Gov't won't require pre-departure COVID-19 test for adult Filipinos, foreign travelers with at least one booster
By Robina Asido
The Philippine government will no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 test for adult Filipino and foreign international travelers with at least one booster shot starting May 30.
In a virtual Palace press briefing Friday, Undersecretary Michel Kristian Ablan said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) issued on Thursday a resolution announcing the pre-departure testing exemption for international travelers who already received the third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.
Aside from the adults aged 18 and above who have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines, fully vaccinated minors aged 12 to 17 and those who are below 12, regardless of their vaccination status, who are accompanied by their parents or guardians are also included in the pre-departure testing exemption.
Ablan said international travelers should have an acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination while foreign nationals should also comply with the applicable visa requirements and Immigration entry and departure formalities.
"Foreign nationals must also have passports valid for a period of at least 6 months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines. For temporary visitors, they must have valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination corresponding to their permitted/allowable duration of stay under a valid visa or visa-free entry, as the case may be," he said.
"However, this shall not apply to foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens and former Filipino citizens with balikbayan privilege under Republic Act No. 9174, including their foreign spouse and children who are not balikbayans in their own right and are traveling with them to the Philippines," he added.
Ablan said "foreign nationals who fail to fully comply with the conditions and requisites set shall be denied admission into the country and shall be subject to the appropriate exclusion proceedings."
He noted that once admitted into the country, foreign nationals are no longer required to observe facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven days.
Ablan said unvaccinated, partially unvaccinated Filipinos or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated, can still enter the country as long as they can present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or a remotely supervised, or a negative laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.
"They are required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day from date of arrival. After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their 14th day from date of arrival," he said.
"The Local Government Units (LGUS) of destination and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTS) are tasked to monitor those arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine," he added.
Ablan said even fully recovered Filipinos who still test positive for COVID-19 may still enter the country provided they have positive RT-PCR test taken not earlier than 10 days but not later than 30 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin, an RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin and a medical certificate issued by a licensed physician certifying that person is asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe or critical case of COVID-19, as the case may be; and has completed the mandatory isolation period; is no longer infectious; and has been allowed free movement and travel.
"The IATF likewise resolved that all inbound passengers, whether Filipinos or foreign nationals, shall register with the One Health Pass prior to arrival in the Philippines unless exempted under relevant IATF resolutions," he said. DMS
