must be scared because it is so dangerous here. Actually, that is really far from the truth. Yes, there are places in Mindanao that are quite dangerous, but the majority of the island is safe. Is it perfectly safe? No, I know of no place on the earth that is perfectly safe, do you? I have lived here for a number of years now, and I have never felt that I was in danger yet. I do try to use common sense in my daily comings and goings, though. I suppose that in these days of uncertainty that would be a sensible thing to do no matter where you live.
MindanaoBob holding a live crocodile that was taken from the Davao River
I have been involved in a number of different types of businesses over the years. I guess that at the root I am a retailer. I have managed a number of different retail stores ranging from small specialty shops to huge discount stores in the past. Since the early 1990′s, though, I have been self employed. In that time I have done different things. Initially I was a writer, authoring about a dozen different books that were published. Most books that I wrote were on the subject of Amateur Radio and Shortwave Radio Listening. In recent years I have sort of mixed my passion for retailing with my passion for writing and for the Internet in general. I have a number of different blogs on the Internet, as well as e-commerce stores selling different types of items on each of my websites. It is a good life, and I enjoy it very much. The kind of business that I do allows me to have free time when I want it, and also work at whatever schedule I choose. It allows me time for my wife and kids, which I enjoy a lot as well.
Feyma Martin with our boys, Chris, Aaron and Jared
I guess that when you mix up all of my interests and my passions, there is only one thing that you could call me. An Entrepreneur. Yes, I am an Entrepreneur, and I love it!
Come back to the blog often!
Very interesting article! Wish you and your lovely family bunches More of happiness and success in Mindanao!
Hi Bob…
Ever thought of exploring the ancient ties between the Philippines and Spain…. ?????
Take a look at our webpage….
All the best and enjoy Mindanao…
Hi Bob, I’m from Michigan, and I want to thank you for having the Mindanao Blog website. My wife had to move back with her family in Mindanao until her visa is approved, and your website helped learn more of her surroundings. I wish you and your family the best. Keep up the great work, and thanks again.
I came from Luzon and now I’m in Massachusetts.
Thank you for painting a good picture of Mindanao (and the Philippines) in your blog. I had been looking for sites that uplifts the image of my homeland. I’m glad I found your site.
Your mere presence in the Philippines is already a glaring example that Philippines is not as bad as others perceive it to be.
Please give my regards to your wife and kids.
Again, thank you for making Filipinos proud.
God bless.
hi bob, im in india right now but going back to gensan soon for xmas.i read ur blog daily and it was really helpful. pls. check this site about basilan..the photographer is my friend from UP(University of the Philippines) before. he sent me this link, maybe u can check it too..if u have the time..
http://www.pbase.com/van9338/jolobasilantawitawi
hi bob,whats up dude!how are you doing..i hope everything is ok with you and your family.
You have mentioned that you wrote some books with subjects on amateur radio and sw listening,well i’m an avid amateur radio enthusiast..just wondering if you are still active in this hobby and which mode do you operate.I’m currently in dubai now but when i’m in the phil.(i’m from leyte & bohol) i use to operate atthe 2 meter band using my old ic2000 and at HF using my old but reliable ic725.i have constructed here in dubai a 35 watts 2 meter transciever and a 40 meter cw qrp rig from tentec.i hope i can have a qso with you on the air if youy are still active with this hobby..
73 and more power.
natz(du5mie)
ps
tnx for the good fedback about my country.
Hello Bob,
Do you have any recommendations on the best way to travel to General Santos City from Mineapolis?
Thanks,
David
Bob,
Howdy? I hope everybody there is going fine.
Care if I ask what happened to the Kalinaw Mindanao site? The address http://www.mindanao.com/kalinaw is inaccessible. It’s a 404 error (Page nout found).
Best wishes, and advance Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Ash
thanks for putting mindanao in a good light.. im from surigao city, now living in wisconsin – have an internet cafe before migrating here in usa. keep up the good work and spread more good news about philippines – mindanao in particular.
