MANILA, Philippines—Beginning Jan. 4, Filipinos may enter Myanmar without a visa and stay there up to 14 days, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.
In a statement, the DFA said Jan. 4 was the date of effectivity of an agreement between the Philippine and Myanmar governments on visa exemptions for holders of ordinary passports. The pact was signed during the state visit to Manila of Myanmar President Thein Sein on Dec. 5.
The visa-free entry agreement is expected to boost tourism, trade and investment between the Philippines and Myanmar, the DFA said.
The agreement aims to increase tourism to the former Burma, whose pristine beaches and old Buddhist temples are fast becoming tourist attractions.
In 2011, only 816,400 tourists arrived in Myanmar, according to statistics from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations website. In contrast, Philippine tourist arrivals that year numbered more than 3.19 million.
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