PH Embassy in China needs to work overtime as visa applicants up 200%

With a reported 200-percent increase in visa applications among Chinese tourists and businessmen wanting to visit the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy in China will have to work overtime to process this “heavy workload,” the Chinese government said.

After China lifted all “travel alert” on the Philippines, Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana earlier disclosed that the Embassy was being deluged with visa applications from Chinese nationals.

Sta. Romana has made an optimistic prediction that Chinese tourists to the Philippines will hit one million this year.

Manila is not the only one optimistic about this development. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying had said this is “good news and the Philippine side would be pleased about it.”

She credited the substantial increase in the number of Chinese nationals visiting the Philippines to the “all-around improvement” in the relations between the two Asian countries since last October, creating a favorable political environment for the people-topeople exchanges.

“Friendly interactions between the two peoples have been greatly boosted, which will in turn help enhance mutual understanding and trust, make the public foundation for good neighborliness and friendship more solid, and gather strength for the sound and steady development of China-Philippines relations,” said Hua during a press briefing a transcript of which was posted in the official website of the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

She noted that China and the Philippines recently have been interacting with each other quite frequently with good news popping up all the time.