THE PHILIPPINE Retirement Authority (PRA) Cebu Satellite Office wants to attract wealthy Russian retirees to choose Cebu as their second home destination. PRA-Cebu officer-in-charge Elma A. Corbeta said the Russian market has started to show interest in acquiring a permanent special visa in the country and Cebu is one of their top destination picks. “We want to hit the rich market,” Ms. Corbeta said in an interview. The Department of Tourism, in its National Tourism Development Plan for 2016-2022, is seeking an increase in Russian visitor arrivals to 71,000 by 2022 from 25,000 in 2015. Ms. Corbeta said she is planning to link up with appropriate agencies and establishments to promote Cebu to the huge active retiree market in Russia. Chinese nationals currently top the foreign retirees staying in Cebu and availing of special resident retirees visa. PRA data show of the 3,900 special retiree visa holders in Cebu, majority are Chinese, followed by Koreans, and Taiwanese. – The Freeman
