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According to The Philippine Daily Inquirer, on February 10, the Philippine government authorized fully vaccinated visitors from 157 countries having visa-free agreements to enter the country.
"I was pleasantly surprised when we reopened on February 10; I had expected only a few people to show up. But then, to my amazement, a lot came," Puyat said in an interview with the ANC on Monday.
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All international travelers must follow the COVID-19 prevention rules in the Philippines. (Photo / Retrieved from Pixabay)
"If you count the four days—from Thursday to Sunday—we've had roughly 7,051 tourist arrivals," she noted. "Of course, 45 percent are balikbayans, but balikbayans are tourists since they have foreign passports."
According to the tourism secretary, the majority of tourists that entered the Philippines in the previous days were Americans, Canadians, Australians, and British people.
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Many people were back to reunite with their relatives. (Photo / Retrieved from Pixabay)
These tourists came to the Philippines for a variety of reasons, according to Romulo – Puyat. "A large number of people were to be reunited with their relatives. "They've partnered with a Filipino," she explained.
According to Puyat, there was also an American couple that came to the Philippines to assist victims of the recent typhoon. “Some people also remarked, 'I want to build houses for the storm victims,” Puyat continued.
