Philippines lifts restrictions for non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos

July 7, 2020

The Philippine government has decided to lift the travel restrictions, including non-essential trips, to Filipinos going abroad despite the increasing number of coronavirus in the country.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases reached the decision during a meeting on Monday as contained in Resolution No. 52.

"The suspension of non-essential travel by Filipinos pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 13 dated 17 March 2020 is hereby lifted. All travel restrictions relative to outbound travel of Filipinos pursuant to previous IATF Resolutions are likewise lifted," the resolution read.

But Roque said non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos are are subject to conditions.

These are the following:

- Submission of confirmed round-trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas;

- Adequate travel and health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses if stranded, and hospitalization in case of infection, in such amount as may be determined by the Department of Tourism;

- Allowed entry by the destination country in accordance with their travel, health and quarantine restrictions;

- Execution of a declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including risk of delay in their return trip, to be provided for in the check-in counters by the airlines; and

- Upon return, shall follow the guidelines of returning overseas Filipinos of the National Task Force.

Roque said ban on the deployment of Filipino nurses abroad remains as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has not yet lifted its order.

He said the sub-Technical Working Group on the Entry of Foreign Nationals shall be reconstituted to sub-Technical Working Group on Travel.

Prior to the lifting of the travel ban, only overseas Filipino workers, except the healthcare workers, such as nurses and doctors; permanent residents; or holders of student visas abroad are allowed to leave the country.

As of July 6, the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines were 46,333 with 12,185 recoveries and 1,303 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS