CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has clarified that only foreigners with permanent or immigrant visas may enter the country starting August 1.
"For the information of the public, the entry of foreign tourists, non-immigrant visa holders, and other categories of aliens are still prohibited. They will be turned back if they land in any of our ports of entry," BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said.
The BI chief issued the statement upon learning that immigration offices at the airports and other field offices of the bureau were being swamped with calls and queries from persons who wrongly thought that the country has opened its doors to all foreigners.
"The resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is clear -- only foreigners with existing long-term visas will be allowed entry beginning August 1. So if you are not a permanent resident here, do not attempt to travel to the Philippines because you will be excluded and denied entry by our immigration officers," Morente said.
He appealed to the public to stop spreading fake news that all foreigners are now welcome to enter the Philippines.
"It will only sow confusion and create chaos in our airports if there is a sudden surge in the arrival of foreigners still covered by the travel ban," he added.
BI Port Operations Division Acting Chief Grifton Medina said there are only four visa categories of aliens who will be allowed entry starting next month.
Medina said qualified aliens include those who were issued immigrant visas under Section 13 of the Immigration act, those who acquired resident status under Republic Act 7919 or Alien Social Integration Act, those who availed of Executive Order 324 or Alien Legalization Program, and native-born foreign nationals.
Medina also stressed that foreigners married to Filipinos and their dependents as well as foreign diplomats may also enter the country as earlier resolved by the IATF.
"We are therefore advising the different airlines to take note of these latest travel guidelines so that they can accordingly inform their foreign customers who may wish to book their flights to the Philippines," the BI official said.
Medina added that the BI does not expect a major upsurge in foreign arrivals despite the lifting of entry restrictions on immigrant visa holders as the bureau's records indicate that there are only about 15,000 permanent residents who are stranded abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic.