THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will launch an e-visa system that will allow foreign tourists to apply for a visitor’s visa online.
DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said the e-visa system “will allow foreign nationals to apply for visitor’s visas remotely through their personal computers, laptops, and mobile devices.”
The e-visa system could also encourage more tourists to visit the Philippines.
Manalo said the soft launch of the e-visa system will be conducted in Shanghai, China.
“I am pleased to share that the Philippine e-visa system is ready to be soft launched for beta testing which will be led by the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai,” he said.
Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he supported moves to ease the visa application process for tourists and international students to boost the country’s tourism sector.
During a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council in Malacañang, the President said that he wanted to streamline visa processing and adopt an online platform to hasten the processing.
PSAC presented to the President updates on previous recommendations and new proposals for strengthening the tourism industry.
Included in the PSAC’s recommendations are the standardization of information application procedure and information on student visa requirements and accreditation of clinics for medical clearance and certificate requirements for foreign students.
Another recommendation from PSAC is to allow students to submit visa applications online.
PSAC said that under the new proposal, students could forgo in-personinterviews to ease the process. They will only be required to appear in person if government agencies make a recommendation for security reasons.
The Philippines has the longest student visa processing period among its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Data from the Bureau of Immigration shows that in 2022, the Philippines had about 35,000 foreign students.
Moreover, the Palace said that as of Aug. 14 this year, the Philippines has welcomed 3.4 million foreign visitors, which is 71.4 percent of the 4.8 million baseline industry target for this year.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice on Friday assured the public that the revised guidelines on departure formalities have been streamlined
and that the process has become easier for Filipinos traveling abroad.
Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano responded to concerns that new procedures aimed at curtailing human
trafficking would make travel for Filipinos more difficult.
He said the 2023 guidelines were a revision of those issued in 2015.
“What we did was to add categories for travelers and made the process clearer,” he said, in an interview with radio dzBB.
The process for all categories that are not vulnerable to human trafficking became easier compared to the 2015 guidelines which have
blanket rules,” Clavano said.
He said those considered to be vulnerable to human trafficking are first-time travelers, first-time overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and
the so-called digital nomads who can work anywhere in the world.
“For those vulnerable to human trafficking, we still impose the required documents to be presented,” the DOJ official said.
Under the 2023 guidelines, he said immigration officers at the primary inspection may refer travelers to secondary inspection if there are
roundabout on the purpose of travel.
“In the secondary inspection, the documents asked under the 2023 guidelines will be the same as the ones listed in the 2015 guidelines,” he said.
He also said that under the revised guidelines, it will be easier for Filipinos who are visiting their foreign boyfriends or girlfriends abroad, as they will no longer be asked to secure clearance from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
He also said that self-funded tourists who are sponsored by their parents only need to present birth certificates to show their
relationship, and no longer will be required to show an affidavit of support.
The Bureau of Immigration also said the new guidelines will not affect 95 percent of departing Filipino tourists.
“The guidelines streamline the requirements and do not add more to departing tourists. More than 95 percent of departing Filipinos would
not need to present more documents apart from the basic ones,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco.
Tansingco said departing tourists are only required a passport valid for at least six months, a valid visa if a visa is required, a boarding pass, and a confirmed round trip ticket.
He said the guidelines would also ensure that immigration officers look at specific requirements and not require “frivolous documents.}
But Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez opposed the decision of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to impose stricter
rules on Filipino travelers, including migrant workers, starting Sept. 3.
“The more stringent rules will unduly interfere with the Filipinos’ right to travel,” Rodriguez, a former immigration commissioner, said.
Noting that the additional regulations would require a traveler to show proof of financial capacity like a bank statement and proof of
income, the Mindanao lawmaker said such a requirement would “violate the departing passenger’s right to privacy.”
“Those are unreasonable rules. They will give Filipino tourists, overseas Filipino workers and other travelers a lot of inconvenience,
and they could make them vulnerable to harassment and extortion by corrupt immigration officers and other airport personnel,” he said.
He added that the IACAT is allowing immigration officers to exercise “subjective judgment, whims and discretion” on departing passengers.
“I am afraid that’s where extortion, harassment, and corruption will arise,” he said.
Rodriguez urged the IACAT to scrap its stricter rules while there is still time to do so.
“I am sure Justice Secretary (Jesus Crispin) Remulla, who is a good lawyer, knows the implications of the additional regulations on the right to travel and the right to privacy,” he said.
Remula chairs the anti-human trafficking council.
Rodriguez said it is unreasonable and unjustifiable for the council to subject all Filipino travelers to stricter rules so the agency could
collar traffickers and trafficking victims.
“They are proposing to burn the whole house down to kill or catch a rat,” he said.
He said human traffickers, clever as they are, could even go around the additional regulations by providing their victims with show money.
“In this digital age and with internet banking, it would be very easy for a trafficker to transfer some funds to his or her victim and for the latter to return the money once she or he clears immigration,” he added.
He pointed out that the stricter rules would also surely create long queues at immigration counters.