The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is expanding the list of foreign nationals that will be allowed to enter the country starting Feb. 16, 2021.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the relaxation of the travel ban was based on Resolution No. 98 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management Of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
The BI chief said "those with valid visas who were temporarily disallowed to enter the country under the previous guideline of the IATF are now allowed to return."
The list includes aliens with working visa, student visa, Special Visa for Employment Generation and Special Investors Resident Visa that were issued prior to March 20, 2020.
The government placed in March last year the entire Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Morente explained that those with visas issued after March 20 will be allowed entry to the Philippines if they can present an exemption from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The same DFA guideline also applies to holders of Special Resident Visa and Temporary Visitor's Visa.
Port operations division chief Candy Tan said visa-free privileges for nationals of 157 countries remain suspended.