Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) — In a bid to bolster tourism, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the e-visa program extended to Chinese, Indian, South Korean, and Japanese nationals, Malacañang said.
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At present, the program which allows tourists to apply for temporary visas online is only enjoyed by Taiwanese nationals. It allows them to stay in the country for up to 30 days.
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Marcos ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to enact his proposal during a Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector group meeting on Thursday.
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For 2023, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that it has a target of 4.8 million tourist arrivals. This figure could generate an estimated ₱2.58 trillion in revenue.
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DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said his department and the DICT were collaborating to implement Marcos’ directive. The PSAC recommended that the e-visa extension be enacted this year.
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“It will take at least a semester to develop the capability because there is so much anti-fraud element that needs to be consolidated with the platform, and the various countries that will be connecting with the system and with the transactions,” DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said on Thursday.
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Meanwhile, the PSAC also urged Marcos to include Indian nationals in the visa-upon-arrival (VUA) program.
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Manalo said the VUA program already applies to certain Chinese nationals. Americans, Japanese, Australian, Canadians, and Europeans can also get a 14-day visa upon arrival in the country.
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The following Chinese tourists are eligible for the VUA: members of tour groups organized by DOT-accredited operators, businessmen endorsed by their respective chambers of commerce and government agencies, athletes, and delegates.
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In Jan. 2020, the VUA for Chinese nationals was suspended because of the rising threat of Covid-19.
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