Don't let the doomsayers dim your view of the Philippines

[Terpe]

Steve Lunt, a British journalist and filmmaker in Manila, explains why all the warnings should not put you off visiting

“It’s more fun in the Philippines!”

That’s the slogan used by the country’s tourism board. Underneath this tempting promise, some cheeky commentators suggested they should add: “It’s worth the risk!”

Slightly more diplomatic commentators at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have assessed that risk, and safe in their comfy armchairs at home, Brits considering a visit to this tropical archipelago might find the FCO’s advice rather daunting.
Firstly, due to terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgents in Mindanao, the FCO advises against all travel to some parts of that island, and against all but essential travel to its other areas.

The FCO’s anxious advice continues:

“There is a high threat from terrorism throughout the country.”
“Kidnapping could occur anywhere ...”

“Around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year. There may be flooding and landslides.”

“The Philippines is in an earthquake zone.”

“There’s a high level of violent crime, including gun crime. Criminal gangs sometimes use terrorist tactics like kidnapping.”

I see. Perhaps it’s safer in, erm … a quieter province? Should I just take the ferry to a smaller island?

FCO: “Avoid travel on ferries if possible. Ferries are often overloaded … storms can develop quickly. There is a high level of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around Philippine waters.”

Perhaps not.

If all these dire warnings weren't enough to scare the pants off any sane traveller – and having covered the risks on land and sea quite thoroughly – the FCO also reminds us to beware of harmful things falling from the sky:

“There are numerous volcanoes in the Philippines, any of which can erupt without warning. Sudden steam and ash explosions may occur at any time.”

Good grief. After reading all this while sitting at home in Manila, my first thought was to pack some essentials and flee the country immediately.

But if you're still resolutely bound for the airport with a ticket to Manila, a brave heart, and a mind open to the possibility of surviving the Philippines, the FCO wouldn't want you to board your plane until you've read their newest contribution to the genre of light holiday reading - it's called the British Behaviour Abroad Report 2014. With such a schoolmasterly title, you might think it’s going to reveal just who among us rebels sitting at the back have been naughtiest around the world this year. But no, it contains more unsettling statistics identifying those countries we should be most worried about … and perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised at this stage: some special mentions are awarded to the Philippines.

The FCO lists the top 20 countries where Brits are most likely to require consular assistance; and the Philippines is number one on their chart. Not only that, but there’s been a marked increase – more than 20 per cent – in such calls for help since last year.

Saving their best for last, just before you embark for Manila, here’s the FCO’s parting shot: “As a proportion, British nationals remain significantly more likely to die in the Philippines than in any other country.”

That's partly explained by the high number of elderly expats who live there, but it's far from a cheerful thought.

Indeed, if an FCO analyst actually escorted you to your flight bound for the Philippines, perhaps his final words of farewell might be: “So, anyway, best of British, have a safe trip – cheerio!” Then (sotto voce): “Good luck, you're going to need it …”

The FCO advice is of course all very helpful, and sadly accurate. Anyone awake last November would've seen the distressing pictures of that monster typhoon Haiyan devastating huge parts of the Philippines. As a journalist here, I've witnessed heartbreaking scenes of death and destruction amid typhoons, floods, and a siege where hostages were killed; but then my bizarre job requires me to run towards places of jeopardy at a time when every sensible person is running the other way.
So I am also a tad concerned to read recent figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists confirming the Philippines is the second deadliest country in the world for us. But if you're a normal person – not a journalist – then what’s your typical experience of the Philippines likely to involve?

In Manila, I can confirm there is indeed a risk of theft in crowded areas, as my beloved laptop was stolen at the airport. The city’s steamy heat can be enervating, with sticky temperatures often clinging to the mid-30s. Manila’s traffic pollution causes smoggy horizons on most days, and roads are fiendish. According to a character in Dan Brown's latest book, Inferno, the "gates of hell" can be found in Manila.

So it seems the Philippines is a fruity republic indeed, strewn with banana skins for unsuspecting foreigners to slip on. I've certainly tumbled a few times … but after all the scary statistics, heavy advice and bad news about the country, maybe we need some contextual balance: a fillip for the Philippines.

Manila can be an overwhelming assault upon all the senses: you don't come here for its exquisite architecture, the tranquillity of its gardens, or the champagne quality of its air. But this seething metropolis positively buzzes with a happy vitality and charm – thanks to the congeniality of its hospitable people.

Ordinary Filipinos are likely to be among the gentlest, kindest and friendliest folks you'll find anywhere on the planet. The Philippines is probably the easiest place in Asia for a Westerner to live – thanks to the Filipinos’ proficiency in English, their love of humour and appreciation of British and American culture.

The country also has more than its fair share of the world’s most stunning beaches with powdery white sand and crystal waters. Many of the world’s best dive sites are also liberally sprinkled around the archipelago. Across thousands of pretty islands, cooler air enhances tours around the mountains, waterfalls and lush vegetation decorating their interiors.

As a courteous foreigner with some common sense, the biggest risk you're likely to face is simply wanting to stay for much longer than your ticket allows: I came for two weeks, and ended up staying for six years – so far.

After reading all of its ‘Filipino frighteners’ – which took quite a while – I was starting to think of the FCO as the ‘Fears and Concerns Office’; but then in all fairness, our mandarins added this brief but significant rider to their general advice about the country: “Around 122,759 British nationals visited the Philippines in 2013. Most visits are trouble-free.” I guess that’s as much optimistic cheer as their anxious lawyers would allow. Perhaps they were feeling as Nick Ross did at the end of Crimewatch, after worrying the nation with so much prime time real-life crime: “Don't have nightmares, do sleep well.”


Source

[Dedworth]

I like his articles Thanks for posting Terpe. Trying to think of something more scathing than Fears & Concerns Office for FCO Fools & Crawlers, Farcical Chumps