Andanar seeks ‘fair’ travel advisories

PRESIDENTIAL Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said he would ask tourism leaders to issue travel advisories that are “more specific” to areas in the Philippines affected by security issues so as not to affect other travel destinations.

Andanar, in a news conference in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, said he would direct his agency’s Office for Global Media Affairs to push for fair travel advisories.

“I will stress on the importance of [ travel advisories] specific in the provinces or the cities that are affected by terrorism,” Andanar said.

He cited the role of the Office for Global Media Affairs in cultivating better tourism relations between the Philippines and other countries.

“The good relations between PCOO and different information ministries in Asean, Japan, China, Australia, US, brings our department closer to them,” he added.

Andanar is set to fly to Bangkok, Thailand this week to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ministry of information there on journalism education exchange.

“That MoU will have educational exchanges between journalists in the Philippines and journalists from Bangkok,” he said.

“It’s the same MoU that I signed with China. I think some of our colleagues in the Philippines are beneficiaries of these scholarships,” he added.

Last week, the United Kingdom and Australian governments issued advisories warning their nationals against traveling to Mindanao in the wake of the bomb attack in Cotabato City on December 31.

Malacañang, however, assured the international community that it is safe to travel to Mindanao since the bomb attack, which killed two persons and wounded 34 others, was an “isolated case.”