‘Absolute nightmare’: Vlogger sits down to eat on a bench in the Philippines, and someone steals his backpack with his passport inside

A travel vlogger who posts as @offgridskater said in a TikTok video that his backpack was taken while he sat on a bench eating in Tagaytay in the Philippines. He described the theft as happening “literally right from me.” The TikTok clip has drawn about 1.1 million views.

He said the bag held his passport, two hard drives with all his Southeast Asia footage, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a filming phone, a Rode mic kit, GoPro batteries, power banks, skate tools, tripods, micro SD cards, bank cards, cash, and a California license. On-screen text in the video called it “pretty much everything I use to film and move through this journey.”

He called the situation an “absolute nightmare” and said he had been about to wrap the episode when it happened. He also said he lost half the footage for that episode and spent the rest of the day on police reports and searching.

Creator follows Find My pings from Tagaytay into a Manila alley

He said tourist police arrived and that they planned to check nearby buses. He showed a map app on another phone and said Find My placed the stolen iPhone “right here,” then added that he thought the thieves had shut it off.

In a follow-up TikTok video, he said the saga of the stolen backpack and missing iPhone was continuing. He stated he had been in Manila watching the phone ping across locations and that he had tracked it to a building right where he was standing.

He said he was in a random back alley, noted cameras, and called the moment “super dicey.” A black cat walked past, and he asked on camera whether that was a good sign or a bad sign. He approached a gate or intercom, called “Hello?” several times, and said, “This is so scary right now. I really don’t want to be doing this.”

He said in that clip that after the backpack was stolen in Tagaytay, the phone inside kept pinging somewhere in Manila, so he decided to check the location himself to see if the trail was real. He said what he found “definitely made the story even stranger.” The video ends on a blurred person standing in front of a large brown gate with arms outstretched.

According to the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs guidance, a lost or stolen passport abroad should be reported immediately so it can be canceled, often within one business day through an online form. The old passport is then not valid for international travel. A police report is not mandatory but can help confirm what happened.

The State Department says a traveler must appear in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for a replacement, bringing a 2×2 photo, identification such as a driver’s license, proof of citizenship if available, travel details, Form DS-11 with where and when the passport was lost or stolen, and fees. If travel is urgent, consular staff may issue an emergency passport valid for up to one year.

He has not yet posted a clear public update on whether the backpack or its contents were recovered.  Several viewers in the comment section turned their attention to the Philippines after watching the videos. One commenter wrote, “i hate my own country.” Another said, “my dissappoint of my country is immeasurable.” A third wrote, “That’s why I’ll never go to Phillipines.”

Others asked about the outcome or the way the gear was stored. One commenter wrote, “did you find it,its real nightmare to lose passport and phone in other countrie.” Another said, “i feel like if your gonna travel and have everything important in your bag how tf do you not either have it on you or in your eye sight.”

Travel disruptions can be costly, as one aviation vlogger spent $3,000 on Air India business class ticket, only to be left frustrated. A different commenter pushed back on blame aimed at the Philippines. They wrote, “this happens in every country so y r y’all blaming or hating philiphines? and most of y’all r filipinos too, you do know there are bad guys everywhere not just philiphines.”