Covid-19 vaccination certificate no longer required for PH-bound travelers
Travelers entering the Philippines from other countries will no longer have to present vaccination certificates after the national government has lifted the entry screening protocols that were previously implemented due to the threat of Covid-19, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Saturday, Aug. 12.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said concerned agencies under the department are expected to comply with the Memorandum Circular 2023-06 issued by the Department of Health (DOH) which states that: “All arriving international travelers are accepted regardless of their vaccination status.”
The order covers inbound travelers in Philippine airports and seaports.
Bautista welcomed the decision, saying this has been the point of coordination with the DOH in the past through the Bureau of Quarantine.
“This is indeed a very welcome development on our part. The DOTr has been coordinating with the DOH through the BOQ to ensure that all passengers are accorded safe and convenient travel. We will implement and follow this,” said Bautista.
The DOH memorandum came following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Proclamation No. 297, which lifts the country’s Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 on July 21.