BI ready for arrival of more foreigners starting Feb. 16 subject to IATF guidelines

The Bureau of Immigration on Saturday said it is ready to implement the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowing more foreigners entry to the country starting February 16.

Foreigners with working visa, student visa, special visa for employment generation and special investors residence visa issued on or before March 20, 2020 will be allowed to enter the Philippines, according to a 24 Oras News Alert on Saturday.

Those with special resident and retirees visa and temporary visitor's visa will also be allowed entry as long as they have entry exemption document.

Meanwhile, foreigners who intend to travel for leisure to the Philippines will need an entry visa.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF on Thursday decided to relax travel restrictions on foreigners with visas issued as of March 20, 2020 and are still valid at the time of entry.

"[The government will decide on exemptions on a] case-to-case [basis] but [there should be an] endorsement from [the] individual departments, for example, the DOE (Department of Energy) for energy-related concerns."

Arriving foreign nationals should have a pre-booked accommodation for at least six nights in an accredited quarantine hotel or facility and be subject to COVID-19 testing at the quarantine hotel or facility on the sixth day from the date of their arrival, he added.

The Palace official also said the entry of foreign nationals will be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry.

The government imposed travel restrictions in March 2020 as part of efforts to curb the transmission of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19. —KG, GMA News