In hopes to revive the tourism sector and boost the economy, the Philippines will open its borders to fully vaccinated international tourists without the need to undergo facility-based quarantine starting February 10, 2022.
Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia also announced on Friday that it will start accepting arriving fully vaccinated overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals on February 1, 2022. The memorandum also lifts the facility quarantine requirement.
Tourism is one of the badly hit industries caused by the global pandemic and continues to struggle after two years due to travel restrictions. Worse, many areas in the Visayas and Mindanao region were devastated by Typhoon Odette last December 16, 2021 and damaged many tourism-related establishments.
The tourism industry can now recover and it can contribute big to jobs, livelihoods and the country’s economic growth
Presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a press briefing
Approved on January 27, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution 159 suggests acceptance of visa-free travel for short visits from 157 countries with lighter requirements.
Fully Vaccinated Travelers Requirements:
- Travelers can visit either for tourism or business purposes
- A passport valid for at least six months
- Return or outbound ticket to their country of origin
- Proof of vaccination verified through IATF-approved channels
- Negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin
Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Travelers Requirements:
- Travelers can visit either for tourism or business purposes
- A passport valid for at least six months
- Return or outbound ticket to their country of origin
- Negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin
- Be swabbed upon arrival
- Undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their second RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day from arrival
Children 12 years old and below who cannot be vaccinated should follow the quarantine protocol of their adult companion.
Here’s the memorandum from the Cebu Provincial Government based on IATF Resolution No. 159:
