DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 July) – The Canadian government’s advisory to avoid travel to 14 Mindanao provinces has been called out by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) as “outdated and misleading.”
The Canadian travel advisory, issued last June 26, warned its citizens of “serious threats of terrorism, kidnapping, high levels of crime, and violent clashes between security forces and rebel groups” should they go to the 14 provinces.
“While we respect the duty of governments to inform their citizens, we believe that the portrayal of Mindanao as a region beset by terrorism, kidnapping, and violent clashes is not only inaccurate, it is harmful,” MinDA said in a statement.
While the government of Canada assigned the Philippines a yellow code, some areas in the country were given a red code.
The yellow code stands for “exercise a high degree of caution,” while the red one means tourists should “avoid all travel.”
Other parts of Mindanao were given an orange code, which means “avoid non-essential travel.”
The provinces in Canada’s red travel list are Basilan, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Misamis Occidental, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay.
Included in the orange code are the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur (excluding Davao City), Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte (excluding Siargao Island), and Surigao del Sur.
Contrary to the blog’s sweeping generalizations, many of the provinces listed as high-risk such as Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, and Davao de Oro have long been peaceful and are actively thriving, MinDA pointed out.
These areas have hosted international investors, tourists, and development partners without incident, it added.
“In fact, Davao City, which the blog excludes from its warning, shares the same security profile as its neighboring provinces—raising questions about the consistency of the assessment,” MinDA said.
MinDA, headed by Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, said the blog also fails to acknowledge the significant strides made in peacebuilding, particularly through the Bangsamoro peace process and the demobilization of extremist groups. These efforts, supported by both local and international stakeholders, have transformed Mindanao into a region of opportunity and resilience, it said.
MinDA urged that Canada’s travel advisory, which was the basis of the travel blog, be “reasonably updated” to reflect the current realities on the ground. (As of Thursday, July 10, the advisory remains as is.)
A more balanced and evidence-based advisory will not only serve Canadian travelers better, it will also honor the progress made by the people of Mindanao, MinDA said.
The agency said it remains committed to working with international partners, including the Canadian Embassy, to promote a truthful and constructive understanding of Mindanao’s transformation. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
