No foreigners, non-OFW Filipinos into the Philippines from March 20 to April 19

[NoMansLand2020 298]

14 hours ago, John & Rose said:

It is real.  Manila just went into another liquor ban.  4,387 new confirmed cases yesterday.  They are getting a new surge.  My wife still has relatives there and they are planning on another full lockdown.

 

I don't understand what's up with these politicians and law makers. Take a look at some of the other countries seeing these kinds of numbers and they aren't locking down, nor have had restrictive quarantine procedures for over a year. 

 

5,000 cases is 0.00045% of the total population. 

 

0.0057% of the population has been infected. 

 

0.00018% of the population have died as a result of covid infection. 

 

Why are we locking down and subsisting with non-stop quarantines for these kinds of numbers? 

 

What percent of the population is unable to work and support their families so they can put food on the table and pay their bills? I guarantee it's a thousand times higher... 

 

How many school-aged children aren't able to attend school because their parents do not have access or money for laptops... Or decent internet connections? 

 

What are the long-term psychological and physiological effects of keeping people cooped up in their homes all day long... Over a year now... 

Edited March 18, 2021 by NoMansLand2020

[John & Rose 7,239]

We all know that the numbers they report is considerably less than the numbers they are actually seeing. Maybe they know something they aren’t sharing. There is a new variant in my wife’s town and they are freaking out about it. They will be back at full lockdown soon. Some people think this is a way for Duterte to get more control. I think it may be a little of each. Shots aren’t easy to get and the new variant is easier to spread. They need to get shots into the arms of everyone who wants them so they can take credit for fighting this and also start opening back up. This is the first time they stopped citizens from entering. That was a surprise. 

[Joe Kano 327]

16 hours ago, 0NI said:

This is BS. They allow OFWs but not returning filipinos. What is the difference? 

 

This government sucks, 1 year and we still on lockdown. 

 

My flight going back to PH is March 19 and the airline cancelled it today (PAL).

 

I mean more time with my Fiancee. But WTH PH, your policy makers does not know what they are doing. 

 

SMH.

This is why the Philippines is a 3rd World Country and will always be a 3rd World Country.  They think and act like a 3rd world country.  

[Joe Kano 327]

3 hours ago, John & Rose said:

We all know that the numbers they report is considerably less than the numbers they are actually seeing. Maybe they know something they aren’t sharing. There is a new variant in my wife’s town and they are freaking out about it. They will be back at full lockdown soon. Some people think this is a way for Duterte to get more control. I think it may be a little of each. Shots aren’t easy to get and the new variant is easier to spread. They need to get shots into the arms of everyone who wants them so they can take credit for fighting this and also start opening back up. This is the first time they stopped citizens from entering. That was a surprise. 

It looking 2021 is going to be bust for tourism or traveling to Philippines for most of us.

 

I was thinking and hoping 4th quarter of 2021 Philippines would open back up, with this latest set back it like the Philippines is going back wards.  It may be sometime in 2022 before they open back up.  What a mess the Philippines and the leadership have gotten themselves into.

 

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

7 hours ago, John & Rose said:

We all know that the numbers they report is considerably less than the numbers they are actually seeing. Maybe they know something they aren’t sharing. There is a new variant in my wife’s town and they are freaking out about it. They will be back at full lockdown soon. Some people think this is a way for Duterte to get more control. I think it may be a little of each. Shots aren’t easy to get and the new variant is easier to spread. They need to get shots into the arms of everyone who wants them so they can take credit for fighting this and also start opening back up. This is the first time they stopped citizens from entering. That was a surprise. 

Testing numbers haven’t really changed either. It’s always been around 30-32k per day and most of those were for inbound and outbound passengers, hospital visits, etc. Most Filipinos will not voluntarily get tested. One is due to cost but the other is if you test positive you are essentially arrested as well as your family or anyone else in your social circle. You are dragged off to the hospital or “infection” center and held for two weeks. Your house will be identified within the neighbourhood and your block may be shut down for 1-2 weeks. Going to the hospital for covid symptoms is the absolute last decision people will make. Life and death only and for that you pay a lot of money and get poor health care. So many who do have symptoms will quietly ignore it.  
 

This latest “surge” is not due to more testing. It’s due to a higher testing positivity rate.  Also, it’s estimated that over 30 million Filipinos have had COVID already.  If the Philippines actually increased their testing, you can only imagine what kind of lockdown would be implemented. 

[Joe Kano 327]

18 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Testing numbers haven’t really changed either. It’s always been around 30-32k per day and most of those were for inbound and outbound passengers, hospital visits, etc. Most Filipinos will not voluntarily get tested. One is due to cost but the other is if you test positive you are essentially arrested as well as your family or anyone else in your social circle. You are dragged off to the hospital or “infection” center and held for two weeks. Your house will be identified within the neighbourhood and your block may be shut down for 1-2 weeks. Going to the hospital for covid symptoms is the absolute last decision people will make. Life and death only and for that you pay a lot of money and get poor health care. So many who do have symptoms will quietly ignore it.  
 

