Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said over the weekend that the government is still reviewing the policy on the restrictions on foreign travelers’ entry in the Philippines.
This was after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases earlier eased the restrictions on tourism or outbound travel of Filipinos starting October 21.
“Pinag-aaralan doon sa inbound (The inbound travel is under study). Like I said, one step at a time,” Nograles said during a forum on Facebook Saturday night.
Nograles added that the “government recognizes that there are foreign citizens abroad who want to spend the holidays with their loved ones and fiancées here in the Philippines.”
According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), “Currently, only Filipinos, their spouse, and minor children are allowed to enter the country holding tourist visas. Restrictions allow foreign children with special needs of Filipinos, foreign parent of minor Filipinos, and foreign parent of Filipino children with special needs to enter the country.”
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Nograles: Gov’t reviewing policy on entry of foreign travelers
Accredited foreign government and international organization officials, foreign airline crew members and seafarers, and foreigners with long-term visas are also allowed to enter the Philippines.
Nograles said the government would look into requests for entry of some foreign workers but on a case-by-case basis.
“If it’s work-related and necessary or desirable or important or urgent ‘yung type na work na kailangang gawin sa bansa, dumadaan sa proseso ‘yan. There’s a process na kailangan sundin, mga papeles, mga requirements na kailangan ipakita para payagan ang foreigner na pumunta dito inbound,” Nograles said.
(If it’s work-related, the work needed in the country is necessary, desirable, important, or urgent, that will go through the process. There’s a process that must be followed. Papers and requirements must be submitted to allow the entry of a foreigner here.)
“If you don’t have a Philippine passport, then you will be treated as a foreign national subject to the same rules, must be work-related, must submit papers. It will be a case-to-case basis,” Nograles added.