(Eagle News) — Fully-vaccinated passengers still need to present proof of booking accommodation at a government-accredited facility to be allowed entry into the country.
According to Immigration chief Jaime Morente, fully vaccinated passengers are not exempted from quarantine protocols.
Individuals vaccinated abroad, he said, are required to present booking accommodation for ten days.
Meanwhile, those arriving passengers who were vaccinated in the Philippines are required to undergo a seven-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival, with the day of arrival being the first day, according to a recent Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases resolution.
According to the bureau, based on the IATF-MEID, a passenger is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after he or she has completed his second dose (or first dose for single-dose type) of a vaccine that was issued authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.
“If arriving aliens are found by the appropriate agencies to have faked their quarantine bookings, they may be referred back to the BI for initiation of deportation proceedings,” the bureau’s Port Operations Division Chief Carlos Capulong said.
Meanwhile, departing Filipinos, the bureau said, should bring their vaccination cards as these will be presented to officials of the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) at the airport upon their return.
He also advised the passengers to secure, before their departure a certification that they have been fully vaccinated from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) or city/municipal health officer of their local government unit.
The new protocols for fully vaccinated passengers take effect on Tuesday as part of government efforts to gradually ease travel restrictions.
Morente issued the statement following reports that immigration offices were being swamped with queries on whether passengers who have been vaccinated are required to undergo quarantine protocols.
The travel ban on passengers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Oman, Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates has been extended to the end of the month.
The Philippine government has also suspended the deployment of overseas Filipinos to Oman.
