DFA says ‘no safe place’ abroad, gives tips to travelers

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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday that “no place (abroad) is completely safe” and gave advise to Filipinos traveling abroad.

The department said tourists had the tendency to “lower their guard” when on tour in a foreign country.

It gave the following tips so that Filipinos would not fall victim to thieves, pickpockets, snatchers, scammers, and other petty criminals:

• Be mindful of and respect local laws and regulations

• Always keep alert in crowded areas such as popular tourist spots, transport terminals, markets, concert venues, among others.

• Be wary of con artists who use a variety of tactics to distract tourists while accomplices gain access to one’s personal items

• Be careful of one’s belongings.

• Distribute cash, credit cards, important documents and other valuables in separate compartments inside the bag

• Keep both hard and electronic copies of your passport, IDs, credit cards and important documents handy while on travel.

If a passport gets lost, Filipinos should immediately file a police report and go the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate for assistance.

“Our kababayan should keep in mind that there are more stringent requirements for the replacement of a lost or stolen passport as compared to securing a regular passport, especially while abroad,” the DFA said.

“It therefore pays to take extra precautions while on travel to avoid this inconvenience,” it added. /cbb