Good thing here in the Philippines is that theres coins.ph that is well-trusted when it comes to bitcoin wallet. I just hope that it will continue to be secured and prevent the users to be scammed or hacked.
There are many exchanges just like coins.ph which also implements strict security standards only to be compromised sooner or later. The fact that OP has suggested other alternatives of cryptocurrency storage other than exchanges e.g. ( hardware wallet) is actually practical and a good advice since exchanges which are most often online have high risk from intrusion and are also inherently unsafe for storage purposes of our digital assets.
If we cannot afford hardware wallets then we have to apply best security practices to further safeguard our assets and based on my experience, this includes but not limited to:
a) use of virtual machines for storage purposes of digital assets - e.g. VMware / Virtualbox
b) application of encryption tech to storage units
c) use of a robust password manager e.g. keepass password manager (also used for seed phrases, private keys, etc)
d) doing regular backup of our wallets
e) installing intrusion detection systems and other security products on our computers ( firewall, antivirus, anti-malware)
f) avoid any unsolicited emails and any unexpected use of credentials (trick used for phishing sites)
g) being up to date with latest security news and best practices
h) be vigilant and security conscious always.
