MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / July 8, 2013) – The Philippines brushed off the latest travel advisory issued by the United States against travelling to the southern region of Mindanao, saying it is the right of any country in order to protect their citizens.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Philippine government clearly understood the intentions of the travel advisory.
“We respect the right of any country to issue any precautionary measures intended for the safety of their citizens while visiting other countries in the same way that the Philippine government through our posts in other countries have also issued several warnings whenever we feel that our citizens should take extra precautions in light of events that are happening,” Valte said said in a statement.
“You know, as a country we also recognize the need of others to issue these precautionary measures to their citizens,” she said, pointing out that despite such travel advisories to foreign visitors, the country posted two million tourist arrivals for the first five months of this year.
She said it was the first time in Philippine history that the country has reached the two million mark in the first five months of the year.
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