Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
GOVERNMENT’S new outbound travel rules will probably do little to solve the problem of human trafficking and likely harass legitimate Filipino travelers just off to vacation abroad.
“I really don’t agree with this whole thing,” said Aileen Clemente, president of the 50-year-old Rajah Travel Corp., one of the leaders in the outbound travel business. “There is a Data Privacy Act [and] some required documents violate that, even almost unconstitutional to an extent,” she told the BusinessMirror. This also makes it “prone to more harassment,” she added, where some unscrupulous Immigration officers may unnecessarily detain the traveler and demand something in return before allowing him to travel.
She likewise wanted to find out “what percentage of those traveling abroad fall under human trafficking, that warrant these checks? Is it that big at the airports, given [government’s] definition of voluntary and involuntary travelers?”
In other countries, she noted, there are no outbound Immigration rules: “They’re just for inbound travelers, because they have an Advance Passenger Information System and their records with other Immigration authorities abroad and/or Interpol, Department of Homeland Security and the like are accessible.”
‘Ironic,’ says Ping
The newly-announced protocols have already been lambasted by the public, with former Senator Panfilo Lacson even X’ing on August 26: “Simplifying visa applications for foreign tourists visiting the Philippines while complicating the requirements for Filipinos traveling to other countries is the most annoying irony in our nation’s history.”
Among the new protocols announced by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) include documentary requirements especially for self-funded travelers like a confirmed return ticket, proof of accommodation abroad, proof they earn enough to travel, and a certificate of employment. Other documents are asked of travelers, whose trips are sponsored, and departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). (See, “IACAT to implement stricter departure protocols for overseas travelers in September,” in the BusinessMirror, August 22, 2023.)
For his part, Richie Tuaño, chairman and general of Asiareps Travel Services Inc., said he and his clients were initially anxious because of the new rules. “However, noting that these clients were legitimate leisure travelers and very financially-capable, I told them not to worry and this will likely apply to first-time travelers, or those with no genuine reason to travel as tourist.”
He added, their agency has long been briefing their clients, especially first-time travelers, prior to departure. “We do assure them [that there won’t be issues upon departure] but up to a certain point. We make them aware that they can be asked routine questions to ensure the genuineness of the purpose of their travel, which is the discretion or the Immigration officer.”
Will it solve faking of documents?
Data from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) showed some 3.92 million Filipinos traveled abroad from January to December 27, 2022.
Meanwhile, Clemente, former vice chair of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, pointed out Filipinos who have been “kidnapped” or trafficked have been able to leave the country using fake documents. “Will the new departure guidelines be able to [prevent] this if the issue is how well can the Immigration officers detect these falsified documents?”
She said the new departure rules duplicate the function of foreign embassies, which require the same documents before issuing travel visas to Filipinos, while the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency already processes documents of OFWs, who even have to attend predeparture orientations prior to working in their host countries.
Tuaño said it was “irresponsible” of the IACAT to announce the new protocols like “a shotgun approach for a supposed legitimate intention of curtailing human trafficking. However, there was no concern who will be hit by the shotgun approach as opposed to releasing guidelines to a specific target audience.” The Department of Justice, parent agency of the BI and chair of the Iacat, has already clarified that the new departure protocols will “mostly apply to first-time travelers.”