Things are BAD in the Philippines, and foreigners are now EASY TARGETS
It's really simple. For ordinary Filipinos the price of everything is sky-high and the peso is at a record low, and foreigners are the easy target because we have no legal means of self-defense in the Philippines.
My suggestion to every foreigner in the Philippines right now: dress shabbily. Keep a very low profile. I'm not sure how aware the average foreigner is of how much harder things have gotten for Filipinos. For them, inflation has shot up this year. They were already struggling, and now they've been pushed to the breaking point.
Just a day ago in Dumaguete, three Filipinos broke into a house at night and shot dead an American man and his wife. This isn't an isolated crime. Word has long been out that Dumaguete is a hub for foreigners, and crime against foreigners there has been rising.
This is a time when all expats need to come together. I truly mean it. I don't want any fellow expat getting hurt. And let's also be more considerate of the hardships Filipinos are facing in their own country right now. In my opinion, a smile and simple, positive, friendly gestures go a long way toward building goodwill with a lot of people.
Stay safe, everyone!