BI on travel insurance: No specific brand

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente yesterday denied reports that they are only accepting particular brands of travel insurance that will be used by departing Filipino tourists as part of the travel requirements.

“There are posts online stating that immigration has been requiring specific brands of insurance. Such is not the case. Any brand of travel and health insurance, as long as it covers COVID-19, may be used by departing Filipino tourists,” Morente said in a statement.

He explained that the BI was compelled to issue the clarification after some “unscrupulous individuals” used the bureau’s name to sell insurance to Filipino travelers as the country continues to strictly implement rules for traveling abroad.

Morente said Filipinos are still subject to regular immigration inspection at the country’s international ports when leaving the Philippines as part of the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) last year, lifting non-essential travel abroad.

Under IATF rules, outbound Filipino passengers are required to present a round-trip ticket along with their travel and health insurance for COVID-19 covering the entire duration of their trip abroad amid the pandemic.

Departing Filipinos are also required to sign a declaration acknowledging the risks of traveling abroad to be provided by airline companies at the check-in counters.