^yes, there are NPA in Panay island (Iloilo and Antique provinces), according to friends who live there.
@bonecollector - there was a couple (UK expat + Filipina wife) who got kidnapped in 2019. There's also Martin & Gracia Burnham. They're missionaries from the USA. They were held for several months. Martin died during the rescue operation (conducted by the military). Gracia survived and wrote a book about their ordeal. There's also the case of the Dos Palmas and the Samal island kidnappings.
British Man and Filipino Woman Abducted in Philippines - The New York Times
Many areas in PH are safe (for tourism or hiking), but there are "no go" zones and it's best to heed the advice of locals.
For DIY hikes (I've done some of those with friends), you have to go to the jump off point and register at the barangay/ village hall. You can hire guides from there (they're usually on standby). In 2019, fees for a guide were 500 pesos (10 usd) for a ~5 hour hike (up+down the mountain). It can also cost 1,000 to 2,000 pesos (20 to 40 usd) for the guide, depending on the distance/ time/ difficulty. These are 2019 prices, so they might have changed.
If you go to Baguio city (a former hilltop station) and base yourself there for a few days, there are several mountains that you can go for day hikes. One is Mt. Ulap - it's relatively easy and OK for beginners. You can hire a taxi or ride a jeepney to Itogon town in Benguet province, register and get a guide. (I've done Mt Ulap and wouldn't mind to repeat it since the views are scenic.)
There are many mountains in PH and many known trails are safe.
My go-to site for researching mountains is the Pinoy mountaineer site. Here's the post for Mt Ulap. Just browse his site if interested.
Cheers and happy googling.
Mt. Ulap (1846m) in Itogon, Benguet – Pinoy Mountaineer