Visa program to sustain trade, tourism in Visayas, Mindanao

CEBU, Philippines – With Cebu considered as the gateway to Visayas and Mindanao, Cebu City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña believes that the “Visa Issuance Made Simple” program of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation is the answer to sustain trade and tourism in southern Philippines.

Cebu is the pilot site for VIMS outside Metro Manila and Pacaña said many visitors and investors here have since commended the program.

Immigration officials said that during the program’s dry run, BID-7 had collected P36.32 million, a far cry from the P8 million the bureau collected in the same period last year.

“The application process has considerably minimized bureaucratic red tapes like personnel discretions and involvement of alleged fixers,” Pacaña said.

VIMS had reduced to 15 minutes what used to take a whole day of processing VISA applications to extend a tourist’s stay in the Philippines.

Pacaña said VIMS is an answer to the demand for creative marketing techniques and appropriate government initiatives to promote the country as an investors and tourist destination. VIMS is a computerized processing of applications and change of VISA, including extension of stay of tourists and foreigners in a “while-you-wait” service. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)