Glad to hear your family is OK.
Do you mind giving us some additional details? Is your family Filipino? White? Etc?
I just returned from MNL this morning. I fly in there all the time for work but this was my first time going as a tourist. I went to see a dentist as US dental coverage is a joke. I didn't experience any difficulty and found the filipino people to be some of the nicest of nationalities (I have been to more than 100 countries, lived in 7). That said, criminal elements lurk everywhere I'm sure. I made sure to talk to some of our local staff ahead of time and arrange for a screened driver ahead of my visit. One thing they all emphasized is to NEVER let my drink out of my sight should I go to a bar. If it leaves my sight for even a second to not take another sip. One of our pilots recently got victimized this very way. They took everything he had, passport, company ID, money, credit cards. When he showed up to the airport asking for help from our people they told me he could barely stand.
I try to be mindful of every place I travel. The problem lies in our own complacency. The more places we visit, the more countries we live in, the more we feel we can handle our own in any given environment.
I almost sent my wife and kids through MNL on her way to visit family. Glad I didn't. Won't be sending her there alone now that I read this.