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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Gov’t to issue tamper-proof visas (12:07 pm)
MANILA -- The government will issue tamper-resistant visas from next month as part of its defense against global terrorism, the foreign affairs department said Wednesday.
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 government 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. AFPN
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