AFTER years of being the top source of tourists in the Philippines, South Korea has also become the nation with the most number of expatriates in the country, outnumbering those from the United States.
Of the 25,000 non-tourist visas it issued in 2015, Commissioner Siegfred Mison said the Bureau of Immigration issued the most to Koreans, followed by Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Australians and Europeans.
Foreign visitors to the country during the 10-month period reached 4,395,812 visitors and posting an 11.13 percent growth compared to the 3,955,399 arrivals for the same period in 2014.
Korea remained the top source of tourists with 901,749 visitors this year, a 15.04 percent increase from its record of 783,852 visitors in 2014.
The United States is second with 531,217 visitors for the first eight months of the year, a growth of 7.68 percent, followed by Japan which brought in 334,881 visitors, up by 7.71 percent.
These countries were followed by China 322,417, Australia 153,097, Singapore 121,917, Taiwan 120,630, Malaysia 103,995, United Kingdom 103,577, and Canada 102,293.
“The figures only show that the Philippines is fast becoming a preferred venue for foreigners not just for tourism, but also as their second home,” said Mison.
He attributed the high and positive turnout for visa issuances to the reforms introduced by the bureau that led to more efficient and less bureaucratic process.
Application fees for tourist visa applications exceeded the one-billion peso mark for the first time this year.
Mison said that the agency ensured that applications were acted upon expediently.
“We streamlined the processes and introduced less stringent policies to make sure that foreign nationals have a pleasant experience in our country,” explained Mison.
This year, the BI began a new procedure on visa issuance, wherein the application no longer required the approval of the board of commissioners.
“In the latter process, applications are withheld for at least one more week until the board meets as a body. Under the visa task force, visas are approved right away, without need to wait for the schedule of the board meeting.” Mison said.
This is on top of its other accomplishments including the capture of high-profile fugitives and policy improvements.
“2015 has been exciting for us, being our diamond anniversary this year, and with all the accomplishments that we achieved as a team,” Mison said.