Chinese tourists face stricter entry rules

DFA to focus monitoring on POGO workers

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said the government will enforce stricter visa issuance protocols for Chinese nationals.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Gary Domingo during a press conference said this will be implemented starting this week.

Domingo cited the discovery of fraudulently obtained passports and visas that resulted in “illicit entry and overstay” of foreigners in the country.

“A major challenge is submitting fake documents, particularly from the Chinese side,” Domingo said.

“To help remedy this, we are actually looking at a best practice used by other foreign embassies such as Japan, South Korea, US and UK — and they also require applicants to submit a social insurance certificate,” he added.

This is on top of the continued presentation of an employment certificate and bank statements as proof of financial capacity, Doingi said.

The DFA, he said, will be more “scrutinizing” when it comes to these.

Asked why the Foreign Affairs Department is implementing stricter visa issuance, Domingo said it is “not necessarily related to other national security concerns.”

He did, however, cite Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) as a factor.

“This is also for the good of the Chinese because again — these POGOs that slipped through, who are their victims? Fellow Chinese,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

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