BoI Info Things that make you go - hmmmmmmm

• The ASEAN will be implementing a single visa system for all of its member-nations
• The scheme will allow visitors to easily access any country within the region
• Regional officials say that the project’s aim is to boost tourism in ASEAN countries

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be implementing a single visa system that will enable tourists visiting any member-country to easily travel towards other destinations within the region.

In an article written by Samuel Mendenilla for Manila Bulletin on January 23, it was disclosed that the regional organization of countries has recently launched the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) for 2016 to 2025 that aims to boost tourism in Southeast Asia by coming up with a unified visa system.

“To implement the single visa, we have to share data [with other ASEAN countries and] we have to work [in integrating] our system. In other words, we [need to] match our data system with theirs,” Sec. Ramon Jimenez Jr. of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said during the ASEAN Tourism Forum at the SMX Convention Center in Manila.

According to the ATSP, all ASEAN member-nations will be seen as a single destination, wherein foreign visitors will only need to undergo a single process that will be valid and honored in any of the countries within the region.

“To work towards the vision for ASEAN tourism over the next decade, it will be necessary to complete and continue existing initiatives such as the marketing of ASEAN as a single destination,” the executive summary of the forum stated.

The 10-year plan, which was broken down into two terms, lists strategic actions such as intensifying promotion and marketing, diversifying tourism products, attracting tourism investment, raising the capacity and capability of human capital, and implementing and expanding ASEAN standards for facilities, services, and destinations.

Apart from these, plans in implementing and expanding connectivity and destination infrastructure, enhancing travel facilitation, upgrading local communities and public-private sector participation in the value chain, ensuring safety and security, prioritizing protection and management of heritage sites, and increasing responsiveness to environmental protection and climate change are also included.

 

There goes the lax tourist visa in the Philippines. It wouldn't take much to clear a ton of expats out of here. Bumping the number of visa runs per year would take care of that nicely since it's more of a pain and more expensive to jump on a plane.

 

ASEAN Membership: 10 States —​

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. One Observer — Papua New Guinea.

Can someone please help me understand what this could really mean?

What are some of the plusses and minuses of this ASEAN Visa thing for a non-citizen who holds a three-year SRRV with the RP?

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

I'm thinking the other way. The Philippines may talk as if they hate us long noses but they know full well they need us, the long term ones that is. We are HUGE to their economy and they know that which is what really bothers them. They know that limiting a tourist visa to not allow extensions or multiple extensions as we have now at least at the old 16-24 month mark would hurt them huge. There are hundred's of thousands of foreigners living over here on visa extensions with more and more arriving daily with that as their plan.

There are a couple other countries that would be hurt with tightening things as well for tourist style expats while those countries have more limitations then the Philippines if it went towards tightening things it would likely harm then rather then help at a time there is so much money in longstay expats.

So instead I see more then likely things loosening up in other countries more such as Thailand allowing more of us to stay there longterm w/o special age considerations and retirement visa's.

The thing we know is they WANT and NEED our money and they know there are major limits they can push before we pretty much need to pack-up and leave for good. None of us are going to go country hopping 3 months here, 3 months in Thailand, 3 months in Malaysia, and 3 months someplace else.

The biggest thing.... our money is 100 times more valuable then their own money. Why you ask? Local money circulating has no real growth, it just spins around and around not increasing the economy, not growing the economy, not making the country richer. Yet foreign money from other countries coming is is a straight full value profit for the Philippines. Every dollar brought in (or other foreign currency) is a straight increase in the economy, increase in the countries wealth. By being here we are essentially making our own countries a bit poorer then they would be if we stayed home (not that we care as our countries don't give a d*mn about us). When we spend $1 its not just done right there but every hand that it touches grows as well. Call it the near infinite cycle in a way.

Where would the Philippines be if 15 years ago to today never happened with the surge of expats moving and living here long-term? They certainly wouldn't be doing as well as they are now and many newer business's and even many of the big malls outside Cebu, Davao, and Manila would probably not exist, say goodbye SM City, Robinson's Malls, Ayala, and so on.

 

I don't think the visa system is that simple. You have different elements in government with their own agendas and their own roles. Each of these elements do their own thing and may not be talking to the others. People who were given a job to create rules will create more rules just to justify their jobs. Government gets bigger, budgets swell, the bureaucracy gets to be a bigger mess.

I doubt there will be much consideration for expats living here long term on tourist visas. From the government perspective, there need to be laws to deal with each situation. Tourists should be on a tourist visa. Long stay expats should be on a visa which deals with their situation. No matter how you slice it, long term stays on a tourist visa is always a tricky case to deal with.

The tourist visa was a big consideration for me being here. It's almost ridiculous compared to neighboring countries. Almost any change to the tourist visa could make staying here more difficult. But nothing lasts forever.

 

I think they realize how much longterm expats here contribute financially even when they won't admit it. We are a significant part of the growth in the Philippines in the last 15 years and its those same rich people who got even more rich because of us. I think they are aware what happens without us.

But if we get screwed they will learn their lesson the hard way. I'd expect within the first year them losing at least 100k or so expats.

 

Unfortunately I believe the Philippines will have to learn the hard way - like most teenagers during their puberty years with "independence" and "stubborn" and "what do others know" attitudes.

Look at US Base issues - 1st we kick them out - now let us give them 8 bases (I know - logistic support only - yeah right ).

Look at Army, Navy, Airforce, PNP, etc equipment. If somebody comes a knocking, we can not even throw rocks - only sticks.

Look at foreign investment issues - they restrict with both hands and legs tight together - then wonder why the foreign companies pull out.

Overseas Foreign Workers - as much as 10% of GDP is directly linked to the support given by OFW to family in Philippines. If they did not go overseas they would be an unemployment burden.
And they are an easy mark for corruption (customs, employment agency, etc). And then have the president state that they should have stayed in Philippines - they decided to go overseas ().

Anyways we'll see how the election will go. Hopefully there will be a government that is forward thinking and planning with some positive strategies.

My rant for the day .

 

Actually they didn't kick the US out. They wanted to raise the rent an unreasonable amount and the US said hell no. At the time we didn't need the basing. Actually we still don't need the basing. The Philippines wants the US bases so the Chinese don't accidentally conquer them and say oops, that Marshal or whatever rank they use didn't have the authority to do it but it's a done deal now and we will just have to live with it. China has a history of being cute sometimes.