PH Revised Entry Requirements For Green Listed Countries

Reclassifies Hong Kong, Dubai, etc., To Yellow

30 November 2021

The Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF) has revised entry protocols from "Green" Listed Countries effective December 1, 2021.

Eligible travelers to the Philippines from “Green” list countries will now be subjected to the same quarantine and testing protocols that apply to arrivals from countries in the “Yellow” list beginning midnight, Philippine time.

Arriving passengers from green countries who flies today or in transit towards Manila are not affected by entry restrictions.

“Except for countries classified as “Red,” the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for “Yellow” list countries,” IATF announced today.

Philippine health authorities revised entry protocols to the country as new covid19 variant was discovered in South Africa and recorded in some European Countries, the Middle East and Hong Kong, causing the technical group to expand the list of “Red” countries on Nov. 28, 2021.

Eligible travelers to the Philippines from “Green” list countries will now be subjected to the same quarantine and testing protocols that apply to arrivals from countries in the “Yellow” list.

Travelers for example, from Hong Kong or Dubai, shall follow protocols for ‘Yellow’ countries.

Fully vaccinated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and eligible foreigners arriving from countries in the green and yellow lists with negative RT-PCR tests taken within 72 hours prior departure are required to have facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative results, who should all undergo swabbing on the third day as well as self-monitoring until the 14th day of their arrival.

Those without a negative RT-PCR test should have facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative results, 5th day swabbing as well as home quarantine until the 10th day from arrival.

Travelers who are un-vaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated are required to have facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative results, 7th day swabbing and home quarantine until the 14th day from arrival.

The revised Red List now includes South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy.

Inbound international travel shall not be allowed for all persons, regardless of vaccination status, coming from or who have been to Red List countries within the last 14 days prior to arrival to any port of the Philippines.

Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated or non-government-initiated repatriation and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry subject to the prevailing entry, testing, and quarantine protocols for Red List countries — facility-based quarantine for 14 days with testing on the 7th day, with day 1 being the date of arrival, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.

The IATF has also suspended the entry of fully vaccinated foreign tourists of non-visa required countries from Green List countries.

CEB Receives 1st A330-900Neo

 28 November 2021

Low Cost Carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) flies the first and the most densely configured Airbus A330-900Neo (RP-C3900) in the Philippines. The Rolls Royce Trent7000 powered aircraft is slated to fly Dubai in its inaugural flight.

CEB A330neo aircraft will have a seating capacity of 460 seats in single class configuration.

The aircraft is leased from Dublin-based lessor Avolon, on operating lease to Cebu Pacific. This is the first of eight A330neo aircraft, with the next A330neo deliveries commencing from December 2021 and will be completed in Q2 2024. 

This is the sixth Avolon aircraft on lease at Cebu Pacific, comprising three A320neo aircraft and three A330 family aircraft, which will all be replaced by the neo.

Avolon was the launch customer of the A330neo in 2014 and has a total of 48 A330neo aircraft in its portfolio, with 23 owned and managed, and 25 on order.

1st Cebu Pacific Airbus A330Neo delivered #Airbus #A330Neo #CebuPacific @CebuPacificAir @TLSWatch @aibfamilyflight 🇵🇭 @flightradar24 follow on FR24 https://t.co/kt4ocx8cw5 pic.twitter.com/PElGa3dwPE

— Eurospot (@cliper31) November 27, 2021

Netherlands on Red List

So Why is KLM Still Flying to MNL?

 23 November 2021

The Netherlands is on the red list classification by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Under the covid entry restrictions to the Philippines, passengers from red listed countries are prohibited from entering the country.

If this was the case, then Dutch carrier KLM should not be flying to the Philippines from Amsterdam. So why is it still flying to the country via Bangkok despite its red status?

The answer isn't surprising.

