Travel Summary

• We advise against all travel to south-west Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago because of on-going terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups. We advise against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao for the same reason. See Safety and Security -Terrorism and Safety and Security - Local Travel.
  
  
• There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. Such places could include, but are not limited to, airports, shopping malls, places of worship etc.
  
  
• There is a threat from kidnapping in the Philippines, particularly in the south. Kidnapping could occur anywhere, including on coastal and island resorts and dive boats and sites in the Sulu Sea. On 1 February two foreign nationals were kidnapped from Parangan in the township of Panglima Sugala in the Tawi Tawi island province. On 5 December 2011, an Australian citizen was kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay.
  
  
• The European Commission announced an operating ban on all air carriers certified in the Philippines from 1 April 2010. This follows an audit of the Philippines carried out by ICAO in October 2009. The EU ban has been imposed because the Philippine regulatory authority is unable to verify that these airlines comply with international safety standards. We recommend that you avoid flying with Philippine-certified airlines subject to the EU operating ban. See Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel.
  
  
• Over 130,000 British tourists visited the Philippines in 2011 (Source: Philippines Ministry of Tourism). Most visits are trouble-free. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics.
  
  
• You should obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See the General - Insurance.