(Eagle News) — Filipino and foreign diplomats from countries included in the Philippines’ “red list” are exempted from the travel ban.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said this exemption was adopted under a resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) last November 25.
Morente said this was also reiterated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to different departments and agencies last December 2.
According to Morente, the exemption particularly covers the following:
- Philippine officials and their delegations on official travel abroad
- Philippine diplomats and their dependents returning to the Philippines at the end of their tour of duty
- Philippine foreign service posts personnel arriving for home office consultation or with approved leave of absence
- foreign diplomats
He said the exemption also extends to the qualified dependents of these diplomats, such as their spouses and children, who are holders of valid diplomatic or official passports.
“We have already instructed our immigration officers in the different ports, as well as foreign airlines, about these travel ban exemptions for immediate implementation,” Morente said.
Apart from France, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique are in the Philippines’ red list amid the Omicron variant threat.