Privacy and Cookies Policy

Last updated: November 1, 2026

Welcome to Philippines Compass, available at https://philippinescompass.com.

This Privacy and Cookies Policy explains how Philippines Compass collects, uses, stores and protects information when you visit our website, contact us, subscribe to updates or interact with links, tools and services available through the website.

By using Philippines Compass, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy.

1. Who We Are

Philippines Compass is an independent travel information website providing destination guides, itineraries, attraction recommendations, local travel tips, cultural information and links to third-party travel services.

For questions about this policy or your personal information, contact us at:

Email: contact@philippinescompass.com

2. Information We May Collect

We may collect information that you provide directly to us, including:

Your name
Your email address
Information included in a contact form or message
Newsletter subscription details
Comments, questions or feedback submitted through the website

We may also collect certain technical and usage information automatically when you visit the website, including:

Internet Protocol address
Browser type and version
Device type and operating system
Approximate location based on your IP address
Pages visited
Referring website or search engine
Links clicked
Date, time and duration of visits
Cookie identifiers and similar technical information

We do not intentionally request sensitive personal information through the website.

3. How We Use Information

We may use collected information to:

Operate, maintain and improve Philippines Compass
Respond to questions and messages
Send newsletters or travel updates when you have subscribed
Understand how visitors use the website
Measure the performance of articles and website features
Detect technical problems, spam, fraud or misuse
Improve the relevance and usefulness of our travel content
Measure clicks on travel offers and affiliate links
Meet legal, regulatory or security obligations

We will not use your personal information for materially different purposes without providing appropriate notice when required.

4. Legal Grounds for Processing

Depending on your location and the applicable law, we may process personal information on one or more of the following grounds:

Your consent
Our legitimate interest in operating and improving the website
The need to respond to a request you have submitted
Compliance with a legal obligation
Protection of the website, its visitors or other persons

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small files stored on your computer, phone or other device when you visit a website.

Philippines Compass may use cookies, local storage, tracking pixels and similar technologies to operate the website, remember preferences, understand visitor activity and support third-party services.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for important website functions, including:

Website security
Spam protection
Remembering privacy choices
Maintaining sessions
Loading essential website features

Essential cookies may be used without optional consent where permitted by applicable law.

Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors find and use the website. They may collect information such as pages viewed, visit duration, device type and general geographic region.

We may use analytics services such as Google Analytics or similar tools. Where required, these cookies will only be activated after you provide consent.

Functional Cookies

Functional cookies may remember choices such as language, display preferences or other settings that improve your experience.

Advertising and Affiliate Cookies

Affiliate partners, advertising networks and travel booking platforms may use cookies or similar technologies when you click a link or interact with an embedded service.

These technologies may be used to:

Record that you reached a partner through Philippines Compass
Attribute a booking or purchase to our website
Measure the performance of an affiliate campaign
Display or measure relevant advertisements
Prevent fraud or duplicate attribution

Affiliate cookies are normally controlled by the relevant third-party provider and are subject to that provider’s privacy and cookie policies.

Google AdSense

Philippines Compass may show advertisements served by Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or to other websites.

Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet.

You can opt out of personalized advertising in Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising at www.aboutads.info.

Where the law requires consent for advertising cookies, we ask for it before personalized ads are shown. To learn how Google uses information from websites that use its services, see Google’s explanation.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Where a cookie consent tool is available, you can accept, reject or manage optional cookies through the cookie banner or the Cookie Settings link on the website.

You can also delete or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect the operation or appearance of some website features.

Your browser may allow you to:

View stored cookies
Delete individual or all cookies
Block third-party cookies
Block all cookies
Clear cookies when the browser closes

Cookie durations vary. Some cookies are removed when you close your browser, while others remain until they expire or are manually deleted.

7. Analytics Services

We may use third-party analytics providers to understand website traffic and improve our content.

These providers may process technical information such as your IP address, browser information, device details and interactions with the website.

Where required by applicable law, analytics services will remain disabled until you provide consent.

You may also be able to limit analytics tracking through our cookie settings, browser controls or tools provided by the analytics provider.

8. Affiliate Links and Travel Partners

Philippines Compass contains affiliate links to third-party travel services. These may include hotel booking platforms, attraction providers, tour marketplaces, transportation services, eSIM providers, insurance providers and other travel-related businesses.

Examples may include:

Booking.com
Klook
Viator
GetYourGuide
Other accommodation, transport and activity providers

When you click an affiliate link, the third-party provider may collect information, place cookies on your device or record that you were referred by Philippines Compass.

We may receive a commission when you complete an eligible booking or purchase through an affiliate link. This normally does not increase the price you pay.

We do not control how third-party partners collect or process your information. You should review the privacy policy of the relevant provider before submitting personal or payment information.

Philippines Compass does not normally receive or store your complete payment-card information when you make a booking through a third-party website.

