Friends of Mindanao

Steve Baker was our speaker at the latest event (16th May 2012) and walked through some fairly extensive information he had gathered on the subject of preparing for death. This is not a morbid subject, rather it is something that everyone who wants to make sure their family are taken care of properly after our inevitable death, should consider carefully.

The main subject was making a Will that would be recognised here in the Philippines. It seems that a Will does not have the authority it has in the west, instead of it being a legally enforceable document it can only be a statement of wishes. Even so, it is something that should be put in place so as to make sure that the partner/wife is in a position to meet financial commitments immediately after the event.  There are MANY stories of expats who have died with no clear instructions in place, leaving wives/partners in dire circumstances and with bank accounts inaccessible.

A list of people to contact, with full addresses and telephone numbers, should form the start of anyone’s document. Details of bank accounts, pension arrangements, what you want done with your body … there is plenty to write down and keep safe. If you were killed in a car accident tomorrow – would your partner know what to do?

IMPORTANT – FORTNIGHTLY MEETINGS SUSPENDED

After the usual raffle the subject of the fortnightly morning meetings was brought up. Numbers have dwindled in recent months and it was felt that we should suspend the meetings for the time being. It may be that meeting at a different time of day might be more popular than 9am. Anyway, the current felling was that we should take a recess so far as the formal meetings are concerned and that motion was carried by a majority vote.

It was also felt that the 8,300 pesos held by our treasurer should be given to a local worthy cause and the consensus was that it should be donated to the women’s prison at Ma-aa. They have received our support before and have put good use to the funds provided. Paul & Grace will supervise the distribution of these monies, in a carefully supervised way.

BUT – FOM is not disbanded … far from it. The website will remain active. We are currently assisting 2 people who are planning to relocate from the USA to Davao. One arrives next month, the other in January 2013. We continue to receive all sorts of enquiries via the Contact Us page.

We will continue to send out emails and will alert you to forthcoming events as they arise. We will endeavour to have a get-together as a group once a month, probably based around a dinner event.

Meantime, for the regular down-towners, a number of members will usually be found at the Casa de Amigos bar and restaurant on Poinciana Street, opposite the PLDT/Smart offices. Look for an elevated sign which points down a side street, Casa de Amigos is 50 yards down that street and there is a reasonable amount of parking outside. The regulars tend to gather early as they like to take advantage of Happy Hour, which is from 5:00-8:00pm.

Take care – see you downtown!

All posts shall be related to living in the Philippines and since this is a non-religious/non-political organization, all comments will be moderated. We will accept no advertising. Comments and questions from people living elsewhere in the Philippines or abroad are most welcome. If you are planning to visit Davao City then we may be able to help you find accommodation, recommend a hotel or assist in other practical ways. Please use the form on the Contact Us page for all such general questions.

In our usual friendly manner Friends of Mindanao welcomed our regular members and one new guest. Numbers were fewer than usual, let’s hope that turns around next time.

Anyway, the versatile Gary Lowe entertained us on the guitar, with a carefully chosen set of songs that the group certainly related to. The absence of hip hop, plip plop and similar modern rubbish that poses as music, was a relief.

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A few regulars were to be seen downtown on Friday night, starting in Reg and Liz Newport’s bar and then onwards to dine in one of the restaurants behind Chicos bar and grill. Humidity was high but so were spirits as the group sorted out the world’s problems as usual!

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With several FOM members out of town it was up to the hardcore boys to move the normal FOM Wednesday morning meeting into a bar that night. As usual the night was full of drinks and friendly chatter and stale packets of crisps (chips). The night was further enhanced by the attendance of John and Irene Birchin who are responsible for the pictures here.

Yet another mini United Nations where all the nationalities sorted out all the world’s problems peacefully. Well maybe it was a little loud as the beer flowed. Yvonne told us about how bad she is at cooking, Paul told us how he is not cutting down on cigarettes. Whilst Reg and John from the U.S. recalled the old days of American TV. But Irene surprised us all with her love of Fawlty Towers.

