The Philippines is not bothered by the travel advisory issued by the United States on the country due to the latest surge in coronavirus cases.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government understands the travel warning made by the US due to the prevailing coronavirus situation. He noted that foreign visitors are still prohibited from entering the Philippines until the end of the month anyway.
The United States earlier advised its nationals against visiting the Philippines due to a "very high level" of cases of coronavirus disease in the country. The Level 4 travel health notice for the Philippines was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to the US State Department.
"Wala pong ibig sabihin 'yan kasi sa totoo lang, sa Pilipinas wala tayong pinapapasok na dayuhan pati mga Amerikano. Naiintindahan naman natin 'yan (It does not mean anything because the Philippines has restricted the entry of foreigners, including Americans. We understand that)," Roque said during a televised press briefing.
"Habang patuloy ang pandemya ay entitled ang mga bansa na mag-warn sa kanilang nationals. Hanggang ngayon, hanggang Abril 30 hindi pa tayo tumatanggap ng mga dayuhan sa Pilipinas (As the pandemic continues, countries are entitled to warn their nationals. Until April 30, we don't accept foreigners in the Philippines)," he added.
Based on the CDC guidelines, American travelers must avoid all travel to the Philippines to prevent the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus. Those who must travel to the Philippines have been advised to get fully vaccinated before travel and observe the existing health protocols.
As of April 21, the country has recorded 962,307 cases of coronavirus including 16,265 deaths. The active cases have soared to 116,434.