PH to ease requirements for inbound travelers

In March 2020, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 had very little traffic as some airlines suspended flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That may change his 2022 as the Marcos administration has decided to ease requirements for incoming travelers. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will ease its requirements for incoming travelers in a bid to attract more tourists and businesses.

This decision was made on Tuesday morning during the Cabinet meeting presided over by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said.

Among the new measures is that inbound travelers would no longer be required to have pre-departure RT PCR testing.

Unvaccinated foreigners, Frasco said, would instead be required to present a negative antigen test result either 24 hours before their departure from their country of origin or upon their arrival in the Philippines.

“The overarching direction of the Marcos administration is to allow our country to convey an openness and readiness to the world to receive tourists and investments so that we would give our fellow Filipinos an opportunity to regain all the livelihood and losses that were incurred during the pandemic,” Frasco said.

“We are optimistic that all of these restrictions being lifted by the Marcos admin that this can only redound to the benefit of the lives of millions of Filipinos that serve to benefit as well from the invigoration of the tourism industry,” she added.

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