(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)
As the Philippines lifts the restrictions on non-essential travel, President Rodrigo Duterte has reminded Filipino passengers to adhere to the conditions set for travels abroad.
In a taped public address on Wednesday midnight, the president stressed that travelers must not be complacent as the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains.
“Again, just because you are allowing some of the sectors of our society to go out and work, it does not follow that COVID is not here. COVID will remain for all time,” Duterte said.
Under IATF Resolution 52 approved on Monday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has set a number of conditions for Filipinos traveling abroad.
Those on tourist visas must submit confirmed round-trip tickets; travel and health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses if stranded and hospitalization in case of infection; and show proof of allowed entry by the destination country.
Filipino travelers must also execute a declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including the risk of delay in their return trip.
For returning Filipinos from other countries, mandatory quarantine and COVID-19 are still in place.
The non-essential outbound travel restrictions were imposed last March to curb COVID-19 infections in the country.
