Trust & Safety — TravelAgencyPH

Travel scams are real, and Filipino travelers have lost hard-earned money to fake "agencies" on social media. TravelAgencyPH is designed to make trustworthy agencies easy to find and bad actors easy to avoid. Here's how.

How we protect the community

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DOT accreditation checks

Agencies can submit their Department of Tourism accreditation number, which we verify against public records before showing a badge.

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Verified bookings

Reviews from travelers who confirm they booked carry a "Verified Booking" badge, so ratings reflect real customers.

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Review moderation

Automated and human checks flag fake, incentivized, or abusive reviews before and after they're posted.

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Ownership verification

Listings can only be managed after the owner verifies control via DOT number, business phone, or business email.

Book smart: your safety checklist

Before you pay any deposit

Check for a DOT accreditation badge and look up the number on the DOT website.
Read recent reviews — especially how the agency handled problems, not just the praise.
Prefer agencies that accept traceable payments (credit card, GCash/Maya, bank transfer to a business account) over personal accounts.
Get the full itinerary, inclusions, and cancellation terms in writing before paying.
Be cautious with deals that are dramatically cheaper than everyone else.

Red flags to watch for

Pressure to pay in full immediately to a personal bank or e-wallet account.
No physical address, landline, or verifiable business registration.
Refuses to put the itinerary or terms in writing.
Only communicates through a personal social media profile with no track record.
Prices far below market with "limited slots" urgency.

See something suspicious?

Report a listing, review, or suspected scam and our Trust & Safety team will investigate.

Report a Concern

TravelAgencyPH is an independent directory. We facilitate discovery and reviews but are not a party to bookings between travelers and agencies. Always exercise your own judgment before paying.