IATF mandates that passengers who have been to, or are originating from, a 'Red List' country within the last 14 days will NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE PHILIPPINES, unless they are RETURNING FILIPINOS traveling on government-initiated, non-government-initiated, and Bayanihan repatriation flights. 

So does it mean it will only transport Filipinos home? Not necessarily.

Also exempted are diplomats and their dependents, EU nationals who hold long term residence visa in the country, and other cross-border workers. They are also allowed to enter the country.

Passengers who merely transited via Amsterdam Schipol airport to Manila (i.e., stopover at the airport only without immigration admission into a red list country) will also not be deemed as having been to this 'Red List' country. Such passengers will need to present their ticket or boarding pass upon arrival to the Philippine Immigration officials.

Since almost all its passengers are Filipinos coming from different parts of the EU who is required or mandated to fly home it basically makes KLM a local carrier doing "bayanihan flights". It sometimes carry a different flight number to Manila to highlight its charter status.

And so KLM flies all Filipinos home from Amsterdam to Manila. To qualify for flight exemption though, It must not changed its pilots and flight crew on its way to Manila. They must stay on the aircraft while at the airport waiting for embarkation. So KLM carries the return crew for flight home on the same flight. There is no quarantine restriction on its flight home other than the digital covid19 vaccination certificate, and the negative RT-PCR infection test.

The airline arrangement on the carriage of the return crew is not uncommon at this time of pandemic, as Philippine Airlines does the same thing for its flights to Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Returning Filipinos and EU resident workers who originate from the Netherlands must undergo a fourteen (14)-day quarantine period (10 days at quarantine hotels/facilities plus home quarantine for the next days until completion). They will have to undergo an RT-PCR test on the seventh day (the date of arrival being the first day).

The Netherlands will be on the red list together with Faroe Islands from the period November 16 to 30, 2021.

Gensan Opens First International Flight

22 November 2021

Flight Starts 9 December

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has announced that it will fly repatriation flights from Kuala Lumpur to General Santos beginning December 9 next week as transport authorities open the airport as alternate international gateway for returning Filipinos and leisure travelers. It will also accommodate long regional flights from the Middle East.

Dexter Lee, PAL senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer, said the group will add more flights from the Middle East, the United States, Australia, and various Asian countries to accommodate more Filipinos wanting to be in the Philippines for Christmas and holiday season.

The airline will use Airbus A321 for Kuala Lumpur route once a week, and Airbus A330 for middle east flights to General Santos.

The Inter Agency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved last week the inclusion of General Santos as alternate international gateway for arriving passengers. It joins Panglao, Laoag, Subic, Clark, Davao, and Cebu as quarantine gateway airport in the country.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said during the airport terminal inauguration that it is being considered as alternate international gateway to increase arrival limits and capacity to the country leading up to the peak holiday season.

PAL clarified that Manila will still be the airline's main arrival hub, and shall only be rerouting some international flights as needed this holiday season.

The airline said that they are utilizing new ports of entry to accommodate more returning Filipinos and prevent cancellation of flights due to international arrival limits in NAIA.

Local Carriers To Increase Flights To The Middle East

Quarantine for Passengers from Yellow List Countries Only 

22 November 2021

Local carriers Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB) has announced it will add more flights from the Middle East to the Philippines in the next two weeks after the government approved easing of quarantine restrictions for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and leisure travelers from green-listed countries last week.

PAL on its part said it will also increase flights to various Asian countries listed on the green  zone as more overseas Filipinos are expected to fly home next month.

 PAL said it recently brought in more than 10,000 overseas Filipinos by using alternate gateways such as Cebu, Bohol, Subic and Davao to prevent the cancellation of their flights.

“These include our recent rerouting of flights from Bangkok to Panglao; Dubai to Subic, Davao or Cebu; Los Angeles and San Francisco to Cebu; Kuala Lumpur to Laoag; Doha to Subic; and other routes,” the flag carrier said in a statement.

