The Bureau of Immigration said the government has not imposed additional restrictions or revised its guidelines on international travel despite the re-imposition of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila and other areas of the country.
“Existing travel restrictions remain unchanged until these are revised or changed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID),” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
“Unlike domestic flights which are suspended under MECQ, international flights at our airports in Manila, Cebu and Clark continue,” Morente said.
Morente advised the public to always keep themselves updated on international travel guidelines implemented by the BI by accessing the Bureau’s website at www.immigration.gov.ph.
He said postings on the Bureau's official website and social media accounts are regularly updated to inform the public on existing travel guidelines in conformity with the latest issuances of the IATF-EID.
BI Port Operations Division Acting Chief Grifton Medina said the country remains off-limits to foreign tourists but said that aside from Filipinos, only holders of permanent immigrant visas and foreign spouses, minor dependents and foreign parents of Filipino minor children can enter the country.
“However, dependents of Filipinos and children of foreigners who have special needs may enter the country, regardless of age,” Medina said, adding that only foreigners, overseas Filipino workers, and Filipinos who are permanent residents or students abroad are permitted to leave the country.
Medina also reported that despite the government’s decision to allow the entry of aliens with permanent resident or immigrant visa, only 87 of them have so far arrived since August 1-5, 2020.
The figure represents a 94-percent drop from 1,412 permanent residents who arrived in the country during the same five-day period in 2019.
BI records showed that there are still about 15,000 foreigners who are permanent residents who were stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
