09/01/2021
6 MORE COUNTRIES COVERED BY TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS FOR PH-BOUND TRAVEL
The Philippine Government has now added India, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Jordan and Brazil to their list of countries covered by travel restrictions.
AIrlines shall also not be able to accept - on flights to the Philippines - any foreign passengers who had traveled to any of the above countries within 14 days preceding their planned arrival in the Philippines (and if their planned arrival is from January 8 to 15).
On the other hand, Filipino citizens originating from or who had traveled to any of the specified countries within 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival in the Philippines, and who are arriving within the period of January 8 to 15, shall be accepted on PAL flights to the Philippines. However, they will be required to undergo RT-PCR testing upon arrival and a 14-day quarantine at a stringent quarantine facility (even if they receive a negative test result). Returning Overseas Filipinos have the option of choosing their own quarantine hotel from the list of DOT-accredited hotels for stringent quarantine.
The above restrictions are mandated by the latest Resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) restricting travel into the Philippines from specified countries, as a protection measure against the new variant of the SARS-COV 2 Virus.
The countries now covered by passenger restrictions on flights to the Philippines are:
1. Denmark
2. Ireland
3. Japan
4. Australia
5. Israel
6. The Netherlands
7. Hong Kong, SAR
8. Switzerland
9. France
10. Germany
11. Iceland
12. Italy
13. Lebanon
14. Singapore
15. Sweden
16. South Korea
17. South Africa
18. Canada
19. Spain
20. United Kingdom
21. United States
22. Portugal
23. India
24. Finland
25. Norway
26. Jordan
27. Brazil
PAL continues to operate flights to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Canada, and the US subject to existing passenger restrictions.
Unaccompanied Minors:
From January 8 to 15, all unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens - from any of the 27 countries covered by the above travel restrictions - shall not be allowed to enter the Philippines, unless they are part of the government's repatriation program. In the latter case, repatriated minors shall be turned over to the OWWA house parent, who will coordinate with the DSWD to ensure the minor's safety and observance of health protocols.
However, unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens from countries other than those covered by the new restrictions shall be allowed to enter the Philippines.
Diplomats and dignitaries are exempted from the new travel restrictions, provided they comply with arrival and quarantine protocols.