Crime and safety

The Philippines is a safe place to travel as long as you exercise discretion and common sense. You'll find the same con artists and hustlers here that you'll find anywhere else, but most Filipinos are friendly and helpful. One of the most common scams is for foreigners to be approached by well-dressed young men or women who offer to buy you a coffee or a beer. The next day you wake up from a deep drug-induced sleep to find you have been relieved of your personal belongings. If you have a theft to report, you will have to file a complaint with the police to stand any chance of making an insurance claim. If it's a potentially serious problem, contact your embassy in Manila.

It is generally accepted that police in the Philippines are not Asia's finest. Successive government administrations have made some headway in cleaning up the force, but it is still plagued by accusations of corruption, collusion and an alleged willingness to shoot first and ask questions later. Part of the problem is the low pay police officers receive. In 1999, new recruits were being offered the equivalent of US$120 a month. This makes some of them - a tiny minority, according to senior officers - willing to supplement their income with payoffs from anyone from the humblest motorist to the most notorious drug king.

Other useful information for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):