Marcos wants visa for students, tourists eased
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has backed the recommendation of his Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) for easier visa applications for foreign students and tourists in the Philippines, including allowing the online submission of student visa applications.
Marcos has suggested removing medical requirements for foreign student applicants.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said among PSAC’s recommendations were the standardization of information application procedure on student visa requirements.
Garafil said PSAC also recommended the accreditation of clinics for medical clearance and certificate requirements for foreign students.
“We can choose to remove it altogether, the requirement for medical certificate, 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,” Marcos said.
Garafil pointed out that the processing takes about two months in the Philippines, the longest processing period among its Southeast Asian neighbors.
