The Philippines will be banning foreigners from entering the country in the government’s bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said that the country will suspend the issuance of visas from all its posts, here and abroad.
“We are stopping the issuance of visas from all posts abroad and here. This goes one imperative step forward: a total ban on incoming foreign visitors of all nationalities, no exceptions,” he wrote on his official Twitter account.
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Foreigners who will leave the country will be given assistance in leaving the Philippines. Locsin previously said that he will be suspending the visa issuance to foreign visitors but subject to the approval of the Tourism Department.
“Before @DFAPHL even begins to consider suspending the issuance of visas in all or some of our foreign posts, I will ask Tourism Secretary Berna (Romulo-Puyat) first what she thinks of it because it is her sector that keeps taking a beating so she should always be consulted first,” Locsin said in a tweet,
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Holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative (SAR) passports and the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports are allowed to travel to the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding 14 days.
Travel restrictions are lifted for Overseas Filipino Workers amid the existing enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. There are 217 COVID-19 cases in the country with 17 fatalities and recorded 8 recoveries.
