ILOILO City – Five local government units in Western Visayas would be accepting returning locally stranded individuals (LSIs) despite the 14-day repatriation ban enforced in the region.
In a letter to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF), Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo province, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of Antique, Gov. Samuel Gumarin of Guimaras, Gov. Eugenio Lacson of Negros Occidental, and this city’s Mayor Jerry Treñas signified their intention to accept LSIs subject to compliance with the local health protocols.
Their appeal already reached the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), according to Office of Civil Defense Region 6’s Ma. Aletha Nogra, head secretariat of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“Gin-address [na] naton ang concern kay Secretary Carlito Galvez. Nagahulat na lang kita sang official reply,” said Nogra.
The cities of Roxas and Bacolod earlier requested for a moratorium on the return of LSIs until Sept. 30 and subsequently got approval from the national task force.
Gov. Florencio Miraflores of Aklan, meanwhile, opted to follow the suspension to avoid exacerbating their current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation, Nogra explained.
IATF-EID’s Resolution No. 69 issued Monday night contains the suspension order. It did not specify any area of the region.
According to Presidential Sspokesperson Harry Roque, the request for suspension that was received came from the regional interagency task force, thus the national IATF took it to mean the whole Western Visayas.
In Iloilo City, Treñas assured the IATF that he will continue to abide by and cooperate with national guidelines on the management of COVID-19 without compromising the welfare and health of the city residents.
“We want them reunited with their families at the earliest possible time,” Treñas pointed out.
The city mayor also raised his concern to IATF on COVID-19 head Secretary Delfin Lorenzana about issues with some airline companies in relation to the cancellation of flights of some LSIs and returning overseas Filipinos using city the government as an excuse.
In a text message, Treñas told Lorenzana: “We have a problem with the CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines). Flights to Iloilo city are not allowed using the LGU as an excuse. This was the text received by me: ‘We are about to board and at the last minute PAL announced that the city gov’t ordered the cancellation of the flight…’ I am asking for your kind intervention to allow the flights to Iloilo.”
With this, Lorenza replied, “Ok na bro Mayor, I have advised the CAAP, Undersecretary Yano, MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) and DOTr (The Department of Transportation). They will start allowing flights ASAP.”
Local officials of Western Visayas previously called on returning residents, including overseas Filipino workers, to undergo mandatory quarantine and testing upon arrival to prevent the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Bacolod City and Negros Occidental have seen a spike in COVID-19 infections when LSIs started returning.
On Monday evening, the IATF-EID decided to place Bacolod under modified enhanced community quarantine until at least the end of September.
As of Sept. 11, the Department of Health recorded 7,144 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas, with 109 deaths. But with 3,743 having recovered, the region’s active cases were at 3,292./PN
