World Safety Map

Safest cities in Philippines

61 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04

US 2/4 Exercise increased cautionUK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of this country

Areas the UK FCDO advises against visiting

  • Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
  • Camiguin Island
  • Dinagat Island
  • Siargao Island

In full or in part — the official advisory lists exact boundaries and exceptions.

What official travel advice warns about

Terrorism

  • Terrorism in the PhilippinesTerrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the Philippines.
  • Terrorist kidnappingThere is a threat of kidnapping by terrorist groups operating in the Philippines, including the targeting of foreign nationals in rural, urban and coastal areas throughout Mindanao especially in the Sulu Archipelago and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Crime

  • Methanol poisoningThere has been an increase in cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in popular travel destinations around the world.
  • Sexual assaultBritish nationals have reported rape and sexual assaults in some locations popular with backpackers, including Coron and Siargao.
  • Criminal kidnappingThere is a risk of being kidnapped by criminals who will demand a ransom.

Laws and cultural differences

  • Personal IDYou must be able to show some identification if requested by the police. If you want to keep your passport in a safe place, such as in a hotel safe, carry a printed copy of the photo page.
  • Public offencesViolating local laws may result in a prison sentence, served in a local prison. Sentences are severe. The judicial system allows long-term detention until a court hearing takes place. Foreign nationals have been known to spend several years in prison on remand while their cases are processed.
  • Demonstrations and ralliesThe Philippines Bureau of Immigration has warned foreign nationals against participating in public protests and political rallies. If you participate, you may be detained and deported. Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings of people.
  • Illegal drugs and prison sentencesDo not become involved with drugs of any kind. Penalties for importing and using illegal drugs are particularly severe. A conviction for possession of even a small amount of any illicit drug in the Philippines means a mandatory prison sentence.
  • Laws on child abuse and rapeChild abuse and rape are punished with extremely long prison sentences. Be cautious about strangers offering friendship. There have been cases where women, single or sometimes with children, have befriended single male tourists and then threatened to report rape or abuse in an apparent attempt to extort money. A child is defined in Philippine law…
  • LGBT+ travellersThe Philippines is generally a tolerant and progressive place for LGBT+ travellers, although overt public displays of affection may be considered a ‘grave scandal’ under the Revised Penal Code. If convicted, you could get a fine or a 6-month prison sentence.

Independent travel and adventure tourism

  • Water safetySwimming and surfing beaches are unlikely to have lifeguards or warning signs, so get advice from your hotel or local residents before starting any activities. The seas can be extremely dangerous and British nationals regularly get into trouble in the water, or even drown.
  • Scuba divingDiving schools may have limited resources and do not always observe safety and maintenance standards. Always:

Transport risks

  • Road travelIf you are planning to drive in the Philippines, see information on driving abroad.

Sea travel

  • PiracyThere is a high level of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around the Sulu and Celebes seas. Boats travelling to and from offshore islands and dive sites are also possible targets.
  • Sea safetyThe ferry and passenger boat network has a poor record of maritime safety. Boats sometimes lack lifesaving equipment, and maritime rescue services may be limited. You should be cautious when using ferries and avoid overcrowded boats. Accidents are more frequent during the rainy season between June and December when storms can develop quickly.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

  • TyphoonsAround 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year. Most typhoons happen between June and November. Follow the advice of local authorities, and monitor the progress of storms on the Philippines state weather agency and the Philippines Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. You can find updates on typhoon2000.ph, or follow @Typhoon2k on X.
  • EarthquakesEarthquakes are a risk in the Philippines. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency website has advice about what to do before, during and after an earthquake. You can get more information from the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
  • VolcanoesThere are numerous volcanoes in the Philippines, any of which can erupt without warning. Sudden steam and ash explosions may happen at any time.

Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Philippines, updated 2026-07-15 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →

Country figures

Homicide rate
4.31 /100k2024
Income inequality
Gini 39.32023
Human development
HDI 0.7202023
Income
$14,460/yrGNI per capita PPP
Road deaths
12.0 /100kWHO, 2019
Political stability
53/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
Rule of law
47/100WGI, 2024
Corruption perceptions
32/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
Natural-hazard risk
5.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Women, Peace & Security
0.61GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
Air quality
22.2 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
Safe drinking water
49%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
Healthcare capacity
0.8 doctors /1k1.0 hospital beds per 1,000
Malaria
0 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only

Natural hazards

Earthquake
9.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Tsunami
9.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Cyclone
9.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Flood
6.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Drought
3.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier

Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.

Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Philippines (as of 2025).

