However, nurses looking to report to work abroad are still not allowed to leave the country even after the government relaxes restrictions on international travel.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has not yet processed documents of nurses intending to work abroad, Roque said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 7) — Filipinos will soon be allowed to exit the country for non-essential travel, but tourism-related travel remains prohibited, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday.
POEA issued an order back in April that temporarily banned nurses, doctors, microbiologists, and other health workers from leaving to work abroad as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that they must stay and serve here until the national state of emergency is lifted.
Roque, who also serves as the spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the COVID-19 task force on Monday approved the lifting of travel restrictions.
Hospitals in Cebu City have asked for additional nurses and protective gear as they grapple with the local outbreak, which the area now the epicenter of infections in the Visayas.
IATF Resolution No. 52 will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
RELATED: How the Philippines became the biggest supplier of nurses worldwide
“Lahat ng travel restrictions na may kinalaman sa outbound travel ng mga Pilipino ay inalis na rin. Bawal pa rin ang turismo pero ang mangyayari po ay pag bibiyahe may requirements na dapat ipakita sa Bureau of Immigration,” he said in a media briefing.
[Translation: All outbound travel restrictions have been lifted. Travel for tourism is still not allowed. All travelers must submit requirements with the Bureau of Immigration.]
Travelers must present their confirmed round-trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas and a declaration acknowledging risks of traveling during a global health pandemic. Roque said they must also have adequate travel health insurance to cover possible rebooking and extended accommodation expenses. The country of destination should also have no existing entry ban on Filipinos.
The returning travelers also need to undergo swab tests and mandatory quarantine once they return to the Philippines.
Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the country is gradually relaxing travel restrictions and lockdown measures in a bid to restart the country’s economy.
