President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has expressed support for moves to streamline visa applications for tourists and international students in order to promote the Philippines as a center of education in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the President said this during his meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in Malacañang on Thursday, Aug. 24.

In a statement, the PCO said the PSAC Tourism Sector Group presented its recommendations regarding the country’s tourism industry, particularly in making the Philippines attractive to foreign tourists.

Among the PSAC’s new recommendations are the standardization of information application procedures and information on student visa requirements and accreditation of clinics for medical clearance and certificate requirements for foreign students.

The group likewise proposed allowing online submission of student visa applications.

During the meeting, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said that the documentary requirements may be reviewed to simplify and reduce the number of requirements.

It also recommended the automatic accreditation of at least Level 3 hospitals nationwide for tourists’ medical clearances.

When asked about medical requirements, Marcos said the government could just remove them altogether.

“So, I think the easiest… is to align ourselves … We can choose to remove it altogether, the requirement for a medical certificate,” he said.

“Or if we will continue to require medical certificate, as long as it’s a recognized clinic, and it comes out in the actual list of hospitals or something like that. I’m sure there’s a way,” he added.

Based on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s Joint Memorandum Order (JMO) No. 01, s. 2017, international students can enter the Philippines by applying for a student visa at a Foreign Service Post (FSP) and also by securing a temporary visa with the intention of converting to a student admission status. 

Upon receipt of the authorization, the applicant must appear in person at the issuing foreign service post for an interview and comply with additional consular requirements before securing the student visa. 

However, officials told the President during the meeting that they could forego in-person interviews to fast-track the process. They would only require applicants to appear in person if government intelligence agencies recommend doing so for security reasons.

According to the PCO, student visa processing takes about two months in the Philippines, the longest processing period in Southeast Asia.

According to Rene Limcaoco of Hertz Philippines, the opportunity is large for this tourism segment. He said that before the pandemic, the country received 5 million foreign student applications. He claimed this number is expected to grow to 10 million by 2030. 

“Predominantly, they go to English-speaking countries. There’s a large demand to learn and at the same time to learn English. For the Philippines, it’s a unique opportunity. We are an inexpensive place to get educated,” he said.

“So, the Philippines has this unique opportunity in this segment if we can get easier visa rules,” he added.

As of Aug. 14, the country welcomed 3.4 million foreign visitors, which is 71.4 percent of the 4.8 million baseline industry target for this year.

The Philippines targets to earn P2.24 billion this year and employ 5.3 million Filipinos in the tourism sector. It eyes 4.8 million foreign visitors and 85.1 million domestic travelers this year.