Manila, Jan 28 (IANS): The Philippines will allow fully vaccinated foreigners from countries and regions with visa-free entry to the Philippines starting from February 10, authorities said on Friday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said foreigners travelling for business and tourism purposes must present vaccination certificates and passports valid for at least six months at the time of arrival, reports Xinhua news agency.

People aged under 18 are exempted from this measure, he added.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said the decision to permit "leisure travellers" to visit the country "will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses shut down by the pandemic".

By reopening the country to international tourists, Puyat hoped that the Philippines would keep up with its Southeast Asian neighbours that have already had their borders opened.

"We are also aware that there is no room for complacency given the unpredictability of the virus. We will closely monitor the situation and ensure that health and safety protocols are strictly implemented in all tourism establishments," Puyat said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will temporarily suspend the Covid-19 risk classification for fully vaccinated travellers starting February 1.

All travellers entering the country must present a negative RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before departure.

The travellers are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine but monitor themselves at home for seven days.

The Philippines now has 3,511,491 confirmed Covid-19 cases in total, with at least 53,736 deaths.