(Eagle News) – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said that the Philippines should consider stopping the practice of giving visas upon arrival to foreigners, reacting to reports on the influx of so many undocumented Chinese workers in the country.
“We need to put an end to visas upon arrival; all visas should be issued by consular offices after vetting. We must take extra care in outsourcing any part of the visa application process, picking only the most reputable worldwide,” he said in a tweet.
Before this, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon expressed concern about the more than 100,000 Chinese workers who had come into the country, many of them undocumented.
-Influx of undocumented Chinese tourists, a possible threat, says Esperon-
“As the National Security Adviser, I have the tendency to look at it as a threat,” he said in a forum in Manila on Wednesday, July 31.
“I’m on the cautious side when foreigners, regardless of nationality, come in, and their intent is not clear, or when some of them are undocumented, or have false documentation, meaning some of them would come in as tourists and yet end up as workers.”
Esperon had said that Philippine government should be wary about the entry of so many undocumented tourists, including Chinese nationals who have reportedly caused a spike in the country’s tourism and are even buying properties in the country.
“We want healthy investment opportunities in terms of housing and all these condominiums. We want more tourists but there is always another side of the coin… We must not let our guards down,” he said.
-Proper vetting-
Locsin said that visitors to the Philippines should first be vetted by the country’s consulates abroad.
“So we curtail visas on arrival which means: visitor not vetted in our consulates abroad; planes have passengers without visas thereby incurring US Homeland Security wrath. We have to stop stamping visas on slips of paper rather than foreign passports. We need a new visa stamp,” he said in another tweet.
It was in August 2017, that the Bureau of Immigration first started the issuance of visas upon arrival for qualified Chinese nationals, including members of tour groups, businessmen, athletes, and convention delegates.
“Through this scheme, we aim to facilitate the expeditious entry and admission of Chinese nationals into the country and thus attract more tourists and investors from China,” Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said then.
This was reportedly in compliance with a Department of Justice (DOJ) circular which ordered the grant of visa upon arrival (VUA) to Chinese nationals.
The department circular no. 41 was signed by then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.