Is it safe to travel?
There is without question much publicity about the terrorism in Asia and the Philippines are no exception to being subject to terrorist attack or involvement. However before you dismiss the idea of visiting the Philippines we suggest you check out the latest news issued by your own government’s embassy, usually available on their websites.
Having been fortunate to have experienced the cultural mechanism of Philippine society, I can put hand on heart and say that it is a safe place to visit and live. Having lived through the IRA conflict in the UK back in the 70’s and 80’s the discord it brought to cities and life in the UK, was a daily threat one had to contend with. The comparison in my humble opinion does not come close to any resemblance to the level of current terrorism and criminal activity in the Philippines. Today, with the ever present Al Qaida terror threat that is worldwide, one is advised to be on a state of vigilance wherever one lives or travels. In the UK the ever presence of cultural indifferences, I for one would not walk in daylight along some streets in south London today, for fear of being confronted by a weapon whose practical use would normally be to slice through a 12oz medium rare sirloin steak.
As in any unfamiliar surroundings you are advised to keep alert and observe a few precautions and basic rules of being “street wise”. Always leave your passport in a safe place and keep a photo copy with you. Leave a one credit card with your passport in case your wallet gets lost. Never walk around with wads of cash left in a loosely contained wallet in the back of your jeans. Don’t assume because the streets are well lit at night that it’s safe to walk alone or drawing attention to yourself when in the company of others. Always leave contact information at your hotel and make sure someone knows of your whereabouts. To summarise, if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail and the consequences of failing are all too well documented.
The Philippines drugs policy is a total zero tolerance, even so called recreational drugs are banned and the punishments are severe. ‘Would be’ drug barons are suggested to think twice about any prominent activity. The jails in the Philippines have little sympathy for human rights and western rodents would scarper at the levels of accommodation inside the heavily armed hostels.
Finally the main location of any terrorism activity appears to be in the south of Mindanao. The following is taken from the tourist information website from the UK Government regarding tourism to the Philippines. It should be considered that the incidents mentioned are isolated cases and when put into the context of a population of 80 million with its diverse mixture of ethnicity, there is bound to be conflicts and political tensions just as there is in any other part of the world.
This extract was issued by the UK Embassy website in Manila as of January 2009: |
Travel Summary
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There are ongoing clashes between the military and insurgent groups in the Sulu archipelago including Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. See the Terrorism and Local Travel sections of this advice for more details.
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The typhoon season in the Philippines normally runs from July to November, with over twenty tropical cyclones hitting the country each year. This is also the rainy season and flooding and landslides may occur. Tropical depressions and cyclones typically bring strong winds and rain to the Visayas and Luzon regions, and particular care should be taken when travelling to Northern Luzon and the Bicol, Samar and Leyte regions. See the Natural Disasters section of this advice and Tropical Cyclones for more information.
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Around 70,000 British tourists visit the Philippines every year (Source: Philippines Ministry of Tourism). Most visits are trouble-free. The main type of incidents for which British nationals required consular assistance in the Philippines in 2007 were: replacing lost or stolen passports; arrests or detentions, mainly for visa overstays; and dealing with deaths, mostly from natural causes.
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We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. In particular you should be aware that your insurance company may not extend cover to areas to which the FCO advises against travel. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.
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