DOT to ensure safe cities after Forbes Advisor report

MANILA, Philippines — Alarmed by a report identifying Manila as among the “riskiest cities for tourists,” the Department of Tourism (DOT) has assured the public that it is working closely with the Philippine National Police and Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure a “safe and welcoming environment for all travelers” in the city and elsewhere in the country.

In a statement, the DOT highlighted the establishment in October 2023 of the Tourist Assistance Call Center with the hotline 151-TOUR or 151-8687, which is accessible round-the-clock to accept “all tourist-related concerns.”

It has also tapped the police to address immediate needs of travelers through the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection or TOPCOP.

The DOT has also come up with its own disaster risk reduction and management operations manual, as well as the TourISM WoRCS or Tourism Integrates, Support, and Minds Women’s Respect and Child Safety program that looks after the welfare of women and children in the tourism industry.

The agency is also working on the establishments of tourist first aid facilities in select tourist destinations such as La Union, Palawan, Boracay, Puerto Galera, Bohol and Siargao.

Earlier, the Forbes Advisor released a report ranking Manila as the fifth “riskiest city for tourists,” with the “highest natural disaster risk, the fifth highest personal security risk, and the seventh highest health security risk.”

Caracas in Venezuela was the first in the list followed by Karachi in Pakistan, Yangon in Myanmar, and Lagos in Nigeria.

In February last year, 34-year-old Nicholas Peter Stacey, a tourist from New Zealand, was shot dead after he was robbed by motorcycle-riding suspects in Makati City. Later on, suspect John Mar Manalo surrendered to police after he was identified by Stacey’s Filipina girlfriend.

The DOT condemned the killing of Stacey, saying the crime was “not reflective of the millions of peace-loving Filipinos across the country.”

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan declared the Manila Police District has the “second lowest crime rate” among police districts in Metro Manila.

While she did not refer to the Forbes Advisor findings, she cited the incident last July 11, when two men were killed and five policemen were wounded in an armed encounter.

In a statement, Lacuna-Pangan praised the “sheer bravery and complete devotion to duty of the Manila Police District (MPD) officers who sustained gunshot injuries while serving an arrest warrant last July 11 in Balut, Tondo.”

Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo is questioning the Forbes Advisor report, saying the PNP wants to know the methodolgy used for its survey.

She added the MPD under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay has assured residentas and tourists they are safe from criminals. –  Emmanuel Tupas