There is a significant lower turnout of arriving international passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and other airports and seaports in the country due to the pandemic.
This is the obvious finding of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), as it recorded a total of 3.5 million passengers that landed at the premier gateway from January to September 2020.
This pales in contrast to the almost 13 million that arrived in the same period last year.
BI commissioner Jaime Morente said their figures starts with a strong 1.7 million arrival in January, then suddenly drops to less than 500,000 in March, and slumps to a mere 25,000 in April 2020.
The sudden drop in arrivals can be attributed to the spread of Covid-19, which prompted the Philippines, as well as other countries to impose travel restrictions, or even travel ban since March this year, Morente said.
In a May 2020 report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), travel and tourism are among the most affected sectors of Covid-19, and projections show a decline of 58 percent to 78 percent in international tourist arrivals worldwide for this year.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, international travel increases the chance of getting and spreading Covid-19. Hence, the Philippine government imposed travel restrictions to slow down the spread of the virus.
As early as January, before the declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic, the BI suspended the issuance of the Visa Upon Arrival facility, which slowed down the arrival of Chinese tour groups.
In February, the national government issued a travel ban on foreigners coming from China and its special administrative regions, which it eventually expanded to include all foreign tourists.
Currently, only Filipinos, their spouse and minor children are allowed to enter the country holding tourist visas. Restrictions likewise allow foreign children with special needs of Filipinos, foreign parent of minor Filipinos, and foreign parent of Filipino children with special needs to enter the country.
Those who are eligible to enter are required to secure an entry visa from Philippine embassies or consulates prior to their arrival.
Apart from these categories, accredited foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents, foreign airline crewmembers, foreign seafarers with 9(c) visas, and foreigners with long-term visas are also allowed but they would have to undergo quarantine requirements.
“We used to see a spike in figures during holidays, like Holy Week, All Souls’ Day, and Christmas but we’ve seen very low numbers this year,” he stated.
In 2019, the BI recorded more than 16 million arrivals the entire year, which was higher than the 15.1 million recorded in 2018.
“We are optimistic and expect the numbers to pick up in 2021, hopefully when we see an end to this pandemic,” Morente said.
His statement is aligned with UNWTO’s projection that international travel may start recovering next year.
“We are ready to implement any changes in the travel restrictions imposed by the IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases],” said Morente. “We trust their wisdom, and our men are on standby to serve international travelers in our airports and seaports,” he added.