Filipinos planning to travel abroad to meet their foreign partners will no longer be required to participate in the Commission on Filipinos Overseas’ (CFO) guidance and counseling program (GCP), as per a recent announcement by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
On Sunday, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco confirmed that the GCP requirement has been removed by the CFO, a component of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
This decision is aimed at simplifying the departure process for these travelers. Immigration officers have already been informed of this change.
“The inter-agency council is dedicated to regularly updating departure requirements for Filipinos to reflect present-day trends,” stated Tansingco.
He further emphasized the BI’s readiness to enforce any amendments in departure rules as deemed suitable by the inter-agency council.
This move follows a communication from CFO Chairperson Romulo Arugay on August 31, informing the BI about the amendment in regulations.
It’s noteworthy that the GCP was formerly obligatory for Filipinos heading abroad either to meet or to marry foreign partners.
The present change complies with the 2023 Revised Guidelines on Departure Formalities for Internationally-Bound Filipino Travelers.
However, the new guidelines, which were initially set to take effect on September 3, were momentarily halted by the IACAT.
This suspension occurred after receiving criticisms suggesting that the guidelines could potentially infringe on an individual’s right to travel. In addition, the Senate had sought a postponement, a plea that was subsequently approved.