Fully vaccinated foreign tourists from green list countries can enter country from Dec.1 to 15
Fully vaccinated foreign tourists from green list countries, territories or jurisdictions will be allowed to enter the country starting next month, Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles announced on Friday.
Nograles said "fully vaccinated nationals of non-visa required countries under Executive Order number 408 series of 1960 as amended shall be allowed to enter the Philippines" from December 1 to 15, 2021.
However, Nograles said the tourists should be "holders of passports valid for at least six months from the time of arrival and with a return or outbound ticket to their country of origin or the next country of destination".
He said prior to arrival to the Philippines, "the foreign national should have stayed exclusively in greenlist countries, territories or jurisdiction for 14 days and must have proof of COVID- 19 vaccination recognized by under existing IATF regulations".
These include the World Health Organization (WHO) international certificate of vaccination and prophylaxis, Vaxcert PH and national state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted Vaxcert PH under a reciprocal arrangement unless permitted by the IATF.
Dana Sandoval, Bureau of Immigration spokesperson, said: ''The EO No. 408 says that they are visa free and they can enter here. These are 157 countries nationalities that may enter but they should come from the 44 greenlist countries.".
Nograles said among testing and quarantine protocols that should be observed in all ports of entry include requiring a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.
"Upon arrival no facility based quarantine and no on arrival RT-PCR test will be further required but the passengers are enjoined to self monitored for any symptoms until the 14 days with the first day being the day of arrival," he said.
"Traveler merely transiting through non-greenlist country, territories or jurisdiction shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said countries, territories and jurisdiction if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for such entry for such countries territories or jurisdiction by its immigration authorities," he added.
Nograles said "the testing and quarantine protocols of minors shall follow the testing and quarantine protocols of the parents or guardians traveling with them regardless of the minors vaccination status and country of origin."
"For those vaccinated but failed to comply with the above test before travel requirements they shall be governed by the protocols for unvaccinated individuals coming from greenlist countries, territories or jurisdictions such that they shall be required to undergo facility based quarantine until the release of the negative rtpcr test taken on the 5th day. They are also required to self monitor until the 14 days with the first day being the day of arrival," he said.
Nograles said implementing entry of tourists from green list countries may be extended after December 15.
"This is something that we are doing step by step so the resolution released by the IATF is until December 15, but upon the implementation of this on December 1 of course we will monitor. We will make proper adjustment if needed while we are monitoring its implementation on the ground" he said.
"Right now, the IATF is just prepared to release a resolution that said up to Dec. 15 but if we see that the implementation is good, we can extend," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
