GOT questions on the procedure an international passenger will have to undergo upon arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic?
The MCIA Authority issued Thursday, July 2, 2020, a step-by-step guidelines and protocols one has to follow from his port of origin and upon arrival at the MCIA.
Upon check-in at the port of origin, all international passengers traveling to Cebu via MCIA must present their valid passport and valid visa with proof of filiation or marriage, if applicable.
For returning non-OFW Filipinos (ROFs) or foreign nationals, proof of pre-booked Cebu hotel accommodation is needed.
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will have to coordinate with the Oversea Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) for specific requirements and other guidelines.
Upon arrival, they will have to proceed to thermal scanning by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and submit the following completed forms: Health Declaration Form, two copies of Patient Profile Sheet, Passenger Undertaking Form, Case Investigation Form for Covid-19, Laboratory Request Form, and Owwa Project Case Form, if OFW.
They will proceed to Immigration for clearance, then proceed to the following counters at the Arrival Reclaim Hall: OFWs to Owwa counter; for returning non-OFW Filipinos and foreign nationals to cashier counter (PHP and Visa card are accepted. For other currencies, proceed to the foreign exchange counter at the arrivals area), and for other inquiries to Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Health counters.
After this, they will have to proceed to the waiting area for swab testing and submit the completed Laboratory Request Form and undergo PCR swab test.
Once swab test has been completed, they will wear the orange band/sticker on their right wrist to indicate that the swab test is done.
Those returning non-OFW Filipinos and foreign nationals will have to shoulder the cost of their swab test and hotel accommodation.
The cost of the RT-PCR swab test for returning Filipinos and foreign nationals is P4,900, and P4,400 for OFWs.
After the test, they can now claim their baggage at the assigned reclaim belt and proceed to waiting area.
They will have to wait for a representative from the respective agencies for Customs clearance: Owwa for OFWs and accredited hotel liaison officers for returning non-OFW Filipinos and foreign nationals.
They will proceed to their designated vehicle with their respective agency representative for hotel drop-off.
They will then wait for an email of the swab test result from the BOQ to be released after 24-48 hours.
If the PCR test result is negative, the local government unit may bring the passenger to his/her residence in Cebu or they may be allowed to go home through their private vehicle.
If the passenger is not based in Cebu, he/she may take his/her onward flight.
If PCR test result is positive, the passenger must comply with mandated health, safety, and treatment protocols of the DOH and BOQ. (WBS/With PR)