It is said that the strength of a
country’s passport lies in the number of foreign nations it will allow the
bearer entrance to, without needing a travel visa. This privilege has been the
domain of either the most politically and economically power countries in the
world, ranging from world powers like the US to prosperous island nations like
Singapore. The Philippines is roughly in the middle of the pack when it comes
to visa-free passport power, and one place it currently has such a tie to is
Taiwan, an arrangement that gets potentially renewed annually, just like this
year.
CNN Philippines reports that Taiwan has extended its visa-free
treatment for Filipino travellers by another year, starting from August 1 next
month to July 31, 2020 next year. This was announced online by the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Office of the Philippines. The original visa-free period
for the Philippines actually began over a year ago in November 1, 2017 with the
term extension being added only this Tuesday, July 2.
"Taiwan is now within reach
of Filipinos, as visa-free travel is quite simple,” read the TECOP’s updatedpost. “You can just go to airports to check-in with your passport and return
tickets. The passport must have remaining validity of at least six months."
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices serve as the de facto “embassies” or “consulates”
of Taiwan to other countries such as the Philippines, seeing as the “One China
Policy” recognized by the United Nations stipulates that only mainland China,
the People’s Republic, is the sole nation of China. They in turn consider
Taiwan as an autonomous region that is an upstart part of their territory,
denying its claim as the “Republic of China.” As a result, Taiwan cannot
legally establish embassies in nations that have PROC embassies.
While visa-free travel to Taiwan
is a boon to Filipino wanting to go there, such a privilege is not without
security requirements. To avail of a visa-free entry to Taiwan a Filipino
traveller must have a valid RP passport that must remain valid at least six
months before his entry date. Next, he must have a confirmed return ticket by
plane or ship, plus a visa if travelling onto another country that requires it.
A confirmed hotel reservation or Taiwan address and contact details, plus
financial statement will also be needed.
Visa-free entry might be restricted
to Filipino travellers with a criminal record, who have insufficient funds to
support their stay, or have a prior record of overstaying in Taiwan.
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