Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente announced that they will implement the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 89 allowing the re-entry of certain foreign nationals to the country.
The resolution allows the re-entry of 9(e) and 9(g) visa holders who left the country starting Dec. 17.
In an advisory, Morente clarified that not all 9(e) and 9(g) visa holders are allowed to return, following the revised ruling.
“Those who have left prior to Dec. 17 are still not allowed to enter the country,” said Morente.
The move would allow these foreign nationals to return to their countries for the holidays and subsequently re-enter the Philippines after.
According to the BI, 9(e) visa holders are diplomats accredited to the Philippines, including foreign embassies and international organizations.
On the other hand, 9(g) visa holders are pre-arranged employees working in the country.
Port Operations Division chief lawyer Candy Tan emphasized that while the two categories were allowed to return, their re-entry is still subject to the conditions set by the IATF.
“They must have a valid and existing visa on the date of arrival, a pre-booked quarantine facility, and a COVID-19 laboratory at the airport, and they are still subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry,” said Tan.
While some restrictions have been lifted, the BI said that they do not yet see a major jump in the number of travelers until the yearend.