President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed support to the Private Sector Advisory Council’s (PSAC) proposal to streamline visa applications for tourists and international students, aiming to enhance the Philippines’ appeal to foreign visitors.
In a meeting with the PSAC Tourism Sector Group on Friday, Marcos endorsed several recommendations to bolster the tourism industry.
New proposals include standardizing application procedures, clarifying student visa requirements, and accrediting medical clinics for student medical clearances. The use of online platforms for student visa submissions was also suggested.
The Department of Trade and Industry suggested reviewing documentary requirements to simplify and reduce them. It also proposed automatically accrediting Level 3 hospitals nationwide for tourists’ medical clearances.
“So, I think the easiest… is to align ourselves … We can choose to remove it altogether, the requirement for medical certificate, or if we will continue to require medical certificate, as long as it’s a recognized clinic, and it comes out in the actual list of hospitals or something like that. I’m sure there’s a way,” Marcos said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs referred to Joint Memorandum Order (JMO) No. 01, s. 2017, designed to streamline regulations for foreign students entering the Philippines as part of the country’s goal to become a regional education hub.
The JMO outlines options for foreign students to secure visas, including applying for a student visa at a Foreign Service Post or obtaining a temporary visa that can be converted to a student status.
Moreover, officials proposed omitting in-person interviews from the process to expedite it, requiring such interviews only if security agencies recommend it.
Student visa processing takes approximately two months in the Philippines, longer than in neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
As of August 14, the Philippines had welcomed 3.4 million foreign visitors, achieving 71.4% of its 4.8 million target for the year. The country aims to generate P2.24 billion in revenue and provide employment for 5.3 million Filipinos in the tourism sector. The targets for this year are 4.8 million foreign visitors and 85.1 million domestic travelers.
