CLARK FREEPORT -- Government agencies have assured that Clark International Airport is a safe haven for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
This was gleaned in a joint statement issued by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), and Luzon International Premier Airport Development (Lipad) Corporation.
More than 200 passengers, most of them recently arrived OFWs, have been stranded for days in Clark International Airport due to the community quarantines imposed in their respective provincial destinations.
To ensure the welfare and safety of these passengers amid the Covid-19 threat, the concerned government agencies coordinated efforts to provide them with the necessary assistance as the entire of Luzon Island observes the enhanced community quarantine.
Starting March 19, the passengers are provided free food and lodging and housed in various locations in Clark.
The government agencies said the OFWs will be taken good care of while in Clark, until the imposed lockdowns in their destinations are lifted.
“We would also like to express our gratitude to the DOT, DOTR, DILG, OWWA, DSWD, Pampanga Provincial Government, Angeles and Mabalacat city governments, Pampanga Red Cross and the Mabalacat City Tourism Council for working with us in providing assistance to the passengers the past several days,” they added.
The Clark International Airport will remain operational should there be inbound and outbound international flights.
For international outbound flights, only OFWs, balikbayans, and foreign nationals will be allowed to leave, while inbound international passengers will be subjected to strict quarantine protocols.