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Philippines: New travel rules' implementation suspended

Senator says some of the requirements are too 'prohibitive', citing as an example the affidavit of support and guarantee that Filipinos have to present whenever they visit relatives abroad

Published: Sat 2 Sep 2023, 5:55 PM

Updated: Sat 2 Sep 2023, 11:27 PM

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Reuters file photo

Reuters file photo

After sparking an uproar, the revised travel guidelines for Filipinos flying out of the country have been put on hold, according to the Philippines' Department of Justice (DoJ).

The DoJ announced that the rules' implementation was "temporarily suspended", according to local media reports. The guidelines were supposed to come into force on September 3.

“The revisions were not intended to burden the general public but rather to enhance the overall experience of departing passengers,” the DoJ said in a statement released on Thursday.

“We assure the public that the revised guidelines aim to strike a balance between national security and the facilitation of smooth and efficient travel,” it added.

The suspension comes after senators filed two resolutions to block the implementation of the rules.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said some of the requirements were too "prohibitive", citing as an example the authorised affidavit of support and guarantee that Filipinos have to present whenever they visit relatives abroad.

In the guidelines, the DoJ's Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) lays down multiple lists of documents that travellers need to secure before flying out. They cover Filipino expats who travelled home for a vacation. (Check out the lists in this report.)

A few days after the rules were announced and sparked an uproar, the DoJ explained that the revised guide was just a clarification of existing rules. It also issued an apology.

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