Starting Friday, Jan. 1, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will implement the updated list of countries classified as red, yellow and green as part of the government efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the new list prepared by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will last until January 15, 2022.
The red list are Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Spain.
Foreign nationals coming from red list countries, or have a travel history there within the last 14 days preceding arrival, will not be allowed entry and sent back to their point of origin.
However, Filipinos coming from red list countries will be permitted to return under the government repatriation, or bayanihan flights.
The BI said named green countries, or allowed to come are: Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, China (Mainland), Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Montserrat, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), Saint Barthelemy, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, East Timor, Togo, Uganda and United Arab Emirates.
All other countries, or territories, not mentioned are under the yellow list.
“Only Filipinos, balikbayan, and foreign nationals with long-term visas coming from green and yellow list countries may be allowed entry to the Philippines,” said Morente.
Morente stressed that tourists are still not allowed to enter the country.