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Across the whole archipelago there is a conflict between the armed forces of the Philippines and the communist New People's Army. Neither side has a particular interest in causing problems for foreigners, but there is a chance you might wander in to a zone of active conflict. For this reason you can also expect some suspicion. There are few foreign travellers away from the main tourist attractions, and local people often guess that foreigners are missionaries, and if not, spies for the CIA. This suspicion is understandable in the context of decades of conflict, where many people are percieved to have hidden agendas. Local people will tend to warn you if there is conflict on the road ahead.
Filipino, or other asian Asian hitch-hikers should be more cautious before heading into troublespots. A few years ago, a group of 11 people, mostly teenagers, were hitch-hiking together to Sagada, a popular relaxed town in the mountains, after a punk show in Baguio. They happened to pass through a spot, where a few days before, 3 soldiers had been killed in a clashes with the NPA. The military thought their behaviour unusual, and arrested them on suspicion of having carried out the attacks. Despite no evidence whatsoever linking them to the attacks, the 11 people were tortured and held in prison for 9 months.
In Mindanao, there is also ongoing conflict with a range of Muslim separatist groups, and because of this long history some of those groups have turned to kidnap-for-ransom, not always clearly linked to their political objectives. This is a problem in Western Mindanao, and also the fighting tends to be much heavier here than in the conflict with the NPA. There are also conflicts with paramilitaries, usually in areas where plantation or mining companies are trying to expand. Most local people who have a knowledge of the conflict advise that foreigners avoid certain areas, particularly the Zamboanga Peninsula, Sulu archipelago and most of North Cotobato / Magindanao. The east of Mindanao is really fine, the road from Surigao to General Santos, or from Davao to Cagayan de Oro is as safe as anywhere in the Philippines. The north coast as far as Iligan is also usually fine. Further west there is some risk, but foreigners do go there.
