|  |     Reisewarnungen 
          
            
              | 
 | PHILIPPINES | 12. April 2003 |  
              | Canadians
                should not travel to the Sulu archipelago (Basilan, Jolo/Sulu,
                and Tawi-Tawi) and the following provinces/cities on Mindanao: 
 a) Maguindanao;
 b) North Cotabato;
 c) Lanao del Sur;
 d) Lanao del Norte, including Iligan City;
 e) Sultan Kudarat, including the municipality of Palembang;
 f) South Cotabato Province, including General Santos City;
 g) Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga City;
 h) Zamboanga del Norte; and
 i) Davao City and rural areas adjacent to Davao City.
 
 Kidnapping incidents have occurred in Mindanao and other regions
                since April 2000. The Abu Sayyaf group has attacked and
                kidnapped tourists at resorts on Samal Island, Davao del Norte,
                Palawan Island, and in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Several
                people were held hostage and deaths resulted. A Canadian was
                kidnapped in Davao del Sur in November 2001 and held hostage for
                seven weeks. Some gangs have used extreme violence and have
                targeted business individuals and visitors throughout the
                Philippines, including metro Manila and Makati, the business and
                entertainment district. Several foreigners were abducted and
                robbed at gunpoint by men in security uniforms at a well-known
                tourist hotel in Pagsanjan, Laguna, in southern Luzon in April
                2002. Seven new kidnapping incidents were reported in September
                2002. All were kidnap-for-ransom cases.
 
 Random bombings continue to occur in Mindanao, Manila, and other
                areas where insurgent groups are active. Bombs have exploded in
                shopping malls, on public transportation, at the international
                airport in Manila, places of worship, and in other public areas,
                some resulting in injuries and deaths. Several bombings have
                occurred recently in Zamboanga, including the Fort Pilar
                Christian shrine and outside a restaurant-videoke bar in
                Barangay Malagutay, near Zamboanga City. Eight explosive devices
                were discovered in Metro Manila in March 2002, including Makati.
                A bomb exploded on a passenger bus in Quezon City, Manila, on
                October 20, 2002. Two people were killed and 20 were injured.
 
 There have been two attacks on foreigners in the Mount Pinatubo
                area, the most recent in January 2002, resulting in one death.
                Canadians travelling in this area should exercise extreme
                caution. The Santa Juliana route in Capas, Tarlac, is considered
                safe. However, trekkers should avoid the Porac and Sapang Bato
                routes in Pampanga, which are unguarded and considered unsafe.
 
 Canadians travelling throughout the Philippines should be
                vigilant and maintain a high level of security awareness due to
                the continuous threat of kidnappings, bombings and other violent
                incidents. Security arrangements at resorts, particularly beach
                resorts, should be carefully reviewed. Canadians should comply
                with all security procedures. Anything suspicious should be
                reported immediately to the nearest security authority. Contact
                the Canadian Embassy in Manila for updated security information
                prior to departure.
 
 Canadians arriving from areas affected by severe acute
                respiratory syndrome (SARS) - such as Canada (Toronto), Vietnam
                (Hanoi), Singapore, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China
                including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - may be
                subject to medical screening. Persons with symptoms of SARS must
                undergo further medical examinations and, if necessary, go into
                quarantine.
 
 For specific information on entry procedures, you should check
                with the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines.
 
 Heightened tensions as a result of the Iraq situation, together
                with increased threats globally from terrorism, put Canadians at
                greater risk. Canadians should maintain a high level of personal
                security awareness at all times as the security situation could
                deteriorate rapidly without notice. Exercise extreme caution,
                particularly in commercial, public and tourist areas frequented
                by foreigners. Canadians should monitor local developments,
                avoid crowds and demonstrations, as well as register and remain
                in regular contact with the Canadian Embassy in Manila or the
                Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (call
                collect 613-996-8885).
 |  
              | Canadian
                Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade |    
          
            
              | 
 | PHILIPPINES | 10. April 2003 |  
              | Une forme de
                pneumopathie atypique: SRAS s'est développée à partir de
                plusieurs pays d'Asie principalement au Vietnam et dans le sud
                de la Chine. 
 Les dernières informations et conseils concernant cette maladie
                sont disponibles en consultant le site du ministère de la Santé
                www.sante.gouv.fr ou en appelant le numéro vert suivant : 0800
                150 160
 |  
              | Ministère
                Français des Affaires Étrangères |    
          
            
              | 
 | PHILIPPINES |  4. 
                April 2003 |  
              | You
                should remain vigilant throughout the Philippines for
                spontaneous crime driven by poverty, and for serious crime
                including terrorism and kidnapping, by organised gangs or
                extremists. We believe there is a greater risk of terrorist
                activity throughout the Philippines at the present time. You
                should not travel to central, southern and western Mindanao or
                to Basilan or the Sulu archipelago. You should also avoid
                non-essential travel to the rest of Mindanao and take particular
                care throughout Palawan and at all coastal resorts. You should
                be aware of the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in
                East and South East Asia. Developments on Iraq and any increase
                in regional tension could lead us to further strengthen our
                travel advice. You should check it daily and follow developments
                closely. |  
              | Foreign
                & Commonwealth Office London |    
          
