[h=2]Huge growth in Filipino ‘tourists’ since 2010[/h]
December 24th, 2013 |
Author: Editorial
According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the number of Filipino tourists in Singapore since 2010 has seen a great increase as well as their associated spending.
The STB website [Link] indicates that in 2011, 678,000 Filipino tourists came to Singapore. This was a 24.5% increase over the number in 2010.
Just the first 6 months of this year alone, the number of Filipino tourists landing on Singapore soil was already 358,000. At this rate, the number will exceed 700,000 this year.
Philippines ranked 7th among the top 15 countries in terms of tourist arrivals in Singapore:
2013 Tourist Arrivals in thousands (Jan – Jun)
According to STB’s Annual Report 2011/12 [Link]:
The Straits Times reported this yesterday in its news article (‘Filipino professionals head to S’pore as tourists to seek jobs’, 23 Dec).
It described how a typical Filipino, Ramz, came to Singapore as a tourist in March 2013 to look for a job. He would spend hours scouring employment websites every day, and often had only one meal a day to save money.
Amazingly, he was allowed to stay for 4 months as a “tourist” in Singapore. At the end of the 4th month, he managed to land a job as a financial analyst at an offshore bank with a monthly salary of $2,800. In Philippines, a graduate earns only about S$500 a month.
ST reported that Filipino professionals like Ramz are increasingly taking a route once used mostly by maids to find employment in Singapore – entering the country as tourists. Once they secure a job, their employers will apply for a work passes for them so that they can work here legally.
In Singapore, foreign professionals can apply for jobs while visiting. But the authorities “will not grant an extension of visit passes” if the job prospects are unclear, states the Manpower Ministry on its website.
While they are here, many bunk with their friends for free but pay for their own food and transportation. Others will try to rent a HDB room illegally on a daily basis so as to minimise their expenses in Singapore (‘Why does HDB not catch people who rent out their flats illegally?‘).
If they cannot find a job before their tourist visa expires in a month, they apply to the ICA to extend their stay, which appears to have been the case for Ramz. Filipinos like Ramz will go to JB when their 1 month tourist visa is about to expire. After a few days, they will re-enter Singapore on a new social visit pass to stay for another month.
In this regard, prominent blogger Leong Sze Hian asked, “How is it that a foreigner who comes to Singapore as a tourist, can keep extending his stay for 4 months, until he finds a job?”
“Are there any developed countries in the world that allow foreign tourists to do this? I understand that developed countries would require work visas to be applied by the employer normally, whilst the foreign worker is still in his or her home country.”
But in the case of Singapore, since the government desperately needs “foreign talents”, it is willing to allow a “tourist” to convert his social visit pass to a work pass once a company in Singapore is willing to employ him.
Another Filipino, Ms Mary who is a marketing executive, is leaving Singapore next month because her employer is unable to renew her S-Pass, ST reported.
Ms Mary said that she will be coming back to Singapore next year as a “tourist” to try her luck again.
She said, “I really want to work here.”
The STB website [Link] indicates that in 2011, 678,000 Filipino tourists came to Singapore. This was a 24.5% increase over the number in 2010.
Just the first 6 months of this year alone, the number of Filipino tourists landing on Singapore soil was already 358,000. At this rate, the number will exceed 700,000 this year.
Philippines ranked 7th among the top 15 countries in terms of tourist arrivals in Singapore:
2013 Tourist Arrivals in thousands (Jan – Jun)
- Indonesia – 1,475
- PRC – 1,241
- Malaysia – 602
- Australia – 547
- India – 499
- Japan – 385
- Philippines – 358
- Hong Kong – 256
- USA – 255
- Thailand – 246
- UK – 235
- S Korea – 232
- Vietnam – 184
- Taiwan – 171
- Germany – 125
According to STB’s Annual Report 2011/12 [Link]:
The Philippines and Japan saw the highest percentage change in tourism receipts over 2010. The tourism receipts for the Philippines (+34%) grew due to a strong increase in visitor arrivals and hotel accommodation expenditure.
However, unlike the Japanese visitors who are really coming to Singapore for vacation or business, a number of Filipino visitors are actually coming here on a social visit pass to look for work.
The Straits Times reported this yesterday in its news article (‘Filipino professionals head to S’pore as tourists to seek jobs’, 23 Dec).
It described how a typical Filipino, Ramz, came to Singapore as a tourist in March 2013 to look for a job. He would spend hours scouring employment websites every day, and often had only one meal a day to save money.
Amazingly, he was allowed to stay for 4 months as a “tourist” in Singapore. At the end of the 4th month, he managed to land a job as a financial analyst at an offshore bank with a monthly salary of $2,800. In Philippines, a graduate earns only about S$500 a month.
ST reported that Filipino professionals like Ramz are increasingly taking a route once used mostly by maids to find employment in Singapore – entering the country as tourists. Once they secure a job, their employers will apply for a work passes for them so that they can work here legally.
In Singapore, foreign professionals can apply for jobs while visiting. But the authorities “will not grant an extension of visit passes” if the job prospects are unclear, states the Manpower Ministry on its website.
While they are here, many bunk with their friends for free but pay for their own food and transportation. Others will try to rent a HDB room illegally on a daily basis so as to minimise their expenses in Singapore (‘Why does HDB not catch people who rent out their flats illegally?‘).
If they cannot find a job before their tourist visa expires in a month, they apply to the ICA to extend their stay, which appears to have been the case for Ramz. Filipinos like Ramz will go to JB when their 1 month tourist visa is about to expire. After a few days, they will re-enter Singapore on a new social visit pass to stay for another month.
In this regard, prominent blogger Leong Sze Hian asked, “How is it that a foreigner who comes to Singapore as a tourist, can keep extending his stay for 4 months, until he finds a job?”
“Are there any developed countries in the world that allow foreign tourists to do this? I understand that developed countries would require work visas to be applied by the employer normally, whilst the foreign worker is still in his or her home country.”
But in the case of Singapore, since the government desperately needs “foreign talents”, it is willing to allow a “tourist” to convert his social visit pass to a work pass once a company in Singapore is willing to employ him.
Another Filipino, Ms Mary who is a marketing executive, is leaving Singapore next month because her employer is unable to renew her S-Pass, ST reported.
Ms Mary said that she will be coming back to Singapore next year as a “tourist” to try her luck again.
She said, “I really want to work here.”
