Single-Visa scheme for ASEAN pushed

Mindanao lawmakers are calling for a single-visa scheme among members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Hon. ufus odrigue! and Hon. Ma"imo odrigue! are authors of House
esolution No. #$#$% &urging the 'e(artment of )oreign Affairs to (ush for the creation of
a single-visa scheme across the #* member-states of the ASEAN.+
&,he (ro(osed single-visa scheme% which would be similar to Euro(e-s unified visa
s.stem% will allow non-ASEAN nationals to enter the #* member-states of the ASEAN
using a single visa% thus saving them time and resources in securing such documents%+ the
authors said.
,he (ro(osal comes in the wake of the decision of the ASEAN member nations to
establish b. /*/* the ASEAN 0ommunit.% including the ASEAN Economic 0ommunit.
(AE0).
However% im(roving relations% the advancement in technolog. and the im(rovement
of the economies of the member-states% the authors noted that the ASEAN leaders decided
to accelerate their (lans and establish the ASEAN Economic 0ommunit. b. /*#1.
,he AE0 landsca(e being viewed for ne"t .ear% the lawmakers said it would be
beneficial for member-states% es(eciall. the 2hili((ines% to have a single-visa scheme in
ASEAN to boost the tourism industr..
,he. also noted ,ourism Secretar. amon 3imene!% 3r. who (ointed out that &we
are a countr. that is awa. from the 4land mass- and so ever.bod. else goes b. train or b.
other forms of trans(ortation across the other ASEAN nations.
&So when .ou have a single-visa% the tendenc. for tourists% for e"am(le% is to sa.%
5-m in ,hailand but m. visa is good for #* countries% so 5 might as well go through all the
#*%+ 3imene! o(ined.
Sec. 3imene!% however% admitted that it might take a while before this scheme could
be reali!ed because &there will be a lot of s.stems to be involved.+
&,he single-visa scheme means that the 2hili((ines will res(ect the visa issued b.
other countries% sa. Singa(ore or Mala.sia. ,hat-s eas. for us to sa.. 6ut getting the other
countries to acce(t the 2hili((ine visa would mean that the. acknowledge that we have
good s.stems at (ar with theirs. And it is clear that not all countries are currentl. (re(ared
to do that%+ Sec. 3imene! added.
NR # 3616B
OCT. 11, 2014
odrigue! also said the ASEAN ,ourism 2lan /*##-/*#1 which noted that a single
tourist visa could substantiall. benefit travel facilitation in the region but it also admitted
that the &establishment of such a visa will not likel. occur in the ne"t five .ears due to
barriers of technolog.% (olitical issues% concerns of sovereignt. and securit. and the
different visa s.stems in the member-states.+
H No. #$#$ also noted an article written b. ,on. 7atigbak in the 2hili((ine Star
5N,8S2E0,59E entitled &:nited we stand% divided we fall%+ which mentioned that a
single-visa scheme could send a message to other countries% like 0hina% that the ASEAN is
united in their stand against 0hina-s moves of claiming more and more land as their own
and the growing number of territorial dis(utes in the region.
&,he 'e(artment of )oreign Affairs should seriousl. consider this scheme and
engage the other ASEAN members into discussion on how to make this a realit. and how
to ensure that des(ite having a single-visa% the securit. of all countries are (rotected and
their sovereignt. is res(ected%+ the authors stressed. ($*) dpt