Balikbayan Changes (11-27-2020)

[Dave Hounddriver]

Merged two identical topics as same info being posted on both.

[Gas]

5 hours ago, Joey G said:

This is actually big to Philippines "tourism" in general... because besides expat's and foreign spouses/famiies, it opens up travel to all Balikbayan's who have not been able to travel there.... that's a pretty significant number of people. I'll be curious to see how the airlines handle it.... either adding flights and/or raising what are now super discounted prices. Might be time to lock in some tickets, even if further out.

In theory, but once you check the local travel restrictions on where you can visit and stay it cuts down the options. 
We had planned to travel to another province and stay in a resort for a few days at Xmas, but the only except guests who are residents of the province. 
 

https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/ultimate-guides/philippines-travel-covid-19/amp
 

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has heavily affected the tourism industry. With travel restrictions put in place to control the further spread of the virus, leisure tourism has been put on hold not just for local travelers in the Philippines, but also for international tourists who wish to explore the country's top tourist spots. 

Guide to the Philippines is committed to ensuring the health safety of travelers who want to enjoy the destinations and experiences offered by our country. This page is a collection of information regarding Philippine new normal travel guidelines imposed by the national and local government units in relation to COVID-19 to help you with your travel plans. 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Dave Hounddriver

[graham59]

Oops... I think my last post had already been posted by the Forum Manager. 

My apologs. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

9 hours ago, graham59 said:

Oops... I think my last post had already been posted by the Forum Manager. 

My apologs. 

No problem Two topics basically the same were merged by Dave H to put all the info into one topic. Thanks Dave 

[baronapart]

19 hours ago, Gas said:

In theory, but once you check the local travel restrictions on where you can visit and stay it cuts down the options. 
We had planned to travel to another province and stay in a resort for a few days at Xmas, but the only except guests who are residents of the province. 
 

 

 

Yep, I don't want to have to spend 14 days sitting in my underwear in the provincial high school waiting to clear quarantine)))) The requirements vary so much from place to place.

[Shol]

Wow this topic blew up :)

It's just too bad that doing a "visa run" at this point is a massive effort and hassle with the quarantine and test requirement

I bet someone high up is making some good cash on royalties from this "government quarantine hotels" lol :)

Oh well hopefully my 13A will be approved and this won't be an issue for me at least.

[Mike J]

22 hours ago, scott h said:

All my wifes 1st cousins (and their children and grand children) about 9 of them, as well as her brother, sister in law and nieces are all in the states along with many batchmates who are in the states and canada and australia. None of them have expressed any interest in visiting again until a vaccine is found and widely deployed here in the PI.

That may not happen for a LONG time.  Three to five years for approximately one half of the Philippine population according to the Philippine "vaccine czar".  It almost goes without saying that all governments seldom meet timelines and/or budgets.  So are we looking at five more years of wearing masks, shields, temperature checks, etc.  Will this be our "new normal" for years and years? 

https://www.rappler.com/nation/philippines-annual-target-vaccinate-millions-people-5-years

Once a COVID-19 vaccine is approved by Philippine authorities, the government aims to vaccinate around 60 million to 70 million of its citizens in 3 to 5 years, said the country's vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

"More or less 60 to 70 million [people], we will do this in a 3- to 5-year period," he said in a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, November 25.

This number of people corresponds to roughly 60% to 70% of the country's 107 million population.

The government is capable of vaccinating only 20 million to 30 million Filipinos a year, he added.

Going by the government's "best case scenario" estimate that a vaccine will become locally available by April to June 2021, it would mean that 60% of the population should have been vaccinated by 2024 to 2026.

But Galvez's "worst case scenario," which he also termed as the "realistic scenario," is that the government's vaccine distribution will start late 2021 or early 2022.

35 million Filipinos in 'priority list'
With this schedule in mind, the coronavirus national task force has already come up with a list of 35 million people who will get the vaccine first.

"We have a list of more than 35 million Filipinos who are in the priority list. That was given by the DOH (Department of Health), based on the guidance of our President," said Galvez.

The list includes healthcare workers, frontliners like police, soldiers, and essential workers of the social welfare and education departments, poor households, and indigents, he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte previously said he wanted to foot the bill of COVID-19 vaccination for all Filipinos. But Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III only announced a funding target of P73.2 billion to inoculate 60 million people.

