Senator Loren Legarda was shocked to discover that retired foreigners can stay legally in the Philippines for as long as they want by just paying a fee US$20,000, which prompted the lady lawmaker to remark that it was no wonder why many criminal syndicates are now exploiting this policy in order to find safe haven in the country.

During the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the Department of Tourism (DoT) and its attached agencies’ proposed ₱3.394-billion budget for the next fiscal year, Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) general manager and chief-executive-officer Roberto Zozobrado disclosed that they are offering foreigners who plan to retire in the Philippines with non-immigrant visas for a fee of US$20,000, which can be deposited to any of its accredited banks.

If the foreigners are receiving pension ranging from US$800 to US$1,200, Zozobrado said they are required to deposit US$10,000. For former Filipino citizens or officers of multinational organizations that are accepted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), they are required to pay US$1,500.

“That’s all that they need. It's a non-immigrant visa that they get and they can stay for as long as they want unless they want to change their status and go back to their countries. The benefit they get is they can enter and exit out of the country,” the head of PRA, a DoT attached agency, pointed out.

In reaction, Senator Legarda expressed dismay, adding that the policy should be reviewed, especially in the light of the influx of Chinese nationals who entered the country with the intent of working in the illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators that proliferated unabated during the previous administration of then President Rodrigo Duterte.

Based on PRA data, about 58,000 foreigners retired in the Philippines from 1997 up to the present. Most of these foreign retirees come from mainland China, followed by South Korea.

Legarda stressed the need to balance attracting foreign retirees and security issues “brought about by foreign nationals who do criminal activities in our country,” considering the Philippines' porous borders.

In another forum, tourism secretary Christina Frasco enthused that while the DoT fully supports President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s position regarding national security, she also recognizes the ‘trend’ that other countries have adopted, especially the Philippines’ competitors in southeast Asia pertaining to the liberalization of the issuance of long stay visas.