The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Infectious Diseases has prohibited non-essential foreign travel for Filipinos anew, Palace spokesman Harry Roque announced on Thursday.
The IATF decided to temporarily suspend non-essential outbound travel as only one insurance company committed to provide coverage as required by the government.
Among the conditions for permitted non-essential outbound travel was adequate travel health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses should travelers get stranded and hospitalized abroad.
“Suspendido muna ang non-essential travel hanggang makahanap tayo ng mas maraming insurance companies. Siguro ipapadala ito sa insurance commissioner para sila na ang humingi na kinakailangan magbigay ng insurance coverage,” Roque said in a virtual presser.
Only those who have secured bookings for non-essential travel as of July 20 will be allowed to leave the country.
According to IATF Resolution No. 57, essential outbound travel for Filipinos will be allowed under the following conditions:
- execution of a Bureau of Immigration declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including risk of delay in their return trip, to be provided for in the check-in counters by the airlines; and
- upon return, shall follow the guidelines for returning overseas Filipinos of the National Task Force
IATF Resolution No. 57 was approved on July 21. John Ezekiel J. Hirro