Ahead of the Philippines’ hosting of the 2026 ASEAN Summit, its tourism secretary announced the country’s support of the proposed unified visa system for member nations.
During a media briefing held at the Department of Tourism (DOT)’s headquarters in Makati City on July 31, tourism secretary Christina Frasco confirmed the Philippines’ robust support for the establishment of a unified regional visa.
Frasco stated: “As early as the first ASEAN meeting I attended as Tourism Secretary, I expressed the Philippines’ desire to benefit from a unified ASEAN visa. This remains dependent on the agreements of the nations, while we uphold our commitment to national security.”
Earlier this year, she noted that other Southeast Asian countries have also expressed an interest in this unified visa scheme, inspired by the European Schengen visa and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s joint visa.
Frasco hopes this matter will be reconsidered as the Philippines takes on the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.
Preparations for the Philippines’ overall hosting of the ASEAN meetings next year are underway.
Frasco mentioned: “The Philippines hosting ASEAN in 2026 will significantly enhance tourism in our country, and we are thrilled that the first ASEAN meetings will focus on tourism, with the ASEAN Tourism Forum scheduled for January 2026.”
For more details, you can find additional resources on the official travel daily media page.