The abduction of Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi has led to warnings against travel to Mindanao and the Philippines from the UK embassy.
Bossi was abducted on June 10th in the Zamboanga Sibugay province, and a search for him by the Philippines military is currently underway.
The UK embassy warns against any travel to the Sulu and Mindanao provinces, but adds that the threat of kidnapping should be considered widespread, particularly with boats coming in and off the islands as they will be likely targets.
Since the middle of last year, the threat of terrorism has also increased in the area, with at least two bomb explosions in May.
It is recommended to avoid the Sulu archipelago in particular as there is currently an ongoing struggle between against insurgents by the Philippine government.
But so far, UK tourists travelling to the Philippines have faced few problems.
Of the 65,000 British visitors every year to the islands, only a minority have required consular assistance, and in most cases it has been due to lost or stolen passports and overstaying of their visa.
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