Well if you are planning a trip to a city in Mindanao you can very well expect to encounter architectural barriers and not only in the buildings themselves. Most of us from a first world country seldom see “unfinished” construction just strolling down the street but in the southern philippines it is pretty much the norm. you see this area like most of southeast asia is suseptable to earthquakes and that has to be the best description i can give while going down the sidewalk it may be smooth rolling for two blocks but then all of a sudden there is a three foot drop and nothing but rubble for a block. The steets there although paved, the asphalt used incorporates very large rocks so a court chair with one inch primo’s and roller blade casters will definetly have a limited useful life. I am more apt to consider a heavy duty chair like a quickie revolution with wide all-terain tires and pnuematic casters or even better yet a travel scooter would be optimal because the terain is so dirty there. But the good thing is most of the terain is flat and fairly easy to manuver. If you have difficulty there is always someone willing to help you and feel honored to do so. The shopping malls are wonderful for access and a break from the heat and most have elevators and accessible bathrooms.
There are curb cuts around the nicer developments but not in all areas and many of the older shops have a step to get in them but the street shops are all barrier free. its all a challange but with some insight and inginuity you can navigate most obstacles just be prepared for a work out. in the future i will be willing to give a outlook on particular areas of interest for those that request and detailed information for a fee for those that wish a virtural tour of the area they plan to visit stay tuned !
