Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, Parañaque City (Photo courtesy of BI)
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday cautioned the public against scammers operating fake websites that charge fees for registration in eTravel, the electronic travel declaration system.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco reiterated in a news release that registration in the eTravel platform is free of charge.
He urged travelers to register only through the government's official website https://etravel.gov.ph.
"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," Tansingco said in a statement.
There have been reports of passengers duped by fake eTravel websites that allegedly charged between PHP3,000 and PHP5,000.
The BI chief encouraged travelers who encountered fraudulent websites or individuals demanding online payments to report them immediately to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center via hotline 1326.
The eTravel kiosks can be found in major international airports, as provided by airport authorities and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“We are thankful to our partners in government for providing these kiosks for use of the traveling public,” Tansingco said.
The eTravel, launched in 2023, is the single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers, integrating border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.
The project is in coordination with several government agencies, including the Department of Tourism, DICT, and the Department of Transportation. (Ferdinand G. Patinio/PNA)
