The influential Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has chimed in on the growing clamor to immediately suspend the implementation of new travel rules issued by the government’s anti-trafficking council, saying that it is just too burdensome for the traveling public.
Last week, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) announced that it will implement revised departure guidelines for Filipinos traveling abroad starting September 3. The new rules include those spending for their own travel to have to show financial capacity or source of income and proof of employment, aside from their roundtrip tickets and hotel bookings.
If the trip is sponsored, the traveler will have to present a slew of documents, including work visa and overseas employment certificate, notarized affidavits of support and guarantee, and registration papers of the sponsor, on top of the basic passport and tickets.
George Barcelon, president of the country’s largest business organization, described the new travel rules as “draconian,” and considers many of the requirements unnecessary.
Given the additional time, effort, and expense to secure the many requirements, Barcelon said the government should “postpone it and require more discussions.”
He stressed that the PCCI was as concerned about human trafficking as the government, but there “are [intelligent] ways and means of addressing it than [burdening] the travel community.”
He also noted that local immigration personnel are already struggling with handing long queues at the airport, thus the new policy will only worsen the already dire situation.
Senators have also criticized the latest travel guidelines, with Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva filing a resolution calling for an inquiry into it, expressing dismay that these were added to the misery of Filipino travelers. “It’s ridiculous how they (IACAT) want to make their fellow Filipinos suffer more,” he said.
The Bureau of Immigration had earlier defended the new departure guidelines, claiming that these were just a “clarification” or refinement of existing rules.
The furor and clamor over the “clarified” travel rules for Filipinos, especially first time travelers, certainly seems to be justified, and it would do well for government to listen and recalibrate its zeal to combat human trafficking with being humane towards the same people it claims to be protecting. In this age of rapidly advancing technology, certainly there are better and more efficient ways and means to screen and flag Filipino travelers that are seen as potential human trafficking victims, without inconveniencing and adding more anxiety to an entire population every time they are in an international airport.*
