BY MATÈ ESPINA
WE HAVE been under the pandemic for over a year now yet the national government continues to dish out regulations that are not in line with those already set in place by the local government units.
The National Inter Agency Task Force (NIATF) has been regarded as a bully for changing protocols mid-way and expected this to be complied with under threat of sanctions.
It is disappointing as well that our regional agencies have been reduced to one-way messengers instead of voicing out to the NIATF the absurdity of their guidelines or none consideration of present conditions at the local level.
Recently, the NIATF issued a new protocol covering the OFWs and returning Filipinos to undergo 14 days quarantine upon arrival, 10 days of which will be mandatory in a hotel or quarantine facility, and the rest under home quarantine in the respective LGUs of destination.
The previous protocol requires swabbing for OFWs and ROFs on the fifth day, and once negative, are sent home. This time, swabbing will be administered on the seventh day and you will still be required to complete 10 days of stay even if negative before being sent home.
This is less problematic for OFWs in terms of financial requirements because everything will be shouldered by the OWWA. But this will be a burden to balikbayans who will have to shoulder everything on their own.
Bacolod councilor Israel Salanga said in a radio interview that they will have to convene their local enforcement group here because this will entail re-swabbing of all inbound travellers even if their results are negative in the first swab.
The local travel protocol states that only those who are holding a negative swab result which has a validity of 72 hours will be allowed entry to the province. This is impossible to follow without re-swabbing post the 10-day stay in hotels or quarantine facilities based on present local protocols.
My cousin who just arrived from the US must be relieved she doesn’t have to go through this new protocol as she only has three weeks of leave to visit her ailing mom before flying back. Her coming in was already an ordeal because even if you are allowed to leave after testing negative, you will not be able to refund the unused days you spent in a hotel where you booked for quarantine upon arrival.
Unfortunately, her ordeal didn’t end there. The time she was released in Cebu to travel home, Negros Occidental went on travel lockdown and her flight was cancelled. She had to hire a vehicle to travel to another town to catch a Ro-ro just to reach home.
Of course not all chief executives will kowtow to whatever is dictated by the NIATF. Feisty Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia said they will continue to test OFWs and ROFs upon arrival and not on the sixth or sevent day, calling the new protocols as “repressive” policies that will not work in Cebu.
“I take a position, as governor of the Province of Cebu, elected by the Cebuanos and given the responsibility to look after their welfare, I am invoking Section 105 of the Local Government Code. This is not to say that we will not listen to the recommendations, but any imposition will have to be with the concurrence of the Province of Cebu,” Gwen said.
Garcia said the new policy with affect the schedule and further strain the finances of inbound travellers who are coming home for various reasons including a family emergency or attending a burial.
She makes sense and I bet this new policy will actually deter balikbayans especially to come home. Furthermore, Cebu also pointed out that the new protocol would triple the cost of the national government who are supposed to shoulder expenses of OFWs.
I heard recently that some private hospitals have now opted to close their doors to COVID cases and refer these to government health facilities because despite the pronouncements of PhilHealth subsidizing the cost depending on the severity of the case, payments continue to come in trickles.
The NIATF is really in disarray when they could easily look at the best practices of nations that are slowly recovering. A major factor why some countries were able to contain their cases is because of the immediate declaration of lockdowns and not pre-announced.
Ah, but the nation’s top heads refuse to believe our protocols are complicated. Just like the various acronyms they created for our quarantine status, they said travel is simple and easy under “S.A.F.E. T.R.A.V.E.L.S.” which stands for S – search online for the latest travel restrictions implemented; A – accomplish all necessary forms; F – find a certified hotel that serves as a quarantine facility and E – ensure that flights are not modified or cancelled.
T – take the necessary precautions during the flight; R – reserve airport transfers; A – allow extra time for additional arrival procedures; V – visit the Help Desk at the airport; E – expect adjustments in testing and release of results due to demand and backlog; L – leave the hotel and reunite with family once negative and S – stay safe, be informed and remain calm as you comply with protocols and quarantine requirements.
Sounds easy and breezy in paper and silent on the cost and travails in reality./PN
