More than 19,400 overseas Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have been repatriated to the Philippines, most of them seafarers from 75 cruise ships, a Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said that 19,466 OFWs have returned to the country as of yesterday, in the middle of the fight against COVID-19. Of this number, 15,130 are seafarers from 75 cruise ships.
“Bumuhos ito noong nag-umpisa ang enhanced community quarantine sa loob lamang ng ilang linggo… Marami pang parating in the next few days galing sa ibang bansa,” Dulay said.
The Foreign Affairs Undersecretary reiterated that all returning OFWs should undergo 14-day quarantine in any of the quarantine facilities set up by the government. If a cruise ship was found “clean” or free of any COVID-19 infection, however, the government is compelled to certify their 14-day quarantine while onboard the ship and in transit into the Philippines.
He also added that the sub-task group on the repatriation of OFWs under the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases “has been polishing protocols on the travel of OFWs back to their hometowns.”
A document certifying the OFWs for completing the 14-day quarantine inside national isolation facilities are also given to them prior to going home to their provinces. This informs their local government units that they have undergone self-quarantine and should be honored.
“Minsan nagkakaroon ng hindi pagkakaintindihan dahil may sariling patakaran ang local government unit na ipinapatupad na minsan gusto nila na umulit ‘yung mga OFWs na mag-quarantine sa kanila at sinasabi nga namin dito sa task force na ‘yung nakatapos at nakakumpleto na ng quarantine ay dire-diresto na makatuloy sa kanilang mga bahay,” Dulay said.
When travel restriction eases, Dulay said, OFWs from provinces in Visayas and Mindanao would be sent back home.