DFA, BI ease rules for foreign relief workers

Bureau of Immigration building. Photo from Bureau of Immmigration website

MANILA, Philippines–The Bureau of Immigration has relaxed immigration formalities for all foreign humanitarian workers and humanitarian relief volunteers who will provide assistance to the survivors of typhoon Yolanda.

Humanitarian workers should only present the following upon entering the Philippines:

-Volunteers should present official endorsements from their respective governments, embassies or international organization;

-Notice from the Department of Foreign Affairs or from any Philippine Foreign Service Post regarding their arrival;

-Return ticket

The Immigration will not also impose on relief workers the required six months validity of the passports.

On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also waived visas of the following:

-Holders of the UN Laissez Passer such as officials, members and affiliates of UN organs like the UN Development Program (UNDP), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)

-Holders of diplomatic, official, service or regular passports who are officials, members, affiliates of international organizations who are from countries whose nationals require entry visas to the Philippines.

The DFA’s Office of the Consular Affairs (OCA) will provide the Immigration an advance copy of the names and details of the workers arriving in the country.

Among the humanitarian workers that had arrived were from the Japanese Medical Team, UNOCHA and UNICEF Coordinator Ms. Sandra Lattouf.

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