The Philippine government extended the travel restriction in ten countries amid the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said "President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to extend the current travel restrictions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia from August 16 to August 31, 2021."

Roque said Duterte also approved the request of airlines to resume international transit hub operations.

"These international transit hub operations shall be limited to airside transfers between Terminals 1 and 2, and within Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and further limited for countries/jurisdictions/territories in the Green List. As such, protocols for the controlled movement of passengers and health and safety protocols within the terminals shall be strictly observed," he said.

He also noted that the IATF has approved on Thursday the updated list of "Green countries".

"These include Albania, American Samoa, Anguilla, Australia, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China, Comoros, Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Gabon, Grenada, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Hungary, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat (British Overseas Territory), New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Romania, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Slovakia, Sudan and Taiwan," he said.

Roque also noted that "any traveler who may exhibit symptoms shall comply with isolation and quarantine protocols which shall be for the account of the sponsoring airlines."

"Having said this, the IATF directed the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Bureau of Quarantine, and the Bureau of Immigration to formulate the necessary protocols for the issuance of appropriate visas applicable on a case-to-case basis," he said.

In view of the 2022 election, Roque said "the IATF also allowed persons over the age of 65 to go out of their residences to personally file their certificates of candidacy in the national office and designated field offices of the Commission on Elections."

"The above mentioned persons shall be recognized as Authorized Persons Outside of Residence from October 1 to 8, 2021, regardless of community quarantine classification and vaccination status," he added. Robina Asido/DMS