With all the bad news pouring in, it’s good to have some things that give us a reason to smile for a few seconds.
“The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has relaxed immigration regulations for foreign humanitarian workers and humanitarian/relief volunteers who wish to enter the Philippine to provide aid and assistance to Typhoon Yolanda victims,” reports ABS-CBN News correspondent Ina Reformina.
First off, the BI will no longer require the six-month passport validity. The following are the only requirements for humanitarian and aid workers upon entering the Philippines:
1. Volunteers should present official endorsements from their respective governments or organizations;
2. Notice from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) or from any Philippine Foreign Service Post regarding their arrival; and
3. Return ticket
The DFA likewise waived the visa requirements of the following:
1. 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); and
2. 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 later provide the BI with a copy of the names and affiliations of foreign humanitarian workers arriving in the country.
Photo from MorgueFile
