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BALANCING ACT
TERESITA ANG SEE: NO NEED TO TIGHTEN VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR CHINESE TOURISTS
Relaxed visa entry policies attract Chinese travelers, data show, as Manila is torn between cracking down on applicants using fraudulent documents and ramping up tourist arrivals.
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
T
ERESITA ANG SEE, a FilipinoChinese social activist, said legitimate Chinese tourists would be discouraged from coming to the Philippines if the government continues to impose stricter requirements on their visa application.
WALTER ERIC SY | DREAMSTIME.COM
TERESITA ANG SEE: “The notion that China would use POGOs to ‘invade’ or ‘reconnoiter’ the Philippines is laughable… and dumb.”
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
O
UTBOUND travel in mainland China is gradually recovering, although the Philippines fails to land in most of Chinese travel plans.
This is not a surprise, as a joint web presentation by ForwardKeys and Dragon Trail International indicated that most Chinese are traveling to Asian countries that have relaxed visa entry policies. Those who have already booked their travels this year as of March 2024 are going to Hong Kong (32.6 percent), Macau (19.9 percent), South Korea (15.5 percent), Japan (14.4 percent), Thailand (12.7 percent),
Taiwan (8.8 percent), Malaysia (6.6 percent), Singapore (6.1 percent), while Australia (5.5 percent) and the United States (4.4 percent), according to Dragon Trail’s Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report of April 2024. In contrast, the Philippines is tightening its visa application procedures, owing to recent findings that a growing number of Chinese Continued on A2
WHICH OUTBOUND DESTINATIONS HAVE YOU Which outbound destinations have you ALREADY BOOKED FORbooked TRAVEL for IN 2024? already travel in 2024? (N=181)
94% have booked more than one outbound destination in 2024 by March
Destination
#1 Hong Kong
Outbound travel regions already booked
Oceania 4.1%
Africa 0.6%
10.2%
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22.2%
#3 South Korea
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17.9%
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15.4%
#5 Thailand
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17.4%
#6 Taiwan
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12.5%
#7 Malaysia
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8.3%
#8 Singapore
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18.2%
#9 Australia
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10.0%
#10 USA
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0.0%
Europe 16.0%
Asia 73.7%
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% Repeat visit
#2 Macau #4 Japan
North America 3.8%
Middle East 1.9%
% of bookings
Scheduled month of booked itinerary 18.8%
7.2%
9.4%
11.0%
14.9%
10.5%
9.4%
13.8% 1.7%
2.2%
Source: Dragon Trail International
“Recently, professors from China missed three conferences in the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University because their visitors’ visas were not released in time,” Ang See said in a statement. Ang See, president of the anti-crime group Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order, said the Philippine embassy in Beijing and the consulates in other parts of China “are doing their jobs,” by scrutinizing visa applicants to prevent the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers who returned to China from coming back. “We already have a proper visa application process in place in our consular and embassy office abroad. That system ain’t broke,” she said. What is broken, she alleged, are other government agencies in the country who “have failed to stop entry of illegal aliens and POGO workers, and stop POGO operations all together.” “Bad elements and illegals can go through our front door through connections and bribes if they’re determined. Remember the pastillas scheme in 2020? Our immigrations officers accepted bribes to allow foreigners to enter our country while bypassing the proper immigrations process at the airport,” she said. She was referring to the anomalies unearthed by a Senate panel, whereby bribes by illegal aliens were rolled up in white paper like the pastillas native delicacy, hence, the name. Ang See also cited reports of the Department of Justice in 2023 when blacklisted foreigners could enter and leave the country just by paying a penalty of P150,000. Adding more requirements to Chinese tourist visa applications, she said, will only “drive away legitimate tourists, investors, students, teachers and professionals [including agricultural engineers, doctors and technicians] from coming.” “Instead, we want to put up more roadblocks against legitimate visitors coming to our shores. Visitors boost the tourist trade, or bring needed knowledge in technology and investments. They are good for our economy,” she said. Last week, DFA Undersecretary Jesus “Gary” Domingo said that they have uncovered attempts by some Chinese visa applicants to submit fake identification documents during their Continued on A2
World Telecom Day shines a light on digital innovation’s role in attaining SDG targets By Lorenz S. Marasigan
D
IGITAL innovation has the potential to help achieve the majority of the targets under the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). As the world celebrated the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) on May 17, the ITU placed the spotlight on the critical role of digital technologies in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future. With the theme “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development” this year’s WTISD focused on discussions on harnessing digi-
tal innovation as a driving force behind economic progress and global development. “Digital innovation can help
tackle the world’s most pressing challenges—from fighting climate change to eliminating hunger and poverty, digital technologies can
help achieve 70 percent of targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Now more than ever, building a sustainable future demands innovative thinking and action in the digital world,” the ITU said. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, innovation has become synonymous with opportunities for growth and solutions to pressing societal challenges. According to the ITU, the celebration of WTISD serves not only to highlight the transformative power of technology but also to raise awareness about the global digital divide. Despite significant strides, progress remains unevenly distribContinued on A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES Q US 57.3580 Q JAPAN 0.3692 Q UK 72.6841 Q HK 7.3531 Q CHINA 7.9444 Q SINGAPORE 42.6232 Q AUSTRALIA 38.2922 Q EU 62.3424 Q KOREA 0.0426 Q SAUDI ARABIA 15.2942 Source: BSP (May 17, 2024)