General Info

[Mongoose312]

Recently I was contemplating how a China / US war over Taiwan would effect mongering in South East Asia, specifically the Philippines.

During the initial kinetic war most mongers would flee as the country became at the very least conflict adjacent. Hardcore expats that remained would have an asymmetrical advantage similar to COVID- but with the unfortunate hazard of being susceptible to actual missile strikes and attacks especially if the US began to use Luzon and other islands as a base of operations.

Once the situation stabilizes it's likely that Western mongers would retain an edge as the K-monger contingent would be greatly diminished due to mandatory military service and likely economic issues on the peninsula. I wouldn't be surprised if North Korea collapsed in the ensuing chaos. Travel to and from the Philippines would be much more expensive and harder to arrange. Mindanao would become more attractive as an option as Western Expats in Luzon fled to safer locations. An Angeles to Davao trail of tears for Western Mongers is easy to imagine.

The final phase would be a shift away from older / retired Western Expats to a new preference for young and virile US service men now stationed all over the islands.

Something similar would happen in Thailand, but it's more likely that Thailand manages to remain neutral and so avoids many of the extreme dislocations. I do not see kinetic war coming to Thailand during this conflict. Cambodia will be aligned with China and so Westerners will not be welcome there.

More generally, the world would initially be plunged into a major economic depression as trade relationships are catastrophically disrupted and re-worked with China and Russia on the losing end. India would finally come to side with the US. The resulting peace would not necessarily be a re-establishment of the Pax-Americana but a return to a pre-Unipolar environment in which sex tourism is more costly and difficult for the average Westerners, but for those that have the means it would skew asymmetrically in their favor. Also previously mentioned service men would have a great time of it. Perhaps a return to some of the conditions in the 80's and 90's as far as what I've heard.

[WestCoast1]

Yes. This was New York at check in and lady seemed very serious about these items. I said something like all this still required. Yes sir. The test was 120 bucks not the end of the world but it would have sucked had I not had it. You may get different check in people and slide, but hey for $120 I'm not ruining my trip. Better safe than sorry. Again I had no booster on my vax card, if you are you may have different results.

Yes. Sometimes the airline personnel are just wrong. They must deal with the Immigration rules of multiple countries (which change over time). Philippines has been exceptionally harsh in its rules, both Immigration and on its own people, during pandemic. Just look one year ago, with the re-opening, when the inbound rules changed regularly and sometimes within just days after the previous change.

Did they ask for it (without your prompting) at NAIA Immigration when you landed?

[Locamotive]

Odd. From the Phils government etravel website:

https://etravel.gov.ph/entry-guidelines

Entry Guidelines.

As per IATF Resolution No. 2 (s. 2022) on the ENTRY, QUARANTINE and TESTING Requirements of inbound travelers to the Philippines.

A. FULLY VACCINATED (Filipino and Foreign Travelers).

- No pre-departure COVID-19 Test requirement.

- Must have received the 2nd dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose COVID-19 vaccine more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin / port of

embarkation.

Yes. This was New York at check in and lady seemed very serious about these items. I said something like all this still required. Yes sir. The test was 120 bucks not the end of the world but it would have sucked had I not had it. You may get different check in people and slide, but hey for $120 I'm not ruining my trip. Better safe than sorry. Again I had no booster on my vax card, if you are you may have different results.

[Errol Flynn]

I arrived in MNL this morning on a direct flight on Philippine Airlines from LAX. 1) to be considered fully vaccinated by the PI you need to have two Moderna or Pfizer shots or one J&J (maybe others). They don't care about boosters. 2) the most important thing seems to be that you fill out the eTravel document online. You are supposed to do this three days before arriving, but you can do it upon arrival. The airline has people available to help you when you get off the flight, but not doing it in advance will slow you down slightly as it's the first thing the government wants to see when you de-plane. You need the QR code either printed or on a phone. If their scanner can read the code you are good to go. Filling the form out is quick and easy. You just need the dates of your shots. 3) The airline asked to see the code when I was checking in, they also asked to see my Vaccination record. I gave them a print out of the CA.gov digital record with QR code, but they didn't run the code, he just looked at the printed dates for my shots below it. No government official ever asked to see my vaccination record, in fact there was no discussion of Covid other than my presenting the eTravel QR Code and their system recognizing it (took three seconds) or less.

Hope this helps. Was accurate as of 5 am this morning.

[JusRide]

Often times you need to educate the airline counter / check-in staff as they do not know the updated requirements. I've been asked before and you just need to be confident and advise them that it's no longer required. They may double check with their supervisor or just take your work for it.

FYI, they wanted to see my copy of PCR test on my phone before I left US on Friday along with vax card.

[JusRide]

If you are a US passport holder / citizen, no tests are required. I've returned to the US several times in 2022 and no tests are required. I think the only exception is if you are c19 positive or recently (xx amount of days).

If you are not a US citizen, you should check any requirements for your country / nationality.

I've seen various answers to this. Hope someone here with recent experience can clarify.

Do I need a PCR test in the PH (presumably, Manila) to check-in and board my return flight? I'm flying PAL non-stop from NAIA to LAX.

Thanks.

