Christmas celebrations might not be as big this year, but at least we’ll still have a chance to reunite with our “balikbayan” relatives. 

Earlier today, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced that former Filipino citizens and their families will be allowed to enter the country beginning Dec. 7. 

“Families” include “spouses and children, regardless of age, who are traveling with them,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

But they are required to pre-book COVID-19 tests with a laboratory at the airport and pre-arrange a booking with a quarantine facility, the IATF said. Their entry will also be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry.

Roque noted that the IATF has directed the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Tourism to formulate guidelines for accommodations and the implementation of this policy.

Header image by Marianne Bermudez for Inquirer.net

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