MANILA, Philippines (Updated 11:32 a.m.) — The COVID-19 task force has permitted the entry of Filipino citizens' foreign spouses and children into the country starting next month.
This was announced by presidential spokesman Harry Roque who said the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases made this decision on Thursday.
"Also permitted is the entry of former Filipino citizens, including their spouses and children, regardless of age, who are traveling with them," Roque added.
There will similarly be no age restrictions placed on the traveling spouses and children of Filipino citizens.
The entry of these persons are subject to the following conditions, according to the IATF:
- they are allowed visa-free entry under Executive Order No. 408, series of 1960
- they are required to pre-book a quarantine facility
- they must pre-book COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport
- they are subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry
"The IATF directed the Bureau of Immigration to formulate the necessary guidelines to ensure the smooth implementation of this policy," the spokesman for the COVID-19 task force said.
"The Department of Tourism, on the other hand, is likewise directed to issue the necessary guidelines for the provision of sufficient accommodation for the above mentioned persons taking into account the release of their COVID-19 test results."
DOT: Allowing entry of balikbayans good for industry
In a statement released Friday, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat lauded the decision to allow balikbayans to return to the country during the holidays, calling it "a great cause for celebration for millions of families who long for the homecoming of their relatives abroad."
In addition to reuniting loved ones, the new IATF decision signals a positive development for the ailing tourism industry, according to Puyat.
"Balikbayans are considered as a viable source market of the country for tourism, particularly extending to the second and third generation dependents who have yet to discover their parents’ roots," the tourism chief said.
"The Filipino diaspora to date, has reached about 10 million. That is why we deem important the Filipino communities abroad as staunch partners in driving visitors to the Philippines." — Bella Perez-Rubio