BI reminds Pinoys to comply with non-essential travel rules

FILE: A security guard checks the body temperature of passengers before entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City as it resumed operations for international flights on Wednesday (July 8, 2020). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – An official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday reminded Filipinos who are looking to go abroad for non-essential purposes about the several conditions set by the Inter-Agency Tasks Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) before they will be allowed to leave the country.

“Non-essential travel is already allowed but we remind Filipinos to comply with the five conditions, and they are set to travel abroad,” BI National Operations Center (BINOC) acting chief, Melvin Mabulac, said in a Laging Handa briefing.

Under Resolution No. 52, Series of 2020 issued on July 6, it already allowed the non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos subject to certain conditions.

These include submission of confirmed round-trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas; adequate travel and health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses if stranded, and hospitalization in case of infection, in such amounts as may be determined by the Department of Tourism; and proof of allowed entry by the destination country in accordance with their travel, health, and quarantine restrictions.

Also included is the execution of a declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including the risk of delay in their return trips, to be provided for in the check-in counters by the airlines; and upon return, shall follow the guidelines of returning overseas Filipinos of the National Task Force against Covid-19.

The resolution added that “all the foregoing is without prejudice to the exercise of the mandate of the Bureau of Immigration prior to departure.

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“If travelers say that their purpose of travel is for leisure but we were able to find out that they will be working to the country of destination. They will not be allowed to leave,” said Mabulac, who is also BI acting spokesperson.

He said only Filipinos or foreigners married to Filipinos are allowed to enter the country at this time.

“Filipino or foreigners married to a Filipino must show a marriage certificate, valid latest passport and any identification that will prove that the wife or husband is still a Filipino citizen,” he said.

Meanwhile, Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of other nations are also temporarily banned from entering the country.

“If they are already naturalized (in) another country, they need to reacquire citizenship. They need to apply the reacquisition and retention of Filipino citizenship under Republic Act 9225. They are already considered as foreigners and foreign nationals are not yet allowed to enter the country,” the BI official added.

He said those exempted are foreigners who are members of diplomatic corps and foreign crew of airlines.