Reality Check: The Philippines

By Carlos H. Conde
Conde Nast Traveler
Published: October 2006

In 2001, members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf swooped into the Dos Palmas resort in the Philippine province of Palawan and kidnapped 20 tourists. When the group killed three of the hostages, including one of three Americans it had taken, the incident made headlines around the world and dealt a fatal blow to the country’s vital tourism trade. “People simply stopped coming,” says Ivan Lim, the owner of Dos Palmas. Five years later, Abu Sayyaf is on the run—thanks to the American-supported war on terror—and tourism has made a remarkable comeback: Tourist numbers jumped 10 percent in the first six months of this year, and 2.5 million foreigners visited the country last year, including more than 300,000 Americans.

The Philippines has danger zones, to be sure, but among the 7,000-plus islands, insurgent groups are active primarily in the provinces of Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-tawi—which tourists should avoid until the political situation stabilizes. Though most of the violence has been confined to these provinces, two notable exceptions are the 2003 airport bombing in the popular tourist destination of Davao in which 24 people were killed, including an American, and a 2005 bus bombing in Manila that killed 4. Although Sulu is home to some of the most beautiful and pristine islands, it is known to shelter bandits, terrorists, and separatists and is considered among the most dangerous areas.

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