Negatibong epekto ng mga travel advisory sa Mindanao
Picture insert by Reyna: From this site
Maybe there’s really such a thing as ‘paranoia in travel.’ Higit na umigting ito noong 9/11. Masasabing one in a million nga naman kasi ang tsansa na bumulusok sa apoy ang eroplanong sinasakyan mo – mapa A380 pa yan. But the possibility is always there, with the threat of terrorism hovering above us, all the time.
Bukod sa akin, paranoid din ang mister kong Amerikano. Nasa Singapore na kami nun at inaya ko syang dumaam man lang kami sa Cambodia pero delikado raw sa mga puti ang lugar na yun. Napakamot na lang ako ng ulo. Ewan ko kung ayaw lang gumastos ng pang-shopping o praning lang talaga na tumapak sa erstwhile killing fields.
Anyway, dahil sa malagim na nangyari sa Maguindanao kamakailan lang, naisip ko tuloy i-check ang travel advisories ng British at US embassies. As expected, may warning nga, mainly against travelling to Mindanao. The travel advisories issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the case of the UK) and the US State Department are considered very influential in influencing the travel plans of tourists planning to go to the Philippines. Kumbaga, hindi pa nga sila nakakatapak sa Pilipinas, may impression nang namumuo sa kanilang isipan tungkol sa ‘war zones’ ng Pinas.
In a nutshell, the travel warnings advise British and American nationals against venturing to Mindanao because of the risk of terrorist attacks . They also warn their citizens of the ever-present threat of kidnapping in these areas.
Isa lang ang masasabi ko: since nagiging regular na ang travel advisories na ito, kawawa naman talaga ang Mindanao. Kawawa rin ang Pilipinas as a whole since sobrang nakaka-apekto ito sa tourism natin. Masasabing ilan sa mga pinakamagagandang lugar sa Pilipinas ay nasa Southern region but they remain unexplored because of the existence of real threats. With lesser investments and lesser money coming in from tourism, the people of Mindanao sinks into deeper poverty and quagmire.
Sample travel advisory on the Philippines from the British Foreign Office:
” We advise against all travel to south west Mindanao covering the following areas, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM, including the islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) plus the eastern provinces of Sarangani, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay. We advise against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao. This is because of ongoing terrorist activity there have been a number of terrorist attacks against civilian targets…..”
Sample travel warning on the Philippines from the US State Department:
” Travelers should exercise extreme caution if traveling in the central and western portions of the island of Mindanao, as well as in the islands of the Sulu Archipelago. Regional terrorist groups have carried out bombings resulting in injuries and death. Since August 2008, there have been sporadic clashes between lawless groups and the Philippine Armed Forces in the Mindanao provinces of North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, as well as the Sulu Archipelago. Kidnap-for-ransom gangs are active and have targeted foreigners. U.S. Government employees must seek special permission for travel to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago. Travelers to these areas should remain vigilant and avoid congregating in public areas. Some foreigners who reside in or visit Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago hire their own security.”
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annalyn is a Technews Columnist of the Manila Bulletin, one of the Philippines most widely-read English broadsheet. You can find her blogging at http://www.annalyn.net, which is her main blog, http://www.weddingfactsheet.com, which is a wedding blog and http://www.balutpenoy.blogspot.com, a food blog.
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At least specific naman yung areas affected lang ang mentioned in their advisories. Karapatan din na malaman ito ng kanilang mga kababayan. Kahit ako nga taga-Mindanao ay scared pumunta sa mga areas mentioned eh. Nung pumunta ako ng Marawi last Sunday, nilagnat ako pag-uwi ko. Hahaha!
and as usual, sa bawat katarantaduhan nang mga opisyales, bayan ang nag-sasuffer at sila pa rin ang mga bida. give a few months at makikita mo liberty freedom at impaktong inquality talaga!
Oops! INEQUALITY i mean.
kamahalan, wala paring balita?wala pa ring update kung anu ng nangyari sa inbestigasyon, mukang hihintayin nalang na matabunan ang issue ah!
sandali ako na lang nga ang gagawa nang update hahaha bantayan mo entry next 6 hours hahaha
HAK HAK HAK!!!
hahaha! In fairness, hindi naman kuripot si fafa
buti hindi Philippines ang note sa kanilang travel advisory, kung magkaganun man, mauuna akong pupunta dun at sasabihin sa kanila na hindi apektado ang 7,107 islands ng Pilipinas dahil sa kaguluhan sa Maguindanao.
Kawawa naman ang Turismo sa Pinas.
for me kahit hindi philippines yan, parang yun na rin ang equivalent nun.
sabi nga nun teacher ko, pag elemntary ka ang tanong kaninong pamilya ka nanggaling (at lahat ng katarantaduhan mo ay apektado lahat ng kaapelyedo mo sa brgy nyo). pag high school, sang bargy ka galing (at lahat ng kalokohan mo ay apektado ang image ng buong brgy. Pag nagcollege ka sa ibang lugar ang tanong sang syudad o probinsya ka galing (at pag jologs ka sasabihin ang jojologs pala ng mga taga ganong province… pag nagwork ka sa ibang bansa at patangatanga ka sa work ang tanong anong nationality mo oh sang bansa ka galing (at lahat ng kababayan mo ay apektado sa kamaliang ginawa mo kaya lagi nalang nila “if not all” sinasabi na you filipinos are ?#$”!><)..
that said pagwide ng range pag wide ng effect. at since worldwide ang news, tinitingan na rin yan as a whole. hindi man lahat ganun ang impresyon for sure may ibang magtatravel sana na kahit hindi sa mindanao ang place eh hindi nalang tinuloy kasi iniisip nila ang "Philippines" parin.
Tsk. kainis ,…nakakasama ng mood ang ganito. kinukurap na nga ang perang sana ay sa sambayanan nagiging dahilan pa ng pagbawas ng pagkakakitaan. grh!+
Bakit hindi nakahandcuff ang kriminal na yan?
alagang-alaga kasi. bine-baby! onli in the filipins…tsk..tsk..
[...] a parallel post in Barrio Siete, I’ve pointed out how the travel advisory by two influential countries in the world has dire [...]
[...] a parallel post in Barrio Siete, I’ve pointed out how the travel advisory by two influential countries in the world has dire [...]