The Philippines will reopen to vaccinated travelers on Dec. 1, it was announced Friday.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, Karlo Nograles, said it came 20 months after the Asian country closed its borders as rebuilding was hit hard by the pandemic. part of the economic effort.
Visitors from low-risk countries designated by the Philippines can enter for an initial 15 days, though the two-week window may be extended.
The more than 100 countries on the list include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
“It’s something we’re doing step by step,” Nograles said at a news conference.
The news that travelers from some “green list” countries will be able to re-enter the country was first announced on November 19, but a date has yet to be finalized.
The green list allows people to travel to the Philippines without undergoing supervised quarantine.
Currently, fully vaccinated travelers who are cleared to fly to the Philippines and have a negative PCR result obtained within 72 hours of departure from countries on the green list can skip administrative quarantine. However, travelers must isolate at home.
The Philippines is known for its idyllic beaches, marine life and tropical islands, but relies heavily on tourism, with the Southeast Asian country’s economy suffering from a strict Covid-19-related lockdown.
Only 1.48 million tourists visited the Philippines last year, down from 8 million in 2019, AFP reported.
Updated: November 26, 2021 at 10:40 am
