One of the many questions we receive from friends and foreigners who want to visit the Philippines, is: “is the Philippines safe?”.
As you know, we used to live in a foreign country, in France, and unfortunately, when foreign media were talking about the Philippines. It was mainly about drug warfare, terrorism and poverty. So, you bet people are quite hesitant to travel to the Philippines.
But that’s what the media do. They use fear to sell more so they mainly broadcast those types of news. When living in France, little did we know that the Philippines was rising as one of the fastest growing economies of Southeast Asia; that their people are so good in languages that most of them speak at least two or three; or that they have cities that are more modern than most towns in Europe.
Insecurity in the main cities: Metro Manila, Cebu City
As a foreigner, the first thing you do when you arrive in the Philippines is landing in Manila (or Cebu). The main city which will connect you to the island you want to visit. Most of you won’t even stay in Manila because of its chaotic reputation. But how do you want to know a country if you’re not even seeing its biggest city?
More than 13 million people live in Metro Manila, you can imagine how dense this city is. There, you’ll see a real diversity: some very rich neighborhoods such as Rockwell or Bonifacio Global City, others more popular, or even some very poor. You can immediately see the social class divide among residential neighborhoods in Metro Manila that are just close to each other.
Of course, for tourists, there are still areas where it is best to stay away from. As you know, there is still extreme poverty in some places and even if it’s not your intention, it’s best not to provoke anything, by going there with your travel equipment.
In some areas where you can see a mix between rich, travelers, middle class or poor people such as Poblacion, a neighborhood in the north of Makati where most young people hang out. You’ll see very new and great cars.
And at the same time, beggars or street kids: just try to give them some food or drinks if you can 😉Thing is: if you’re a tourist, you’ll probably stay in the “foreigner” or business district area like Makati or BGC. We lived there for two years and nothing bad ever happened to us (keeping our fingers crossed of course…). To be honest, we even feel safer than in some places in Paris.
Of course, for tourists, there are still areas where it is best to stay away from. As you know, there are still extreme poverty in some places and even if it’s not your intention, it’s best not to provoke anything, by going there with your travel equipment.
In some areas where you can see a mix between rich, travelers, middle class or poor people such as Poblacion, a neighborhood in the north of Makati where most young people hang out. You’ll see very new and great cars. And at the same time, beggars or street kids: just try to give them some food or drinks if you can 😉
Thing is: if you’re a tourist, you’ll probably stay in the “foreigner” or business district area like Makati or BGC. We live there for two years and nothing bad ever happened to us (keeping our fingers crossed of course…). To be honest, we even feel safer than in some places in Paris.
Safety when traveling around the country
Around the country, it is even safer. Where you’re going to travel are mostly tourist spots. If you go to Boracay, Palawan, Siargao or Cebu, those are places where people are used to seeing foreigners.
They’re going to welcome you with the legendary hospitality that Filipinos are known for. For sure, be careful with your belongings (camera, phones for pictures). But it’s like in any tourist spots, theft is a possibility.
With those amazing people and incredible experience, insecurity will be the least thing you’ll think of. You’re going to live the island life: doing some island hopping, sunbathing or driving a scooter along the coast with your hair blowing in the wind (or not if you put a helmet, safety first 😉).
People living in those provinces are usually very friendly, calm and welcoming. We’re very far from the business of the city.
So, what to be careful of?
We don’t want you to think that “wow the Philippines are very safe in the end”. That’s not the point. Like anywhere in the world, there are some areas where it is safe to go and where you should not go.
Yes, there are possible natural disasters that can happen, and no one is immune to that. Yes, it’s also possible to be robbed in some places where you travel. Terrorist attacks also exists in the southern part of some places in the Philippines.
And you might get scammed by the taxi drivers at the exit of the airport, just be assertive and tell them to put the meters. But as long as you are cautious with your belongings and that you are traveling to the tourist destinations, you’ll be fine.
So, enjoy your trip in the Philippines, maybe you’ll see us around Manila 😉
Leave a comment, we’d like to know your opinion about the safety in the Philippines, especially if you’ve traveled or live here.
