In a statement, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the lifting of the negative RT-PCR requirement for arriving passengers who have received their full COVID-19 vaccine and at least one booster shot will encourage more travelers to visit the country.
“With this development, travel will be easier in the new normal,” Morente said. “We hope that this will boost the number of international arrivals in the next few months.” According to Morente, arrivals have increased to around 15,000 per day since February but have plateaued at the tail end of summer.
“We are hoping that little by little, the country’s international tourism sector can once again flourish as we move towards the new normal,” he said., fully vaccinated foreign nationals with booster shots are exempted from the negative RT-PCR test requirement. Also exempted are fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 17, and those aged below 12, regardless of vaccination status.