9. Embedded Content

Articles may include embedded content such as:

YouTube videos
Maps
Social media posts
Booking widgets
Attraction search tools
Hotel search tools
Images or content hosted by third parties

Embedded content may behave as though you visited the third-party website directly. The provider may collect information, use cookies or track your interaction with the embedded content.

Where required, non-essential embedded content may be blocked until you provide consent.

10. Contact Forms and Email

When you contact us, we may retain your name, email address and message for the purpose of responding and maintaining appropriate records.

Please do not submit passport numbers, payment-card details, medical information or other sensitive information through a general contact form.

We may use a third-party email, hosting or form service to process and store messages.

11. Email Newsletters

When newsletter subscriptions are offered, we will use your email address to send the content you requested.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in an email or by contacting us.

Newsletter providers may collect information about email delivery, openings and link clicks. Where required, these features will be used only with an appropriate legal basis or consent.

12. Comments

If comments are enabled, information submitted through a comment form may be stored along with technical information used to detect spam.

Comments may be publicly visible. Do not include personal information that you do not want others to see.

Comment and spam-protection services may process your IP address, browser details and comment content.

13. Information Sharing

We may share information with service providers that help us operate the website, including:

Website hosting providers
Security and backup services
Analytics providers
Email and newsletter services
Contact-form providers
Spam-prevention services
Website maintenance providers
Advertising and affiliate partners

These providers may process information only as necessary to provide their services, subject to their contracts and privacy obligations.

We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to:

Comply with law or a valid legal request
Protect our rights, visitors or website
Investigate fraud, abuse or security incidents
Complete a business transfer, merger or sale

14. Selling or Sharing Personal Information

Philippines Compass does not sell personal information for money.

Certain advertising, analytics or affiliate technologies may be considered a “sale,” “sharing” or targeted advertising under some privacy laws, even where no money is exchanged for personal information.

Where applicable, you may opt out through the cookie settings or by contacting us at the email address listed in this policy.

15. International Data Transfers

Philippines Compass is accessible internationally. Our hosting providers, analytics services, affiliate partners and other service providers may process information in countries other than the country in which you live.

Privacy and data-protection laws may differ between countries. Where required, appropriate safeguards will be used for international transfers of personal information.

16. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, security and dispute-resolution requirements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information:

Contact messages may be retained while a request is being handled and for a reasonable record-keeping period.
Newsletter information may be retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Security logs may be retained for a limited period to investigate abuse or technical incidents.
Analytics information may be retained according to the settings of the relevant analytics provider.

Information may be deleted, anonymized or aggregated when it is no longer required.

17. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical and organizational measures designed to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

However, no website, transmission method or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

18. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and the laws that apply, you may have the right to:

Request access to personal information held about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your information
Object to or restrict certain processing
Withdraw consent
Request a portable copy of certain information
Opt out of certain advertising, selling or sharing activities
Submit a complaint to a relevant data-protection authority
Be informed about how your information is collected and used

To submit a privacy request, email:

[contact@philippinescompass.com]

Please describe your request clearly. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.

You will not be discriminated against for exercising an applicable privacy right.

19. Privacy Rights in the Philippines

Where the Philippine Data Privacy Act applies, data subjects may have rights relating to notice, access, correction, objection, deletion or blocking, data portability, complaints and compensation, subject to applicable conditions and exceptions.

You may also contact the National Privacy Commission if you believe your rights under Philippine data-protection law have been violated.

20. European and United Kingdom Visitors

Where European Union, European Economic Area or United Kingdom data-protection law applies, you may have rights including access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection and data portability.

You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data-protection authority responsible for your country or region.

Optional cookies and similar tracking technologies will be managed through consent controls where required.

21. California Privacy Rights

Where California privacy law applies, California residents may have rights to know, access, correct or delete certain personal information and to opt out of qualifying sales, sharing or targeted advertising.

Requests may be submitted using the contact information in this policy.

Philippines Compass does not discriminate against users for exercising applicable California privacy rights.

22. Children’s Privacy

Philippines Compass is a general travel information website and is not directed specifically at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children below the minimum age required by applicable privacy law.

A parent or guardian who believes that a child has submitted personal information may contact us to request its removal.

23. External Websites

Our website contains links to websites and services operated by other organizations.

We are not responsible for the privacy, security, content or practices of third-party websites. Visiting an external website is subject to that website’s own terms and privacy policy.

24. Do Not Track and Privacy Signals

Some browsers and devices provide Do Not Track or other privacy preference signals.

Where required by applicable law and supported by our website technology, we will process recognized opt-out preference signals. In other cases, the website may not respond to all browser signals consistently.

You can still manage optional tracking through the cookie settings and your browser controls.

25. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy and Cookies Policy when our website, services, partners or legal obligations change.

The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Material changes may also be highlighted through an appropriate website notice.

26. Contact Us

For privacy questions, cookie questions or requests concerning your personal information, contact:

Philippines Compass
Website: https://philippinescompass.com
Email: [contact@philippinescompass.com]