THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to grant visa-free status to Taiwan.
Tourism Spokesman Frederick M. Alegre made this confirmation, as the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in the Philippines announced a nine-month “trial period” of a visa-free program for visitors from the Philippines.
“Yes. I know that’s the plan,” said Alegre, who is also the assistant secretary for Public Affairs, Communications and Special Projects, when asked if the DOT will be asking the DOJ to give visa-free status to Taiwan.
Data from the DOT show visitor arrivals from Taiwan grew by 8.42 percent to 147,456 in the first seven months of 2017. The market accounted for some 3.8 percent of total visitor arrivals for the period in review. On a monthly basis, however, visitor arrivals from Taiwan have been weakening. In July 2017, for instance, arrivals from Taiwan fell 14.4 percent to 20,451 from July 2016.
Teco announced on Monday that Filipinos traveling to Taiwan for tourism, business, visiting relatives, or attending functions and events will enjoy visa-free entry for 14 days, starting on November 1. “This visa-free initiative shall undergo a nine-month trial period until July 31, 2018, as part of Taiwan’s goodwill and efforts of the ‘New Southbound Policy’ to build closer people-to-people exchange of visits and an economic community between Taiwan and the Philippines,” according to a news statement from Teco.
Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin, Taiwan representative to the Philippines, likewise urged the Philippine government and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) to grant visa-free travel to Taiwanese travelers, in the same manner that the Philippines has granted the same to other countries.
“Through these significant efforts, we will surely enhance our bilateral tourism, economic, cultural, educational and other areas of cooperation and exchanges that will eventually bring mutual benefits to the peoples of Taiwan and the Philippines” Lin stressed in the same statement.
Meco officials have yet to confirm if it had already recommended the same visa-free privilege for Taiwan. Meco is the de facto embassy of the Philippines in Taipei. Owing to the Philippines’s “One-China” Policy, it is restricted from putting a full-scale embassy in Taiwan. This despite the large numbers of Filipinos working in said country. Published reports indicate there are about 124,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan factories.
The Teco official said the granting of the visa-free privilege to all Filipinos is one of his longtime visions to build strong bilateral relations and a closer living economic community between the Philippines and Taiwan. It also aims to enhance the mutually beneficial bilateral tourism, trade, investment, technology, agriculture, economic, cultural, educational and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Lin expressed hope that this historic visa-free initiative will attract more Filipino visitors to visit Taiwan and lay a solid foundation for a genuine, friendly bond between the two nations.
Teco said its government, since 2016, has endeavored to liberalize and simplify visa regulations for Philippine nationals, including the free “Travel Authorization Certificate” (TAC) for qualified visa-free travellers and the payable e-visa (online visa). These two relaxed visa-application systems will be suspended for Filipinos upon the implementation of the visa-free treatment as from November 1.
Passengers who enter Taiwan before November 1 with valid TACs may continue to stay for up to 30 days. But for passengers who do not enter Taiwan before November 1, their TACs will be no longer valid, even within its validity. All approved e-visas before November 1 (including the date) will still be valid to enter Taiwan with duration of stay up to 30 days. Those who have already obtained long-term and multiple Taiwan visas, which have been stamped on their passports, can still use their visas to enter said country.
According to Teco, to be eligible for the visa-free privilege, a Filipino must have a passport valid for at least six moths from the date of entry; a return ticket or a ticket for the traveler’s next destination and a visa for that destination if it is required; no criminal record in Taiwan; and proof of accommodation (hotel) booking or host/sponsor’s contact information /or arrangements of tour, travel, visit, events and meeting, etc.
“However, those who intend to stay in Taiwan for more than 14 days or for the purpose of study, work, missionary, employment and other gainful activities are still required to obtain appropriate visas before entering Taiwan,” Teco maintained.
With Recto Mercene