Canadians planning to visit or are already in the Philippines were urged to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling to Mindanao amid incidents of crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping.
“There’s a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The government of Canada’s ability to provide consular assistance is limited if you get stranded in this area,” read the travel advisory dated Jan. 10.
The Canadian government asked its citizens to “avoid all travel” in the following Mindanao provinces: Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay.
Canadians who are already in these areas were advised to leave.
Meanwhile, Canadians were also told to “avoid non-essential travel” to the following areas: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte (excluding Siargao Island), Surigao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur (excluding Davao City), Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental.
The advisory noted that “extremists have been active in the southern Philippines for several years.”
It also mentioned that “bombs causing deaths, injuries, and property destruction have exploded in public areas of major centers” in the cities of Cotabato, General Santos, Isabela, Kidapawan, and Zamboanga.
“Clashes may occur between insurgent groups and security forces,” the advisory read.
As this developed, the departments of Defense, Budget and ICT and the embassy of Canada in the Philippines emphasized the need for cooperation among like-minded states to combat cybersecurity threats in the country during a two-day cybersecurity conference organized by the Stratbase Institute.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said Canada is willing to work together with the Philippines to address cybersecurity threats.
“Now, more than ever, with the growing threat from the proliferation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, like-minded countries must work together to build a resilient and adaptable cyber workforce for the future; indeed, one trained and ready for whatever the future may hold,” he said.
Hartman noted the Philippines has been a “leading victim in the rise of cybercrimes” such as ransomware, fraud, theft, or the online victimization of children.
“This country has been described as the ‘patient zero’ of the misinformation and disinformation plague that has infected so many societies. The continued and pervasive deployment of misinformation and disinformation in the Philippine digital ecosystem, taken together with the memory of the 2016 hack of the Commission of Elections, illustrates the vulnerability of democratic processes to malign influence,” he said.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro emphasized the importance of cooperation with like-minded states in addressing cybersecurity risks in the Philippines.
He said the country is now transitioning into strict operational security to address the Philippines’ vulnerabilities.
“Our department is taking the lead right now to transition into strict operational security. That starts from individual security, facility security, to digital hygiene, to the architecture that we’re going to put into our systems. And finally, into the required amount of information that we can release and not release by way of regulations that are going to be enacted,” Teodoro said.
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan Uy vowed to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity defense, especially in combating cyber-espionage.
Stratbase Institute president Dindo Manhit also emphasized the need for a whole-of-society approach to ensure digital security in the Philippines.