The City of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental is the safest city to visit in the Philippines, according to the World Travel Index’s safety index. In a list of 3,028 global cities, Dumaguete ranked 1,097th and scored 81.36. Meanwhile, the capital of Manila ranked the lowest of 323 Philippine cities, with a safety score of 36.16 and ranking 2,909 overall.
The scores are based on criteria such as safety in the day and at night, occurrences of theft, drugs, and violence. The safety index’s top global cities are Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands; Hamilton, Bermuda; Mavrovouni, Greece; Philipsburg, Sint Maarten; and Rehoboth Beach, United States.
Provincial media outlet Negros Now Daily reports that the ranking has been attributed to the peace and safety efforts of the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR). “This recognition reaffirms the hard work, dedication, and efforts of police personnel of PRO-NIR in its entirety, which is indeed worthy of emulation,” said Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay, who heads the regional police office.
The Dumaguete local government also said the ranking is a “result of Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo’s efforts to help the Philippine National Police, volunteers, and other stakeholders to keep the capital city of Negros Oriental safe and prosperous for tourists and residents alike.”
Making the rest of the top 10 safest cities in the Philippines are Davao City, Bulacan City, Balanga, Lucena, Naga in Camarines Sur, Baguio, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, and Makati. The four other Philippine cities at the bottom of the ranking are Cavite City (49.17), Batangas City (46.13), Quezon City (39.34), and Valenzuela (37.53).
In July 2024, Forbes Advisor ranked Manila the fifth riskiest city in the world for tourists, although it is unclear if the ranking refers to the City of Manila or the larger metropolitan area. This ranking was based on criteria such as travel safety, crime risk, personal security, health, infrastructure, natural disasters, and digital security. Manila was also the ninth riskiest in the crime category and fifth in personal security.
The World Travel Index ranks cities, islands, and countries in categories such as cost, attractions, infrastructure, and safety. Their rankings are based on databases and information that can be found on the internet.
