Filipinos abroad, along with their spouses and children, will be allowed to enter the Philippines starting Dec. 7, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has ratified.

According to IATF Resolution No. 85 released on Thursday, the country will open its doors to foreign spouses of Filipinos and their children traveling with them.

Former Filipino citizens, including their spouses and children traveling, will also be allowed entry.

All will be allowed entry regardless of age.

However, those who will travel will be required to pre-book a quarantine facility, a Covid-19 test at a laboratory operating at the airport and adhere to airline and travel restrictions.

The Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Tourism were assigned to create necessary guidelines.

“The foregoing is without prejudice to immigration laws, rules and regulations such that the Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for the above foreign nationals, including other foreign nationals who have entered the Philippines by virtue of Inter-Agency Task Force resolutions,” IATF Resolution No. 85 read.

Since July 30, only children of Philippine citizens and children with special needs, regardless of age, as well as to foreign parents of Filipino and children with special needs, also regardless of age, had been allowed to return to the country. John Ezekiel J. Hirro