The Bureau of Immigration in Philippines said on Sunday (July 6) that Filipino tourists who plan to travel abroad are still not allowed from leaving the country amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, till further notice on easing travel restrictions in the country.

Mr. Jaime Morente, the Immigration Chief, has passed the reminder just after 6 Filipinos were reportedly interrupted from traveling to Cambodia on a special chartered flight from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He said in his statement, “We want to emphasize and reiterate that Filipinos are still prohibited from leaving the country unless they are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), holders of study visas or permanent residents in the country of their destination.”

He further informed that implementation of existing international travel restrictions will be continued by the agency until these are eased by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

According to BI port operations acting chief Grifton Medina, 6 Filipinos reportedly informed the immigration officer that they all were going to Phnom Penh to attend a business meeting on shrimp farming. But they were offloaded from the flight because their purpose of going abroad was non-essential and they do not fall under the category of travelers who are exempted from the travel ban.

Mr. Grifton Medina has also urged Filipino tourists who wish to travel abroad for visits to their relatives or leisure trips to be patient and wait for the IATF to lift the travel restrictions. “These travel restrictions are only temporary and we should always bear in mind that the government implemented these measures to protect our countrymen against this deadly coronavirus,” he added.

In regards to COVID-19 transmission in Philippines, cases of infection are still rising and the country has reported a total number of 44,254 confirmed cases which are under treatment and 1,297 patients have lost their lives due to virus. However, 11,942 patients who tested positive to COVID-19 have completely recovered from the virus, as of Monday (July 6).