Legal
Privacy Policy
Effective 12 August 2026. Last updated 12 August 2026.
IslaTravel is a Philippines travel concierge and booking service. We arrange transfers and tours for travellers, and we send those jobs to local drivers and operators. This policy explains, in plain language, what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what you can ask us to do with it.
It covers our websites — islatravel.ph, cebu.travel, negros.travel, bookbohol.com, palawantrips.com and siargaotrips.com — and, importantly, the messages we exchange with you on WhatsApp.
Who we are
IslaTravel operates the websites listed above and the IslaTravel WhatsApp Business account. We are based in the Philippines and we are the data controller for the information described in this policy. For any privacy question, or to exercise any of the rights below, email cebutravelteam@gmail.com — a real person answers.
WhatsApp: what we do and don't do
We use WhatsApp to run bookings. It is how we send drivers their job offers and how we confirm details with travellers. Here is exactly how that works.
How we get your number
We only message people who gave us their number themselves — a driver typing it into the registration form at islatravel.ph/drivers, a traveller entering it in a quote form on one of our sites, or someone who messaged our WhatsApp number first. We do not buy phone number lists and we do not message numbers we obtained from anywhere else.
What we send you
- Drivers and operators: job offers containing the pick-up, drop-off, date, time and the price you would be paid; follow-ups to confirm a job; and requests for your vetting documents.
- Travellers: messages about a quote or booking you asked us for — confirmations, pick-up details, and changes to your trip.
We do not send marketing blasts, promotional broadcasts or unrelated offers over WhatsApp.
What we collect through WhatsApp
- Your WhatsApp phone number and the display name shown on your profile.
- The content of messages you send us, and our replies — kept as the record of what was agreed for a booking.
- Any files or photos you choose to send us, including the vetting documents we ask drivers for (OR/CR, driver's licence, LTFRB, NBI clearance, insurance).
- Delivery and read status returned by WhatsApp, so we know whether a job offer reached you.
Do not send us anything we did not ask for. Please don't send bank card numbers, passwords or health information over WhatsApp — we never need them.
WhatsApp's own role
WhatsApp is owned by Meta. When you message us, WhatsApp carries and processes that conversation under its own terms, and Meta handles the account and delivery data attached to it. That part is outside our control and is governed by WhatsApp's Privacy Policy. Our own copies of the conversation are covered by this policy.
Stopping messages
You can stop our WhatsApp messages at any time: reply STOP, or email cebutravelteam@gmail.com. We will stop messaging you and, if you ask, remove you from our driver list entirely. Drivers: turning off messages or declining jobs costs you nothing and carries no penalty.
What we collect on our websites
If you ask for a quote
- Your name, email address and phone number.
- Your trip details: pick-up and destination, dates, number of passengers, and any notes you add.
If you register as a driver or operator
- Your name and WhatsApp/mobile number (required), and your email address if you give one.
- Vehicle type, plate number, where you are based, years driving, and the routes you can cover.
- Anything you write in the notes field.
- The vetting documents listed above — but only later, over WhatsApp or email. Nothing is uploaded through the website.
Technical information
When a form is submitted we also record the IP address and browser user-agent at the time, purely to detect spam and abuse. Our sites use Google Analytics 4 to understand overall usage — pages viewed, approximate location, device type. We do not run advertising or retargeting trackers, and we never sell personal information.
Why we use it
- To prepare your quote and arrange your trip — the reason you contacted us.
- To offer work to drivers and to agree the job and the price before it happens.
- To vet drivers and operators before their first job, so travellers are safe.
- To keep a record of what was agreed, in case of a dispute or a query later.
- To keep the service secure and prevent spam and abuse.
We rely on your consent — given when you fill in a form or message us — and on our legitimate interest in running a safe, working booking service.
Who we share it with
- The driver or operator carrying out your booking gets the trip details they need to do the job: pick-up, drop-off, time, passenger name and a contact number.
- The traveller is told which driver and vehicle is picking them up.
- Service providers who help us operate — our website host, our email provider, our internal booking system, and WhatsApp/Meta as the messaging channel. They act on our instructions.
- Authorities, only where the law requires it.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for advertising.
Where it is handled
We operate from the Philippines. Some of the providers that help us run the service process data outside the Philippines. Where that happens we take reasonable steps to make sure your information stays protected to the standard described here.
How long we keep it
- Quote enquiries: for as long as we are handling your request, and a reasonable period afterwards for our records.
- Driver and operator records: for as long as you are on our list, plus a reasonable period after your last job.
- Vetting documents: only as long as needed to confirm you are eligible to drive, and while you remain active with us.
- WhatsApp conversations: kept as the booking record, then deleted when no longer needed.
If you ask us to delete your information, we will, unless we are required to keep it.
Your rights
You have the right to be informed about what we hold, to access it, to have it corrected or erased, to object to or restrict how we use it, and to withdraw your consent at any time. To do any of these, email cebutravelteam@gmail.com or reply to us on WhatsApp. We will not charge you and we will not penalise you for asking.
These rights are protected in the Philippines by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173). If you believe we have mishandled your information, you may raise a complaint with the National Privacy Commission at privacy.gov.ph.
Security
Access to enquiries, driver records and documents is limited to the people who need it to do the job. Our sites are served over HTTPS, and credentials for our systems are not stored in anything the public can reach. No system is perfectly secure, but we take this seriously and we act quickly if something goes wrong.
Children
Our service is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. Where a child travels, we deal with the adult making the booking.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the service changes. The effective date at the top always shows the current version, and material changes will be reflected here before they take effect.
Contact us
Questions, requests or complaints about privacy:
IslaTravel — cebutravelteam@gmail.com
Or reply to any of our messages on WhatsApp.