By Genalyn Kabiling
The safety and protection of Filipinos will be the primary concern of President Duterte before the government decides on the proposed lifting of the travel ban on travelers to and from Hong Kong and Macau, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the matter of lifting the travel restrictions on the Chinese territories is still under study by concerned authorities. "We have to reassess regularly. We already lifted the ban on Taiwan and now we're assessing the travel ban on Macau and Hong Kong," Panelo said during a Palace press briefing. "The safety of our countrymen is the most important concern of the President," he added. Last Friday, the Philippine government lifted the travel ban on Taiwan after being convinced of the sufficient measures to prevent potential carriers of the disease from entering or departing Taiwan. The decision allowing travel to Taiwan from the Philippines and vice versa was reached by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) during a meeting at the Palace. Taiwan immediately welcomed Manila's lifting of the travel restrictions, that were imposed on visitors last February 11 to control the spread of the coronavirus. Reports earlier aid Taipei could take back the visa-free entry of Filipinos after it as included in the list of countries covered by the ban. In lifting the travel ban, Panelo said Taiwan has shown its strict measures and protocols to address the threat of the COVID-19. "In other words, our countrymen are safe," he said. He said any resolution related to travel restrictions will be subjected to regular review by the task force. He said the task force would "evaluate other jurisdictions, including Macau, for the possible lifting of the imposed travel ban after their submission of the protocols being observed by their government which prevent potential carriers of the said virus from entering and departing their territory and enable others to determine the recent travel history of any traveler exiting their borders." READ MORE:Â China virus toll reaches 1,765 as new cases rise: govt
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the matter of lifting the travel restrictions on the Chinese territories is still under study by concerned authorities. "We have to reassess regularly. We already lifted the ban on Taiwan and now we're assessing the travel ban on Macau and Hong Kong," Panelo said during a Palace press briefing. "The safety of our countrymen is the most important concern of the President," he added. Last Friday, the Philippine government lifted the travel ban on Taiwan after being convinced of the sufficient measures to prevent potential carriers of the disease from entering or departing Taiwan. The decision allowing travel to Taiwan from the Philippines and vice versa was reached by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) during a meeting at the Palace. Taiwan immediately welcomed Manila's lifting of the travel restrictions, that were imposed on visitors last February 11 to control the spread of the coronavirus. Reports earlier aid Taipei could take back the visa-free entry of Filipinos after it as included in the list of countries covered by the ban. In lifting the travel ban, Panelo said Taiwan has shown its strict measures and protocols to address the threat of the COVID-19. "In other words, our countrymen are safe," he said. He said any resolution related to travel restrictions will be subjected to regular review by the task force. He said the task force would "evaluate other jurisdictions, including Macau, for the possible lifting of the imposed travel ban after their submission of the protocols being observed by their government which prevent potential carriers of the said virus from entering and departing their territory and enable others to determine the recent travel history of any traveler exiting their borders." READ MORE:Â China virus toll reaches 1,765 as new cases rise: govt