MANILA – The Philippines will allow citizens employed in Hong Kong and Macau to return to their jobs, partially lifting a ban imposed earlier this month to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, AFP reported yesterday.
A government task force decided to exempt those working in Hong Kong and Macau from the travel ban “subject to certain formalities,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said on his Twitter account yesterday. The government also lifted on Friday a travel ban on Taiwan.
Filipino workers returning to Hong Kong and Macau will have to “make a written declaration that they know the risks of going back,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said at a televised briefing.
The decision will allow thousands of migrant workers stranded in the Philippines to return to their jobs abroad. The Philippines overseas workers contribute more than US$30 billion in remittances accounting for around 9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
