(Eagle News) — Starting Aug. 1, foreign spouses, children and parents of Filipino citizens who are traveling to the Philippines as tourists to visit their kin here no longer have to present an entry exemption document in Philippine ports for entry into the country.
According to the Bureau of Immigration, this was after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infection Diseases issued its latest resolution requiring foreigners related by marriage or filiation to Filipinos to present only 9(a) tourist visas instead.
In the latest resolution, the IATF, however, instructed the DFA to include in the visa of these foreigners the notation: “EED not required per IATF Resolution No. 128 (s.2021).”
“We welcome this latest ruling of the IATF as it will now be easier and convenient for foreigners whose Filipino spouses and children are currently in the Philippines to visit and reunite with their loved ones,” Immigration Chief Jaime Morente said.
According to Morente, the new policy applies only to foreigners traveling without their Filipino spouses.
He said foreigners who are traveling with their Filipino spouses or parents are eligible for the Balikbayan program and may be admitted visa-free for a one-year stay.
Bureau Port Operations Division Chief Carlos Capulong said that while the exemption on alien families of Filipinos has been loosened, the ban for those coming from 10 countries due to the Covid-19 Delta variant remains.
“Those coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are still not allowed to enter the country,” Capulong said, noting that this was in effect until July 31.
“This includes those who have a travel history to said countries within the last 14 days from their date of arrival,” he added.
