DFA to require Chinese tourists to present insurance certificate

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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will now require Chinese tourists applying for a visa to submit their social insurance certificate for easier verification and stop undesirable aliens from entering the Philippines.

DFA Undersecretary for Consular Affairs Jesus Domingo said this is one of the measures that the government adopted to ensure that visas are issued to legitimate tourists.

Domingo said overstaying aliens, mostly Chinese whose work visas as POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) workers have lapsed, have reached “thousands.”

But he declined to give exact figures since this matter is being handled by the security sector.

“The proof of social insurance is a way to verify their identity and it is easy to check,” Domingo said in a press briefing.

He raised the need to adopt such security measures “given the discovery of fraudulently obtained passports and visas resulting in the illicit entry and overstaying of foreigner nationals leading to peace and order and criminality problems.”

“To remedy this we’re looking at the best practices by other foreign embassies in China such as Japan, South Korea, US (United States), and UK (United Kingdom),” Domingo said.

They also require applicants to “submit” a social insurance certificate similar to a social security number “which is easier to verify,” he said.

Domingo said the DFA “is hard at work in ensuring that we plug the gaps in our systems in partnership with other agencies in government and concerned stakeholders.”

“So the challenges are being addressed. We.are cognizant of the need to boost our tourism and investment for market potentials from China and India and at the same time balance our national security concerns,” he added. “We will continue to require proof of financial capacity with bank statements. But we will be vigilant in scrutinizing bank statements.”