Some Filipinos are calling on the Philippine government to ease travel restrictions so that they may be reunited with their loved ones.

Louisa was supposed to get married this year to her European boyfriend of three years. They booked the wedding for July but the pandemic derailed their plans. They moved the wedding to September.

Louisa resigned from her work expecting to be able to see her fiancé whom she hasn't seen for a year.

"We've given the government enough days, weeks, and months to set up their health protocols. I personally do not see kung bakit hindi makapag open up ang Philippines provided set na 'yung protocols (I personally do not see why the Philippines hasn’t opened up yet provided that protocols are set)," Louisa said.

Aileen lived for a long time in Norway where she met her fiancé. She had been using her tourist visa to return and visit him on occasion. Recently, the Bureau of Immigration has been denying her request to go to Norway using the same tourist visa since they consider her visit non-essential. The acquisition of her residence permit in Norway so that she may live with her partner will take a while because her fiancé’s divorce papers are still being processed. For now, she hopes that the Philippine government will ease travel restrictions.

"It's very hard kasi hindi kami sanay magkalayo. We already built our house there. And then in May, hinintay niya ako kasi supposedly makakabalik na ako. Pero nagka-lockdown, so he didn't have any other choice but to move in alone," Aileen tearfully narrated.

(It's very hard because we are not used to being apart. We already built our house there. In May, he was waiting for me since I was supposed to go back there. But the lockdown here was imposed. So he had no other choice but to move in alone.)

Patricia was supposed to marry her Korean boyfriend here in the Philippines. He submitted all the requirements as instructed by the Philippine embassy so that he may enter the country. The couple submitted their certificates of no marriage, trip tickets, certificates of employment and others. However, the Korean was refused entry into the country since Patricia was not pregnant.

"I wish the government would give exemptions for unmarried couples and for people in a relationship. They are not giving me the chance to be with my fiancé," Patricia said.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the restrictions are for the protection of Filipinos from COVID-19 since other countries are experiencing surges. The Philippines also has many cases of human trafficking.

The bureau however pointed out that it allows travels similar to what the women are requesting provided that the applicants have sufficient documents to prove their relationship with their partners or marriage, such as a marriage license or marriage reservation. People can also present their fiancé visa, common law visa, or partner visa.

The bureau said applicants may also ask the Department of Foreign Affairs about exemptions. The applicants should also ensure that they have entry visas.