It’s good the Philippines opened its doors to 157 countries that have visa-free arrangements with us but the Bureau of Quarantine is creating a blackeye to efforts to win back visitors by unilaterally requiring Taiwanese visitors to undergo 7 days quarantine. This could lead to a retaliation by Taiwan not allowing entry of Filipino workers there.
As the Philippines opened its doors and welcomed over 200 foreign tourists last February 10, a new kink developed because fully- vaccinated tourists from Taiwan, who tested negative for the coronavirus, were asked to undergo 7 days of quarantine because the Philippines does not recognize Taiwan’s vaccine certificates, which could lead to delayed entry of Filipino workers to Taiwan.
Taiwan News staff Keoni Everington reported that the Bureau of Quarantine is forcing tourists from Taiwan to continue undergoing seven-day quarantine because it does not recognize the vaccine cards from Taiwan since that state is not a member of the World Health Organization (with China now a predominant presence in the United Nations).
Everington quoted Filipino recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani, who, he said, earlier warned that the treatment of Taiwanese tourists "may result in a retaliatory move against our Filipino workers who will be deployed to Taiwan in the next two weeks."
Geslani pointed out that the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the inter- agency task force on the management of infectious diseases (IATF) have already opened the borders to foreign tourists who are fully vaccinated and can present a recognized vaccination certificate.
However, because the BOQ does not recognize the Taiwan vaccination cards, Taiwanese who arrive in the Philippines must undergo seven days of quarantine, followed by RT-PCT tests at the end of the isolation period.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) has reportedly already filed a complaint with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) over the matter.
Geslani criticized the BOQ's policy as a "black eye on our tourism efforts," and he noted that Taiwan tourists comprise the third-largest group of travelers visiting the Philippines.
He called on Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Chairman and Resident Representative Wilfredo Fernandez to immediately take up the matter with the IATF and order BOQ to "stop this nonsense as it may result in the delay of our workers entering Taiwan."
Steady rise of tourist arrivals
The DoT is expecting a steady increase in tourist arrivals in the next few weeks in response to the Philippines’ decision to open its borders further.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the impact will start to be reflected in the visitor numbers after a lag to put together travel plans in response to the opening.
“We at the DoT are glad that we are gradually reopening our borders to foreign visitors. But this enthusiasm is tempered by the constant reminder that the virus is still very much a threat and that we must always be vigilant so as not to negate the efforts we have made over the past two years to contain the virus,” Business World reported Puyat as saying.
The government removed the requirement to quarantine in designated facilities for fully- vaccinated returning Filipinos and foreigners. Individuals are now required to present only a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within 48 hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.
Under the new quarantine rules, the Philippines began accepting fully- vaccinated foreigners holding nationality of countries that are not required to obtain visas to enter the Philippines on Feb. 10. Fully- vaccinated returning Filipinos were allowed entry under quarantine-free conditions since Feb. 1.
Puyat urged the travel industry to follow health and safety protocols when handling guests.
“As we welcome our fully-vaccinated visitors to our country, we need to be assured that proper health and safety protocols are strictly enforced in our airports in order to provide a hassle-free entry for travelers,” Puyat said.
The Philippines is the latest Southeast Asian nation to reopen to revive a battered tourism sector after shutting its borders for nearly two years because of the pandemic.
Popular for its white sand beaches and rich marine life, the Philippines has seen a sharp drop in coronavirus cases. Reuters said.
Tourism officials at Manila's airport greeted passengers flying in from countries including the United States and China to visit beaches or reunite with family and friends.
"I think it will be a good boost for tourism and the Filipino economy," said Shawn James Stickney, 31, a Malaysian social media influencer living in Australia who flew in to surprise his girlfriend.
At the Walled City of Intramuros in Manila, horse carriage drivers and bike rental operators were preparing for what they hoped would be a steady flow of vacationers to revive their incomes.
"Half of our guests are foreigners who are on vacation here so we are very happy to know that our country is finally open to foreign tourists," said Russel Leyco, a bike rental manager.
New coronavirus cases in the Philippines have fallen from a September peak of more than 33,000 to just over 3,500 a day, while more than half of the country's 110 million people have now been fully vaccinated.
Tourists need to show proof of vaccination but do not need to quarantine and travel companies hope the trickle of arrivals will turn into a flood to give the sector a lift.
The Associated Press reported that vaccinated foreign travelers from the 157 countries that have visa-free arrangements with the Philippines will now be able to visit the country without having to undergo a quarantine. The visitors will also be required to have tested negative for the virus prior to departure.
In announcing the move, Romulo-Puyat said that it marked the beginning of “the next chapter in the road to recovery,” and that it would deliver a much-needed restorative jolt to the country’s tourist sector and the communities that depend on it.
Tags: #Welcomingtourists, #DoT, #Taiwan, #BureauofQuarantine, #travelandtourism