IATF-EID Resolution No. 154-C, s. 2021

December 14, 2021

IATF-EID RESOLUTION NO. 154-C, S. 2021

WHEREAS, Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them;

WHEREAS, Section 2 (b) of Executive Order No. 168 (s.2014) mandates the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to prevent and/or minimize the entry of suspected or confirmed patients with emerging infectious diseases into the country;

WHEREAS, on September 10, 2021, the President issued Proclamation No. 1218 (s.2021) further extending the period of the State of Calamity throughout the Philippines until September 12, 2021, unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant;

WHEREAS, the Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) biosurveillance have detected B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), and P.1 (Gamma) variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the Philippines. The DOH, UP-PGH, and UP-NIH have likewise confirmed the presence of the B.1.617 (Delta) variant that was first detected in India;

WHEREAS, the continued implementation of proactive measures and restrictions must be put in place to slow down the surge in COVID-19 cases, stop further spread of variants, buy time for the health system to cope, and to protect more lives.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved, to further strengthen border control, the IATF streamlines and codifies the testing and quarantine protocols for international arriving passengers in all ports of entry in the Philippines, as follows:

I. The country risk classification will be based on the following metrics:

A. Incidence rate over the past 28 days for countries with population greater than 100,000 and case count over the past 28 days for countries with population 100,000 and below;

B. Testing rate and test-to-case ratio; and

C. Steepness of case trend.

Countries initially classified under the Green list based on case and test metrics but with local transmission of Omicron will be reclassified as a Yellow list country.

II. "Green" List countries/jurisdictions/territories are those classified by the IATF as "Low Risk" countries/jurisdictions/territories. The protocols for "Green" List countries/jurisdictions/territories in all ports of entry in the Philippines shall be as follows:

A. Fully vaccinated international arriving passengers shall be required to present a negative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within seventy-two hours (72hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin. Additionally, they shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the third (3rd) day. After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their tenth (10th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

B. For unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated, they shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within seventy-two hours (72hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin. Additionally, they shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the seventh (7th) day. After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their fourteenth (14th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

C. All passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through a non-Green List country/jurisdiction/territory shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country/jurisdiction/territory if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country/jurisdiction/territory by its immigration authorities.

D. The Bureau of Quarantine shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine. If found positive, he/she shall follow the prescribed isolation protocols. Upon completion of such quarantine, the BOQ shall issue a Quarantine Certificate indicating therein the individual's vaccination status.

E. The Department of Transportation shall ensure that airlines board only passengers who comply with the negative RT-PCR test-before-travel requirement. This notwithstanding, children three (3) years old and below, regardless of country of origin, shall be exempt from the requirement of presenting a negative RT-PCR test result before boarding the flight, unless symptomatic.

F. The testing and quarantine protocols of minors shall follow the testing and quarantine protocol of the parent/guardian traveling with them, regardless of the minor's vaccination status and country of origin.

III. "Yellow List" countries/jurisdictions/territories are those classified by the IATF as "Moderate Risk" countries/jurisdictions/territories upon recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, the protocols for "Yellow" List countries/jurisdictions/territories in all ports of entry in the Philippines shall be as follows:

A. For fully vaccinated individuals: a negative RT-PCR test taken within seventy-two hours (72 hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin will be required. Upon arrival, they shall undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test taken on the fifth (5th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day. Regardless of a negative result, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine up to the fourteenth (14th) day from the date of arrival.

B. Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated: a negative RT-PCR test taken within seventy-two hours (72 hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin will be required. Upon arrival, they shall undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test done on the seventh (7th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

 Regardless of a negative result, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine up to the fourteenth (14th) day from the date of arrival.

C. The BOQ shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine. If found positive, he/she shall follow the prescribed isolation protocols. Upon completion of such quarantine, the BOQ shall issue a Quarantine Certificate indicating therein the individual's vaccination status.

D. The Department of Transportation shall ensure that airlines board only passengers who comply with the negative RT-PCR test-before-travel requirement. This notwithstanding, children three (3) years old and below, regardless of country of origin, shall be exempt from the requirement of presenting a negative RT-PCR test result before boarding the flight, unless symptomatic.

E. The testing and quarantine protocols of minors shall follow the testing and quarantine protocol of the parent/guardian traveling with them, regardless of the minor's vaccination status and country of origin.

