Palace welcomes US travel advisory

Manila, Philippines -  Malacañang welcomed yesterday the latest travel advisory of the United States on the Philippines, even as the government maintained that the urban areas in the country are safe.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the latest travel advisory no longer covered Metro Manila and other urban centers.

“If you compare (the latest advisory with the one issued in January), the travel advisory was downgraded. There are no more warnings about Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Manila,” she told radio station dzRB in Filipino.

“It’s good that it (travel warning) has been downgraded because we’ve always maintained that Metro Manila is safe. Our urban centers are safe for our tourists,” she added.

In January, the US State Department warned US citizens of possible terrorist activity in Manila and other public places like airports, shopping malls, and conference centers.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had described the latest US travel advisory as an improvement.

While the advisory continued to mention terror threats and insurgent activities, it was confined to some areas of Mindanao like Sulu.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the new advisory even cited “more controlled and safety conditions” in Davao, General Santos and Cagayan de Oro.