By: MARK ALFONSO
UMAPELA si Senador Nancy Binay sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na i-require ang personal appearance ng mga aplikante sa consular offices bilang non-negotiable prerequisite para sa ilang kategorya ng electronic visa o e-visas.
Ginawa ni Binay ang panawagan kaugnay sa pilot implementation ng kauna-unahang e-visa ng Pilipinas sa Agosto 24, 2023, na magsisimula kasama ang China at India.
Makatutulong aniya ang personal appearance upang matiyak ng gobyerno ang pambansang seguridad at malabanan ang human trafficking.
“We welcome the implementation of e-visas not only to positively boost tourism, but also as our commitment to facilitate ease of travel,” sabi ni Binay, chairperson ng Senate Committee on Tourism.
“In the same vein, we urge the DFA and NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency) to refine national security policies to deter undesirable travelers from extra-legally bypassing immigration laws,” saad ni Binay.
Binigyang-diin ng senadora na bagama’t dapat mapabuti ang digitalization, hindi naman aniya dapat na ikompromiso ang pambansang seguridad.
“Though the e-visa system temporarily gives us an opportunity to recover and jumpstart Philippine tourism, kailangan natin magkaroon ng serious strategic decision on embracing the system as a modern travel solution.”
“Every visa decision has a national security dimension. Certain parameters on security should be in place, and apply a multi-layered safety plug plus a face-to-face interview to a narrow category of travelers para talagang salang-sala ang mga pumapasok sa bansa,” hirit pa ni Binay.
Dapat aniyang pangunahing konsiderasyon sa pag-apruba ng visa application ay ang pagsisiyasat sa transnational organizational criminals (TOC)-related grounds at malalimang security screening.
“Mas laganap ngayon ang transnational crimes lalo na ang human trafficking and prostitution na mula Mainland China. Gaano ba kasigurado tayo na ang nabibigyan natin ng e-visa eh talagang mga lehitimong turista? As a matter of national interest, I share the DFA’s position to require face-to-face interviews with tourist visa applicants whose profiles fall in marked categories,” paliwanag pa niya.
“Lalo pa ngayong unti-unti nang nanunumbalik ang turismo—we also cannot ignore that China is a big market. I share the opinion that we have to take advantage of the global ‘revenge tourism’ phenomenon, but targeting visitor quotas need not dilute national security interests. At the end of the day, safety nets in homeland security should be in place. Visa applicants must demonstrate their eligibility for an e-visa be it for tourism, business or emergencies purposes. The policy must apply to all foreign nationals, and we always have to be on the side of caution and prudence,” punto pa ni Binay.
