Manila Bulletin
BI prepares for strict protocols for passengers from China
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is prepared to implement stricter travel restrictions for passengers arriving from China should the government decide to do so, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the said country.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco stated that they are awaiting directives from the Department of Health, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Office of the President before enacting any measures.
Tansingco assured that the BI is ready to implement any necessary actions to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 in the Philippines.
He recalled that during the pandemic, the BI had previously imposed country-specific travel bans to curb the spread of new variants.
In 2022, only 30,002 Chinese tourists arrived in the Philippines, making up a small fraction of the over 6.1 million total travelers welcomed that year.
Tansingco noted a significant decline in Chinese arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels, when they were the second largest group of foreign visitors after South Koreans, due to existing travel bans.
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President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. stated that the Philippines will base decisions on imposing travel restrictions and health protocols on Chinese travelers on scientific data and the "true risk" to the country.
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Senator Risa Hontiveros is urging the Philippine government to review and update its color-coded travel restrictions due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in several countries, particularly China.
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