5-11-2023 (MANILA) President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has revealed that the Philippine government is in the process of fine-tuning measures to extend electronic visas for foreign visitors in the country. The announcement came during a courtesy visit by Indian Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran at the Malacañan Palace last week, as reported by the Presidential Communications Office.
In response to Ambassador Kumaran’s request for e-visa extensions for Indian nationals in the Philippines, President Marcos disclosed that the scope of extending electronic visas would not be limited to Indian citizens but would encompass foreigners from various nations residing in the Philippines.
“It won’t be just India; we are doing it with… several other countries as well to keep it. Again, we will just apply the same principles that we did with others to India. But that is something that’s easy for us,” quoted the president.
Earlier this year, in January, President Marcos had initiated the extension of e-visas for Chinese, Indian, South Korean, and Japanese nationals as part of an effort to promote increased tourism and attract more visitors to the Philippines.
The Department of Foreign Affairs had introduced the country’s e-visa system in August, conducting a successful pilot test at the Philippine Consulate in Shanghai, China.
