Bureau of Immigration: Minor ‘Swifties’ need DSWD clearance

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is urging minors traveling alone to watch Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts in Singapore to first secure a travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In a statement yesterday, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said “Swifties” under 18 years old should also secure parental consent aside from the DSWD clearance if they are traveling with a person other than their parents.

Tansingco said the BI is expecting an increase in the number of travelers this week, partly due to the number of Filipino fans who would be flying to Singapore to watch Swift’s concert.

The BI is expecting about 150,000 Filipinos flying out of the country. The figure still excludes Filipino travelers who will attend Swift’s concert.

“We are expecting an increase in travelers during the first week of March during the Taylor Swift concert period, and of course as the summer season enters,” Tansingco said, noting that some Filipinos want to take advantage of the warm weather and schedule a trip abroad.

To avoid inconvenience, he also advised concertgoers to fill out their e-travel 72 hours prior to departure and check-in at least three hours prior to flight.

The American singer-songwriter is holding a six-day concert from March 2 to 4 and March 7 to 9 at Singapore’s National Stadium.