DFA to issue tamper-proof visas

The Philippines will issue tamper-resistant visas starting next month as part of its defense against global terrorism, the foreign department said yesterday.

The "sticker-type" machine-readable visas would put the documents in line with specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Assistant Foreign Secretary Estrella Berenguel said in a statement.

The new visas would help deter "fraud, tampering, forgery and other forms of irregularities".

They would be issued from July 1 "in response to global security realities and priorities", the statement said.

President Arroyo’s administration has listed international terrorism as a key national security threat and her government has staunchly supported US-led campaigns against it.

"With the visa sticker, the Philippine visa becomes comparable to recent developments in visa and travel document security," Berenguel said.

About two million people visit the Philippines every year, according to tourism department figures. — AFP, Pia Lee-Brago