No decision yet on appeal to allow entry of foreign workers–Palace

MANILA, Philippines — The government has yet to decide whether it will allow the entry of foreign workers in the country amid the flight restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Monday.

According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, a sub-technical working group (TWG) has been created by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF EID) to study the appeal of a foreign embassy to allow its nationals with work permits to enter the Philippines.

“Meron po kasing nag-request na embahada kung pupwede ‘yung kanilang mga nationals na merong work permit at saka yung kinakailangang consultants para sa mga flagship projects ay papasukin na. Hindi pa po naaprubahan ‘yan at binigay po sa TWG para pag aralan,” Roque said in a televised Palace press briefing.

(An embassy has asked us to allow the entry of their nationals with work permits including necessary consultants for flagship projects. That has not been approved yet and it has been passed to the TWG for review.)

However, Roque did not reveal which specific foreign embassy made the request.

Earlier, the Palace official said foreigners considered permanent residents of the country such as retirees and special investors, are also being considered to be allowed entry in the Philippines.

Without the IATF approval, only returning Filipino migrant workers, Filipino citizens, their spouses and dependents, permanent residents, and foreign diplomats are allowed to enter the country.

Meanwhile, all foreigners can leave the country anytime but Filipinos are not allowed to leave unless they are overseas Filipino workers or permanent residents or holders of a student visa in their country of destination.

JPV