Is The Philippines Safe?

When I first mentioned to family and friends that I planned to travel to the Philippines the first responses I got from them was “It’s really dangerous there, you could get kidnapped and beheaded since you are an American” and I also heard “You are going to be a target there for pickpockets and other scams”. That really seems to be the thoughts of many Americans when it comes to the Philippines. It seems that the only things we see on the news here are the bad things. From the Maguindanao Massacre to visitors being kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf and held for ransom or beheaded. I guess I can’t blame them for their thoughts since the news really portrays the Filipino people as not liking Americans. I don’t have to tell anyone here that the news sensationalizes the violence in the Philippines and they know that news stories on the greatness of the Philippines just won’t get ratings.

These misconceptions are incorrect and could not be farther from the truth. Filipinos do like Americans and have really embraced our culture as their own. During my 2 week visit I was not the victim of any type of violence, scams, or pickpockets. I didn’t even receive an evil stare or any rude comments. I was treated great by every person I ran into there and always felt like I was welcomed. There are actually many parts of the Philippines that are safer than America; one of those places was Bacolod which is where I visited.

Mindanao is one of the most southern islands in the Philippines and gets most of the press as far as violence and kidnappings. Mindanao is the locale of the Maguindanao Massacre and there are some places there that harbor the Abu Sayyaf with supposed ties to Al Qaeda, NPA (New Peoples Army), and the M.I.L.F. (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). These places in Mindanao where these groups are active are in very small pockets and are not a true representation of the country. I know of many Americans living in Mindanao or ones that have recently visited there that feel very safe and have no worries about any of these groups. Some even say they feel safer there than they ever did in America. Don’t let the news distort your thoughts about an entire country due to a few bad incidents.

Basilan is another place that has been labeled as very violent. It is located just a little south of Maguindanao. I am sure there are places there where Americans should not travel to since the Abu Sayyaf are based there but I would not go so far as to say that the entire island is dangerous as that would be incorrect. Even some Filipinos located on other islands will say that these places located south in the Philippines are very dangerous and should not be traveled to. Unfortunately they see the same exact things in the news as we do.

There is violence all over the world and yes, the Philippines suffer from violence at times also. The 3 groups I mentioned earlier are real and are located in spots in the Philippines but mostly they are concerned with the Filipino military and are not likely to be in any place where Americans are going to visit or live. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be aware of your surroundings at all times. You should always be aware of your surroundings wherever you are in the world as bad things happen anywhere. Would you tell someone not travel to Michigan or Illinois since there are some violent places there?

So before you say that the Philippines is a really violent place where Americans are neither safe nor welcomed, do some research first. Ask people that have been there or people that currently live there to get the facts. The Filipino people are very kind and will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. It is a third world country with many poor people but the majority of Filipinos don’t use poverty as an excuse to commit crimes, it’s actually quite the opposite with them, poverty dictates their lives by them being grateful for what they do have and makes family bonds even stronger. There are many beautiful places in the Philippines to see from white sand beaches with blue seas to mountainous terrain with many waterfalls. I would recommend travelling to the Philippines to anyone. You won’t be sorry.