Hello Bob,
Your site is very informational and intersting. I am making plans to visit Ozamiz City this spring from the US, and do have concerns about safety, not only mine but for the families of whom I will be visiting. I also plan to visit Pagadian City while there. Do you have any recommendations for safe travel, places to avoid, etc.. or where I could find information. I seem to be getting just bits and pieces. My inital plans were to fly into Cebu and take a boat into Ozamiz, but have also looked into flying instead into Pagadian via Cebu. Recent information I found indicated that the runway wasn’t safe in Pagadian.. So here I am still without definite plans yet. Any information would be greatly apprecaited.
Thank You,
Steve in Florida
Hi Bob,
great info – thanks, I’m arranging to travel to Carmigan Island in June with my girlfriend (from there originally – living in Newcastle, UK now – my hometown) for a fast (3 weeks factfinding mission (& to meet her family), any major do’s & don’t whish I may have overlooked?
Best wishes to you & your family
Gary
Nice Website. I am willing to help and promote mindanao.
dear bob,
so you are a book writer,, maybe you can write a book for my love life,,,my story my experience with my hole life, living in the phil. and living here in mississippi.
thank you for your web site
hi bob im rob in richmond Va. i was going on a website and saw this lady please email me so i can tell you that site and show you her picture . the site saws shes in general santos city.ill give you the link when you email me .i really would like to get to know her. i dont know if the site is legit be shes lovely . thanks bob
Hi Bob!
I came across your blog thru Cebu City Government’s Official web portal and what can i say!!! Absolutely fantastic job! For not only shedding light on Mindanao – as I was born and raised in Mindanao, specifically Bislig (Studied at John Bosco School, now me & my family are based in Leeds, Great Britain, UK’s 2nd biggest city after London) but also for making Filipinos abroad feel proud of their roots!
Keep on doing the good job!!! Warmest regards to your family too!!! Drop by my family website when you can:
http://www.pbase.com/jet_tina
More power & God bless!
Joe / Jet / Jo
You state that it is reasonably safe to travel in Mindanao, yet The U.S. government has declared Mindanao unsafe for travelers.
What parts of the island are unsafe? What methods of travel are unsafe? What activities are unsafe? What types of things are unsafe?
Can you assist me in this query, please?
Madera
hi bob
thanks for the info i have been here a year and im a georgia boy and this suits me fine……………….nolan
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the good words about Mindanao. Hopefully people will realize it’s a nice place to go.
Elmer
(Davao City/HK)
Mabuhay Bob, nice website you have here. I too am curious as to the safety of visiting Butuan City and staying a few days and going out to the coast. As well as seeing the sites of the city.
What is your take on this question?
Mahalo from Hawaii
Jay
Hi Bob Martin,
I have visit your website and its nice site for us who are looking for constant information about the building of the new airport in Laguindingan at the heart of Mindanao.
Just keep writing about it. Thats keep me continue to visit your website.
I will tell to the other pilipinos living in Europe. Mabuhay, Mindanao
Just wanted a few recommendations for where to stay while in Cagayan de Oro City and Camiguin. I have already stayed at The Dynasty and Country Village. Will be there in May. Also any good places to dive in the area? Can I rent all equip there?
Hi Bob,
really nice homepage. Hope you and your family are doing fine.
I’m from Germany and my future wife is from Gensan, and I’ve been there so far 3 times. Actually I came back 5 days ago.
My countrys foreign office also has warnings about Mindanao and suggests everybody not to go there. So, I and my fiancee were a little scared when I went there the first time.
Now, after I spent totally a couple of weeks there I do absolutely not feel unsafe there. Dangerous things can happen anywhere in the world.
So in the future I will go there with a good feeling in my mind and in my heart.
All the best to you and your family and keep on going.
I am a native of Mindanao and now resides in California. I had spent 7 years living in the US and can personally attest the big difference living in Mindanao and US. I worked as a web developer in one of the world’s largest Managing Agents here in Redondo Beach. I bought a house 5 years ago, enjoyed they called an “American life and dream” and guess what? I AM COMING HOME FOR GOOD! After reading your Blog, I can’t wait to go back home. Mindanao is a paradise that most of the people does not even care to talk about.
Just like how you eat your favorite food. Would it be better if you take time chewing and feeling how it taste like. Same with life in Mindanao. In US- life is so fast paced. Living in Mindanao is simple yet you can get what you want. No stress – no pressure.
