MANILA, Philippines — There was a 45-percent decrease in the number of Philippine tourist visa extensions last year — amid a global health crisis due to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing Covid-19.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente reported Friday that their Tourist Visa Section (TVS) processed a total of 240,276 applications for extension of stay of tourists in 2020, which was 44.67-percent lower than the 434,251 similar applications the office received in 2019.
Morente, however, said the “sharp decline” was expected following the travel bans imposed by the government due to the pandemic.
“International travel restrictions remain in place…
Keep on reading: BI: Tourist visa extension application dropped 45% in 2020 amid pandemic