The Office of the President, upon the joint recommendation of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs, included Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, and Brazil as among the countries / jurisdictions subject to travel restrictions.
In this regard, foreign passengers coming from or who have been to Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, and Brazil within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall be prohibited from entering the country effective January 8, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, until January 15, 2021.
On the other hand, effective immediately, foreign passengers coming from, or who have been to the abovementioned countries/jurisdictions within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, arriving before January 8, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines. However, they shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.
Also, effective immediately, Filipino citizens coming from, or who have been to the abovementioned countries/jurisdictions, within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those arriving after January 8, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines. However, they shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.
Filipino and foreign passengers merely transiting through the abovementioned/jurisdictions countries shall be covered by the rules as provided in the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated December 31, 2020.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President provided the following rules on incoming unaccompanied minor Filipino passengers.
A. Effective January 8, 2021, 12:01AM, all unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens coming from countries/jurisdictions where travel restrictions are in place on account of the new variant of COVID-19, shall not be allowed entry until January 15, 2021, except minors returning through the repatriation program of the national government. These repatriated minors shall be turned over to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration house parent who, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall ensure the minors’ safety and their observance of quarantine protocols.
B. All unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens who are not part of the repatriation program of the national government, arriving before January 8, 2021, 12:01AM, shall be turned over to an authorized DSWD officer who can ensure the minors’ safety and their observance to quarantine protocols.
