(FILE) Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Starting May 1, the Philippines will be lifting its ban on the entry of foreign nationals except for those coming from India or with a history of travel to India, Malacañang said Friday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the country’s task force against COVID-19 has approved the entry of foreign nationals but will be subject to the following conditions:
- they must have a valid and existing visa, except for those under Balikbayan Program
- they must have pre-booked accommodation for at least seven nights in an accredited quarantine hotel or facility
- they must be subject to COVID-19 testing on the sixth day of arrival
- they are subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers (1,500 per day) at the port and the date of entry
The Philippines earlier suspended the entry of foreign nationals starting March 22 amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
“Travel restrictions, however, shall continue to be in effect for those coming from India or those with travel history to India,” Roque said.
The Philippines has barred the entry of travelers from India starting April 29 to May 14 amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the South Asian nation due to a double-mutant variant.
“All these are without prejudice to immigrations, rules, and regulations. The Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on the waiver or recall of exclusion orders of foreign nationals, subject to regular reporting to the IATF Secretariat,” Roque said.
As of April 29, the Philippines has 1,028,738 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 69,354 active cases, 942,239 recoveries, and 17,145 deaths.