Preparations for cold storage
Galvez said the task force is negotiating with a consortium of companies that can provide ultra cold storage facilities required to distribute some vaccines, like those being developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

The next 6 months, he said, would be spent preparing the logistics of this equipment, as well as storage facilities for vaccines that would need only 2 or 8 degrees Celsius to keep.

What the task force is busy with is ensuring that there is adequate funding for vaccination logistics.

Galvez said the task force is asking lawmakers to include P150 billion for logistics and distribution in the 2021 national budget, which is now being threshed out in the Senate. This P150 billion amount was first proposed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

"We spoke with Congress and the Senate. It should be included there because the P2.5 billion initial [fund] is just for an initial 3 million vaccines for essential health workers," said the vaccine czar.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration is now waiting for countries like the United States, China, and India to approve the vaccines being developed by their firms. Only then can the FDA also issue emergency use approval, as ordered by Duterte.

While the government is securing supply for priority sectors of the population, private companies are also moving to secure doses for their employees. It's likely that Filipinos willing to pay for vaccination could get inoculated even before the government's vaccination efforts reach them. –

[scott h]

1 hour ago, Shol said:

It's just too bad that doing a "visa run" at this point is a massive effort and hassle with the quarantine and test requirement

It could turn out to be a very expensive run also. I just heard on the news that to board a plane (in this report to Taiwan) you need a negative test to board the plane, then another upon return along with the pre booked hotel room for isolation.

1 hour ago, Shol said:

I bet someone high up is making some good cash on royalties from this "government quarantine hotels

Maybe but I am thinking not. The other day I called a 4 star hotel in Alabang to see if we could do a staycation. They got into the quarantine business early on, rooms at a reduced rate. Now they are regretting it because the government will not allow them to accept regular (higher paying) guests. The night manager I talked to said they are trying hard to get out of the contract but they are stuck 

[scott h]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

That may not happen for a LONG time. 

I think your right Mike....

[graham59]

How many times does the 'Balikbayan Privilege' have to be explained to stoopid people ? 

(From their Facebook page) :

.

PRESS RELEASE

01 December 2020

BI reminds: Aliens families of Pinoys can’t come to PH if not traveling, joining them

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) advised foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens not to travel to the Philippines if the Filipino or former Filipino is not traveling with them or is not in the Philippines, lest they be turned back upon their arrival at the airport.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the advisory after the bureau received a clarification from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) explaining the rationale behind the recent decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to lift the restrictions on the entry of foreigners who are immediate family members of Filipinos.

“The intent of the IATF resolution was to enable foreigners to reunite with their families in the Philippines. Thus, such intention is not served if the alien comes here when his wife or children are not in the country,” Morente said.

As a consequence, Morente stressed that arriving dependents of Filipinos or former Filipinos may be denied entry if the immigration officer finds that said Filipino or former Filipino is not traveling with them or is not in the country.

The BI chief said that they received queries from foreigners who complained they were not allowed by the airlines to board their flights to Manila because their Filipino spouses are not in the Philippines.

"The intent of the relaxed restriction for balikbayans is to allow families to reunite this holiday season," said Morente. "Apart from those exempted by the IATF, others who will be entering under a tourist status will still not be allowed," he clarified.

On Saturday, the BI announced that they will be resuming granting visa-free entry privileges to tourists falling under the Balikbayan Program starting December 7.

Balikbayans are former Filipinos and spouse and children of Filipinos or former Filipinos who are allowed visa-free entry under Executive Order No. 408, series of 1960. They are eligible for a 1-year stay in the country, without the need to apply for an entry visa but must be traveling with the Filipino or former Filipino principal.

Inbound Balikbayans are required to: (i) be from visa-free countries under Executive Order No. 408, s.1960; (ii) have a pre-booked quarantine facility; (iii) have a pre-booked COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport; and (iv) be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry.

Morente clarified that if the dependents are not traveling with the principal but are joining him in the country, they may still enter if the principal is still a Filipino citizen, and if the dependent child is a minor, but will have to secure an entry visa from the Philippine post abroad.

“The Balikbayan privilege is specifically for spouse and children of a Filipino or a Former Filipino only, who is traveling with him,” clarified Morente. “If they are not traveling with the Filipino or former Filipino spouse, and are just joining him in the Philippines, then they may be allowed to enter if they secure an entry visa, but with a limited stay in the country,” he added.

Morente said that foreign parents of minor Filipinos are also eligible for entry, but are also required an entry visa. "The Balikbayan privilege may not be extended to other members of the family," said Morente.

Other travel restrictions for inbound passengers, according to the BI, remain in effect.