Philippines: Authorities maintain COVID-19 restrictions nationwide through Oct. 31 /update 78

Event

The government will maintain COVID-19-related restrictions across the Philippines through Oct. 31. The country remains under Code Red Sublevel 2 on its code alert system, indicating ongoing local virus transmission with more cases than the government can address. Facemasks are mandatory in public.

Authorities designate provinces and regions according to varying community quarantine measures depending on COVID-19 activity. Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), General Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions (GCQ-HR), General Community Quarantine (GCQ), and Modified General Quarantine (MGCQ) measures are currently in place across the Philippines through Oct. 31, except for Metro Manila which uses an alert level system. The community quarantine measures in order of decreasingly strict controls are as follows:

• Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ): The locations include Apayao, Kalinga, Batanes, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Naga City in Luzon; and Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao through Oct. 31. Key sectors that may operate on-site at full capacity include health, financial institutions, energy, telecommunications, construction, manufacturing of essential goods, supermarkets, food establishments, and public transport, among others. All other establishments may operate at 50 percent capacity, though nonessential tourist attractions and entertainment venues like bars, clubs, casinos, and gyms are closed. Officials encourage telecommuting. Nonessential mass gatherings are banned. Dining in at indoor food establishments is not allowed. Religious gatherings may take place at up to 10 percent capacity. Schools remain suspended. Specific restrictions may vary based on location.

• General Community Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions (GCQ-HR): The locations include Abra, Baguio City, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Santiago City, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, and Batangas for Luzon; Bacolod City, Capiz, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, and Bohol in the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Surigao del Sur in Mindanao through Oct. 31. The measures are largely the same as GCQ but with some additional restrictions. Food establishments may offer indoor and outdoor dine-in services at 20 and 50 percent capacity, respectively. Personal care services may operate at up to 30 percent capacity. Meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) are not allowed. Outdoor tourist attractions may open at 30 percent capacity. Businesses with the Safety Seal certification are allowed to operate at an additional 10 percent capacity. Interzonal travel is allowed depending on the restrictions of the local government units. Travel to GCQ and MGCQ localities is allowed; individuals aged below 18 or above 65 may be subject to a COVID-19 PCR test. Religious gatherings may take place at 10 percent capacity.

• General Community Quarantine (GCQ): The locations include Ilocos Norte, Dagupan City, Ifugao, Benguet, Tarlac, Lucena City, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Marinduque, Albay, and Camarines Norte in Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Siquijor, and Tacloban City in the Visayas; and Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao through Oct. 31. Most workplaces and public places can operate in GCQ areas, provided they adhere to social distancing protocols. Key sectors can operate on-site at full capacity. All other establishments may operate with between 50 to 100 percent of on-site staff. Officials encourage telecommuting. Some recreational venues, including tourist attractions, may reopen. However, some entertainment establishments like bars, clubs, and cinemas must continue to close. Nonessential mass gatherings are prohibited. Dining at indoor and outdoor food establishments is allowed in line with capacity limits. Public transport can operate at reduced capacities. Religious gatherings may take place at 30 percent capacity. Schools remain suspended.

• Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ): MGCQ measures are in effect in all other localities. Most businesses may operate in GCQ areas. Private offices can operate with on-site staff at between 50 percent to 100 percent capacity, though telecommuting is encouraged. Some entertainment venues like bars and clubs must close. Gatherings can occur at half of the venue's capacity. Public transport can operate with distancing controls. Dining at indoor and outdoor food establishments is allowed in line with capacity limits.

Residents aged below 18 or above 65 years old, as well as pregnant and immunocompromised people, must remain at home in all areas. Many local jurisdictions continue to implement controls beyond those mandated by the central government. Officials may enforce short-term localized movement restrictions to facilitate mass testing of residents.

Travel Restrictions
Foreign nationals allowed to enter the Philippines are subject to specific requirements, including having valid visas, pre-booking a quarantine facility, and undergoing COVID-19 PCR tests. Visits for tourism purposes remain suspended.

Fully vaccinated international travelers from government-designated "green" countries are exempt from quarantine but must present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure and monitor their health for 14 days after arrival. The green list includes Algeria, American Samoa, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China, Comoros, Cook Islands, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, Hungary, Kiribati, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of Netherlands), Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and Yemen.

Fully vaccinated travelers from "yellow" countries must quarantine at designated facilities until the release of a negative RT-PCR test result on day five and subsequently quarantine at a place of residence until day 10. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers from “yellow” countries must quarantine at designated facilities until the release of a negative RT-PCR test on day seven and must quarantine at home until day 14. Fully vaccinated and unvaccinated foreign nationals must book an accommodation for at least six and eight days, respectively. Authorities prohibit entry for arrivals who have visited "red countries" in the previous 14 days; the affected countries include Bermuda. All other localities are designated as "yellow countries."

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Plan for queues and delays at available shopping centers.

Resources

Presidential Communications Operations Office
State COVID-19 Portal
World Health Organization (WHO)