Visa and Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) are targeting a nearly twentyfold expansion of their digital expense management platform by the end of the year, aiming to bring 2,000 government agencies onto a system designed to automate public spending and curb improper outlays. During the...
Taiwan has extended its visa-free entry program for Philippine passport holders for another year, allowing Filipinos to continue visiting the self-ruled island without a visa for stays of up to 14 days from Aug. 1, 2026, until July 31, 2027. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the...
Only three percent of adult Filipinos own credit cards, placing the country among the laggards in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the gap most pronounced compared to advanced Asia-Pacific economies. In Asian emerging markets (EMs), the Philippines trails only Cambodia’s...
Following the rollout of contactless fare payments on Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), the government is targeting the launch of the same system on LRT-1 to ease payment bottlenecks and address ticket and Beep card shortages. Starting on Monday, July 13, LRT-2 commuters may use Visa or Mastercard...
Visa is expanding automated, contactless fare collection systems to the Manila Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2, accelerating digitization of payments and expanding financial inclusion while enhancing urban transit experiences for Filipino commuters. Completed in partnership with the Completed in...
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has officially launched the Philippine e-Visa system at several Philippine Foreign Service Posts in Europe, including the Philippine Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. In a statement issued on July 8, the DFA said the July 6 launch expands the government’s...
Taiwan passport holders will continue to enjoy visa-free entry to the Philippines for stays of up to 14 days after the Philippine government extended the arrangement for another year. The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) announced on Tuesday, June 30, that the visa-free privilege for...
The United States Embassy in the Philippines has warned Filipino visa applicants about scammers who claim they can guarantee approval, reminding the public that US visas are issued only after a proper evaluation by consular officers. In an advisory posted on its official social media pages, the...
Good news for Filipino travelers! The Japanese Embassy in the Philippines has clarified that Filipino tourists will continue to enjoy free temporary visitor visas despite Japan 's planned increase in visa application fees for foreign nationals. In an advisory, the embassy emphasized that the...
Filipinos planning to travel to Japan may soon have to pay higher visa fees, as the Japanese government announced a fivefold increase in entry visa fees effective July 1. Under the revised fee structure, the cost of a single-entry visa will increase from 3,000 yen (about P1,170) to 15,000 yen...
Japan is studying possible measures to make travel easier for Filipinos, including the prospect of visa-free entry, according to Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya. In an interview on "24 Oras Weekend," Endo said the issue is among the most common questions he receives from Filipinos. “Actually,...
Richie Carrido, a nurse during the 9/11 attacks whose US visa later expired, is the 300th successfully placed nurse in the United States by Grandison. In her testimonial, she emphasized that the organization’s ethical, transparent, and pivotal healthcare recruitment offered her the security and...
