Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said yesterday he is in favor of inviting more Filipinos living abroad to come visit the country.

According to Tansingco, encouraging more overseas Filipinos to come back and spend the holidays in the country might have a good and positive cultural and economic impact and would fortify ties with the Filipino community worldwide.

Based on data from the Bureau, 12,681,231 arrivals were recorded in 2023. Two important migratory hubs for Filipinos, the United States and Canada, accounted for a substantial share of those passengers.

Of the arrivals, 271,955 were Canadians, and 1,186,135 were Americans. Former Filipinos visiting the Philippines for vacation with family made up a large portion of the American population.

Tansingco made the statement following the proposal of House of Representatives Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan to lure more overseas Filipinos to visit the Philippines.

Libanan, who serves as the representative of the 4Ps party list, said that the spending of overseas Filipinos who visit the Philippines can boost the country’s tourism revenues and job growth to a great extent.

The BI Chief also reiterated that former Filipinos from non-visa-required countries, together with their spouse and children who are traveling with them, get a one-year visa-free stay as part of their balikbayan privilege.

The BI’s stance complements the Department of Tourism’s goal to attract more international tourists.

“Our focus on supporting tourism aligns with the larger goal of creating vibrant and sustainable connections with our global Filipino community,” Tansingco said.