STARTING Feb. 10, 2022, fully vaccinated foreign travelers from non-visa required countries may enter the Philippines either for business or tourism purposes, acting presidential spokesperson Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution 159, approved on Jan. 27, provides that fully vaccinated foreigners from non-visa required countries must present a passport valid for at least six months, return or outbound ticket to their country of origin, and their proof of vaccination verified through IATF-approved means.
They will be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.
On arrival in the Philippines, they will no longer have to observe facility-based quarantine and should instead self-monitor for any signs or symptoms within seven days with the date of arrival as their first day.
Fully vaccinated arriving travelers are required to coordinate with the local government units of their destination upon the manifestation of symptoms.
Children 12 years old and below who cannot be vaccinated should follow the quarantine protocol of their adult companion.
Nationals from 157 countries can enter the Philippines without a visa.
Nograles also said starting Feb. 16, only fully vaccinated foreign international travelers will be allowed to enter the country.
Alfred Reyes, president of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu, welcomed the move of the government to open the country’s borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists, saying this would restore tourism jobs and business opportunities.
Since quarantine will not be required for fully vaccinated foreign arrivals, Reyes expects more flights to enter Cebu, allowing foreign tourists to go around the Philippines.
He anticipates guests to start coming to Cebu by the end of March in time for the reopening of some resorts and hotels that temporarily closed their doors for rehabilitation and repair.
“Now is the best time for those Odette-hit properties to expedite their repair works; otherwise, they will be left behind,” he said.
“We are grateful for the restart. A lot of work needs to be done, specially for Cebu, after what we have been through with Typhoon Odette,” said Stephanie Villahermosa, owner of Divaishnavi Travel and Tours.
She said tourism stakeholders should pull themselves out from the slump and focus on rehabilitation efforts while simultaneously touching base with international partners and updating them.
In an earlier Department of Tourism 7-led consultation for tourism stakeholders, Federico Carmona of Amun Ini dive resort in Anda, Bohol, emphasized the importance of foreign tourists to the survival of Central Visayas’ tourism sector.
“The private sector is resilient as long as it has the market. But without them (foreign market), the industry will not survive,” he said. (TPM / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES / KOC)