Manila will seek Tokyo's recall of a travel advisory warning Japanese nationals not to travel to the Philippines, top officials said yesterday.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said the Japanese government travel advisory was issued on October 8 amid apprehensions in Tokyo of a backlash on its citizens abroad in the wake of retaliatory strikes by the U.S.-led coalition against Osama bin Laden's Al Qaida group and Afghanistan's Taliban government.

The advisory could mean a loss of millions in dollars for tourism establishments every day, local tourism officials said.

Japanese and American tourists are the Philippines' main market.

Gordon said he has discussed the travel advisory with Japanese Ambassador to Manila, Yoshihasa Ara, on Monday but failed to get assurance that the Japanese government would review the advisory.

Gordon had asked the Japanese envoy to at least lower the alert warning and delete Manila, Palawan, Cebu and Boracay from the list of areas restricted to Japanese tourists in the advisory. These areas are frequented by tourists and are considered safe destinations for travellers.

Gordon said he will ask Vice-President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto, to request Tokyo to withdraw the advisory.

Japan is the third country to issue a travel advisory warning its citizens not to travel to the Philippines after the U.S. and the United Kingdom issued similar notices.

The Japanese embassy had earlier issued an alert warning one in September but raised it to alert level two and cautioned Japanese nationals against travelling to Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and some parts of Mindanao, such as Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Sur and Norte and Cotabato City.

Romulo de los Reyes, director for international promotions of the Department of Tourism, said the advisory was issued due to the reported links of the Abu Sayyaf to Bin Laden.

Reyes said the advisory was "unfair" and called on the Japanese government to conduct a "thorough study and check what's actually happening in the country".