WARNING: Siquijor probes ‘manyak’ tour guides posting photos of women without consent

Cambughay Falls was temporarily closed as local officials addressed complaints over unauthorized photos of tourists.

Siquijor tourists have warned of guides at the viral “fairy walk” site who post photos of swimsuit-clad women tourists without their consent.

A Facebook account by the name of Sakri Pisyu was flagged by netizens for posting photos of women tourists without their consent. The photographed women are wearing swimsuits, with some stolen shots showing the women in compromising positions.

Some of the posted photos are of a man, presumably the account owner, taking selfies with foreign women. Posts from the account have gained significant traction, with other users posting suggestive comments about the women in the photos.

The Facebook user lists his workplace as Tarzan Swing, which is a popular tourist attraction at Cambughay Falls in Siquijor that gained popularity through the “fairy walk” social media trend.

Another Facebook account by the name of Gera Cruz also posts full-body photos and selfies with tourists—mostly foreigners—which also draw sexually charged comments from other users.

The Siquijor Provincial Tourism Office said it was investigating the matter, reminding the public that taking photos of individuals without their consent is illegal.

“We are doing our best to address this matter and put a stop to these practices. We have already coordinated with the appropriate agencies and individuals who have direct contact with the persons involved,” the office said in a statement on October 1.

The local agency also encouraged the public to report other incidents of non-consensual photos. The tourism office reminded tourism workers to respect the privacy of all guests.

“Taking photographs of individuals without their knowledge or consent, particularly when done for purposes beyond the legitimate service being provided, is a serious concern and should not be tolerated,” the statement read.

The Municipality of Lazi temporarily closed Cambughay Falls from October 5 to 6 while it worked to resolve issues among stakeholders. The local tourism office assured the public that the matter had already been addressed but still encouraged the public to report unsafe behavior.

“We assure everyone that we will continue to monitor the activities and services of our stakeholders in the area to ensure that improvements are sustained and that our visitors receive the experience they deserve,” the tourism office said in a Facebook post on October 6.

The concerned accounts continued to post photos of women after the statement was issued on October 1, but had not posted to their accounts after the reopening announcement on October 6.

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