In the ’90s, my work as an employee of the National Irrigation Administration in Tacloban City required me to travel to many places, including Manila, to attend meetings and trainings. I enjoy traveling because part of it is sightseeing. During those days, there were no other places to go like malls, hence, at night, I would walk around Luneta and Quiapo and watch a movie. At midnight, I would walk back to my hotel some meters away without any fear. It was very safe to walk alone because even snatching was unheard of.
Now I am a retiree and have the luxury of time and financial capability to travel around the Philippines.
I first visited Bohol because of Chocolate Hills, the tarsiers and Panglao Island. The travel was very successful and safe, the place very clean, and the people very polite. There was no hassle in traffic.
I then planned to visit Manila again since my last travel there was in 2005. But a day before my scheduled departure, I decided not to go after reading the Philippine Daily Inquirer. To my dismay, news reports mostly covered crimes: a taxi driver who tried to rob his passenger, another taxi driver who molested his passenger, a snatcher stabbing his intended victim for resisting the attempt, riding tandem crooks killing a senior citizen, and policemen shooting dead their suspects.
The surge of crimes in Manila made me feel it is no longer a safe place for travelers. Aside from natural disasters like floods and typhoons, there are man-made dangers like kidnappings and murders. Of course I can avoid natural disasters by traveling during months with less weather disturbances, but dangers due to humans are hard to predict. The frequency of crimes is now highly increasing especially in urban areas like Manila. It is not a place for a retiree to find leisure.
ARSENIO UNAJAN BAQUILID, arseniobaquilid@yahoo.com