Some Answers You May Not Like

Some Answers You May Not Like.

Living in the ECQ in the Philipines, May 6, 2020

What the heck is an ECQ?  Enhanced Community Quarantine is the official name.  Many of us just call it the “Lockdown”.

Many will notice I haven’t been posting much here on PhilFAQS.  I haven’t had to say after more than a month of literal lockdown.  (Those under 21 or over 60 are not allowed to leave the house), and only one 21 though 60 yo may leave at a time.  We have a paper “hall pass” thingy (much like the hall passes you might have had in high school), and there are plenty of checkpoints, plus security guards at banks and supermarkets and drug stores who can and do check.  The pass is only good on alternate days … our house gets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, other neighbors have Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and no one is allowed out after 5 pm.

No going out on Sundays for anyone.  But I’m not complaining.  I am 75, with a breathing disorder and was scared as Hell over this virus that it was going to “get me”.  It still might, but things are a lot more hopeful now.

I Believe I Am Much Better Off in the Philippines

A great many expats felt they had to leave the Philippines when it became apparent this virus was a very serious thing.

I have watched carefully the pretty much lackadaisical approach to any sort of quarantine in the USA.

• The armed terrorists storming state capitals and spitting in people’s faces.
• the president who won’t even wear a mask and
• the continual political sniping in the face of more than 6o,00 deaths

So I made the decision that I would be a lot safer just staying here in a country where there is the rule of law and people take precautions seriously.

But if I did decide to leave, would I be allowed to?

Are there any Outbound Flights?

Yes, a few every day.  There aren’t many, because there are no inbound passenger flights allowed for at least the next week.  It doesn’t occur o many people that you can’t have outbound flights unless you have inbound flights since airplanes and flight crews don’t “grow” in the Philippines

But there are still a few outbound every day, here’s today’s list:

(Note that although only three destinations are listed, there are continuing flights from those three cites to virtually every city in the world.)

A key question, though is…

Who Can Fly on those Flights?

Are There Any Inbound Flights?

I mentioned dealer that all normal inbound passenger flights are suspended until at least the 10th of May (or later as the situation develops).

So if you do “score” an inbound flight, are you going to be able to get off the plane in Manila?

You’ll notice there’s no entry for casual tourists or folks who “just want to visit” listed there.  Likewise, no foreigners holding and of the various categories of Philippine permanent visas.  The country is very serious about stamping out the COVID 19 virus.

Up To Date Information

Here’s one of the best sources I know of, lately.  It’s updated several times day and daily outbound flight schedules are published every day.

So, no matter how much I may have whet your appetite for a visit to the Philippines in the past … this will not be the time to try.  As I said at the beginning of this article, there are some answers here you may not want to hear.