Filipino workers bound for Hong Kong and Macau are now exempted from the travel ban imposed on all Filipino nationals going to China and its administrative regions following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
“With the exemption, OFWs returning to Hong Kong and Macau shall be required to execute a declaration which states that they are aware of the risks involved,” the DFA said in an advisory.
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Newly-hired Filipino workers are also exempted from the ban as long as they sign the form that can be obtained from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Filipino permanent residents of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions and those leaving to study abroad who will be traveling to these two areas will not be covered by the ban.
Filipinos and their foreign spouses or children, as well as holders of diplomatic visas entry to the Philippines, meanwhile, are subject to the required 14-day quarantine.
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“The travel ban exemption for OFWs working in Hong Kong and Macau is one of the decisions adopted at the 6th Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. At the meeting, exemptions from the travel restrictions were redefined, following a thorough risk assessment of the current situation,” the DFA said.
Manila imposed the travel ban on Filipino nationals and holders of permanent resident visas traveling to China and Hong Kong and Macau on February 2.
While there is no travel ban on Filipino nationals and permanent residents returning from China, Hong Kong and Macau, returning travellers will be subjected to a 14-day self-quarantine upon their return.
