Nancy Binay asks DFA to require personal appearances for select e-visa applications

Senator Nancy Binay on Tuesday called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to require personal appearances at consular offices as a “non-negotiable requirement” for certain categories applying for a Philippine e-visa.

While the chairperson of the Senate Tourism Committee welcomed the pilot implementation of the country’s first-ever electronic visa on August 24, Binay urged the DFA to provide better security policies “to avoid being circumvented by non-technical loopholes and to lessen the probability of organized syndicates exploiting tour groups and junkets.”

"We welcome the implementation of e-visas not only to positively boost tourism, but also as our commitment to facilitate ease of travel. In the same vein, we urge the DFA and NICA to refine national security policies to deter undesirable travelers from extra-legally bypassing immigration laws,” Binay, who is also a member of the Senate Committees on National Defense and Foreign Relations, said.

“We all know that many foreigners are going to the Philippines for other purposes. We should review the system and exemptions further to avoid any misuse and abuse by some foreign nationals,” she said in mixed English and Filipino.

Binay pointed out that every visa decision has an implication on national security, adding that vetting on transnational organized crime-related grounds and extensive security screening should be the prime considerations in approving visa applications.

“Certain parameters on security should be in place and apply a multi-layered safety plug plus a face-to-face interview to a narrow category of travelers para talagang salang-sala ang mga pumapasok sa bansa (so that we can make sure that all persons who enter the country are properly evaluated)," Binay said.

“Gaano ba kasigurado tayo na ang nabibigyan natin ng e-visa eh talagang mga lehitimong turista (How sure are we that every person issuef an e-visa is a legitimate tourist)? As a matter of national interest, I share the DFA's position to require face-to-face interviews with tourist visa applicants whose profiles fall in marked categories," Binay said.

The lawmaker also said the Bureau of Immigration should have a system to check on foreign nationals overstaying in the country.

Considering that the Philippines is the only ASEAN country with a Tier 1 status under the US State Department's annual human trafficking report, Binay said the DFA cannot turn a blind eye on reports of Chinese workers trafficked to the country.

"Lalo pa ngayong unti-unti nang nanunumbalik ang turismo--we also cannot ignore that China is a big market. I share the opinion that we have to take advantage of the global 'revenge tourism' phenomenon, but targeting visitor quotas need not dilute national security interests,” she said.

“Safety nets in homeland security should be in place. Visa applicants must demonstrate their eligibility for an e-visa be it for tourism, business or emergency purposes. The policy must apply to all foreign nationals, and we always have to be on the side of caution and prudence,” she concluded.

The Philippine e-Visa system will allow foreign nationals entering the country to apply for temporary visitor passes online through their electronic devices.

The e-Visa system will be soft launched on August 24. — DVM, GMA Integrated News