PH Embassy in Paris advises Pinoy travelers to be vigilant

Are you flying to Paris, France for business or for pleasure?

The Philippine Embassy in France advises Filipinos traveling to the “City of Love” to be vigilant and careful due to an increase in break-ins, robberies and pickpocketing incidents in the city.

Filipinos are advised to follow the list of safety guidelines:

• Always secure your personal belongings such as your bags, wallets, and phones when visiting tourist spots, walking around, and riding public vehicles.
• Be wary of pickpockets. They are rampant at metro stations, trains, and even in shopping areas.
• Keep your passport and identity card in separate areas of your bag, so that you lessen the risk of losing both documents.
• Theft may also occur in hotels and apartments. Make sure that your briefcases, bags and other valuables are secure. Be wary of the so-called “hotel rats,” scam artists who pretend to be hotel guests or tourists and who can swipe baggage in hotel lobbies, or book rooms with fake names and break in rooms to steal valuables.
• Do not carry a lot of cash. Most stores accept cards. Should you use your card, cover your hand discretely when typing the PIN.
• Keep your bags out of sight when inside the vehicles. Robberies may sometimes occur during traffic jams.
• Be alert and vigilant when visiting different areas in France. Make sure to follow the instructions of police and military personnel in case of any incident.
• Be updated with the news. Refrain from going to areas that are declared to be unsafe or that have terrorism threat.

The embassy encourages Filipinos who need assistance to get in touch with it via its 24-hour emergency hotline at +33 6 20 59 25 15.

Embassy of the Philippines in Paris is at 45 Rue de Ranelagh, 4 Hameau de Boulainvilliers, 75016 Paris, France. /atm