BI Commissioner Tansingco backs calls to invite more overseas Filipinos to visit PH
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco on Tuesday, Jan. 23, supported calls for more Filipinos overseas to come to the Philippines.
"Inviting more overseas Filipinos to come home and spend their vacations in the country would have potential economic and cultural benefits, fostering stronger ties with the global Filipino community,” Tansingco said.
He said the BI's stance also complements the goal of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to attract more international tourists.
“Our focus on supporting tourism aligns with the larger goal of creating vibrant and sustainable connections with our global Filipino community,” he also said.
Tansingco issued the statement after House of Representatives Minority Leader, 4PS Party-List Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, proposed to lure more overseas Filipinos to visit the Philippines.
Libanan said visiting overseas Filipinos can boost up the country’s tourism revenues and job growth to a great extent.
BI records show that a total of 12,681,231 passenger arrivals were recorded in 2023 most of them from the United States and Canada which are the key destinations for Filipino migrants.
There were 1,186,135 Americans and 271,955 Canadians who arrived in the country in 2023 including former Filipinos and their families who spent their holidays in the Philippines, the same records show.