By Azer Parrocha
MANILA – Filipinos will now be allowed to travel to South Korea
except the whole of North Gyeongsang after the government relaxed its temporary
travel ban on the East Asian country, MalacaƱang said on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the recommendation was
made by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF)
after holding a meeting at the Department of Health Central Office on Tuesday
on efforts to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“The IATF has approved to allow Filipinos to travel to South Korea
except to the whole of North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu City and
Cheongdo County, where the virus outbreak is concentrated,” Panelo said in a
statement.
He said Filipinos who intend to visit other parts of South Korea will
be required to execute and sign a declaration, signifying their knowledge and
understanding of the risks involved in their trip. A health advisory pamphlet
will also be handed out to them upon their departure.
However, he said the ban on the entry of foreign nationals traveling
from North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu City and Cheongdo County, into
Philippine territory remains effective.
South Korean remains as the Philippines’ top source of tourist arrivals
followed by China and the US.
There are 60,139 Filipinos living in South Korea, data from the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed.
On Tuesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared "war"
against the deadly disease and placed all government agencies on a 24-hour
emergency footing as the country's total cases reached 5,000, the largest in
the world outside China, with 28 fatalities.
Besides North Gyeongsang, the Philippines also temporary banned foreign
nationals coming from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
Exempted from the travel ban are arriving Filipinos with their foreign
spouse and children, permanent residents in the country, and members of the
diplomatic corps.
Currently, the IATF has also agreed that there are to be no new
imposition or lifting of travel restrictions to other countries amid rising
cases in South Korea, Italy and Iran.
The IATF will regularly conduct reviews concerning travel restrictions
and protocols to and from the Philippines, he added.
Meanwhile, he said the DFA is now preparing for the repatriation of 148
Filipinos from Macao via chartered flight.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is arranging to
repatriate 48 of its active members in Macao via one commercial flight.
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the countries mentioned may opt for
repatriation provided they undergo the prescribed 14-day quarantine procedure.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the risk assessment of
Covid-19 to “very high” at both the world and regional levels. There nearly
90,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in about 70 countries and over 3,000 deaths. (PNA)
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