[ MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. ADD-02-002, JANUARY 3, 2002, January 03, 2002 ]

AMENDING MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. ADD-01-060 VISA UPON ARRIVAL




Pursuant to the instructions of Her Excellency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, Chinese temporary visitors shall be allowed to enter the Philippines through designated ports of entry and to secure temporary visitors visas (9a-VA) upon arrival for an initial stay of seven days to a maximum of fourteen days provided:

1. They are members of tour groups organized pursuant to the procedures prescribed in the Amended Memorandum of Agreement by and among the DOT, DFA, and the BI on the Accreditation of Philippine Tour Operators Handling Tour Groups or Individuals from the People's Republic Of China dated 30 August 2001; or

2. Their tour group is arranged by, or coursed through, a tour operator accredited by the Bureau of Immigration pursuant to Memorandum Order No. ADD-01-023, dated July 9, 2001 subject to the conditions and sanctions imposed in IRD IMPLEMENTATION ORDER No. ADD-01-023, dated July 18, 2001, and

3. They are holders of a valid passport/travel document and round trip ticket;

4. They are not in the Bureau's Blacklist nor are they excludable under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

Chinese temporary visitors who enter the Philippines under this Memorandum Order shall be subject to the following restrictions:

1. Arrive or depart from the Philippines only at the designated ports of entry; and

2. Leave together with the same tour group they arrived with.

A Philippine tour operator whose tour group member violates the above restrictions shall be sanctioned under the terms of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the MOA by and among the DOT, DFA, and the BI dated August 30, 2001, as well as the MOA entered into by the BI accredited tour operator pursuant to Memorandum Order No. ADD-01-023, dated July 9, 2001 and the corresponding IRD IMPLEMENTATION ORDER No. ADD-01-023, dated July 18, 2001.

Any Chinese temporary visitor who violates the provisions of this Memorandum Order or its implementing guidelines and circulars shall be subject to appropriate sanctions under existing Philippine immigration laws.

Laoag International Airport is designated as the pilot port of entry for a period of six (6) months and the Alien Control Officer is hereby authorized to issue an arrival visa (9a-VA) after payment of US$25.00 or its peso equivalent per visa subject to the conditions set forth in this Memorandum Order and its implementing rules and guidelines.

The Chief of the IRD shall immediately formulate regulations to effectively implement this Memorandum Order and submit the same to the Office of the Commissioner for approval.

Adopted: 03 Jan. 2002

(SGD.) ANDREA D. DOMINGO
Commissioner