MANILA, Philippines — International arrivals to the Philippines rose by nearly 8% in the first half of 2025, a sign of the country’s strengthening tourism sector, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Monday.

The BI recorded 7,840,728 arrivals from January to June 2025, up from 7,268,465 during the same period last year.

“This steady growth is proof that the Philippines remains a top destination in the region,” Viado said. “It follows the many wins of the national government, which the President is set to share with the nation today.”

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is scheduled to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) later in the day.

Viado said most of the visitors came from the United States (753,544), followed by South Korea (745,623), Japan (256,776), China (229,915), and Australia (188,082).

“As gateways to the country, we in the Bureau of Immigration are proud to do our part in supporting this momentum—through efficient and secure immigration processing for all travelers,” Viado said.

He added that the bureau is working with other government agencies to implement further improvements aimed at attracting more international visitors.