Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is studying whether or not to lift restrictions on foreign nationals with Filipina fiances after receiving letters from the "Love is Not Tourism" movement.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a Facebook Live video Saturday, Nograles, IATF co-chair, said the collegial body has delegated a Technical Working Group (TWG) to study lifting the travel restrictions.
"Na-bring up na po 'yan sa IATF at na-delegate na namin sa isang TWG. We're just waiting for kung ano ‘yung magiging recommendations niyan (There is already a TWG studying this. We're just waiting for their recommendations)," he said.
The Love is Not Tourism movement, made by unmarried, long-distance couples, urges governments all over the world to relax travel restrictions and allow them to reunite.
In a press briefing last week, presidential spokesman Harry Roque agreed with the sentiment and promised to bring it up with the IATF.
Only foreign nationals married to Filipinos are currently allowed to enter the country upon presentation of their marriage certificates.
He, on the other hand, encouraged concerned parties to raise their concern before the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), saying the granting of entry permits on a case-to-case basis is within the power of the agency.
“Subukan ninyo po, sumulat po kayo kay Undersecretary (Brigado) Dulay ng DFA, at pupuwede naman po siguro iyong mga fiancé visa ay pupuwedeng makiusap kay Usec (You can try writing to Undersecretary Dulay of the DFA and perhaps those with fiancé visas may be allowed),” he said.
Nograles said members of the IATF have received letters appealing to allow the entry of foreign nationals.
"We have a technical working group that is studying 'yang mga concern ninyo (your concerns). So, yes we have been (talking) – lahat naman ata kami nasulatan ninyo (I think you've written letters to all of us)," he said.