Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines said it will not tolerate reported misbehavior by some Israeli tourists in Siargao, following complaints from local residents over separate incidents on the island.Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh said the embassy is aware of the reports and is coordinating with Philippine authorities. She also announced plans to visit Siargao to ensure full cooperation with local government units.At the same time, officials are urging the public not to generalize.“If there’s an Israeli tourist who had done wrong, he should be addressed, but we… urge and encourage you as media… not to paint all Israeli tourists here as rotten apples, because that’s very far from the truth,” Kursh said.One of the incidents involved a confrontation on April 29, 2025, in General Luna, where a foreign man was seen taunting and arguing with a group of Filipinos. In a viral video of the encounter, the man appeared aggressive, even picking up a stone while being restrained by companions.Alexis Gumera, one of those involved, said she and her group, which included two other trans women and foreign friends, had already been harassed earlier that night.“That night nakita namin sila… they were obviously catcalling… parang hey baby, hey baby,” she said.According to Gumera, the confrontation escalated after one of the men identified himself as Israeli and made provocative remarks about the war in Gaza.“He said… ‘this is the best country in the world’… and then sabi ko, ‘No, it’s not.’… sabi niya ‘why, why, we kill Palestine,’” she recounted.Gumera said the man repeatedly called them “lady boys” and later returned, allegedly throwing stones at their group. One Filipino was injured in the incident.“Obviously you are fresh from war and you are trying to unwind here and then you’re proud like killing people… that’s crazy,” she added.A police blotter was filed the following day, but the individuals involved already left the area.In a separate incident in April 2026, another group of Filipinos reported being blocked and harassed by foreign nationals on motorcycles in Santa Fe, Siargao.According to their statement, the riders, who allegedly had no visible license plates, repeatedly obstructed their vehicle, swerved in front of them, and forced them to stop.“This behavior constituted dangerous road obstruction and intimidation,” the incident statement read, noting that the individuals approached aggressively and appeared to reach toward their waist, raising safety concerns.The complainants said the encounter was particularly distressing as a child was inside the vehicle at the time.The embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Ariel Seidman, also appealed against amplifying malicious commentary.“Israelis love the Philippines and Israelis want to come here and we want to be welcomed here… to kind of ruin this relationship because of a few people… that will be very sad to happen,” he said.He stressed the importance of preserving strong Philippines-Israel relations, especially as efforts are underway to establish direct flights between the two countries before the end of the year.The Department of Tourism in the Caraga region said only two incidents involving Israeli tourists have been recorded so far.Data from DOT-13 also show that Israeli visitors make up only a small portion of Siargao’s foreign tourists, which are dominated by travelers from France, the United States, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Still, the agency has issued a code of conduct reminding all tourists, both domestic and international, to respect local customs and regulations.“We really would encourage all guests of Siargao… to observe local customs, respect the guidelines of the community and cooperate with everybody,” said DOT-13 Regional Director Ivonnie Dumadag.Local government units and law enforcement agencies have also reiterated that misconduct will not be tolerated, regardless of nationality.The Police Regional Office 13 has since expanded its “Bantay Turista” program to maintain peace and order on the island.Authorities said no further incidents have been reported.

The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines said it will not tolerate reported misbehavior by some Israeli tourists in Siargao, following complaints from local residents over separate incidents on the island.

The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines said it will not tolerate reported misbehavior by some Israeli tourists in Siargao, following complaints from local residents over separate incidents on the island.

Israel Embassy condemns misbehavior of some Israelis in Siargao

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Israel Embassy condemns misbehavior of some Israelis in Siargao

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 04, 2026 08:25 PM PHT

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Siargao

tourism

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Israel

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