Forty-seven immigration officers have acquired a new skill that would enable them to interact with Mandarin-speaking foreigners, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
The BI said the immigration officers finished last Friday, Nov. 11, a training on basic Mandarin language program. It said that immigration officers can now greet an incoming Chinese traveller: "Nin hao ma (how are you?) and other basic greetings and conversation," it said.
"This newly acquired skill of our officers will foster positive client interactions and enhance intercultural communication," BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
"We will enhance not only the overall travel experience of the growing number of Chinese speaking travelers in our country, but also reinforce the Philippines as a welcoming and hospitable destination,” Tansingco added.
BI records showed that prior the Covid-19 pandemic, “Chinese nationals ranked second in the highest number of foreign arrivals in the country.”
Tansingco said the basic Mandarin program was provided for by the Chiang Kai Shek College which held lectures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 from July 11 to Oct. 3 and at the BI main office from July 10 to Oct. 9.
Those who participated in the program were BI personnel who are assigned in the country’s premier ports and frontline offices.
“The program equipped immigration personnel with the fundamentals of Mandarin Chinese language, cultural insights, and practical exercises,” Tansingco also said. .