“Lahat ng travel restrictions na may kinalaman sa outbound travel ng mga Pilipino ay inalis na rin po,” Roque told reporters in a virtual briefing.
Since the start of lockdowns in March, Filipinos had only been allowed essential international travel including return to overseas work or study.
IATF’s Resolution No. 52, released Monday, require the following conditions for non-essential international travel:
- submission of confirmed round-trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas;
- adequate travel health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses should they get stranded and hospitalized abroad;
- permit to entry by the destination country, in accordance with their travel, health, and quarantine restrictions;
- execution of a “declaration” acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including delay in return; and
- adherence to the Philippines’ guidelines on returning overseas Filipinos upon return to the country.
Filipinos returning to the country are required to take a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction or swab test for Covid-19 and undergo quarantine until they receive negative results.
Resolution No. 52 also ordered the establishment of a Sub-Technical Working Group on Travel to manage international travel.
The new protocols will take effect some time in August.
The Philippines logged 1,540 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 47,873. John Ezekiel J. Hirro