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All Filipino citizens now allowed to return to the Philippines but foreign nationals still temporarily prohibited entry from March 22 to April 21
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National Task Force Against COVID-19 Memorandum Circular No. 6 supersedes MC No. 5, which imposed a temporary suspension on travel into the Philippines of foreigners and returning Filipinos and non-overseas Filipino workers
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The temporary travel suspension was issued amid rising coronavirus disease cases and emergence of COVID-19 variants in the country
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During the period, the travel of Filipinos and exempted foreign nationals will be subject to the arrival quota set by the Department of Transportation
From March 22 to April 21, all Filipino citizens will now be allowed to return to the Philippines, but entry of foreign nationals will still be suspended, according to a new circular from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF).
NTF Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 6 series of 2021 dated March 18 supersedes MC No. 5 issued two days previously. MC No. 5, issued March 16, imposed a temporary suspension of travel into the Philippines on foreigners and returning Filipinos and non-overseas Filipino workers from March 20 to April 19.
The temporary travel suspension was issued in view of the rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and the emergence of COVID-19 variants in the country.
Under MC No. 6, all Filipino citizens, whether returning overseas Filipinos or overseas Filipino workers, are allowed to return to the Philippines.
Entry of foreign nationals is still temporarily suspended, except for the following:
- Diplomats and members of international organizations and their dependents
- Foreign nationals involved in medical repatriation duly endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
- Foreign seafarers under the “Green Lanes” program for crew change
- Foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens travelling with them
- Emergency, humanitarian, and other analogous cases approved by the NTF chairperson or the chair’s authorized representative
During the covered period, the travel of Filipinos and exempted foreign nationals will be subject to the arrival quota set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
DOTr-attached Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on March 15 issued an advisory limiting the number of international inbound arrivals at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to a maximum of 1,500 passengers per day from March 18 to April 18.
Airlines operating in NAIA that will exceed the allowed capacity “will be meted with the appropriate penalty” pursuant to Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-01, CAB said.
JMC 2021-01 issued last January provides the guidelines on the imposition of sanctions for air transport operators that will be found violating COVID-19-related directives and protocols. It was signed on January 8, 2021 by CAB, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Manila International Airport Authority, and Clark International Airport Corp.
Airlines have already started cancelling flights for the period in compliance with the CAB directive.
