Philippines says damage done by 'world's most dangerous country' ranking is irreversible

The Philippines' Department of Tourism is calling on the firm to take further action beyond issuing an apology for labeling the country as the world's least safe, Philstar reported.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the damage had already been done, as the original report continues to circulate across international media platforms despite HelloSafe's retraction.

She stressed that the ranking undermines years of effort by both the government and private sector to promote the Philippines as a "globally competitive, safe, and welcoming tourism destination."

"The Philippines acknowledges and appreciates HelloSafe's apology and rectification. However, we urge content publishers and data aggregators to exercise greater caution and responsibility when releasing studies that may shape public perception," Frasco said, as cited by Philstar.

Several industry groups, including the Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Pacific Asia Travel Association, and Philippine Travel Agencies Association, also condemned the ranking as misleading and called for its immediate withdrawal, the South China Morning Post reported.

The ranking was release in early June and withdrawn on July 15 following public backlashes.

HelloSafe said the index was based on 35 criteria across five categories: frequency of natural disasters, societal violence, involvement in armed conflict (internal or external), health infrastructure, and militarization.

Countries were rated on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 representing the safest and 100 the most dangerous.

The Philippines scored 82.31, placing it at the top of the list, followed by Colombia (79.21), Mexico (78.42), India (77.86), and Russia (75.65).

Many foreign tourists have praised the Philippines as a safe destination worth visiting.

With a coastline spanning over 36,000 kilometers, the country was named Asia's Leading Beach Destination at the 2024 World Travel Awards.