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Philippines: Travel Risks?

The Philippines’ attractions notwithstanding, visitors to the country must perform a delicate calculation, weighing the fun to be had in places like El Nido against the perceived negatives.

Certain factors, more than others, will likely come into play.

Lack of tourist infrastructure. Despite the massive investment poured into tourist destinations, much of the infrastructure that tourists take for granted in other countries still doesn’t exist in the Philippines.


The Philippine tourism industry is insufficiently centralized, isolating competent travel enterprises and allowing incompetent (or devious) operators to keep working without sufficient oversight.

The country’s transport system is haphazard - it’s difficult for a newly-arrived tourist to travel from Manila to Boracay without a great deal of prior planning. Currency exchange in airports can be unreliable, and exploring any Philippine city can be dangerous without a reliable guide by your side.

Unreliable law enforcement. Systemic government corruption seems to have reduced “Manila’s finest” into a 21st-century Keystone Kops, lacking even the most basic knowledge and equipment to conduct an effective takedown of the Manila hijacker.

As counterterrorism expert Charles Shoebridge explained to the BBC, "They had no ladders to get through the windows. They smashed the windows but didn't know what to do next!”

Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz explained that the Manila police suffered from "inadequate capability, skills, equipment and planning of the assault team" and "inadequate training and competence of the assault team leader" - statements that do not inspire confidence in any tourist considering a visit to the Philippines.

On the other hand… sensationalism. The unusually high profile given to adverse incidents in the Philippines may actually provide an inaccurate picture of travel risks, says Pete Troilo of the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy group. "When you aggregate all the events it certainly doesn't sound like a place you want to visit for leisure... and perception is reality when it comes to the Philippines," Troilo was quoted as saying.

Our very own Greg Rodgers observes that the Philippines may have the perception deck stacked against it. “The hijacking is a tragedy, but it seems like only the tragedies make the news,” says Greg. “How many foreigners had safe, successful trips to the Philippines that they will never forget? Those never seem to make the headlines.”

Ensuring Your Safety

If you’re determined to travel in the Philippines nonetheless, you can take a few precautions that can protect you as you travel through the country.

Make contact with a trustworthy local, preferably through travel networking sites like Couchsurfing.org, so you can get advice about traveling in the Philippines, or better yet, a warm body to take you where you want to go. Do this before you travel to the Philippines, as there are plenty of “friendly” locals here who are actually members of gangs that target foreign travelers!

(Your humble guide is also resident in the Philippines, so do feel free to contact me at goseasia@aboutguide.com if you need any advice or referrals; you can also “friend” me on Facebook, just add a personal note telling me you came from this page.)

The United States Department of State is the U.S. government agency responsible for your well-being when you’re traveling abroad - they recommend that you register with the local embassy’s Consular Section over their State Department's travel registration website.

In the Philippines, the U.S. Embassy is located at: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila. You can reach their 24-hour hotline at +63 2 301 2000. You can also reach their American Citizens Services (ACS) fax at +63 2 301 2017.

Where It Stands

None of these precautions, though, are proof against a determined and well-armed intruder, as the Manila bus hijacker showed himself to be.

Even the common wisdom of safety being found in groups was no match for the ex-cop’s desperation and savagery - it certainly didn’t help that the authorities had neither the tools nor the training to deal with him.

There is plenty to admire in the Philippines, but these attractions matter little if travelers cannot feel safe while they’re in the country. In the end, it boils down to a personal decision by each traveler whether the attractions outweigh the risks.

To say that the Philippines is not worth visiting at all would be untrue, but to say that there are no risks to visiting the Philippines would be naïve.