March 25 ------ The online eTravel registration system adopted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is totally free of charge. Thus, the BI issued a reminder to Holy Week travelers against scammer operating fake websites that charge fees for eTravel registration.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that these scammers will be busier this upcoming long weekend as there is an expected influx of travelers. He stressed that the government's official website for eTravel is only at https://etravel.gov.ph as he urged Filipinos not to be victimized by fraudulent schemes. "We advise the traveling public to be cautious and register exclusively on the official government website, or through the eGovPH application. The eTravel registration process is absolutely free of charge," he said. The deployment of eTravel kiosks in major international airports can also help passengers in need, he also said.
Any individual who has encountered fraudulent websites or entities demanding online payments are encouraged to report them immediately to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) via their hotline at 1326. The BI said it had received reports by passengers who were reportedly duped by fake eTravel websites that charged P3,000 to P5,000 in supposed fees.
The eTravel registration was launched earlier this year. It serves as a single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers, integrating border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis. The joint project involves several government agencies, including the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), among others.
Source: mb.com.ph