Foreign spouses and children of Filipinos and former Filipino citizens, including their spouses and children will be allowed entry starting December 7.
The Philippine government has lifted the ban on their entry but with conditions as stated in the IATF-EID Resolution No. 85. They will be allowed visa-free entry but should have a pre-booked quarantine facility, a pre-booked COVID-19 testing with a laboratory operating at the airport, and will be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers.
The immigration bureau and tourism departments have been ordered to formulate guidelines on the matter.
The latest resolution also approved the expansion of the operational capacity of commissioned shuttle services and “may adopt a ‘one-seat apart’ arrangement or a full seating capacity” as long as health protocols are in place.
For contact tracing measures, the use of StaySafe.ph will be made “mandatory for adoption and use in all national government agencies and instrumentalities, and local government units.”
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce on Monday new quarantine classifications that will cover the month of December, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Nagpaalala po si Mayor Sara [Duterte] na Davao City magiging GCQ [general community quarantine] this holiday season. At the same time, nag-usap-usap po kami ng mga mayor, talagang very cautious po sila na magkaroon po ng MGCQ [modified general community quarantine] dito sa [Metro] Manila (Mayor Sara Duterte reminded that GCQ will be imposed in Davao City this holiday season. At the same time, we have communicated with mayors and they are very cautious about implementing MGCQ in Metro Manila),” NTF Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. disclosed.
“So ang recommendation po nila ay just in case magkaroon man ng easing of restriction ay maybe next year after the holidays (So their recommendation, just in case there would be easing of restrictions, [this will happen] maybe next year after the holidays),” Galvez added. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
