The course of the disaster: how will the earthquake in the Philippines affect tourism

More than 60 people died in the Philippines after the earthquake. Most of the victims were in the city of Bogo in Cebu province. The popular resort of the same name is also located there. However, another natural disaster will not have a strong impact on the economy, although tourism provides 8.9% of the country's GDP, experts say. The season doesn't start for another month, and the authorities have time to rebuild everything that was destroyed. At the same time, direct flights from Russia to the Philippines will start in October amid an increase in tourist traffic. Due to the seismic hazard, tour operators recommend choosing only trusted hotels and taking out insurance covering natural disasters and emergency evacuation. The economic consequences of the natural disaster in the country are described in the Izvestia article.

A powerful earthquake has occurred in the Philippines

In the Philippines, an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 occurred off the west coast of the Palompon region. The death toll, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), exceeded 60. About 150 people were injured. Many remain under the rubble of buildings. The tremors occurred on Monday evening, and more than 600 aftershocks have been recorded since Wednesday morning.

The Russian Embassy in Manila has no information about the injured Russians. It is specified that the diplomats requested the necessary information from the local competent authorities.

Most of the victims were in the city of Bogo, where about 90 thousand people live. It is located in Cebu Province, where there is a popular resort of the same name. The authorities are still assessing the scale of the destruction, but many houses, institutions and even several churches have turned into ruins. A state of emergency has been declared in Cebu, allowing the administration to use 30% of the local rapid response fund for reconstruction work. The situation is complicated by the subsequent eruption of the Taal volcano, which is located about 70 km south of the capital Manila. Defense Minister Gilbert Teodoro flew to Cebu to lead disaster relief efforts.

Hospitals on the island are already overcrowded, workers are carrying out bodies in chaos, according to local news portal ABS-CBN News. Doctors provided assistance to some of the victims right on the street, taking into account, among other things, the risks of repeated tremors.

"My friend and I were having lunch at the food court shortly before closing, and suddenly, bang! It was as if the Earth had stopped rotating. And then the mall shook," Jayford, a 21—year-old online shoe retailer, told reporters, adding that his friend suffered minor injuries.

Agnes, a 65-year-old nurse, said that a tile had cracked in her kitchen.: "It felt like we were all about to fall. This is the first time I've encountered this. All the neighbors ran out of their houses. Two of my teenage assistants hid under the table because that's what they were taught in Boy Scouts."

Medical students, health workers, and ordinary citizens gathered to make donations and provide assistance to earthquake victims.

​​​Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with local authorities. "I express my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers are with the victims and all those affected by this disaster," the Philippine leader said. The authorities are also considering the possibility of seeking assistance from foreign governments in dealing with the earthquake. First of all, it will be the United States, Manila's closest Western ally in the region.

— The question is no longer that once again they could not predict the earthquake — this is still not a very grateful thing. The question is how the authorities will deal with this," Kirill Kotkov, head of the Center for the Study of the Far East in St. Petersburg, tells Izvestia.

At the same time, the expert notes that there are no signs of a scenario unfolding in Nepal or Madagascar yet. In other words, we should not expect mass protests from the population.

Is it safe to travel to the Philippines

The Philippines is located in the area of the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", where 80% of all "fire-breathing" mountains on Earth are concentrated. Therefore, the country is considered one of the most seismically active in the world. Typhoons have recently formed in the same region, which have covered Taiwan, mainland China and Vietnam.

Philippine volcanologists, of course, are trying to monitor the situation carefully. For example, the country has long been preparing for the so-called "Big Earthquake" of magnitude 7.2, which may occur along the fault of the Western Valley with a length of about 100 km in the Manila metropolitan area. In this case, the forecast is disappointing: the potential damage is estimated at 33,000 deaths and 168,000 destroyed buildings in the capital region and neighboring provinces.

The earthquake is unlikely to have a significant impact on the economy, including even tourism, which provides 8.9% of the country's GDP, experts say.

— The season starts only in a month, and the authorities and businesses have time to put their affairs in order. Of course, an earthquake with human casualties can change the decision of some tourists, but it is worth understanding that there are always such risks in the Philippines and they must be taken into account when planning trips, regardless of recent events," Pavel Shaternikov, a junior researcher at IMEMO RAS.

It is noteworthy that direct flights to the Philippines are scheduled to begin this month, although this issue has been discussed since 2023. According to Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, flights will be operated from two Russian cities.

Since the end of October, IrAero has been launching charter flights from Khabarovsk and Irkutsk to Boracay Island. The flight duration will be about eight hours, taking into account the technical stop at Chinese airports — in Ningbo (on flights from Khabarovsk) and in Guilin (on flights from Irkutsk), and the ticket price will be 75-80 thousand rubles. However, the Russian Union of Travel Industry believes that this will not significantly increase demand — nevertheless, direct flights from Moscow are necessary for a significant increase in tourist traffic.

At the same time, the archipelago is becoming more and more popular among Russians. In 2024, it was visited by more than 27 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation, which is 19% more than in 2023. From January to July 2025, almost 18,000 Russians traveled to the Philippines, an increase of 16% compared to the same period last year. But still, it is difficult to call this country a favorite vacation destination for our travelers.

— At the moment, we do not record cancellations of mass trips to the Philippines. This market is already not one of the main destinations for Russian tourists, so you should not expect a collapse in tourist flow from the Russian Federation. There is no information about victims among our clients or tourists from Russia yet," Maya Kotlyar, founder and CEO of MAYEL Travel, tells Izvestia.

When visiting the island states of Southeast Asia, tour operators advise following certain recommendations: choose only proven hotels and infrastructure that meet safety standards, take out insurance covering natural disasters and emergency evacuation, and monitor reports from local authorities and emergency services. At the same time, despite the fact that the region remains in demand and relatively safe for travel, over the past year, natural disasters have indeed begun to affect tourists' plans more often, Maya Kotlyar draws attention.