Genvisec advises that all business and leisure travel should continue to Philippines in the areas recommended. Higher risk visitors may require specific security advice. Travel to non recommended regions should be reconsidered and if necessary done with security support.

 

• We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to eastern Mindanao (including the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental) due to the very high levels of violent crime and the high threat of terrorist attack and kidnapping.

• We advise you not to travel to central and western Mindanao, including the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago and in the southern Sulu Sea area, due to the very high threat of kidnapping, terrorist attack, violent crime and violent clashes between armed groups.

 

Crime

There’s a high level of violent crime, including gun crime. Although foreign nationals are not normally targeted, they have been caught up in some incidents.

 

Criminal gangs sometimes use terrorist tactics like kidnapping. Explosions attributed to criminal organisations have caused fatalities.

 

There is a high incidence of street crime and robbery. You should take sensible precautions. Arrange to be met at the airport or use a hotel transfer service. Only use taxis from a reputable company. Some taxi drivers and their accomplices have robbed and harmed passengers. Avoid displaying cash or jewellery. Beware of strangers offering drinks or confectionery. They may be spiked.

 

Be particularly vigilant when travelling on public transport. Armed hold-ups have occurred on ‘jeepneys’ and buses. In some cases these have resulted in fatalities.

 

Local travel

 

Seek advice from local contacts, avoid travel to remote areas and always leave travel plans with friends, colleagues or relatives. Safety standards on taxis, buses and boats can be low. There have been 2 recent mass-fatality bus crashes.

 

You should take particular care during the rainy season when flash floods and landslides can occur.

 

If you intend to travel to the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental you should use air or sea routes.

 

The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) group have signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement. However, other armed groups remain active and the situation could deteriorate with little warning. There are on-going clashes between the military and insurgent groups in the Sulu archipelago including Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. Clashes have also occurred on the mainland of Mindanao.

 

Air travel

 

In 2009 the International Civil Aviation Organisation carried out an audit of the level of implementation of the critical elements of safety oversight in the Philippines.

 

With the exception of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air, all air carriers from the Philippines have been refused permission to operate services to the EU due to safety concerns.

 

Sea travel

 

Avoid travel on ferries if possible. Ferries are often overloaded, lack necessary lifesaving equipment, are not adequately maintained and have incomplete passenger manifests. Storms can develop quickly.

 

Major accidents, which involved ferries, and resulted in large loss of life occurred in 2008 and 2009. Two large ferries sunk in 2013, the most recent off the coast of Cebu City in August 2013. These incidents caused a substantial number of casualties and injuries.

 

There is a high level of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around Philippine waters.

 

Maritime rescue services in the Philippines may be limited.

 

Political situation

 

Keep up to date with local and international developments, and avoid demonstrations or large gatherings of people. The Philippines Bureau of Immigration have specifically warned foreign nationals against participating in public protests and political rallies. Foreign nationals who participate in these activities may be detained and deported for violating Philippine immigration laws.

 

Local laws and customs

Don’t become involved with drugs of any kind. Penalties for importing and using illegal drugs are severe.

 

You must be able to show some identification if requested by the police. A photocopy of the relevant pages of your passport will suffice. Leave details of your travel plans, passport and credit cards with friends and family in the UK and make sure the next of kin details in your passport are up to date.

 

Philippine law on paedophilia is severe, and strictly enforced. Severe penalties can be passed in child abuse or rape cases. A child is defined in Philippine law as a person under the age of 18. Entrapment may also occur where strangers with children have befriended single male tourists; allegations of abuse are then made in an attempt to extort money.

 

Any foreign national planning to recruit Filipinos for employment overseas must carry out due diligence, comply with local legislation and be licensed. The laws relating to illegal recruitment are strict. Foreign nationals have been known to spend more than 2 years in prison on remand while their cases are processed.

 

Money

Some ATMs accept international credit and debit cards. Shops in towns and cities usually accept international credit cards. Banks don’t always accept travellers’ cheques. Cash in sterling/Euro/ US dollars can be exchanged for Philippine pesos at the airport, in banks, hotels and some shops.  Buying foreign currency in the Philippines can be difficult.

 

Health

The availability of medical care varies across the Philippines, and may not meet the standards of care in the EU. Although adequate in major cities, medical care is limited in more remote areas. Treatment can be very expensive. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

 

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 117 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

 

Terrorism

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout the country. Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out attacks at anytime and anywhere in the country. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners like airports, shopping malls, public transport and places of worship.

