Note: The information listed here is based on my personal experience and doesn’t replace or precede the current guidelines. These events happened during the 1st quarter of 2022.
While in Israel:
- Book your flight and print your ticket.
- Schedule an appointment at the Philippine Embassy for OWWA Briefing
* I did mine online because of COVID-19. OWWA sent me the requirements via WhatsApp.
3. Accomplish the following requirements:
- Register on the following sites and print the email confirmation.
– OASIS
* The embassy asked us to fill up the Exit Statement Form on the Israel Ministry of Health website, but they didn’t look for it at Ben Gurion Airport
* I also filled up the Red Cross form since I am landing at Clark Airport, but it is not needed anymore because the government scrapped the hotel quarantine and PCR test at the airport for incoming vaccinated OFWs.
- PCR Test (print the test result and receipt)
* I took my PCR test 1 day before my flight at the Check2Fly– Azrieli Haifa Mall branch. I paid 75 NIS (around 2000 Php) for the 14 hrs test. I got swabbed at 0800 and got my result around 2000.
- Vaccination Certificate (save it on your phone but have a hard copy also)
At the Airport
Ben Gurion Airport- Tel Aviv, Israel
Make sure to be at the airport at least 4 hours before your flight to give you ample time before boarding. I rode Pegasus Airlines going to Istanbul. They opened the check-in two hours before boarding, and the line was quite long because of the checking of necessary documents. They asked for my plane ticket, negative PCR test printout, and vaccination certificate. Make sure to follow the rules set by the airline. I have a companion who left all his pasalubong behind because he exceeded the “1 hand carry only” policy of Pegasus Airlines. He was carrying two hand carries, and they made him choose which to take on the plane.
Continue to Security. Be prepared to have all your hand-carry luggage checked and double-checked. They checked it manually and then checked it under the XRay again. I was carrying a small purse filled with Philippine Peso coins, and they emptied it all onto the tray, which took me a long time to put back in my coin purse😅😅. They swabbed all the corners of my bag and coat pockets multiple times, which made me wonder if they were also doing it to all the passengers or just us Filipinos.
After waiting for two hours, I was able to board my flight going to Turkey. Since it is only a three and half hour flight, there was no food served. You can buy refreshments, though, if you’re hungry.
Sabiha Gokcen Airport- Istanbul, Turkey
I had a nearly four-hour layover in Istanbul, which gave me enough time to visit the loo and eat before boarding my next flight. The security is not that strict, and the airport is relatively small, so there is nothing special to see.
They asked for the vaccine certificate, One Health Pass, and a negative PCR test result.
Hamad International Airport- Doha, Qatar
This leg of my journey is arduous because it is an 8-hour layover. It’s good that this airport is huge and nice, so there are many things to see and do during that 8 hrs. There are special lounges where you can sit and relax while waiting, but you have to pay. There are free ones, but it was crowded, and because of Covid, it is preferable to stay out.
Luckily, there is a spa where you can go and take a shower for 25 USD. After freshening up, you can eat at any food establishment before going around the Duty-Free area to buy stuff. I spent a good deal of time just looking at the displays, and you won’t even feel like there is an epidemic because of the vast human traffic. The line at the check-in counter is long since there are many passengers and documents to check. There are a lot of OFWs who are either vacationing or returning home for good.
Landing at Clark International Airport
Upon landing at the airport, they placed all the passengers at a specific holding point. There they asked for the One Health Pass QR Code, vaccination certificate, and negative PCR test result. After checking, they asked if there was someone who was going to fetch me or if I wanted to avail the OWWA Hatid Program. Since I had a “sundo,” they allowed me to leave the airport.
Because we arrived at Clark at 4 in the afternoon, they gave OFWs who didn’t have “sundo” a paper showing the hotel where they could sleep for the night. I did not have any idea when they were able to go home.
After arriving at our house, I need to do seven days of isolation inside my room. If you have symptoms during that seven days, inform your local government unit.
All in all, I have a very memorable trip. It was a very long one, nearly 48 hours, but it is an experience I will never forget since I saw how the world is trying to cope with the pandemic.
