AROUND 43,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic are expected to arrive in the country until June, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Wednesday, May 20.
Their arrival is seen to overwhelm isolation and quarantine centers in Metro Manila, which currently hold around 18,000 repatriates who have been under quarantine for more than the required 14 days and are still awaiting the results of their diagnostic test.
National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., in a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte Tuesday night, May 19, said he has urged the release from quarantine of repatriates who have been found negative for the novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Bello, in a radio interview Wednesday, May 20, echoed this call in order to decongest isolation facilities.
He was hopeful that 16,000 repatriates in quarantine would be sent home this week.
“Inaapura natin ang pagpapauwi sa mga OFW na dumaan naman sa protocol, 14-day quarantine at swabbing test ng Red Cross. Hinihintay nalang ang certificate galing sa Bureau of Quarantine pero sinabi naman sa amin kahapon na palalabasin naman na nila lahat yun, ng sa ganun ay makauwi na ang mga OFW natin,” he said.
“Hopefully by this day up to this week mapauwi natin mga 16,000. Result ng test ang problema at pag pinauwi mo yan at wala yang mga certificate na yan hindi tatanggapin ng local government unit,” he added.
As of May 19, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which leads the health screening of repatriated OFWs and returning Filipinos, said a total of 30,918 land and sea-based OFWs have undergone Covid-19 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
Upon the OFWs’ arrival at the airport, they are brought to a testing facility for specimen collection before they are transported to their designated quarantine facilities.
Bello said the national government has allotted P2.5 billion to provide assistance to the repatriated OFWs.
Some 456 OFWs have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The government drew flak after several OFWs under quarantine complained of their prolonged stay and unpleasant conditions.
Earlier, the PCG said several repatriated OFWs have escaped from the hotels that serve as quarantine facilities.
One of them tested positive for the virus. The result came out after he had escaped from the facility.
Bello said all those who escaped have already been found and the individual who tested positive was brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The escapees may be charged with violation of the Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. (SunStar Philippines)