Mar 282017
 

Filipinos with Philippine passports traveling this vacation season can choose any of 61 countries which do not require visa, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (VRI).

VISA restrictions index

The Philippines placed one notch higher at 75th on the global travel freedom ranking in 2017 but kept its 61 countries list from the 2016 VRI.

The following listing from Philsite lists the countries Filipino nationals can enter even without a visa.

Asian Countries, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

In a reciprocity visa free agreement among member nations within the ASEAN:

  • Brunei Darussalam – 14 days
  • Cambodia – 21 days
  • Indonesia – 30 days
  • Laos – 30 days
  • Malaysia – 30 days
  • Singapore – 30 days
  • Thailand – 30 days
  • Vietnam – 21 days

Asian Countries, Non-ASEAN member

  • Armenia – 120 days, visa issued on arrival
  • China, Shenzhen – 7 days, if crossing from Hong Kong, and is valid in Shenzhen area only.
  • Hong Kong – 14 days validity
  • India – 30 days, eTourist visa online.
  • Iran – 15 days, must obtain an e-visa pre-approval code from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Israel – 90 days
  • Kyrgyzstan – 30 days, visa on arrival
  • Laos – 21 days, visa on arrival
  • Macau – 30 days
  • Maldives – 30 days visa issued upon arrival
  • Myanmar – 21 days
  • Mongolia – 21 days
  • Nepal – 21 days visa issued on arrival
  • South Korea – 30 days, if arriving at Jeju Island or after visiting Korea 4 times with visa.
  • Sri Lanka – 30 days, but must get an Electronic Visa Authorization prior to departure.
  • Taiwan – 30 days, if holding a permanent residence certificate or an unexpired visa from:

    Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Schengen countries, United Kingdom or United States.

    And must register online at https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase/ prior to arrival.

  • Tajikistan – 45 days, visa on arrival
  • Timor-Leste (a.k.a. East Timor)- 30 day visa issued at the Dili airport and seaport

African Continent

  • Cape Verde Islands – 21 days
  • Comoros – 21 days
  • Djibouti – 30 day visa issued on arrival
  • Gambia – visa issued upon arrival, but must get prior clearance from immigration. 
  • Guinea-Bissau – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Kenya – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Madagascar – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Mauritania – visa issued on arrival
  • Morocco – 90 days
  • Mozambique – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Rwanda – 90 days
  • Saint Helena – visa issued upon arrival
  • Senegal – 30 days issued on arrival, invitation letter required. Visa available online.
  • Seychelles – 30 days permit, must show sufficient funds & proof of accommodation.
  • Somalia – 30 days on arrival, invitation letter by sponsor submitted 2 days before arrival.
  • Tanzania – visa issued on arrival
  • Togo (Togolese Republic) – 7 days, visa issued on arrival. Requires yellow fever vaccination
  • Uganda – 90 day visa issued on arrival at Entebbe Airport
  • Zambia – 90 days visa issued on arrival

Central America

  • Costa Rica – 30 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
  • Guatemala
  • Nicaragua – 90 days visa issued on arrival

Caribbean

  • Anguilla – 21 days
  • Dominica – 21 days
  • Haiti – 21 days
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Turks and Caicos Islands – 21 days

Europe:

  • Georgia – Visa issued on arrival. Preferably with invitation.
  • Kosovo – 90 days

Oceania/Pacific Island Nations

  • Cook Islands – 31 days
  • Fiji – 120 days, Visitor's Permit issued on arrival
  • Marshall Islands – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Micronesia – 30 days, entry permit required for stays over 30 days
  • Nauru – 30 days
  • Niue – 30 days
  • Northern Marianas  – visa issued on arrival
  • Palau – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Papua New Guinea – 60 days, visa given on arrival
  • Pitcairn Islands – 14 days, entry permit given on arrival
  • Samoa – 60 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
  • Tuvalu – 30 day visitor permit for tourist is issued upon arrival
  • Vanuatu – 30 days

South America

  • Bolivia – 90 days
  • Brazil – 90 days
  • Colombia – 90 days
  • Ecuador – 90 days
  • Peru – 183 days
  • Suriname – 90 days

Note that while the countries above does not require Philippine passport holders to apply for a visa in the Philippines, some will require a visa (and issue one upon arrival) after filling an application form and paying the fees. You may be required to produce your return or onward ticket and demonstrate sufficient funds to cover your stay. Most states/countries require that passports have at least 6 months validity to gain entry.

 

The post 61 countries where Pinoys can visit without a visa appeared first on Good News Pilipinas.

