Manila (AsiaNews) - Many Filipino Catholics are preparing to go to the Holy Land to follow the pope's pilgrimage. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila affirms that, after the official announcement from the pontiff, there has been increase in requests for information about traveling from the Philippines to Israel.
According to an agreement between the two states, Filipino citizens are not required to obtain visas ahead of time. On average, about 6,000 Filipinos visit the Holy Land each year. In view of the increase in requests for the period of May, during which Benedict XVI will make his pilgrimage to Jordan, Israel, and Palestine, the DFA has communicated its intention of elaborating a special plan for pilgrims. The embassy of Tel Aviv has also confirmed that during the time when the pope will be in the Holy Land, there will be no change in the travel regulations for Filipino citizens.
The Israeli embassy says that "to ensure that these pilgrims will not encounter difficulties concerning their visit, please advise the Israeli embassy of the names of those Filipino pilgrims who will be visiting Israel under Church organized pilgrimage, for the issuance by the said embassy of a certification that will facilitate their admission to Israel."