Emerging tourism destination, san Vicente in Palawan. Kara Santos, ABS-CBN News

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The Department of Tourism on Thursday questioned a report saying the Philippines was &quot;the least safe country on the planet.&quot;Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco slammed the authenticity of the “HelloSafe Safety Index 2025” by the HelloSafe website, which earlier ranked the Philippines at the top of its list of least safe areas.The website has since revised the ranking, with the strife-torn countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Democratic Republic of Congo topping the list of least safe countries.Frasco however said HelloSafe showed negligence after it “simply removed the Philippines in the index narrative – without clarification or accountability.”Frasco said the HelloSafe “safety index” has affected the confidence of foreign travelers for the Philippines.“The impact of this false narrative is not abstract. It disrupted bookings and businesses. It cast doubt on our destinations. Worse, it harmed the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos who depend on tourism, and entire communities whose economies rise and fall with the confidence of travelers,” Frasco said.She said HelloSafe has to “correct all references to the erroneous data against the Philippines across its platforms and to ensure the accuracy and consistency of its reporting tools, including interactive visual assets.”The DOT said hotel operators also condemned the HelloSafe report.“We find the article misleading, unfair, and detrimental to the efforts of the tourism and hospitality industry. We remain fully committed to supporting the Department of Tourism’s mission to promote the Philippines as a safe, vibrant, and enjoyable destination for all and highlight the genuine hospitality, resilience, and professionalism of Filipino tourism workers,” the DOT quoted Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) President Arthur Lopez as saying.Other tourism industry groups such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) the Philippine IATA Agents Travel Association (PIATA), Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) also demanded that the report be corrected, the DOT said.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VaQ-TlaEwnQ?&amp;pp=0gcJCb4JAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

The website ranked the Philippines as less safe than the strife-torn countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

The website ranked the Philippines as less safe than the strife-torn countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Tourism dept hits report saying Philippines is least safe country

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Tourism dept hits report saying Philippines is least safe country

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 19, 2025 08:00 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 20, 2025 05:15 PM PHT

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HelloSafe Safety Index 2025

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