Stronger border security helps boost Philippine tourism— BI

• Photo courtesy of BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said stronger border security and modern immigration systems are helping make the Philippines a safer and more attractive destination for foreign tourists.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said foreign arrivals continued to rise in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with South Koreans and Americans still leading the list of visitors.

“As compared po to last year, nakakatuwa po yung figures kasi nakikita natin steadily rising ang ating arrivals for the second quarter of this year,” Sandoval said.

She said April arrivals rose from 1.337 million in 2025 to 1.358 million this year, while May arrivals increased from 1.299 million to 1.309 million.

Sandoval said the growth is encouraging, especially as June is usually considered a lean travel month due to the rainy season, the end of long holidays, and the start of classes.

“When the fourth quarter comes, it will suddenly rise again. That’s our usual trend. So far, it’s increasing. Our data looks good,” she said.

Sandoval said South Koreans remain the country’s top visitors in 2026, followed by Americans, Canadians, Japanese, and Chinese.

She said the Department of Tourism (DOT) is also looking at other markets outside the ASEAN region to invite more foreign travelers to visit the Philippines.

“Our Department of Tourism is also tapping into other tourism markets, even those outside the ASEAN region,” Sandoval said. “Kasi alam po natin na marami din na interesado doon sa ganda po ng Pilipinas.”

The BI said it is working closely with the DOT by sharing arrival data that can help the government develop a more targeted approach in promoting the country to foreign tourists.

Sandoval said the BI’s border security mandate, “Protect the Philippines,” complements the government’s “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign.

“Ang atin pong pagbabantay sa ating borders to protect our country from outside threats ay hindi naman po nagiging hadlang para imbitahan po natin ang mga turista na pumasok at love the Philippines. Ito naman po can work hand in hand,” Sandoval said.

She said security has become an important consideration for travelers, noting that visitors are more likely to choose destinations where borders are protected and systems are in place to monitor those entering and leaving the country.

The BI is also pursuing a ₱10.74-billion Public-Private Partnership project that seeks to modernize border control procedures across 11 major airports, one international seaport, and six border stations.

The Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) project will include contactless corridors, biometric facial recognition, immigration kiosks, and advanced passenger pre-screening systems.

The BI said the project is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) biometric and border security standards and practices.

ICAO is a United Nations specialized agency based in Montreal, Canada, responsible for establishing standards and practices for international air navigation.

“For our part at the Bureau of Immigration, we are continuously making efforts to find ways to improve our processes and improve our systems, so that our target of a new immigration system can be fully anchored in the new Philippines that our President envisions,” she said..