IV. "Red" List countries/jurisdictions/territories are those classified by the IATF as "High Risk" countries/jurisdictions/territories, upon recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics. The inbound international travel of all persons, regardless of vaccination status, coming from or who have been to "Red List" countries/jurisdictions/territories within the last fourteen (14) days prior to arrival to any port of the Philippines shall not be allowed. Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry subject to the following entry, testing, and quarantine protocols:

A. For fully vaccinated individuals: International arriving passengers shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within seventy-two hours (72hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin. Additionally, they shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test taken on the seventh (7th) day. They may be discharged from the facility upon the release of a negative RT-PCR result but shall observe home quarantine until the fourteenth (14th) day of arrival with the day of arrival being the first day.

B. For individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated: International arriving passengers shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within seventy-two hours (72hrs) prior to departure from the country of origin. Additionally, they shall be required to undergo a mandatory ten (10) day facility-based quarantine with RT-PCR testing on the seventh (7th) day. They may be discharged only upon the completion of a 10-day facility-based quarantine, regardless of a negative RT-PCR result, and shall observe home quarantine until the fourteenth (14th) day of arrival with the date of arrival being the first day.

C. As in all international inbound travels, the testing and quarantine protocols for minors shall follow the testing and quarantine protocols of the parent/guardian traveling with them, regardless of the minor's vaccination status and country of origin. This notwithstanding, children three (3) years old and below, regardless of country of origin, shall be exempt from the requirement of presenting a negative RT-PCR test result before boarding the flight, unless symptomatic.

D. Passengers merely transiting through Red List countries/territories/jurisdictions shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country/territory/jurisdiction if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country/territory/jurisdiction by its immigration authorities. Upon arrival in the Philippines, passengers who merely transited through a Red List country/territory/jurisdiction shall comply with existing testing and quarantine protocols.

V. For purposes of validating vaccination status, the following shall be observed:

A. In lieu of the POLO-certification, OFWs and their spouse, children, parent/s travelling with them vaccinated abroad may present their national digital/physical vaccination certificate of the foreign government where they were vaccinated without the need of a reciprocity agreement.

B. (i) Filipinos who are non-OFWs vaccinated in the country or abroad, and (ii) foreigners vaccinated in the Philippines — either their VaxCertPH digital vaccination certificate, Bureau of Quarantine/World Health Organization-issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV), or the national/state digital certificate of the foreign government where they were vaccinated, which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF.

C. For foreign nationals vaccinated abroad: WHO-issued ICV, or the national/state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF.

VI. The foregoing testing and quarantine protocols shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin. For foreign nationals allowed entry in the Philippines, the same is without prejudice to visa categories allowed entry in the Philippines, and immigration laws, rules and regulations such that the Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for all foreign nationals authorized entry under relevant IATF resolutions, subject to regular reporting to the IATF Secretariat at the end of each calendar month.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the Co-Chairperson shall be duly authorized to sign this Resolution for and on behalf of the Inter-Agency Task Force.

APPROVED during the 154th Inter-Agency Task Force Meeting, as reflected in the minutes of the meeting, held this December 14, 2021, via video conference.

(SGD.) KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALESSecretary, Office of the Cabinet SecretariatIATF Co-Chairperson

ATTACHMENT

Certification

This is to certify that:

1. I am presently an Undersecretary of the Department of Health;

2. I am the Head of the Secretariat of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases created under Executive Order No. 168 (s.2014) and chaired by the Department of Health (DOH);

3. The IATF Secretariat holds office in the DOH Main Office, San Lazaro Compound, Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila;

4. I am the custodian of the records of the IATF, including the Minutes of Meetings and Resolutions;

5. In the Regular Meeting of the IATF held on 14 December 2021 via teleconference during which a quorum was present and acted throughout, IATF Resolution No. 154-C was unanimously approved and adopted;

6. The foregoing resolution has been signed by Secretary Francisco T. Duque III and/or Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles upon the authority of the IATF Members;

7. The aforesaid resolution has not been altered, modified nor revoked and the same is now in full force and effect;

8. I am executing this Certification for whatever legitimate purpose this may serve.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 14th day of December 2021, Manila.

(SGD.) ATTY. CHARADE B. MERCADO-GRANDEUndersecretary of Health