Travel insurance now required

[Jollygoodfellow]

IATF issues new foreign entry guidelines

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) released yesterday the requirements and protocols for arriving tourists from non-visa-required countries.

Secretary Karlo Nograles, IATF co-chairman and acting presidential spokesman, said that beginning Feb. 10, fully vaccinated nationals from visa-free countries may enter the Philippines for business and tourism purposes.

Under IATF Resolution No. 160-B, all arriving visitors must be able to present the following:

• A negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding layovers for their return journey.

• Valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination not later than 30 days from date of arrival in the Philippines.

• Passports valid for a period of at least six months at the time of their arrival in the Philippines.

• Travel insurance for COVID-19 treatment costs from reputed insurers, with a minimum coverage of $35,000 (about P1.75 million) for the duration of their stay in the Philippines.

“It’s the (insurance) coverage, that’s not the price, that’s not the premium you pay. The premium is much, much cheaper. Maybe the premium (required) by reputable insurers that have that coverage is around P1,000 to P2,000,” Nograles said at a media briefing.

Travelers must also present an acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination, including the World Health Organization’s International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis, VaxCertPH, national/state digital certificate of the country/foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement and other proof of vaccination permitted by the IATF, Nograles said.

He said travelers are no longer required to observe facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any symptom for seven days, with the first day being the date of arrival.

While foreign visitors will not be required to undergo facility-based quarantine, Nograles reminded arriving travelers to report to the local government unit (LGU) of their destination should they exhibit any symptoms of the disease.

Nograles added that children below 12 years old will be exempted from the vaccination requirement if they are traveling with fully vaccinated foreign parents.

He said foreign children below 12 years old who are not vaccinated for any reason and traveling with their Filipino parent/s shall be allowed entry and shall be required to follow the entry, testing and quarantine protocols that apply to their Filipino parent/s.

Meanwhile, those between 12 and 17 years old must follow the protocols based on their vaccination status and shall be accompanied by their parents during their facility-based quarantine.

Based on the resolution, an individual is deemed fully vaccinated if he or she received the second dose in a two-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than 14 days before the date and time of departure from the point of origin.

Nograles said foreign nationals who are found not compliant with the condition set shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of the negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth day. They shall also undergo home quarantine until their 14th day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

The LGUs of destination and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams are tasked to monitor arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine, he said.

Meanwhile, Nograles said the IATF has approved the national COVID-19 vaccination certificates of Slovenia, Bahrain, Qatar, Switzerland and Hong Kong SAR upon the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Connie Bungag, Manila International Airport Authority public affairs head, said that given the new guidelines issued by the IATF and upon recommendation of the Task Force on COVID-19 New Variants and Sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, the classification of countries/territories/jurisdictions as green, yellow and red shall be suspended.

Now that fully vaccinated foreign nationals of 157 countries and territories would be allowed to visit the Philippines for business and leisure, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat urged foreign visitors to complete their requirements for travel.

Puyat underscored that the new guidelines “are an indication that, while the country has opened its borders to fully vaccinated business and leisure visitors, it is doing so with utmost care and with full regard for the health and safety of both visitors and the general public.”

“The opening of our borders to eligible foreign visitors and the rebound of the tourism industry can only mean the restoration of the livelihood of millions of Filipinos working in tourism-related establishments and businesses who have been displaced by the pandemic. It will contribute greatly to the eventual revival of the Philippine economy,” she added.

More passenger arrivals
The cap on international passenger arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been raised from 3,000 to 5,000 daily as approved by the IATF.?

The new policy contained in a Civil Aeronautics Board advisory dated Feb. 3, 2022 was signed by CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla and enjoined all international airlines to adhere to the 5,000 passengers per day limit for flights arriving at the NAIA terminals.?

International carriers, including Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines, were also reminded to ensure strict compliance with the applicable entry requirements and protocols for all their international arriving passengers under IATF resolutions and/or policies.

Among these is compliance with the requirement of registration to the One Health Pass prior to boarding the flight. The CAB said that failure to comply with the foregoing requirements shall be meted with appropriate penalties. –

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/02/05/2158625/iatf-issues-new-foreign-entry-guidelines

[KC813]

The insurance requirement seemed to come out of nowhere!  I see it only applies to foreigners, not returning Filipinos.

This new IATF resolution also has an expanded discussion of both balikbayan and 9(a) visa requirements, defines "fully vaccinated", and slightly broadens the list of acceptable proof of vaccination.

A .pdf of the resolution is at https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2022/02feb/20220203-RESO-160B-RRD.pdf

 

[Joey G]

I looked up some "COVID travel insurance quotes for COVID treatments"... not as straightforward as it might sound....not all travel health insurance covers COVID... and when it does... there can still be conditions that aren't clear.... be sure to read the small print. Couldn't find any that were P1,000-P2,000... to be fair, couldn't find any for only $35,000 either 

From what I read... Balikbayans get same 30 day limit as anyone else from the 148 countries allowed in? If thats the case... whats the benefit of coming in as a Balikbayan?

 

 

 

 

[Old55]

From the Philippines standpoint requiring Foreign visitors to have health insurance isn't too much to ask.

[BrettGC]

I normally use my bank for travel insurance, I normally take it out, but this time they refused it stating: "We're not offering travel insurance during the pandemic".  I guess the reasons are obvious so I paid for the flights by credit card just to obtain it through Visa, I haven't read the fine print on the actual coverage.  This was obviously prior to this latest announcement.  Be interesting to see what happens when I go to extend the 9a. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

3 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

• Travel insurance for COVID-19 treatment costs from reputed insurers, with a minimum coverage of $35,000 (about P1.75 million) for the duration of their stay in the Philippines.

If anyone finds where this can be purchased on the cheap, please post it.  I cannot imagine any reputed insurers covering covid treatment with this pandemic on but I could be wrong.

[BrettGC]

I guess those that are longer term can always join PhilHealth - 15k per annum for SRRV holders and 17k for all other foreign nationals.  

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2017/expands_coverage.html

Old article (2017) so the prices may have changed. 

[scott h]

3 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Travel insurance for COVID-19 treatment costs from reputed insurers, with a minimum coverage of $35,000 (about P1.75 million) for the duration of their stay in the Philippines.

I have no problem with the Phil requiring health insurance, other countries (Australia?) also require it I THINK.

But this is just another knee jerk, poorly thought out bureaucratic nightmare waiting to happen.

1. Who checks the insurance policy? The ticket agent at point of departure? The 22 year old minimum wage earner young lady at the boarding gate? The very professionally trained gent/lady (snicker) the the BOI booth in Manila?

2. Who determines "reputable"? Who determines validity? I would be willing to bet several folks even on this board, with a little computer savvy and an ink jet printer would be able to print an insurance card from "Acme Health Insurance Inc."

3. Even if you have health insurance, will the Phil gov guarantee that health providers accept it? Heck a person can not even use Phil Health now at some hospitals? I personally have Tri-care Health Insurance, a US military health plan that is backed by the US government. When we first moved here, just for fun I went to 4 different hospitals, 2 public and 2 private that are within walking distance of my home. Non of them would accept Tri-care or any other international health insurance. So even if you have this "covid care" and get sick you will most likely have to pay cash anyway?

 

[gabgab]

Just buy an insurance that covers you for $35k or more and isn't outright fake. I highly doubt there's much more to it.

Edited February 4, 2022 by jimdones

[Onemore52]

This certainly has thrown a spanner into things.

I just checked the travel insurance given with my credit card that I purchased my ticket with, bad news the Philippines isn’t covered with insurance with the card.