Easing of travel restrictions designed to boost flagging economy MANILA: Filipinos worried about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic remain reluctant to travel abroad despite the lifting of a ban on nonessential foreign trips, Philippine officials revealed on Thursday. The government decided on Wednesday to ease travel restrictions in a bid to bolster the country’s economy, which slipped into recession in the second quarter of the year following months of lockdown to stop the spread of the virus. But Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, said: “The number of travelers remains low. It could mean that Filipinos still feel hesitant to travel internationally during the pandemic.” On Wednesday, when the ban was lifted, he said records showed only 95 Filipinos leaving the country on tourist visas, although he expected numbers to increase over the Christmas holiday period. Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) President Ritchie Tuaño said there was currently little demand for foreign travel among Filipinos mainly due to health fears regarding the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Many people were cautious about taking a foreign vacation because of safety concerns, and higher travel costs associated with testing and quarantine requirements in some countries had also put off would-be travelers, Tuano added. Tuaño pointed out that although some travel agencies had recently seen a slight increase in inquiries, they had taken very few bookings. The Philippines’ move to lift the ban on nonessential outbound travel followed a memorandum issued by the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID). It said foreign travel would be allowed for tourist visa holders with confirmed round-trip tickets and adequate travel and health insurance in case of COVID-19 infection while abroad. Meanwhile, restrictions on arrivals in the Philippines remain in place with only Filipinos, foreign spouses of Philippine nationals and their minor children allowed to enter the country. Exceptions have also been made for children with special needs whose parents are Filipinos and for foreign parents of Filipino children with special needs. Those who are eligible to enter are required to secure a visa from Philippine embassies or consulates prior to travel. Accredited foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents, foreign airline crew members, foreign seafarers, and foreigners with long-term visas can also enter the country.