[Tourists on the white sand beach of Boracay island in Malay, Aklan. The provincial government has eased travel requirements going to Boracay. Fully vaccinated travelers need only to show proof of inoculation to enter the world-famous resort island. (Photo by Krizjohn Rosales)]

MANILA: At least 37 foreign tourists have been barred entry by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the first week of the country’s reopening of its borders to foreign travelers. Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said yesterday that while fully vaccinated foreigners from visa-free countries have been welcome since Feb. 10, arriving passengers who violated Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) guidelines were not allowed entry, PhilStar reported.

“Thirty-seven all in all for non-compliance with IATF guidelines,” Sandoval said in a Viber message when asked about the number of foreigners who have since been denied entry into the country. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente reminded airline companies to ensure that only eligible foreigners are permitted to board their flights bound for the Philippines. Morente said that it is the responsibility of airline companies to ensure that foreigners boarding their flights to the Philippines are following IATF guidelines, particularly on the vaccination requirement.

Sandoval said that in the first week of the reopening, the influx of foreign travelers was manageable and within the BI’s expected 8,000 arriving foreign passengers weekly, more than double the number prior to Feb. 10. “We are expecting this number to gradually increase, perhaps as high as 10,000 to 12,000 per day after a few months,” she said.