Following reports of “thousands” of Chinese students studying in Cagayan province, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that the foreigners in the Philippines holding student visas may still be subjected to government intelligence investigation if found to be conducting illegal activities.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that according to law, foreign nationals who acquire their student visas may be subjected to checks by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for activities “which appear to be inimical to the security of the State.”
Tansingco said that the governing law on such is Executive Order No. 285, s. 2000, which establishes an inter-agency committee on foreign students.
The BI is part of the inter-agency, headed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), together with NBI, NICA, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Department of Education (DepEd).
In the said law, Tansingco clarified, the BI may only issue student visas to foreign nationals who have been endorsed by legitimate schools and by CHED.
He added that all schools who accept foreign nationals as students are required to submit their regular reports to the BI who shall monitor their visa compliance, the CHED who shall ensure compliance with education-related policies, and the NICA who shall conduct investigations on suspicious activities.
The BI chief made the remarks after several sectors raised concerns about Chinese students allegedly being allowed to study in Cagayan province, raising concerns due to the province’s strategic location.
For 2023, a total of 1,516 Chinese nationals have been granted student visas in Cagayan, all endorsed by a major Philippine university, Tansingco shared.
However, reports received only show more than 400 Chinese nationals are on-site, as the school is said to be implementing distance learning.
He said that the rise in students may be attributed to post-pandemic rebound, as well as the aggressive marketing of schools and government agencies to boost the country’s educational tourism.
Still, Tansingco said that actions of foreign students “is worth looking at by government intelligence agencies” given that it is well within their mandate and is necessary in ensuring national security.
The BI chief stated that despite concerns of the security sector, he hopes that the checks will not prevent legitimate foreign students from continuing their studies in the Philippines.
“The national government has actively promoted the country as an education hub in Asia. We hope that these concerns do not scare away legitimate students whose stay in the country could greatly help re-boost our economy,” he said.
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