DOT flags safety index: Philippines not world’s least safe country for travelers

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines isn’t the most dangerous country for tourists, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said. 

Frasco criticized HelloSafe for incorrectly naming the Philippines the “least safe” country, initially assigning it a safety index of 82.32 before removing it from the list and replacing it with Sudan.

Countries closer to 0 are considered the safest, while those nearing 100 are deemed the least safe.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Thursday, June 19, it had already caused lasting reputational damage, even if the correction had been issued. The website, as of June 19, still shows that the Philippines is the least safe country.

“Though the listing has since been altered to remove the Philippines’ false designation and replace it with another country, the correction is not complete, and damage to the country’s reputation and to the lives of our people has already been done,” Frasco said in a statement on Thursday. 

“The impact of this false narrative is not abstract. It disrupted bookings and businesses,” she added. 

Lack of transparency

Frasco demanded accountability fro