Frasco slams ‘false’ global ranking that tags PH as unsafe

The Department of Tourism (DOT) strongly refuted a recent report by travel insurance platform HelloSafe that labeled the Philippines as the third least safe country in the world.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco criticized the so-called “HelloSafe Safety Index 2025,” describing it as misleading, lacking in methodological transparency, and damaging to the country’s image.

“What was presented as an objective safety index was, in fact, built on questionable data, lacking in transparency, and entirely disconnected from realities on the ground,” Frasco said in an official statement.

She also raised concerns about the credibility of HelloSafe, a company primarily focused on selling travel insurance. Frasco noted inconsistencies in the report, including identical safety scores of 82.32 for multiple countries within a six-day period, as well as the lack of clear data sources or methodology.

The tourism chief pointed out that while HelloSafe later removed references to the Philippines from the report, the initial misinformation had already caused harm.

“The impact of this false narrative is not abstract. It disrupted bookings and businesses. It cast doubt on our destinations. Worse, it harmed the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos who depend on tourism,” Frasco emphasized.

The DOT demanded that the company publicly correct all references to the erroneous data and adhere to responsible and transparent data reporting in the future.

Frasco also reassured both domestic and international travelers that the DOT, working closely with law enforcement agencies, continues to maintain safety as a top priority across all tourism destinations.

The department is encouraging more accurate, evidence-based evaluations of the Philippines’ tourism landscape and has called for vigilance against misinformation that undermines economic progress and public confidence.