Pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement executed by the Department of Tourism, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration on June 15, 2000 and amended on August 30, 2001, Chinese Nationals who are Holders of People's Republic of China Passports and who are Temporary Visitors may apply for Visas Upon Arrival (9a-VA) for a stay of THIRTY (30) days at all international airports in the Philippines provided that:

1. They are members of tour groups organized by an accredited tour operator as defined in the Department of Tourism's "Primer on the Issuance of Visa and Visa Upon Arrival to Tour Groups or Individuals from the People's Republic of China"; or

2. They are passengers whose temporary stay is guaranteed in writing by the President/General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of a Philippine National Flag carrier;

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; and that

5. Chinese temporary visitors who enter the Philippines as a member of a tour group under this Memorandum Order shall arrive and depart from the Philippines together with the same tour group they arrived with.

The accreditation of the Philippine tour operator whose tour group member violates the above restrictions shall be revoked by the Department of Tourism at the instance of the Bureau of Immigration without prejudice to other administrative sanctions as well as further criminal prosecution for violations of Immigration laws, rules and regulations. The tour operator whose accreditation is revoked by the DOT shall be barred from handling inbound tour transactions from the People's Republic of China.

The national flag carrier shall be liable for administrative fines and other sanctions under the terms of its guarantee if the passengers fail to leave the Philippines within the time allowed in their temporary stay.

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.

The Immigration Head Supervisor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Alien Control Officers of all international airports in the Philippines shall issue a Visa Upon Arrival (9a-VA) after payment of the visa fee as follows:

Tour Group up to Nineteen (19) Passengers - US$25.00 each plus PhP10.00 Legal Research Fee;

Tour Group with Twenty (20) or More Passengers - US$15.00 plus PhP10.00 Legal Research Fee.

Two (2) days before arrival of the Chinese tour group members, the Philippine tour operator shall submit to the Chief, Immigration Regulation Division, Bureau of Immigration, the names and dates of birth of each tour group member.

Furthermore, the Philippine tour operator shall inform within twenty four (24) hours, the Chief, Immigration Regulation Division, Bureau of Immigration, copy furnished the Undersecretary of Tourism Services and Regional Offices of the DOT and the Visa Division of the DFA should any member disappear or be absent from the tour group's itinerary or otherwise fail to leave the Philippines with the group.

The Chief of the Immigration Regulation Division shall immediately inform the Department of Tourism and the Department of Foreign Affairs of the amendment allowing national flag carriers to guarantee its passengers and to cause the amendment of the Primer on Visa Upon Arrival/Implementing Rules and Guidelines.

All memoranda, rules and regulations of the Bureau of Immigration inconsistent with this Memorandum Order are hereby considered repealed and without any force and effect.

Adopted: 28 April 2005

(SGD.) ALIPIO F. FERNANDEZ, JR.
Commissioner