(Nov. 20)–The Confucius Institute (CI) at the University of the Philippines Diliman will offer the Mandarin Language Course at the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

According to BI commissioner Jaime H. Morente, the move is designed to train its frontline officers “to enhance their communication skills with respect to conducting arrival and departure formalities to Chinese passengers. This would further equip our Immigration Officers to understand, convey and converse with our Chinese visitors.”

The Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions was signed on Oct. 18.

“With the ever evolving and improving relations with our great neighbor, China, this program would aid our primary inspectors and other officers, not only with usual conduct of formalities at our ports of entry/exit but also with the intensified Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) from Mainland China. Vessels would be arriving carrying throngs of thousands of tourists boosting our tourist economy,” Morente added.

The CI-UPD was established through an agreement between UP and the Confucius Institute Headquarters of China or Hanban, led by its Chief Executive, Mme. Xu Lin, on Dec. 7, 2014. One of its objectives is to strengthen the educational and research cooperation between China and the Philippines, particularly in the areas of language, art, literature, film, culture, the natural and social sciences and engineering, medicine, agriculture and aquaculture.