Feb 082014
 
Palace open to 'help' from third party on row with HK

Malacañang indicated Saturday it is open to third-party help in resolving its row with Hong Kong, which recently imposed sanctions stemming from the hostage tragedy in Manila in 2010. But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said such third-party help should be “consistent” with Philippine national interest and the position of the Philippine government. “(If) it is a private initiative that will effect better relations with Hong Kong and (is) consistent with national interest, why not?” Lacierda said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. A report on BusinessMirror newspaper had quoted physician and Chinese General Hospital director James Dy as saying he plans to appeal to Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung to reconsider the Hong Kong government’s decision. Earlier this month, Hong Kong revoked the visa-free privileges of holders of official Philippine passports after the Philippines refused to apologize for the 2010 tragedy. The August 2010 tragedy involved a dismissed policeman who took a busload of tourists hostage in Manila to demand his reinstatement. But the policeman and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a botched police rescue operation. While the Philippines expressed regret over the tragedy that killed eight Hong Kong tourists, it has not issued an apology. President Benigno Aquino III, in an interview with The New York Times, reiterated that he has no plans to apologize as doing so could create a “legal liability.”  — LBG, GMA News

Feb 042014
 
Albay lawmaker warns gov’t of worse sanctions from HK

INQUIRER.net 6:05 pm | Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara. Facebook photo MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker believes the government should have apologized earlier to Hong Kong over the botched hostage-taking crisis three years ago. Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara said at a press briefing Tuesday that it would be more shameful if the government waits for worse sanctions from Hong Kong before it apologizes. “We could have done that earlier because apparently we cannot always say that is the fault of the police captain. We’re part of the operations and we are partly to blame, also,” Bichara said when asked if the government should give in to Hong Kong’s demands. “Kung hihintayin pa natin na maipit tayo, mas lalong nakakahiya (It would be more embarrassing if we wait for things to get worse before we apologize),” he added. Bichara made the statement after Hong Kong suspended the current visa-free arrangement for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials. The sanction will start on February 5. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government may take more action if it thought it could be “effective” in securing an apology over the hostage-taking. Hong Kong is infuriated as the Philippines refused to apologize for the act of a disgruntled police officer who hijacked a tourist bus boarded by its nationals in 2010.  Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed because of a botched police operation. Since the crisis, relations have soured between the Philippines and Hong Kong, home to some Read More …

Feb 012014
 
ePLDT unit partners with HK-based Nexusguard

MANILA, Philippines – IP Converge Data Services Inc. (IPC), a unit of e-PLDT of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), has tapped Hong Kong-based Nexusguard to provide Internet security for its enterprise customers. Nexusguard vice president for sales and marketing Bill Barry said the partnership would help further strengthen IPC’s product offerings and protect Philippine businesses from what experts consider to be the most costly cybercrime particularly the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. “IPC is a respected technology provider in the Philippines, and it is an honor to partner with such an established organization. This partnership is not only important for our regional efforts, but will serve as a template of success for Nexusguard’s global initiatives,” Barry said. He said the partnership would enable enterprises in the country to avail of world-class and industry-leading anti-DDoS services with truly localized support with Nexusguard’s technologies and IPC’s market leadership in cloud and data center services. “It will also set a standard for ISPs in providing future integrated, holistic solutions for DDoS protection,” he added. Escalating in size and complexity in recent years, he warned that DDoS attacks attempt to prevent a machine or network resource to be accessed by its intended users. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 It is generally comprised of strategies to interrupt services of a host connected to the Internet. DDoS attacks are able to bring down networks and websites for days at a time. Hackers have launched DDoS attacks for various Read More …

Jan 312014
 
NO APOLOGIES: PHL stands firm in diplomatic row with Hong Kong

The Aquino administration described as “unfortunate” Hong Kong’s decision to scrap the visa-free arrangements for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials but reiterated that the Philippines will not apologize for the 2010 Manila hostage crisis that resulted in multiple deaths to Chinese tourists. “At the end of the day, we submit that the act of one individual should not be construed as the act of the entire nation,” President Benigno Aquino has said MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines insisted Thursday it would not apologize for a 2010 hostage crisis in which Hong Kong tourists died, saying its response to the tragedy had been generous and compassionate. The statement came after the Hong Kong government announced on Wednesday it would impose diplomatic sanctions against the Philippines because of its “unacceptable” failure to apologize. “The Philippine Government regrets the Hong Kong SAR Government’s implementation of sanctions against the Philippines,” foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a statement. However he said the Philippines “is not prepared to consider” an apology. Rather, the Philippines would reiterate its “deepest regret and condolences”, while providing more compensation to the survivors and the victims’ relatives. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on Wednesday that the current visa-free arrangement for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials would be suspended from February 5. They are currently able to stay 14 days without a visa. Leung described the move as the “first phase of sanctions” and said the government may take more action if it thought it could be “effective” Read More …

