A steady increase in foreign tourist arrivals during the second quarter of 2026 highlights the critical role border security plays in boosting the country's tourism industry, Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials said.
"The stronger our border security is, the greater it helps the country's tourism," immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.
Sandoval described the arrival figures as encouraging, noting that the upward trend has persisted into June, which is traditionally a lean travel month in the Philippines due to the start of the academic year and the onset of the rainy season.
Immigration data showed arrivals for April rose to 1.358 million from 1.337 million during the same month last year. May arrivals also increased to 1.309 million compared to 1.299 million in May 2025.
Sandoval said traveler numbers typically plateau during the third quarter before hitting a peak in the final three months of the year.
South Koreans and Americans continue to lead the visitor list for 2026, followed by Canadians, Japanese, and Chinese.
While these five nationalities consistently dominate arrivals, Sandoval said the Department of Tourism (DoT) is actively marketing to new regions outside Southeast Asia.
The Immigration bureau is sharing arrival data with the tourism department to help create targeted campaigns for potential visitors, she added.
Addressing the balance between the bureau's mandate to "Protect the Philippines" and the government's "Love the Philippines" tourism slogan, Sandoval said strict border control does not deter legitimate travelers.
"Our guarding of our borders to protect our country from outside threats is not actually an obstacle to inviting tourists to enter," Sandoval said. "It matters that tourists know our country is safe, our borders are well-protected, and we have the right technologies to monitor those entering and leaving our country."
To modernize its operations, the bureau is implementing a P10.74 billion public-private partnership project to upgrade border controls at 11 major airports, one international seaport and six border stations.
The Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services project will introduce contactless corridors, biometric facial recognition, automated immigration kiosks, and advanced passenger pre-screening systems.
The upgrades comply with biometric and security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a Montreal-based U.N. agency.