The inter-agency task force on COVID-19 said on Friday it revised rules for "green" territories, from where fully vaccinated travelers could enjoy shorter quarantine upon arriving in the Philippines.

The revised rules for "green lanes" will apply to fully vaccinated international passengers arriving in the Philippines beginning July 26, 2021, 12:01 a.m. Manila time, said Malacañang and task force spokesman Harry Roque.

"International arriving passengers to the Philippines, regardless of point of entry, need only to undergo a 7-day facility-based quarantine and RT-PCR testing on the 5th day, with the day of arrival of being the first day," he said in a statement.

These passengers must, however, meet all the following conditions, said the Palace official.

• Their port of origin is a Green List country/jurisdiction/territory
• They stayed exclusively in Green List countries/jurisdictions/territories in the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines
• They are fully vaccinated, whether in the Philippines or abroad
• Their vaccination status can be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid and authentic upon arrival in the country

• LIST: 'Green' territories

"For those qualified for the Green Lanes, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility for 7 days," said Roque.

"Even if the RT-PCR test yields a negative result, the individual shall still complete the 7-day facility-based quarantine. If the RT-PCR test is, however, positive, prescribed isolation protocols must be followed."

Upon completion of the quarantine, the BOQ shall issue a certificate that also indicates the individual’s vaccination status. The individual is thereafter enjoined to do self-monitoring for the next 7 days, he said.

On the other hand, travelers who meet the following conditions shall not qualify for the green lanes, Roque said.

• Their port of origin is not a Green List country/jurisdiction/territory
• They stayed outside a Green List country/jurisdiction/territory at any time in the last 14 days before their arrival in the Philippines
• They have not been fully vaccinated
• Even if fully vaccinated, their vaccination status cannot be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid or authentic upon their arrival in the country.

These travelers will undergo a 10-day facility-based quarantine and a 4-day home quarantine, including an RT-PCR test on the 7th day, if any of the following conditions are present, said the Palace official.

Roque also listed which documents travelers must present for the verification of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

With more than 1.5 million cases and some 26,800 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest number of infections and deaths in Southeast Asia.

The health department on Thursday confirmed local transmission of the highly contagious Delta COVID-19 variant, which could slow the country's return to normalcy.

The Philippines has so far fully immunized about 5.2 million out of its yearend target of 58 million to 70 million, Malacañang said on Thursday.