THE Department of Tourism (DOT) hopes for the implementation of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations visa to promote tourism among countries in the region, the agency said yesterday.
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption will allow citizens of the member countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam —to ross borders in the region visa-free for a maximum of 14 days for visits.
Longer travel and trips for other purposes will require applying for appropriate visas or passes.
Currently, Filipinos and other ASEAN travelers have visa-on-arrival privileges in member states.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said an ASEAN visa has a similar concept to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) visa in the Middle East and the Schengen visa in Europe.
Garcia, as one of the speakers, presented the idea on May 15 during the SKIFT Asia Forum 2025, a two-day event where organizations in the tourism sector — both government and private entities — convened to discuss issues and opportunities in travel.
“To be able to unify the ASEAN as a destination in terms of the strength of its natural assets, its unparalleled warmth and hospitality as a people, and as a culture. And in terms of the quality of experiences that we are able to offer, is one that is aspirational for us in the Philippines,” she said.
She said representatives of other ASEAN countries welcomed the idea and that she hopes to discuss the topic further when the Philippines hosts the ASEAN convention in 2026. (ABS-CBN News)
