DOT calls out firm branding Philippines as unsafe

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) cried foul over a report by an insurance and investment firm that claimed the Philippines was the “least safe country in the world” in 2025.

The DOT said the report was released only to drive its sale of travel insurance.

In the report by HelloSafe.ca, the Philippines was on top of the list of 15 “least safe countries on the planet.”

“The Philippines appears at the top of this ranking with an index of 82.32 out of 100, followed by Colombia (79.21 points) and Mexico (78.42 points) – three countries that experience high levels of violence within society,” reads an article posted on the website.

The website came up with its “HelloSafe Safety Index” and scored countries based on occurrence of natural disasters, violence in society, involvement in internal or external armed conflicts, health care infrastructure and militarization.

Based on this, the Philippines also emerged at the bottom of the list of 30 countries to travel to in Asia.

“The Philippines bring up the rear with a score of 82.32, highlighting the persistent security challenges in the region,” it said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco claimed that the travel and insurance firm “removed the Philippines’ false designation and replace it with another country.”

Frasco said the ranking already caused damage to the country’s tourism industry after “the Philippines was simply removed from the index narrative without clarification or accountability,” she added.

She said the article is “built on questionable data, lacking in transparency and entirely disconnected from realities on the ground.”

The DOT chief accused HelloSafe.ca of “unfairly distorting national reputations.”

Frasco ordered HelloSafe.ca to “correct all references to the erroneous data against the Philippines across its platforms and to ensure the accuracy and consistency of its reporting tools, including interactive visual assets.”