How safe is HelloSafe? “Utterly unsafe!”
This was the reaction of the Philippines sports tourism stakeholders and communities when asked to comment on HelloSafe’s recent listing of the Philippines as one of the three least safest countries in 2024.
“Obviously, HelloSafe’s methodology and criteria to assess countries are ironically, unsafe, to say the least,” this was how Charles Lim, President and CEO of Sports Turismo Alliance Philippines bluntly put it.
Lim singled out how the Philippines has been hosting mega sports events during the last four years which falls under the audit period of HelloSafe, a global insurance company, and his group has not found any alarming incident involving thousands of athletes and hundreds of thousands of fans from far and near.
“We hosted the FIBA (Basketball) World Cup in 2023; a series of eight international races with the IRONMAN Group in 2024 and later this year, the Philippines is hosting the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship as well as the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup,” Lim stressed.
In Northern Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro City recently hosted the 2nd Sinag Liga Asya (SLA) Junior World Showcase – Mindanao Cup, bringing together 36 youth basketball teams with hundreds of junior players from the Philippines, USA, Canada, and UAE on July 5-11.
About the same time, eleven journalists, vloggers, bloggers, and tour operators, explored the region through “The Korean Media Familiarization Tour (FamTour)” from July 8-12, experiencing outdoor adventures from the majestic waterfalls of Iligan City to helmet diving and snorkeling in Misamis Oriental’s coastal waters; exploring the lush mangrove forests in Tubajon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental; jet skiing in Macajalar Bay, and braving Cagayan River’s famous white-water rafting course, Dahilayan Adventure Park’s zipline and alpine coaster in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon; practical shooting at the Northern Mindanao Pistol, Shotgun, & Archery Inc. (NMPSA) shooting range in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro; and enjoying the cool and scenic Route 955 through Claveria and Gingoog City. Beyond the adrenaline, the creators were treated to a more reflective side of the region. Stops included the Divine Mercy Shrine, the sprawling Del Monte pineapple plantation, and a relaxing round at Pueblo de Oro Golf Course. Each destination offered a glimpse into local life, history, and spiritual heritage.
The Fam Tour was a prelude to the “K Festival” event, highlighting Korean culture, which will be held in Cagayan de Oro and Mindanao for the first time ever this coming September.
Lim emphasized that world sports organizations such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association[ (FIFA), Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) and Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) have taken into account safety as a strong criteria in hosting of sports. These international sports bodies have made their assessments, which is stricter and beyond the realms of HelloSafe, and they find the Philippines extremely safe to hold these games.
“Unless HelloSafe has a reason to challenge the findings of these strong global sports associations, we should ignore the falsehood of the HelloSafe listing. Before any bid for hosting is considered, safety of athletes and visitors is considered a high criteria,” Lim emphasized.
Earlier, Tourism Secretary Cristina G Frasco demanded HelloSafe delete its June 20, 2025 global travel safety warning which declared the Philippines, along with Columbia and Mexico as the least safest countries to visit. In a July 15, 2025 statement, HelloSafe apologized for their mistake, but tourism officials regret that the “damage” has been done due to HelloSafe’s warrantless and irresponsible postings.
Sports Turismo Alliance Philippines is a non-stock, nonprofit organization supporting tourism bodies and sports communities throughout the Philippines. It is a member of the International Association of Event Hosts, a global organization based in London, promoting sports, cultural and heritage events.
It also hosts the annual Philippine Sports Tourism Awards, now entering its seventh year, recognizing local governments, sports associations, event organizers, hotels. resorts, airlines, tour operators, sports venues, corporate sponsors, destination marketing outfits, sports foundations, amongst others for developing and hosting sports events as a contributor to the tourism industry.
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