MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning regarding the rise of fraudulent websites that charge fees for the use of eTravel, the official electronic travel declaration platform.
According to Philippines News Agency, the public has been misled by fake sites demanding payments for eTravel registration, a process that is supposed to be free of charge.
Tansingco emphasized that travelers should ensure they are using the legitimate government website, https://etravel.gov.ph, or the eGovPH application for their eTravel registrations to avoid being scammed. The alert was raised following incidents where travelers reported being charged between PHP 3,000 and PHP 5,000 by these deceptive websites.
The Bureau has encouraged anyone who comes across such fraudulent activities to report them immediately to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center using the hotline 1326. Tansingco also highlighted the availability of eTravel kiosks located in major international airports, an initiative supported by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and airport authorities, to facilitate easier access to legitimate registration for travelers.
The eTravel system, which was launched in 2023, serves as a unified platform for the collection of data from both arriving and departing passengers, aiding in border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis. The implementation of this system is a collaborative effort involving multiple government agencies, including the Department of Tourism, the DICT, and the Department of Transportation.