"Stronger border security
boosts tourism, BI says"
MANILA — As the Philippines saw a steady increase in foreign tourist arrivals in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) emphasized how vital security at the country’s airports and seaports is.
“The stronger our border security is, the greater it helps the country's tourism,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a recent interview.
Sandoval described the figures as heartening, noting that the upward trend continues even during the lean months of June, with South Koreans and Americans still topping the list of visitors.
“As compared po to last year, nakakatuwa po yung figures kasi nakikita natin steadily rising ang ating arrivals for the second quarter of this year,” she said. “For April last year, nasa 1.337 [million]. Ngayon, 1.358. Yung May naman, tumaas din. From 1.299, naging 1.309.”
Even in June, traditionally considered a lean season because of the end of long holidays, the start of classes, and the rainy weather, traveler numbers are increasing.
She added that the upward trajectory typically plateaus through the third quarter before spiking again in the fourth quarter.
“Pagpalo po ng fourth quarter, bigla na namang tataas po yan. So yan yung usual trend natin. So far, tumataas po. Maganda po yung data natin ("When the fourth quarter comes, it will suddenly rise again. That’s our usual trend. So far, it’s increasing. Our data looks good.",” she said.
Asked which countries account for the largest number of visitors, Sandoval said the top five for 2025 remain largely unchanged from previous years.
Based on available data, she said the number one for 2026 remains South Korean, followed by Americans, then Canadians, Japanese, and Chinese.
She noted that the same nationalities consistently appear as top visitors year after year, but the Department of Tourism is actively exploring new markets.
“Our Department of Tourism is also tapping into other tourism markets, even those outside the ASEAN region,” Sandoval said. “Kasi alam po natin na marami din na interesado doon sa ganda po ng Pilipinas (Because we know that many are also interested in the beauty of the Philippines).”
The BI, she added, is working closely with the DOT by sharing arrival data to help craft a “targeted approach when it comes to inviting foreign tourists to the Philippines.”
‘Protect the Philippines’ and ‘Love the Philippines’ go hand in hand
When asked how the BI balances its border security mandate — “Protect the Philippines” — with the government’s tourism promotion campaign “Love the Philippines,” Sandoval said the two objectives complement each other.
“Ang atin pong pagbabantay sa ating borders to protect our country from outside threats ay hindi naman po nagiging hadlang para imbitahan po natin ang mga turista na pumasok at love the Philippines. Ito naman po can work hand in hand (Our guarding of our borders to protect our country from outside threats is not actually an obstacle to inviting tourists to enter and love the Philippines. These can work hand in hand),” she added.
Security is actually a selling point for travelers, she said.
It matters that tourists know our country is safe, our borders are well-protected, and we have the right technologies to monitor those entering and leaving our country,” she said in Filipino.
High-tech border upgrades underway
The BI is currently pursuing a ₱10.74-billion Public-Private Partnership project to overhaul border control procedures across 11 major airports, one international seaport, and six border stations.
The Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) project, which is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) biometric and border security standards and practices, includes contactless corridors, biometric facial recognition, immigration kiosks, and advanced passenger pre-screening systems.
ICAO is a UN specialized agency based in Montreal, Canada, that is responsible for establishing the standards and practices that govern international air navigation.
The BI, she said, is committed to continuous improvement of its processes.
“Tayo naman po sa Bureau of Immigration ay tuloy-tuloy po ang ating mga efforts para makahanap po tayo ng ways to improve our processes, improve our systems, para yung ating target na bagong immigration ay mai-anchor natin nang tuluyan doon sa bagong Pilipinas na gusto ng ating Pangulo (For our part at the Bureau of Immigration, we are continuously making efforts to find ways to improve our processes and improve our systems, so that our target of a new immigration system can be fully anchored in the new Philippines that our President envisions),” Sandoval added.
