MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to loosen its policy on jet-setting Chinese tourists and allow them to enter the country without visas and remain for seven days.
Currently, the only foreign nationals allowed into the Philippines without visas for three weeks are citizens of the nine other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan Sunday said President Arroyo gave him the order to let in Chinese tourists without visas last week before she left for Washington for her meeting with US President Barack Obama.
The new policy, he said, was “in accordance with the government’s program to promote and encourage tourism development in the country.”
Libanan said he had issued a memorandum circular on the new policy to all BI outposts and satellite offices.
“With this new policy, we expect more Chinese businessmen and tourists to visit the Philippines and explore investment opportunities, thus opening up more job opportunities for our countrymen,” he said in a statement.
He said those exempted from the visa requirement are Chinese nationals with valid visas issued by the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada or the European Union.
Floro Balato Jr., BI spokesperson, noted that Chinese who frequently traveled to developed countries like the US and Japan were mostly businessmen who could bring investments into the Philippines.
Balato said the new visa rule was part of the immigration bureau’s efforts “to liberalize its policies on the entry of nationals from fast developing countries like China.”
“(U)nder Libanan’s stewardship, the BI has embarked on various innovative programs aimed at boosting tourism and attracting foreign investments,” he said.
Among the new programs the BI has implemented is the special visa for employment generation, which allows foreign businessmen to stay in the country indefinitely, provided their companies employ at least 10 Filipino regular workers. –Marlon Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
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