[MrHappyKat]

I've seen various answers to this. Hope someone here with recent experience can clarify.

Do I need a PCR test in the PH (presumably, Manila) to check-in and board my return flight? I'm flying PAL non-stop from NAIA to LAX.

Thanks.

[WestCoast1]

FYI, they wanted to see my copy of PCR test on my phone before I left US on Friday along with vax card.

Odd. From the Phils government etravel website:

https://etravel.gov.ph/entry-guidelines

Entry Guidelines.

As per IATF Resolution No. 2 (s. 2022) on the ENTRY, QUARANTINE and TESTING Requirements of inbound travelers to the Philippines.

A. FULLY VACCINATED (Filipino and Foreign Travelers).

- No pre-departure COVID-19 Test requirement.

- Must have received the 2nd dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose COVID-19 vaccine more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin / port of embarkation.

[Locamotive]

Hope this helps. From the ph.usembassy.gov website, dated January 28,2023. Fully vaccinated = 2 shots of Moderna, Pfizer, Sinovac, etc, and does not include a booster. Alternately 1 shot of J&J = fully vaccinated.

https://ph.usembassy.gov/covid-19-an...l-information/

January 28, 2023.

ENTRY AND EXIT REQUIREMENTS.

Are USA Citizens permitted to enter? Yes.

Entry to the Philippines: Although travel to the Philippines is now permitted, USA Citizens should know and comply with IATF Resolution No. 2 , which generally include the following as a minimum:

Fully Vaccinated Travelers: Pre-departure COVID testing is no longer required for fully vaccinated travelers, whether Filipinos or foreign nationals.

Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Travelers: A laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result within twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin is required for entry to the Philippines.

From the Phils IATF (October 4, 2022; see pic):

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/d...RESO-2-FRM.pdf

FYI, they wanted to see my copy of PCR test on my phone before I left US on Friday along with vax card.

[WestCoast1]

Travellers with NO BOOSTER shot must secure and present a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 48 h OR negative laboratory-administered antigen / ART test within 24 h from their travel from an MOH-approved provider.

Hope this helps. From the ph.usembassy.gov website, dated January 28,2023. Fully vaccinated = 2 shots of Moderna, Pfizer, Sinovac, etc, and does not include a booster. Alternately 1 shot of J&J = fully vaccinated.

https://ph.usembassy.gov/covid-19-an...l-information/

January 28, 2023.

ENTRY AND EXIT REQUIREMENTS.

Are USA Citizens permitted to enter? Yes.

Entry to the Philippines: Although travel to the Philippines is now permitted, USA Citizens should know and comply with IATF Resolution No. 2 , which generally include the following as a minimum:

Fully Vaccinated Travelers: Pre-departure COVID testing is no longer required for fully vaccinated travelers, whether Filipinos or foreign nationals.

Unvaccinated / Partially Vaccinated Travelers: A laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result within twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin is required for entry to the Philippines.

From the Phils IATF (October 4, 2022; see pic):

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/d...RESO-2-FRM.pdf

[Mr Hawaii]

Other gents, who have entered Phils in the past month and were not boostered: Did you have to take covid test?

Flew HNL-MNL in December on PAL. Downloaded the required software program onto my phone at the HNL airport, and answered the questions online. Good to go. Am going again next week and will follow same routine. If you have had 2 vaccine shots, further testing not needed.

[DoktorEn]

Other gents, who have entered Phils in the past month and were not boostered: Did you have to take covid test?

A friend flew into NAIA mid-Jan with just two shots of Pfizer or Moderna, I. E. No booster. No test necessary.

edit: to provide some more details. My friend has an EU passport. Think he showed the vaccine certificate once somewhere, and that was it.

[WestCoast1]

Thanks Westy but I saw this on the Philippine Embassy website earlier today. Maybe traveling from down under different. My PCR came back today so I'm all good for tomorrow as I did not get booster. Three years now, this crap needs to end. !!

Travellers with NO BOOSTER shot must secure and present a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 48 h OR negative laboratory-administered antigen / ART test within 24 h from their travel from an MOH-approved provider.

Other gents, who have entered Phils in the past month and were not boostered: Did you have to take covid test?

[Locamotive]

From the Quantas website. Single shot of J&J seems fine.

https://www.qantas.com/travelready/d...ilippines.html

Thanks Westy but I saw this on the Philippine Embassy website earlier today. Maybe traveling from down under different. My PCR came back today so I'm all good for tomorrow as I did not get booster. Three years now, this crap needs to end. !!

Travellers with NO BOOSTER shot must secure and present a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 48 h OR negative laboratory-administered antigen / ART test within 24 h from their travel from an MOH-approved provider.

[WestCoast1]

Haven't seen any info on this lately but I know many have entered. Philippine Immigration say no PCR test to enter if vaccinated shots? What's that mean, boosters? I got one shot J&J over a year ago but no boosters. After all the controversy with these things I said no way. I may schedule a PCR Covid test just in case as after 27 HR flight I want no issues. I guess OneHealth Pass is still required. Any info from those who recently entered appreciated.

From the Quantas website. Single shot of J&J seems fine.

https://www.qantas.com/travelready/d...ilippines.html