This latest “surge” is not due to more testing. It’s due to a higher testing positivity rate.  Also, it’s estimated that over 30 million Filipinos have had COVID already.  If the Philippines actually increased their testing, you can only imagine what kind of lockdown would be implemented. 

Thanks for this explanation, this make perfect sense to me 👍

[Joe Kano 327]

23 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Most Filipinos will not voluntarily get tested. One is due to cost but the other is if you test positive you are essentially arrested as well as your family or anyone else in your social circle. You are dragged off to the hospital or “infection” center and held for two weeks. Your house will be identified within the neighbourhood and your block may be shut down for 1-2 weeks. Going to the hospital for covid symptoms is the absolute last decision people will make. Life and death only and for that you pay a lot of money and get poor health care. So many who do have symptoms will quietly ignore it.  
 

Spot on

[Joe Kano 327]

24 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

This latest “surge” is not due to more testing. It’s due to a higher testing positivity rate.  Also, it’s estimated that over 30 million Filipinos have had COVID already.  If the Philippines actually increased their testing, you can only imagine what kind of lockdown would be implemented. 

It would be just like prison over there if the Philippines increased testing.

 

They don't want to know the real answer in the Philippines.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

4 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

It looking 2021 is going to be bust for tourism or traveling to Philippines for most of us.

 

I was thinking and hoping 4th quarter of 2021 Philippines would open back up, with this latest set back it like the Philippines is going back wards.  It may be sometime in 2022 before they open back up.  What a mess the Philippines and the leadership have gotten themselves into.

Yeah we gave up on travelling there this year. We are spending that money on painting the house in Mindanao and building a new crypt for my FIL

[Talako 785]

4 hours ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Yeah we gave up on travelling there this year. We are spending that money on painting the house in Mindanao and building a new crypt for my FIL

We haven't quite given up hope on traveling this fall, but it is not looking good.

[Adventine 3,196]

Well................... the first leg of my domestic flight was cancelled because of bad weather, completely unrelated to the PH travel restrictions.

 

No others available that would allow me to make it on time to my flight Chicago-Tokyo and Tokyo-Manila before the travel ban starts in 9 hours in Manila as of this writing.

 

I think it was a blessing in disguise that the first leg of my trip was cancelled. Our biggest worry was that I would get on the flight Chicago-Tokyo and arrive in Tokyo late OR to the news that the travel ban changed again. Then I would have been stuck in Tokyo, without a valid Japanese visa OR a PCR test that would allow me to fly back to the US to wait out the travel ban.

 

Waiting to hear back from both my travel insurance company and the PH embassy about what else they can do. But I'm not optimistic.

[NeonParticles 126]

26 minutes ago, Adventine said:

Well................... the first leg of my domestic flight was cancelled because of bad weather, completely unrelated to the PH travel restrictions.

 

No others available that would allow me to make it on time to my flight Chicago-Tokyo and Tokyo-Manila before the travel ban starts in 9 hours in Manila as of this writing.

 

I think it was a blessing in disguise that the first leg of my trip was cancelled. Our biggest worry was that I would get on the flight Chicago-Tokyo and arrive in Tokyo late OR to the news that the travel ban changed again. Then I would have been stuck in Tokyo, without a valid Japanese visa OR a PCR test that would allow me to fly back to the US to wait out the travel ban.

 

Waiting to hear back from both my travel insurance company and the PH embassy about what else they can do. But I'm not optimistic.

This is such a mess and inconsiderate to everyone involved.  I hate what the PH government has done during this whole thing.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

4 hours ago, Talako said:

We haven't quite given up hope on traveling this fall, but it is not looking good.

Well unfortunately for us we have kids in school so fall is a no go for us. 

[Joe Kano 327]

9 hours ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Yeah we gave up on travelling there this year. We are spending that money on painting the house in Mindanao and building a new crypt for my FIL

I just booked a trip to Canada to do some smallmouth bass fishing in June, they are suppose to be in spawn at that time, Going to fly up there from Texas.

 

August I am going to to Cancun Mexico for a all inclusive hotel/drinks/ etc.  From Dallas Fort Worth Airport I can be in Cancun in less than 2.5 hours by plane.

 

After that I will see what is my next trip.  Maybe they will have PI open by October, I really really enjoying being over the during that month, not too busy and flights are usually pretty cheap and it not peak season over there.

 

[Skyman 321]

3 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

I just booked a trip to Canada to do some smallmouth bass fishing in June, they are suppose to be in spawn at that time, Going to fly up there from Texas.

Are Americans allowed in Canada now?  I thought they were banned and even Canadians flying in had to pay a crazy amount for a quarantine hotel.