As reported by the Philippine News Agency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has announced that the government is currently in the process of refining various initiatives designed to extend the validity of electronic visas (e-Visas) for foreign nationals.
During the diplomatic courtesy meeting, the Indian Ambassador to the Philippines formally requested President Marcos to consider prolonging e-Visas for Indian nationals residing in the country.
In response, President Marcos assured that provisions for extending e-Visas will be enacted, benefiting not only Indian nationals but also foreigners from other nations residing in the Philippines.
In March, Secretary Christina Frasco of the Department of Tourism (DOT) engaged in discussions with leaders from the Bureau of Immigration and the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Information and Communications Technology. The primary focus of these discussions was the urgent need for visa reforms to alleviate bottlenecks in the tourism industry.
Secretary Frasco specifically highlighted the tourism potential of China and India, emphasizing the importance of government agencies exploring the possibility of offering e-Visas to their respective nationals.
According to DOT data, India ranked eighth among the top foreign visitors in 2022, with a total of 51,542 arrivals, while China had previously welcomed over 1.7 million Chinese tourists before the onset of the pandemic.
The Philippines received nearly 4 million overseas travelers this year, as the country is targeting to attract 4.8 million arrivals.