            
              | 
 | PHILIPPINES | 7. März 2003 |  
              | This Public
                Announcement has been revised to update information on security
                in the Philippines, particularly on Mindanao. It supersedes the
                Public Announcement issued January 10, 2003, and expires on
                September 4, 2003. The terrorist
                threat to Americans in the Philippines remains high. In view of
                a number of security-related incidents and the possibility of
                future terrorism, kidnappings, and other violence or criminal
                activity, Americans traveling to or residing in the Philippines
                are urged to exercise great caution and maintain heightened
                security awareness. Extremist groups present in Southeast Asia,
                such as Jemaah Islamiyah, have demonstrated transnational
                capabilities to carry out attacks against locations where
                Westerners congregate. Terrorist groups do not distinguish
                between official and civilian targets. On March 4, 2003,
                a bomb exploded at the international airport in Davao, Mindanao,
                killing at least 20 people, including one American, and injuring
                over 140 others. Another bomb exploded shortly thereafter in
                Tagum, the capital of Davao del Norte Province in Mindanao,
                injuring several people. These incidents follow a bombing
                outside the Cotabato City Airport on February 20, killing at
                least one person and injuring twenty others. The Government of
                the Philippines condemned these bombings as acts of terrorism.
                During October 2002, at least 20 people were killed, including
                one American soldier, and more than 100 people were injured in
                various bombing attacks in Zamboanga City and the surrounding
                area, and in Kidapawan, Cotabato Province. Similar explosions
                occurred in December 2002. Other explosive devices have been
                discovered and defused prior to detonation in these and other
                areas of Mindanao. U.S. citizens are
                urged to defer non-emergency travel to the island of Mindanao
                due to recurring bombing incidents and other violence and
                criminal activity. U.S. citizens should avoid all travel to the
                islands of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Jolo, located in the Sulu
                archipelago in the extreme southwest of the Philippines due to
                kidnappings and other criminal activity. Americans residing in
                Mindanao and in the Sulu archipelago should carefully review
                their security posture, take appropriate action to secure their
                well-being, and remain in close contact with the Embassy for
                current information. As a precaution, the U.S. Government has
                restricted travel by official personnel to these areas. A number of
                bomb-related incidents have also occurred in Metro Manila. On
                October 18, 2002, an explosion on a bus killed three and injured
                numerous others. Earlier that same day, a hand grenade exploded
                at a main intersection in the Makati commercial area and another
                unexploded grenade was found in the same vicinity. On October
                16, 2002, a bomb was discovered and dismantled inside a
                passenger bus on the regular route from Manila to Laguna
                Province. The U.S. Embassy urges Americans to avoid crowds and
                crowded places, including nightclubs and bars, and to exercise
                special caution in public places, such as shopping malls, or
                when using public transportation. The terrorist New
                People's Army (NPA), the military arm of the Communist Party of
                the Philippines, operates throughout the Philippines and has
                issued public threats against U.S. citizens and interests in the
                Philippines. In January 2002, an American tourist was shot and
                killed by an unidentified gunman on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo
                in Pampanga Province, an area known for NPA activity. Americans
                are warned to avoid hiking or camping in this area and are
                advised to exercise caution when traveling elsewhere in the
                Philippines, due to armed clashes between the New People's Army
                and government troops in some areas. Extortionists
                have kidnapped several Filipinos and foreigners, including three
                American children. Kidnappers operating in Metro Manila and
                throughout the Philippines have snatched family members of
                prominent local business leaders and politicians for financial
                gain, to make a political statement, or as part of business,
                land, or personal disputes. The terrorist Abu
                Sayyaf Group (ASG) has issued public threats against U.S.
                citizens and interests in the Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf Group
                has taken hostage a number of Filipinos, Americans and foreign
                tourists since April 2000. Several were freed after substantial
                ransoms were paid, some escaped or were rescued by military
                action, and some were killed. In 2002, one American hostage was
                killed and another injured during a rescue operation after
                spending more than a year in captivity. Because Abu Sayyaf has
                demonstrated its ability to travel long distances by boat to
                kidnap foreigners, it is possible that other locations in the
                Philippines could be attacked. Accordingly, Americans should
                defer travel to isolated beach resorts in the southern portion
                of the Philippines. U.S. citizens
                living in or visiting the Philippines are encouraged to register
                with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy, located at 1201
                Roxas Boulevard, Manila City; tel. (63-2) 523-1001. |  
              | Bureau
                of Consular Affairs of the United States of America |    
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