Canada issues travel advisory in PH; flags Mindanao for alleged ‘serious’ terrorism threat

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
December 18, 2025

EXTRA CAUTION. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) issued a travel advisory to its citizens on Monday to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to the Philippines due to “crime, terrorism, and kidnapping” (Dec. 15, 2025). (File Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada has issued a travel advisory on Monday for Canadian passengers heading to the Philippines, instructing them to generally “exercise a high degree of caution” due to “crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.”

According to the travel website managed by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC), citizens are discouraged from traveling to several provinces in Western Mindanao “due to the serious threat of terrorism, kidnapping, high levels of crime, and violent clashes between the security forces and rebel groups”:

• 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
• Zamboanga Sibugay

GAC also advised passengers to avoid non-essential travel to particular regions in Central and Eastern Mindanao, as the areas posed “risk of kidnapping and high levels of crime”:

• 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
• Surigao del Sur

RISK LEVELS. A thematic map of the Philippines, highlighting the respective risk levels in particular regions across the archipelago as assigned by the Global Affairs Canada on Dec. 15, 2025, at 14:10 ET. (Photo Courtesy: Global Affairs Canada)

The global affairs department has recently added maps to its travel advice pages, displaying national and regional risk levels for around 230 destinations. 

GAC, however, indicated a disclaimer that “the features in [each] map do not constitute an authoritative source of geographical information” and the maps are “solely intended to assist Canadians by illustrating the risk levels contained in the Travel Advice and Advisories for this destination.”

“The features in [each] map do not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian government on international boundaries, nomenclature, or political status. The text under the Risk levels section takes precedence over [each] map,” GAC added.