This is with regard to the requests of Foreign Nationals (“FNs”) for endorsement to the Department of Foreign Affairs (“DFA”) for Travel Ban Exemptions (“TBE”) to the Philippines.
On 15 July 2021, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (“DICT”) received the Memorandum from Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea dated 14 July 2021 regarding the Imposition of Travel Restrictions on Travelers from Indonesia. The said Memorandum from Executive Secretary Medialdea referenced the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (“IATF-MEID”) Resolution No. 125-A dated 08 July 2021 and provided that a temporary travel ban is in place from 16 July 2021 until 31 July 2021 for all passengers or travelers with travel history from Indonesia within fourteen (14) days prior to arrival in the Philippines. Passengers or travelers “merely transiting” through Indonesia are not covered by the imposed travel ban and will be subjected to the existing testing and quarantine protocols of the national government.
On 16 July 2021, the Bureau of Immigration (“BI”) released the BI Advisory on the Revised Quarantine Guidelines Per IATF-MEID Resolution No. 126, series of 2021 and Memorandum from Executive Secretary dated 14 July 2021, which also stated that a temporary travel ban is imposed for all travelers or passengers coming from Indonesia.
In compliance with the above-mentioned, please be advised that the DICT will also be temporarily suspending from 16 July 2021 until 31 July 2021 the processing of requests for endorsement to the DFA for TBE to the Philippines of FNs coming from or who have been to Indonesia.
The foregoing issuances are annexed to this Advisory for reference. Please be guided accordingly.