Traveling the Philippines Under Terrorist Threat

May 30, 2001

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, May 27, 2001, a group of heavily-armed members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group docked at the Dos Palmas Arraceffi Island Resort, one of the most prestigious resorts in the island of Palawan. Within minutes these camouflage-clad men had taken 20 vacationers and resort employees captive. In less than half an hour, on board a high-powered boat, these terrorists and their 20 hostages, including several prominent businessmen and three Americans, had disappeared into the early morning twilight.

This latest headline-grabbing international incident is a reeling blow to the Palawan tourism industry, the island’s main source of revenue and livelihood. Local and foreign travelers have left Palawan in droves. A plane has been sent by France to fly terrified tourists out. The United States has even issued travel warnings over Palawan and the rest of the Philippines, with other countries likely to follow suit.

The incident also happened quite conveniently five days before I was to go to Palawan, to that same resort, with my parents, siblings, and various friends for a fun-filled few days of recreation, rest and relaxation.

Think the Abu Sayyaf can stop us from hitting the beaches of Palawan? Think again.

Despite recent events in the island group that is touted by travel books as the “last paradise” and described as “pristine” and “pollution-free,” the Family Samson has decided to push through with its trip. We may not necessarily be going to the Dos Palmas resort which, as of last reports, remains closed to walk-in guests while an investigation is carried out, but we’ll be in the general area. We refuse to let terrorist threats hinder us from visiting this internationally acclaimed eco-tourism spot.

Terrorists like the Abu Sayyaf win by disrupting or paralyzing normal day-to-day life. They win by striking fear into the hearts of a population. With enough fear, even the mundane things we take for granted like going to a mall or watching a movie or sunbathing at a beach can become distant memories. They also win by seeing to it that they get international publicity for their stunts, at the cost of driving away travelers who are eager to see all the beauty that the Philippines has to offer.

True, the Philippines isn’t the safest place in the world. We’ve got Communist insurgents up north and Muslim extremists in the south. We’ve got rogue cops prowling the city and bandits roaming the countryside. But I would rather live here than in places like Rio de Janeiro where death squads roam the city streets at night killing homeless children, or South Central LA where schools have metal detectors for finding guns.

In the Philippines, things aren’t as bad as they seem. Incidents such as the Dos Palmas raid tend to be blown out of proportion, “sensationalized” if you will, by the media and by government agencies. This isn’t to downplay the horrors of what happened. God only knows what the hostages and their families are going through. It’s just that people outside the country, overseas Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike, think that the Philippines is one big island cluster of lawlessness and anarchy. Events like Dos Palmas are isolated incidents, happening in specks on the map. They aren’t even exclusive to the country.

In traveling around the Philippines, you can minimize risk by abiding by Three Simple Rules. One, stay away from where people are getting drunk. Gin makes you do stupid things. Two, when engaged in conversation with the natives, never bring up religion or politics. More conflicts have been started over small differences in belief and governance than we can count. Three, most importantly, keep a low profile. This means refrain from flaunting wealth, being boisterous, conspicuous, and loud. You don’t need a sign on your head that says “Target.”

These rules won’t save you from surprise dawn raids by the Abu Sayyaf, but the chances of that happening are miniscule. They just happen, well, maybe twice in a year. But the odds are for you, not against you. If you don’t believe me and decide to spend the best days of the year as far away from Palawan as possible, it’s your loss. These rules just minimize the risk.

I figure, if I stay at home, the terrorists win. We’re leaving for Palawan tomorrow. See you in two weeks.

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