THE City Government of Bacolod is now preparing to facilitate the urgent request of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to the local government units (LGUs) for the mass transport of repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to all regions in the country.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, along with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairperson of Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), other city officials and government agencies held an emergency meeting Monday, May 25, at the Bacolod Government Center to prepare for the urgent request of the DILG.
From May 25 to 27, more than 24,000 OFWs in Metro Manila, who come from various regions, shall be transported at an estimate of 8,000 OFWs per day to different provinces and cities.
Councilor Renecito Novero said that based on the memorandum signed by DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III, the LGUs were advised to accept as long as the required documents are shown by each OFWs.
He said if the OFW has incomplete or no documents on hand, the LGU may just have to quarantine him/her or PCR tested then isolated while waiting for the results.
DILG's proposed process includes that the OFW shall be fetched from their hotel/quarantine facility and accompanied by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) and shall be brought to PITX and the NAIA Terminal II for them to board their respective transportation which have been arranged by the government.
The OFWs should present the copy of their quarantine certificate from the Bureau of Quarantine or that they are included in the masterlist of the PCG of those who tested negative for Covid-19.
A one-stop-shop shall be set up by different concerned agencies to assist the OFWs at the airport, while awaiting their scheduled flights.
The DILG OFW Desk shall take the lead in coordinating with respective local government units concerned.
Meanwhile, Councilor Cindy Rojas, chairperson sang Action Team on Non-Overseas Filipino Workers Returning Residents, said a total of 134 returning residents from Manila will arrive in Bacolod City Tuesday, May 26.
She said the returning residents will be quarantined in the city's quarantine facilities.