Good luck to your endeavor Bob. Hope to see you in person.
-Nelson
how you doing. we have a home in buyugan 1. we will be back in phils. on jan.27 2006 for 3 weeks. are you from butuan? we go there a lot. we live in wisconsin usa. hope to hear from you.
Prima Website! Please keep on promoting Mindanao, afterall it is a beautifull Island, isnt it?
An der Stefan von Deutschland… just in case you will go back to this site! My husband is also German and I am living in Germany for already 2 years. Just like your fiancee, I also came around General Santos City
. Would be nice to get in touch to both of you 
.
Nice.
hi bob….i enjoy reading your website about mindanao….im living in the uk at the moment and my wife is from general santos……i visit there as often as i can..i love the place and its no where near what people say……i enjoy my visits there and dont feel that im in any danger at all…….the people are friendly and good all the time……..when i retire from my job in 10 years from now……the happiest day of my life will be when i get the one way ticket to gensan and never have to come back here again…….thanks again for the web site it keeps me informed of whats going on over there
hi bob. nice site you have here. keeps me up2date with all the happenings in Mindanao.
Dvo/Mkt
Hi Bob I too am from koronadal city and i was just there last september and enjoyed every minute of my vacation since i havent been home in 7 years.thank you for your feed back on mindanao god bless to yuo and your family. i now reside in maui and hope to come back home on may…… hope to read more from you and mindanao on your website aloha……..
Hi Bob, good to see someone else with the passion for Mindanao. I love it there and hope to retire with my wife soon back there.. where else can you walk out to the courtyard and pick such fresh fruits, or view the violent yet beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
hi Bob!
My husband and I cannot wait anymore to go back to the ” Promise Land” which means Mindanao. We are planning to put up an online shops there. How good is this bussiness in the Philipines, by the way?
More Power to you!
Hi Bob. Its encouraging to read about foreigners who has found their niche here in the Philippines.
It makes natives like me feel that our country can compete with other places in terms of comfort, safety, and beautiful spots.
dear bob, just a few lines to say hello and let you know how much i enjoy your site.i am a retired military veteran and in 30 months retiriring from the state of wyoming as an correctional officer.my wife is from davao city and such a beautiful person as are most filipinos.my i add she has a lovely family also.i count the days to retire there.hopefully you and i get to meet in the near future,and yes i feel completely safe when on my island of paradise mindanaoso much i could say yet i dont want to get long winded.also may i include that ill never miss the snow and cold weather here in the rocky mountains.thanks for you time and site may God bless all of you.
marichu and terry peede
Hi Bob! I’m glad I found your site. I have families in Mindanao (General Santos City) and very much interested in getting in touch with them on the internet. Sadly everytime I send emails , problem always occur. I guess I have the wrong email address of my family there. Anyway, my family owns Diagan’s Clinic (actually he is my nephew)and wondering if you can help me? If you can please give him a call and tell him if he can write to me instead at my email address . Thank you. I’m happy to know that you like Mindanao. Been there before and worked at my nephews clinic for more than a year and just like what you said, it’s a safety place to live. The people I met are not rude. Everytime I think of GenSan, I remember the sweet bananas, watermelon, papayas, pineapples and the good- tasting but stingk-smellng “durian”. Hope to hear from you and regards to your lovely family.
hi bob,i hope you can assist me,i am trying to plan a trip which i would like to include iligan,but am having difficulty finding a site where i can see hotel lists prices and booking availability,can you direct me.
thank you for you help.
neil
Thanks so much Bob. Until I found your site I was thinking of canceling my trip to Davao. Your article makes sense, just use the same common sense you would anywhere else on this planet. You might just be the best thing that has happened to Mindanao to promote tourism, I commend your efforts. Your advice is similar to that I received before my trip to Costa Rica. I had a wonderful trip there and have plans for the same in Davao………
hi Bob! Just knew this website. I am from Cebu City and my husband is based in Butuan City. Will be traveling by land trip with own vehicle and if you could help me out what specific points do we hit or target starting from home base – Ampayon, Butuan City going Visayas and ending in Parañaque, Manila? Daghang Salamat and more power to you and your beautiful family!Mabuhay.
