The revised guidelines on departure formalities for Filipinos traveling abroad is designed to protect citizens against human trafficking, assured the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, Aug. 25.

“Ang layunin ng ating departure formalities ay para maprotektahan ‘yung mga kababayan sa human trafficking, illegal recruitment at iba’t ibang kasamaan out there (The aim of the departure formalities is to protect our countrymen from human trafficking, illegal recruitment and other evils out there),” DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty said during the Laging Handa public briefing.

Ty, the DOJ undersecretary in charge of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), pointed the protective mandate of the 2023 Revised Guidelines on Departure Formalities for Internationally-Bound Filipino Travelers which will be implemented starting this Sept. 3.

“Napakaraming Filipino ang nagpapanggap na turista upang pumunta sa visa-free countries tulad ng Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos at doon balak pala nila magtrabaho doon sa mga sari-saring mga scam centers doon at doon nata-traffic sila (There have been many Filipinos posing as tourists going to visa-free countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos where they intend to work at various scam centers and there they get trafficked),” he cited.

Ty doused concerns that the departure formalities have become stricter because of the revised guidelines that are allegedly contrary to the constitutional right to travel of Filipinos.

“Hindi kami naghigpit. Kung ano man ang ini-implement namin dati ‘yun pa rin if not nabawasan pa (We did not become stricter. We are implementing what are already being implemented and have reduced the requirements),” he said.

“May time limits tayo isinet doon sa departure formalities (We have time limits set in the departure formalities),” said Ty.

He said that immigration officers at the primary inspection are required to finish within 45 seconds.

If the immigration officers decide to subject the traveler to secondary inspection, they are only given 15 minutes and must decide whether to defer the departure of the traveler, he explained.

He reminded Filipino travelers to bring with them their passports, boarding pass, and, if necessary, visas and round-trip tickets.

Other documents may be required to be presented depending on what category the traveler falls in, he said.

The traveler who undergoes secondary inspection maybe asked to present more documents listed in the guidelines on departure formalities, he also said.

“Kung ang traveler po natin ay tapat sa kanyang purpose of travel, kung ‘yun naman talaga ang gusto niya gawin at kumpleto ang kanyang dokumento hindi magkakaproblema ‘yan (If the traveler is true to his purpose of travel, that’s what he or she intends to do, and has complete documents, he or she will have no problem),” he assured.

Citing records, Ty said that only 1.5 percent of Filipino travelers undergo secondary inspection and less than one percent travelers were prevented from departing.