Jan 162014
 
Huawei rejects reports of security weakness

BEIJING — Chinese tech giant Huawei on Wednesday rejected suggestions its telecoms equipment is vulnerable to hacking and forecast a rise in 2013 profit of nearly 50 percent. Chief financial officer Cathy Meng rejected as “groundless” reports that Huawei equipment might be more vulnerable to security threats than telecoms infrastructure made by other companies. The German magazine Spiegel reported last month that the U.S. National Security Agency installed secret “back doors” in telecoms equipment made by Huawei and other companies. Earlier, some researchers said they found vulnerabilities in Huawei routers. “We have seen no incidents on networks due to security problems,” said Meng at a news conference. “A lot of reports say Huawei equipment has more vulnerabilities or is more easily breached. These reports are groundless.” Huawei Technologies Ltd., founded in 1987, has grown rapidly in developing countries but faces hurdles in the United States, where authorities have warned it might be a security risk. The company has rejected such claims as trade protectionism that it says hurts American consumers by limiting competition and raising the cost of telecoms equipment. Huawei expects a 2013 operating profit of 28.6 billion yuan to 29.4 billion yuan ($4.8 billion to $4.9 billion), according to Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. That would be an increase of 43 to 47 percent over last year’s operating profit of 19.96 billion yuan. Audited results are due to be released in the second quarter of the year. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Read More …

Jan 012014
 
Thousands rally on New Year’s Day for Hong Kong democracy

Thousands of protesters march during a demonstration demanding universal suffrage for the people of Hong Kong on New Year’s Day in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. The white banner, right, reads “Real universal suffrage, No filtering.” (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG – Thousands marched in Hong Kong Wednesday to demand a greater say in how their future leaders will be chosen, expressing fears that China will limit long-awaited political reforms. “Democracy will prevail” read some banners as protesters sang and shouted slogans against the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese city, less than one month after the start of an official public consultation on a future electoral system. “Because we are Hong Kong citizens, we must vote,” said Sharon Tang, a 49-year-old trading company employee, adding that residents of the former British colony have the intelligence to choose their leaders. Mainland Chinese tourists took pictures of the march as protesters chanted “End one-party rule!” China, which took back Hong Kong in 1997, has promised that its people will be able to vote in 2017 for their next chief executive. Currently the leader is elected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee. But many fear that China will control the choice of candidates to secure the election of a sympathetic official. “Hong Kong people have been on the streets over the years to strive for what we deserve, and what the Chinese government has not given us,” Charles Tam, 25, told AFP. One protester had red tape wrapped around her arms and covering Read More …

Dec 302013
 
HK renews black travel warning vs PHL

Hong Kong on Monday renewed its black warning travel on the Philippines, citing the effects of super Typhoon Yolanda as well as the risk of possible terrorist attacks including on areas frequented by foreigners. In its Dec. 30 update, the Hong Kong Security Bureau said some foreign governments had noted the risk of “possible terrorist attacks.” “Some overseas administrations had noted the risk on possible terrorist attacks, including places frequented by foreigners, such as large shopping malls and convention centers,” it said. It also noted Yolanda’s effects, including “widespread damage. Food and water shortages, deteriorating hygienic conditions, electricity outages and poor communications” in affected areas. Hong Kong has not changed its black travel warning on the Philippines since Aug. 23, 2010, when a dismissed policeman took a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage to demand his reinstatement.  He and some of his hostages were killed in a botched rescue try. The black travel alert is the most serious in Hong Kong’s three-tier outbound travel alert system. The others include red (significant threat) and amber (signs of threat). The Philippines is one of only three countries to be assigned the black alert. The others are Egypt and Syria. — BM, GMA News

Dec 022013
 
Hong Kong travel agencies cancel Bangkok tours amid unrest

Agence France-Presse 8:43 pm | Monday, December 2nd, 2013 Anti-government protesters use a wheeled bulldozer to break through police barricade in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. AP HONG KONG — Hong Kong travel agencies said Monday they were cancelling most package tours to Bangkok because of anti-government protests, after authorities issued a travel warning for the strife-torn Thai capital. The Hong Kong government issued a “red” outbound travel alert on Bangkok, the second highest in its three-tier warning system, while other Asian countries urged citizens to exercise caution as turmoil continued on the streets. “Residents intending to visit Bangkok should adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel. Those already there should monitor the situation, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people,” a Hong Kong government spokesman said in a statement. Hong Kong is particularly sensitive to the safety of its tourists. A travel alert on the Philippines remains in place three years after a hostage crisis in Manila killed eight Hong Kong residents. A lower “yellow” warning has been placed on the rest of Thailand. Police in the Thai capital used rubber bullets and water cannons against rock-throwing demonstrators after weekend unrest left several dead and more than a hundred wounded. Roads were blocked across the city and shopping malls forced to close. “After the Security Bureau raised the warning to red, the vast majority of Hong Kong travel agencies have decided to cancel tours,” Travel Industry Council director Joseph Tung told reporters. Read More …