- The Department of Tourism wants to expand 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese tourists beyond Manila and Cebu.
- Officials say the change could bring more chartered flights from China and stronger visitor growth.
- The current arrangement runs from January sixteen, twenty twenty-six to January fifteen, twenty twenty-seven.
The Philippines’ Department of Tourism is pushing to widen 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese tourists beyond Manila and Cebu, and Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the move could bring more chartered flights from China and more arrivals.
Angara-Mathay laid out the plan in Makati City on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
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“We’re working on the visa arrangement with China to cover not only Cebu and Manila but other areas. So, if we’re going to get all the other agencies (to) sign up on this, then we can expect a lot more chartered flights from China and a lot more arrivals.”
Right now, Chinese nationals can enter under the 14-day visa-free entry only through Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu. The policy covers tourism or business.
The department wants to add Bohol, Palawan, Clark and Caticlan if other agencies agree. Approval has not landed yet. Security and other offices still have to sign off.
Angara-Mathay tied the change to a larger arrivals goal for 2026. The department wants more than six million inbound visitors by year-end. A separate target range puts the year at 6.4 million to 6.8 million international visitor arrivals, with seven million as a stretch goal.
Officials say the present arrangement has already helped. They point to a 69-percent increase in Chinese arrivals.
The push also fits a broader effort to recover Chinese visitor traffic and open more air links. Charter operations are the immediate prize. New gateways are the longer one.
Manila and Cebu still anchor the limited access
| Status | Gateways |
|---|---|
| Current access | Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila; Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu |
| Proposed additions | Bohol; Palawan; Clark; Caticlan |
The plan would take the arrangement beyond the two airports that now carry it. That shift is the point.
It would also spread arrivals beyond the main urban gateways. Smaller destinations want the lift.
The current arrangement runs through January 15, 2027
The arrangement is temporary, running from January 16, 2026, to January 15, 2027. Any wider rollout still needs approval and concurrence from other agencies before the coverage can widen. Until then, the current limits remain in place.
