Fully vaccinated Filipino and foreign travelers can now enter the country without undergoing pre-departure testing.
In its Resolution No. 168, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) granted the exemption to Filipino and foreign travelers aged 18 and above who received “primary series” novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines and at least one booster shot.
Also exempted are inbound travelers aged 12 to 17 who are fully vaccinated.
Inbound travelers below 12 years old, will also be exempted from the testing requirement provided they are accompanied by adults who are fully vaccinated and got a booster shot.
Prior to the new resolution, fully vaccinated inbound travelers must present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results or a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result before the date of departure from the country of origin or port of embarkation before they can enter the Philippines.
The IATF approved the exemption last Thursday upon the recommendation of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
In a news statement, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat welcomed the new IATF policy, which she said would help in the revival of the country’s economy, including its tourism industry.
“The DOT sees this development as a win for the local tourism industry as welcoming more tourists in the country will yield more revenues for our MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) and restore more jobs and livelihoods in the sector,” Puyat said.
DOT reported it was already able to register 517,516 foreign tourist arrivals in the country from February 10 to 25 May 2022.
Most or 104,586 of the said foreign tourists came from the United States followed by South Korea with 28,474, and Canada with 24,337.
Australia came in third place with 23,286 followed by the United Kingdom with 20,846 and Japan with 13,373.