 

There are several terrorist groups operating in the Philippines that continue to pose a threat. These groups include New People’s Army (NPA), the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and other associated groups. Although there is hope that the 2013 framework peace agreement will bring the 40 year insurgency in the south of the country to an end, extreme elements within the two main insurgent groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), continue to pose a security threat. A splinter group of the MILF, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), has been responsible for a number of attacks on the Philippine military and security services over the last year.

 

Civilian targets in Mindanao have been attacked and there remains a threat of attacks throughout much of Mindanao.

 

Be aware of the risk of terrorist attacks to all forms of public transport: road, rail, sea and air. Terrorist groups have threatened to attack passenger ferries and other vessels, particularly those operating from Mindanao. You should avoid using public transport throughout Mindanao.

 

Kidnapping

 

There is a threat from kidnapping, particularly in the southern Philippines. Kidnapping could occur anywhere, including on coastal and island resorts and on dive boats and sites in the Sulu Sea. Foreigners have been targeted in rural, urban and coastal areas in the past. In April 2014, 2 foreign nationals were kidnapped while yachting in the Sulu Sea. In February 2012, 2 foreign nationals were kidnapped from Parangan in the township of Panglima Sugala in the Tawi Tawi island province.

 

Entry requirements

Visas

 

You can enter the Philippines without a visa for an initial period of 30 days. You can also get a tourist visa from the Philippine Embassy before you travel, which will allow an initial 59 day stay.

 

You can apply to extend your stay at the offices of the Bureau of Immigration Overstaying without the proper authority is a serious matter and can lead to detention pending payment of outstanding fees and fines and voluntary deportation at your own expense.

 

Living, working or studying in the Philippines

 

If you intend to live, work, or study in the Philippines you’ll need to have certain documents (eg birth certificates, marriage certificates, UK police certificates, school documents) legalised by t by the Philippine Embassy in your home country before relocating to the Philippines. These documents are required by the local authorities when applying for long-term resident visas. Contact the Legalisation Office and the Philippine Embassy in your home country for more details.

 

Passport validity

 

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Philippines.

 

The Filipino authorities have confirmed they will accept British passports extended by 12 months by British Embassies and Consulates under additional measures put in place in mid-2014.

 

Yellow fever

 

Yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

 

Evidence of onward travel

 

Entry to the Philippines may be refused if you are unable to produce evidence of return or onward travel - for example an onward or return air ticket.

 

Departure tax

 

If you’re leaving the country from Cebu Mactan airport you must pay a departure tax of 750 pesos in local currency or the equivalent in US dollars. From 1 February, there’s no longer a departure tax at Manila airport. This information is subject to change and you should check with local authorities before you travel.

 

Emergency Travel Documents

 

 ETDs are valid for entry into the Philippines, but a Philippine visa is required in an ETD prior to entry. British Nationals leaving the Philippines on an ETD should get the necessary stamps from the Bureau of Immigration or they are likely to face problems at the point of departure.

 

Children travelling to the Philippines without their parents

 

The Philippine authorities have tightened up entry requirements for foreign minors (children under 15 years of age) who are not travelling with one or both parents, or not coming to join a parent in the Philippines. If a minor is travelling to visit a parent they should carry a copy of their parents’ resident visa. Parents of children travelling unaccompanied to the Philippines must file an ‘affidavit of support’ with the nearest Philippines Embassy or Bureau of Immigration. Contact the Philippine Embassy in your home country for further information.

 

Natural disasters

 

Typhoons

 

Around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year. Most typhoons occur from June to November. There may be flooding and landslides.

 

See our tropical cyclones page for advice about what to do if you’re caught up in a storm.

 

Earthquakes

 

The Philippines is in an earthquake zone. 

 

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol in Central Visayas region on 15 October 2013. Significant damage occurred in Cebu and Bohol provinces with over 100 deaths reported.

 

Volcanoes

 

On 16 September the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council put the area around the Mayon Volcano in Bicol, Southern Luzon under Alert Level 3, and stated that Mayon is exhibiting relatively high unrest, that magma is at the crater and a hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) advised authorities to enforce a 6km permanent danger zone around the volcano and a 7km extended danger zone on the south-eastern flank due to the danger of rock falls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.

 

There are numerous volcanoes in Philippines, any of which can erupt without warning. Sudden steam and ash explosions may occur at any time.

 

The capacity of the Philippine emergency and rescue services to deal with large natural disasters is limited. Check news reports and follow local advice before travelling to volcanic areas. Avoid volcanic areas during and immediately after heavy rainfall when there is increased risk of lava flows.