Nomads not same as POGO, Malacañang assures

Malacañang Palace said that the government would be implementing stricter measures once it allows digital nomads to stay in the Philippines longer.

This, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 86 allowing foreign nationals to stay in the country temporarily while they work remotely. They will be issued a Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

 During a press briefing on Monday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government will monitor entry of digital nomads ensuring there won’t be any potential misuse of visas issued to them.

 “We will be having monitoring. Unlike with the POGOs before, we will be securing, definitely, the processes regarding this. There will always be security features in order to protect our country from any scammers or any violations of the law,” she said.

More tourists, more income

 Castro stressed that with the influx of foreign tourists who will find the Philippines as a suitable place to continue their remote work in, this would mean additional income to the country’s economy.

 “If we will have more tourists, we will definitely have more income and it will definitely also benefit the country and also the Filipino people,” she said.

 Castro said that the government is in the process of drafting guidelines to the implementation of EO 86.

 Meanwhile, Castro noted that the government will also look into potential rise of real property prices as the income of digital nomads remain high and could disrupt the property industry.