The airline however said that increase flights to the United States, Canada and Australia may be possible in December as the Inter Agency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF) removed quarantine protocols to fully vaccinated passengers from green listed countries who test negative from covid19 infections on their arrival to the country under Resolution No. 149-A.

With the easing up of quarantine protocols from green countries, more passengers from yellow listed countries can be accommodated to quarantine facilities in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic, Laoag, and Panglao.

Manila quarantine facility capacity has been raised last week from 4,000 passengers to 6,000 passengers per day to accommodate additional flights from yellow listed countries. Meanwhile, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic and Panglao quarantine facilities were also increased to 4,000 from the previous 2,000 to address passenger traffic from yellow listed countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Passengers from green listed countries does not count from quarantine limit beginning 22 November as they will not undergo facility-based quarantine restrictions, unlike those from yellow listed countries.

Local airlines previously lament that more alternative gateways in the country need to be opened due to the Manila arrival limits. This has been addressed by the IATF last week, requiring facility-based quarantine protocols only for passengers arriving from yellow list countries.

Travel from red-list countries, such as Amsterdam

Panglao Receives First International Flight

 21 November 2021

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) officially becomes the first airline to fly international flight at Panglao International Airport in Bohol as it carried 118 repatriated Filipino passengers from Bangkok Wednesday after it was made alternate international gateway to the country by IATF amidst imposed travel restrictions due to covid19 pandemic.

PH Opens Shores to Foreigners

Welcomes Tourists from Green List Countries 

Gate Opens November 22

19 November 2021

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the entry of vaccinated foreign leisure travelers or Tourist from green listed countries effective November 22. 

They will be required to submit the same negative RT-PCR test result taken 72 hours before date of departure.

Presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles confirmed that government reconsidered its position and issued  IATF Resolution 149-A, allowing also the entry of fully vaccinated foreigners who tested negative for COVID-19 using an RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to arrival, provided they come from countries on the green list.

Previously, only Filipinos, Diplomats, and Foreign residents are permitted entry into the country with negative RT-PCR test results.

"We are calibrating steps in reopening our economy since tourism is a huge part of our growth," Nograles said during a briefing in Malacañang.

Leisure travelers from Yellow list countries are still prohibited from entering the country, according to Nograles.

IATF also increase entry restrictions to the country to 10,000 passengers per day to accommodate foreign tourists arrivals from green list countries.

PH Eases Quarantine Restrictions

 Defers Decision For US, EU, Canada Yet Again

17 November 2021

The Philippine Government eases quarantine restrictions to Green Listed Countries, according to the latest issuance by the National Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases, approved by the President today.

Passengers traveling from Green Listed countries to the Philippine will no longer stay at quarantine hotels effective today.

Yellow listed countries such as the United States, Canada, European Union, Australia, and New Zealand, together with other countries not on the green or red lists are still required to undergo 5 day mandatory quarantine at the hotel of their choice. Previously, they are required to undergo facility based quarantine for 14 days, and take RT-PCR test on the seventh day of their arrival.

IATF said covid19 infections on these yellow listed countries remained high and the risk of infections to Filipinos severe, based on infection data presented by the Bureau of Quarantine on the arriving Filipinos from yellow list countries, including the US, Canada, and the EU.

Meanwhile, the IATF approved the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs for the national COVID-19 vaccination certificates of Australia, Czech Republic, Georgia, India, Japan, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Turkey, and Samoa to be accepted or recognized for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols, as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement.

Fully vaccinated Filipinos coming from Green List areas need only to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, and will no longer be required to undergo a facility-based quarantine.

Another option is for them to take an RT-PCR test upon arrival, and undergo a facility-based quarantine until after the release of a negative test result.

Fully vaccinated foreign nationals allowed to enter the Philippines from Green List areas are also required to present a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours prior to departure from the origin country and will no longer be required to undergo a facility-based quarantine upon arrival.

Currently, only Filipinos, balikbayan, and resident foreigners with valid and existing visas are allowed to enter the country.