NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/travel/15609

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-17 | 5.6 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- Philippines
Date: 17 Nov 1992 12:37:50 -0600
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STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Philippines
============================================================
Philippines - Consular Information Sheet
 November 13, 1992

Embassy and Consulate Locations:  The U.S. Embassy in Manila is
located at 1201 Roxas Boulevard - telephone: [phone].  The
U.S. Consulate is located in Cebu on the 3rd Floor, PCI Bank,
Gorordo Avenue, Lahug - telephone: [phone].

Country Description:  The Philippines is a developing democratic
republic.  Tourist facilities are available within the population
centers and main tourist sites.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and onward/return tickets are
required for entry through the international airports in Manila or
Cebu.  A visa is not required for transit/tourist stays of up to 21
days.  Further information concerning specific requirements is
available through the Embassy of the Philippines, 1671 Massachusetts
Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 - telephone: [phone], or
the consulates general in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu,
Chicago, New York, Houston, or Seattle.

Areas of Instability:  In Northern Luzon, the presence of NPA
guerillas and armed bandits makes travel in the provinces of Abra,
Aurora, Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province
(including Sagada and Bontoc) potentially dangerous.

NPA units are also active in Southern Luzon and travel is
potentially dangerous in Quezon province, and the Bicol region,
except Catanduanes.

In the Visayas regions, travel in rural areas of Panay Island is
not safe.  In urban and tourist areas (including Boracay),
continuing criminal activities are a threat after dark.  Ongoing
criminal and insurgent activity make travel to Samar Island and the
interior mountainous regions of Negros Island dangerous at any time.

In the Mindanao Regions, continuing crime and insurgency problems
make travel to and within the Autonomous regions of Muslim Mindanao
(Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi provinces), as well
as the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Basilan, and Surigao del Sur,
dangerous at any time.  Two U.S. citizen missionary teachers were
kidnapped and held for ten days while touring in Sulu Province in
March 1992, and an American religious worker was kidnapped on
Basilan Island in October 1992.

Security Threats:  There are continuing security threats to U.S.
citizens in the Philippines.  However, short-term tourists and
business visitors to the Philippines, especially those who remain in
major urban areas or tourist sites, face substantially less risk
from politically-motivated terrorism than do long-term residents or
U.S. officials.  Those who are considered to be at greatest risk
include U.S. government employees, active duty and retired military
personnel; and resident Americans associated with organizations
identified with the U.S. have been murdered by elements of the NPA.
An American businessman, a long-time resident in the Philippines,
was kidnapped in January 1992 and held for two months until released
through police action.

Medical Facilities:  Adequate medical care is available in major
cities, but is limited in more remote areas.  Doctors and hospitals
often expect immediate cash payment for health care services.  U.S.
medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States.  In
some cases, supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas
coverage has proved useful whenever insurance claims are made.  The
international travelers hotline at the Centers for Disease Control
at [phone] has additional useful health information.

Information on Crime:  Crime is of serious concern in the
Philippines.  Homicides, kidnapping, other crimes of violence,
con-games, pickpocketing and credit card theft are common.  Foreign
tourists are often victims of petty crimes.  Travel by public
conveyance as well as private vehicles may be risky.  Travel off the
national highways and paved roads, especially at night, is
particularly dangerous.  Useful information on guarding valuables
and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided
in the Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad".  It is
available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in
illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail
sentences and fines.

Volcano Eruptions:  The June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo
deposited large amounts of volcanic ash in a wide area around the
volcano (located sixty miles northwest of Manila).  The principal
danger now comes from "lahars", or mudflows, which can inundate
low-lying areas and wash away bridges.  These conditions will
persist for several years, especially during the rainy season (May
to November).

Registration:  U.S. citizens living in or visiting the Philippines
can register with the U.S. Embassy in Manila or the U.S. Consulate
in Cebu and obtain updated data on travel and security in the area.
Information for Americans contemplating road travel within the
Philippines is also available at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate.
 A recorded message of the U.S. Embassy's latest travel information
may be heard by telephoning (63-2) 521-9261.

 No. 92-110