( CNN ) -- U.S. citizens should `` exercise extreme caution '' when traveling to the Philippines , the U.S. State Department said Tuesday in a statement . `` Targeted sites may be public gathering places including , but not limited to , airports , shopping malls , conference centers , and other public venues , '' said the statement . The warning , which is an update from November , specifies the island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago as particularly dangerous and at great risk of harboring terrorist activity . Manila might also be included , the statement said . Because of election-related violence , the Philippine government declared a state of emergency in November 2009 for the Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces , as well as Cotabato City in Mindanao . This state of emergency is still in effect , according to the State Department . Travelers should be aware of heightened police and military presence in these areas and of kidnap-for-ransom gangs that are active in the Philippines and target foreigners , the department said . Mindanao is a predominantly Muslim autonomous region , set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the Philippines , a predominantly Christian country . Read U.S. State Department 's full warning . In November 2009 at least 57 people were killed when their convoy was ambushed in Maguindanao . The former mayor of the province was accused of plotting the deaths to thwart a political rival . The State Department issued a worldwide caution to warn U.S. citizens that terrorism can happen anywhere and urges those visiting the Philippines to register with the U.S. Embassy to be notified of emergencies , the statement said .
Potential terrorist activity could endanger travelers , department says . State Department : `` Travelers should exercise extreme caution '' New statement claims `` state of emergency '' in the Philippines .