According to the Memorandum Circular, released March 16, 2021, by the Philippine National Task Force against COVID-19, due to the increasing number of new cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, the NTF-COVID-19 temporarily suspends the travel into the Philippines for foreigners and Returning Overseas Filipino (ROFs) who are non-Overseas Filipino Workers (non-OFWs).
However, the following are exempted from the 30 days ban;
- Hodlers of 9(c) Visas;
- Medical repatriation and their escort/s duly endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA);
- Distressed ROF’s duly endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA);
- Emergency, humanitarian, and other analogous cases approved by the NTF COVID-19
According to the press release of the Department of Health, Philippines (DOH) there were confirmed cases already of UK variant, South African variant, and the Brazilian variant in the country.
An Overseas Filipino Worker or OFW is a person from the Philippines who is living and working in another country, typically on a temporary basis. This includes land-based OFWs and seafarers/sea-based OFW’s. Families traveling together with at least one OFW will be considered all OFWs.
Non-OFWs refer to Returning Overseas Filipinos (non-OFW students, non-OFW Balikbayan, non-OFW tourist, etc), spouse and children of Filipinos, diplomats, foreign officials accredited by the Philippines, and eligible non-Filipino/foreign citizens.