Hi Bob! I hope you can help us promote our event, FOOD PROCESSING & PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY EXPO (FPP MINDANAO) which will be held on June 21-24, 2005 at Bangko Sentral Davao City.
Our company, Premier Events Plus Group Inc (PEPGroup) is the organizer of the annual World Food Expo (WOFEX), the biggest & most attended food trade event in Manila. We noted that a number of attendees of WOFEX come from the province, mostly from Mindanao. With this in mind, we thought of bringing the technology closer to them. FPP Mindanao, intends to bring the most FOCUSED and COMPREHENSIVE event in Mindanao showcasing the latest technologies in the processing and packaging world.
If you need more info, I will be delighted to provide you. Hope you can accomodate our simple request.
Thank you!
Bob:
Heck no one is safe if you cant even stand near the Vice President of the US without getting shot. Har. Been modifying scanners here lately like my old Radio Shack pro-2006. Did a memory mod to add 6400 channels…more than I’ll ever need but fun doing the work. Hope all is going well for you
Steve B.
Hi bob,
Im from Mindanao,Davao City to be more
specific,Im now based in Detroit,MI.I
just learned about your website and your effort to promote my homeland.I
want to thank you for doing it,to think
your not even a native mindanaoan.
Again,thanks and more power to you.
BOb,
Thanks for giving a good picture of mindanao.Im from cagayan de oro city now living in Toronto,Canada.Mindanao has the same size of south korea and i tell friends here that it is the promised land of the philippines.Were doing global outsourcing in Mindanao specifically Cagayan de Oro City.Our clients are mainly Canadians.Mindanao has its potentialto become the center of IT in the PHilippines
Hi Bob – your site is great! I too have heard how dangerous Mindanao is & it helps to get your pespective on it. I hope to visit Manila and General Santos City later this year and would appreciate info on traveling from Manila to General Santos City.
thanks,
best to you and family,
rene
Hi bob, can you help me find a large amount of tuna I’m a first timer exporter, its a very big help if you can assist me. thank you very much
Good day!
Hi, im Dr marlon. I’m a plastic surgeon based here in manila. But i was born and raised in general santos city. yes, it is very true that there’s no place like home(especially GenSan). I’ve looking forward to go back again to gensan and davao. I really missed grilled tuna, durian, mangoosteen, beaches, old friends…
Thank you Bob for promoting mindanao. It is really a land of promise.
Best regards!
I just thought I have to give you a pat on your shoulder for promoting Mindanao. But since I can’t, I think dropping you a line would do it. I’m from Chicago but originally from Makilala, Cotabato. I visit my hometown 1-2x a year to enjoy its laid-back way of life, fresh fruits and vegetables, magnificent sceneries, incomparable hospitality. I’m planning to stay a night or two in these cities: Davao,Gen San, Coabato, Zamboanga, Cebu, Bohol/Tagbilaran, Iloilo, Boracay,Olongapo, Baguio, Vigan on my next trip which is March 22 to May 16th.I’m a very local-looking and adventurous and can find my way around these cities so help is not really needed.I just want you to know, someone does read your notes and appreciates what you as an American do to our beautiful Mindanao. More power!
hi Bob,
its nice you as a foriegner to our homeland you promoted our very own! kudos my friend! hope other people in the foriegn country will see how safe our place to invest, with your passion to promote, thank you Bob, im steve from gensan now at manila
Asa ka sa mindanao Bob?
good day! I am Trisha, and i would like to know more about ur website. I am a member of a student international organization and I am looking for possible partners for our orgs. Sorry if this is very informal. But I will send an E-mail. I was browsing the internet and just saw your page. Hope to hear a response.
thank you.
Greetings from Texas!
I am an avid visitor of your sites and as a Butuanon who is now based in San Antonio, Texas; I am really hungry for news from my beloved Butuan City. Would you please specifically open a WOWBUTUAN web page?
I had a chance to meet Bob Martin last Feb 2006. I enjoyed talking with him and his passion for Mindanao is contagious. Gives me more reasons to love Davao even better.
Thanks for promoting Davao City and the rest of the places in Mindanao.