How Philippines compares

Philippines against the median of all 180 countries in the dataset. Green means better than the median.
MeasurePhilippinesWorld medianDifference
Homicide rate4.3 /100k2.4 /100k+1.9 /100k — better for World median
Income inequality (Gini)39.335.2+4.1 — better for World median
Human development (HDI)0.7200.763−0.043 — better for World median
Road deaths12.0 /100k15.4 /100k−3.4 /100k — better for Philippines
Rule of law47/10052/100−5/100 — better for World median
Corruption perceptions32/10039/100−7/100 — better for World median
Air quality (PM2.5)22.2 µg/m³19.7 µg/m³+2.5 µg/m³ — better for World median
Natural-hazard risk5.3/103.8/10+1.5/10 — better for World median
And against its own region — often the more useful comparison, since Asia shares much of the context a global median averages away.
MeasurePhilippinesAsia medianDifference
Homicide rate4.3 /100k1.5 /100k+2.8 /100k — better for Asia median
Income inequality (Gini)39.333.4+5.9 — better for Asia median
Human development (HDI)0.7200.771−0.051 — better for Asia median
Road deaths12.0 /100k15.3 /100k−3.3 /100k — better for Philippines
Rule of law47/10052/100−5/100 — better for Asia median
Corruption perceptions32/10037/100−5/100 — better for Asia median
Air quality (PM2.5)22.2 µg/m³28.6 µg/m³−6.4 µg/m³ — better for Philippines
Natural-hazard risk5.3/103.6/10+1.7/10 — better for Asia median

Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.

All 61 cities, safest first

  1. Puerto Princesa64.9 · #3984 worldwide
  2. San Fernando64.9 · #3985 worldwide
  3. Santiago60.6 · #4379 worldwide
  4. Vigan60.6 · #4380 worldwide
  5. Laoag60.6 · #4381 worldwide
  6. Subic59.7 · #4461 worldwide
  7. Olongapo59.0 · #4521 worldwide
  8. Dagupan [Lingayen]58.4 · #4566 worldwide
  9. Baguio58.4 · #4567 worldwide
  10. Tuguegarao58.4 · #4568 worldwide
  11. Urdaneta58.2 · #4581 worldwide
  12. San Carlos58.2 · #4582 worldwide
  13. Tarlac City57.8 · #4609 worldwide
  14. Dipolog57.3 · #4684 worldwide
  15. Daet57.3 · #4685 worldwide
  16. Kalibo57.3 · #4686 worldwide
  17. Cabanatuan57.1 · #4694 worldwide
  18. Roxas57.1 · #4695 worldwide
  19. Tabaco57.0 · #4701 worldwide
  20. Orani57.0 · #4702 worldwide
  21. Balanga57.0 · #4703 worldwide
  22. Angeles56.8 · #4708 worldwide
  23. Tagum56.8 · #4709 worldwide
  24. Legazpi56.8 · #4710 worldwide
  25. Iriga56.8 · #4711 worldwide
  26. Gapan56.8 · #4712 worldwide
  27. Surigao City56.7 · #4722 worldwide
  28. Manila56.3 · #4757 worldwide
  29. Lucena56.3 · #4758 worldwide
  30. Binangonan56.2 · #4763 worldwide
  31. Zamboanga City56.1 · #4765 worldwide
  32. Naga56.1 · #4766 worldwide
  33. Panabo56.1 · #4767 worldwide
  34. General Santos55.8 · #4789 worldwide
  35. Tacloban55.7 · #4791 worldwide
  36. Batangas City55.6 · #4795 worldwide
  37. Calaca55.6 · #4796 worldwide
  38. Lipa55.5 · #4818 worldwide
  39. San Pablo55.5 · #4819 worldwide
  40. Santa Cruz55.5 · #4820 worldwide
  41. Trece Martires55.5 · #4821 worldwide
  42. Lemery55.5 · #4822 worldwide
  43. Sariaya55.5 · #4823 worldwide
  44. Calauan55.5 · #4824 worldwide
  45. Nagcarlan55.5 · #4825 worldwide
  46. Tagbilaran55.4 · #4842 worldwide
  47. Dumaguete54.4 · #4897 worldwide
  48. Davao City53.8 · #4959 worldwide
  49. Pagadian53.5 · #4980 worldwide
  50. Butuan53.4 · #4991 worldwide
  51. Cebu City53.2 · #5005 worldwide
  52. Digos52.7 · #5040 worldwide
  53. Ozamiz52.7 · #5042 worldwide
  54. Iligan52.6 · #5049 worldwide
  55. Toledo52.6 · #5050 worldwide
  56. Iloilo City52.2 · #5065 worldwide
  57. Cagayan de Oro52.1 · #5066 worldwide
  58. Bacolod52.1 · #5068 worldwide
  59. Marawi51.9 · #5080 worldwide
  60. Koronadal51.4 · #5110 worldwide
  61. Cotabato City50.4 · #5171 worldwide