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A few folk made their way to Casa de Amigos on Poinciana Street on Wednesday night. The usual stalwarts were there early to take advantage of the “drink all you can for 200 pesos” between 5pm and 8pm.  Joined later by a few other FOMers, you can see them here enjoying some gossip and grub. A couple of guys from the UK joined the group as did Josh, here from the USA.

A few folk, mainly FOMers, gathered for Sunday lunch on 1st April at Bogsers on Times Beach. A very pleasant location and great company – good to see John Grant down from Manilla for a few weeks … and Steve King back from the UK too.

It was a pity about the appalling food and matching ‘service’. Prices have gone up since the last time we were there almost a year ago and the standard of everything has gone down! Not recommended for anything other than a beer.

If anybody has discovered any other location with a nice view and decent food – please let us know via the Contact Us form. It is astounding that in a huge city like Davao, with miles of waterfront, that there is no place with a pleasant open air view, with service and food that would come anywhere close to a western standard. Samal is not that convenient, but so far seems the only alternative.

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The March 21st meeting of the Friends of Mindanao was as usual well attended. I was good to see Steve Baler, looking well again, take a guest spot ‘up front’ to lead the meeting.

Several new people were in attendance namely Dan and Marlene Bray and Dan and Ivy Grady. Dan and Marlene have a plan to build up a sewing and manufacturing unit here, producing quality bags for various airline requirements. They have their existing customer base and can produced their quality products in the Philippines.

Dan and Ivy Grady are relocating from Bohol  to Davao mid-May and are currently seeking suitable accommodation. We hope that both these couples will continue to support the Friends of Mindanao and look forward to hearing more about their plans in the coming months. Read the rest of this entry »

The Friends of Mindanao meeting was again well attended with 38 members new and old, taking part. It is good to see some new faces and interesting to hear their stories.

Our planned guest speaker Superintendent Grace Taculin (Warden of Ma-a City Jail) was unable to attend as an urgent matter came up at the last moment. She has promised to speak at the next meeting on the 21st.

We decided to ask our members to talk about their previous careers and we we had an entertaining start with the exploits of John Carvey, an ex Royal Engineer with the British Army. John has traveled extensively throughout the world blowing the odd thing or two up and then repairing things as he passed through. His 20+ years as a soldier explains his considerable skills on the pool table! Read the rest of this entry »

The FOM meeting held on 15th Feb and chaired again by Reg Newport.  It was well attended although our regular number of attendees was slightly down due to various members being on vacation.  We were pleased to welcome back Jeffery Gilbert and his lovely wife Ida who recently returned from their Australian visit. Magdalena Hook brought her niece and American husband Robert to the meeting for the first time, they live here in Davao now.

JoJo put on some very tasty meat patties and when placed inside a bread bun with lettuce and tomato made a delicious hamburger for want of a better name.  The fruit bowl was again a refreshing treat.  We are indeed lucky to have such a delightful venue to hold our meetings in.

Our guest speaker was Stacey Baird who spoke about being the Voluntary US warden for the Davao area.  Wardens serve a vital role in the American citizen community by maintaining the lines of communication between the US Embassy in Manila and local Americans and also providing critical support for non-routine consular issues.

Stacey described his duties in some detail and outlined a few of the matters he has to deal with related to US citizens.  The Black Hawk helicopter story would have been amusing if the underlying stupidity of the American in question had not been so alarming. Regular warden duties include relaying messages and information to American citizens in the community, raising awareness of emergency preparedness strategies, and helping the U.S. Embassy coordinate outreach events in the Davao area. It is a totally unpaid position and frequently requires Stacey to put his hand into his own pocket to give assistance to a US citizen in urgent need.

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A couple of dozen FOMers made their way to the Ranch & Reef restaurant on the top floor of Abreeza Mall for an “all you can eat” Sunday lunch. They have a branch on F. Torres but that is currently closed while they renovate the place.

Lunch is served buffet style – the food was actually quite good, but the replenishment of the containers was slow and at times people were waiting. Clearing of tables was left to the diners in the main. Just the usual poor service, sorry to say.

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