FREQUENT trips to China by erstwhile Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos and the state visit by President Arroyo appear to have spurred renewed interest in the Philippines among the Chinese as shown by the record number of visa applications granted to Chinese nationals.

Ambassador to China Sonia Brady reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that 20,633 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in January 2008 alone, signifying a 229 percent increase from the same period last year. "More and more Chinese are considering the Philippines as their vacation destination of choice," said an embassy assessment.

Brady said "high level visits" by Philippine officials last year played a key role in promoting the Philippines.

Brady called the record number of granted visas "a wonderful development in Philippines-China relations, especially in our efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges between our two countries."

Aside from the embassy in Beijing, the Philippines also maintains consulates in Guangzhou, Xiamen and Shanghai.

Brady said the influx of Chinese visitors to Manila coincides with the annual Spring Festival in China. She said Philippine tourist attractions have also been featured in Chinese media coupled with the Department of Tourism's intensified campaign there to attract more tourists.

Brady said the embassy and consulates have simplified visa application procedures, allowing the release of business and tourist visas within two working days provided all the guidelines and submissions are observed by the applicant. - Anthony Ian Cruz