Push Admin

International arrivals to PH increase since reopening of borders: BI spox

Article (news)

Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Passengers arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Feb. 1, 2022, the first day of the revised protocols for the entry of returning overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals, regardless of their country of origin. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/02/09/20220201-covid-naia-travel-protocols-md.jpg"/><figcaption>Passengers arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Feb. 1, 2022, the first day of the revised protocols for the entry of returning overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals, regardless of their country of origin. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — International arrivals to the Philippines have increased since the country fully opened its borders to tourists this month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday.</p><p>During the first two days of April, total arrivals in the country reached more than 28,000, with 13,525 arrivals recorded on April 1 and more than 15,000 on April 2, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview with ABS-CBN TeleRadyo.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/02/22/bi-higit-13500-biyahero-dumating-sa-bansa-april-1">BI: 13.5k arrivals naitala sa unang araw ng pagbubukas ng PH border sa fully vaxxed foreigners</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/25/22/ph-to-reopen-to-all-fully-vaccinated-foreign-travelers">Philippines to reopen to all fully vaccinated foreigners by April: Palace</a></li></ul><p>From about 4,000-5,000 daily arrivals last February, the country recorded close to 10,000 arrivals by the end of March, Sandoval said, noting a daily increase of 1,000 arriving passengers per day.</p><p>Sandoval noted that while the government has implemented pre-pandemic arrival requirements, the current figures are still far from 2019 when the country had more than 40,000 passengers arriving daily.</p><p>“So matatagalan pa po ito [bago makabalik sa pre-pandemic levels], pero nakikita po natin na consistently tumataas po through the weeks ‘yung bilang,” Sandoval said.</p><p>(It will take a while before our arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels, but we can see that the numbers are consistently increasing through the weeks.)</p><p>Sandoval said the BI is seeing a significant increase of international arrivals to the Philippines by the third quarter of 2022.</p><p>“Hindi naman po major leap ang nakikita natin, but consistently po tumataas naman siya,” she said.</p><p>(We are not seeing a major leap, but are we seeing a consistent increase in international arrivals.)</p><p>Sandoval also noted that passengers coming to the country can still choose between RT-PCR and antigen test results before arrival.</p><p>To enter the Philippines, arriving passengers must present a negative RT-PCR test result taken with 48 hours before departure from their point of origin, or a negative laboratory-based antigen test result taken within 24 hours from departure.</p><p>Returning overseas Filipinos, as well as foreign nationals with long-term Philippine visas, need not secure a travel insurance before coming to the country, Sandoval said.</p><p>Starting April 1, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) lifted the limit of international arrivals to the country, effectively opening Philippine borders to all passengers.</p><p>“This latest development opens the country to all fully vaccinated tourists from all countries, and means the country’s tourism industry is well on its way to recovery,” tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat had said in a statement.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1985928" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

International arrivals to the Philippines have increased since the country opened its borders to tourists this month, the Bureau of Immigration said.

International arrivals to PH increase since reopening of borders: BI spox

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

News

International arrivals to PH increase since reopening of borders: BI spox

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 03, 2022 01:11 PM PHT

|

Updated April 03, 2022 01:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Bureau of Immigration

tourism

travel

COVID-19

foreign tourists

tourists

tourist arrivals

BI

Dana Sandoval

border reopening

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.