When you are traveling, your worst nightmare is being robbed, losing your money, and being without a passport. There is a checklist below that can be used to help you get back on your feet after you are robbed when traveling in the Philippines. You can use any of these tips to recover, enjoy your trip, and get home safely. You do not want to be robbed while you are traveling, but you need to be aware of what to do if you are stuck in a worst-case scenario.
Find An Embassy Or Large Hotel
When you are robbed outside the country, you should go to the largest hotel you can find. If you are in a big city like Manila, you can go to the US Embassy. You can take shelter in the embassy while the embassy verifies who you are and replaces your passport. This is the fastest way to get back on your feet because a passport allows you to go home.
If you are in a place like Quezon City or Davao City, you should go to a large hotel. A large hotel has a phone and a concierge who can help you contact the right people. Once you are on the phone, you can start making plans to get your train back on track.
Request A Money Transfer
Sending money to the Philippines from the US helps you get your vacation back on track. If you are traveling around outlying islands like the Batanes and Babuyan, you need to charter a boat to a place where a transfer office is located. Barter with the boat’s captain because you will pay the captain as soon as you get to the transfer office.
When you call a friend back home and asked for a money transfer, let that person tell you where the closest transfer office is. You can pick up cash that will be used to pay the boat captain. If you are far from a big city, you can ask someone to drive you to the money transfer office. Again, you can pay that person when you pick up your cash.
If you ask for an electronic transfer, you can get money transferred to your debit card because you are asking your bank for a new card.
Cancel Your Credit Cards/Débit Cards
When you go to the embassy or ask to use the phone in a large hotel, you should call your credit card companies and ask them to cancel your current cards. Canceling your cards will absolve you of any responsibility if the thief has already used your cards.
The credit card company can send you new cards, and they will overnight those credit cards to the embassy, your current hotel, or the house where you are staying. You can get back to normal in less than 24 hours in many cases.
If you contact your bank to cancel your debit card, you should ask them to overnight a new debit card to your location.
File A Police Report
You may not be in the Philippines for much longer, but you should file a police report. The Filipino police may find the thief after you leave the country, and they can return your belongings to you. Plus, you should file a police report in case the thief tries to use your airline tickets or passport to leave the country. The thief could be detained at the gate, and your belongings will be returned.
Conclusion
If you are robbed while traveling aboard, make sure that you follow the steps above. You do not want something like to happen while you are vacationing in the Philippines, but you can solve your problems in a short time after visiting a hotel, finding the US embassy, and making a few phone calls.
